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The Space Race? I entered the Modern Age in 1385, with a large tech lead. Now for the tricky part. To speed my way to space, I wanted to get Germany’s free tech, whatever it would be. So first I gifted them 5 techs (from Combustion on, plus Radio), and they get Computers, so far so good. I set research on Rocketry (I can get it in 5). The problem is, Germany had foolishly declared on China back in 1355, and they were losing ground fast. This triggered a strange set of events along my southern coast. I wanted to keep Germany alive at least long enough to get Computers, and actually beyond, because I knew I would probably have to pay them GPT and didn’t want my rep needlessly trashed if they were destroyed. So I signed an ROP and set up a defensive blockade of Hannover, to preserve an enclave from the evil Chinese. In 1410AD Rocketry came in, and I was able to trade it to Germany with Saltpeter, Iron, and 270gpt for Computers. I can easily protect him for 20 turns, and Computers lets me switch my prebuild over to SETI, and start on Miniturization (I decided to save my SGL for the Internet, the prebuilds just worked out better). Slight problem, however, as I realize, I have no Aluminum.
Where is the nearest source? Under
my tanks next to Hannover. Things
that make you go Hmmm. After
some soul-searching, (and a quick review of the RBCiv epic rules), I decide that
while declaring war and taking Hannover myself is allowed, it would certainly be
dastardly. So I go for a more
subtle approach. I sign an ROP with
China, and quietly step out of the way.
Obviously this will ruin my rep, but I don't think I will be buying any tech
from them soon.
After 5 turns for Rocketry and 6
turns for Miniturization,
Ah Cacao (must be Mayan for Al Gore
A Funny thing happened on the way to the Launch Pad So, just when everything is going smoothly, Caesar stops by, demanding Rocketry. I have nothing to lose by giving in, I am way ahead, and trying to hurry and wrap the game up this weekend, so I can actually write this report, so of course I refuse? Pride overrides logic, and I am at war. He had an ROP with China, so I quickly see an SoOD (Stack of Obsolete Doom) with an advance of 3 tanks and a cav who expose themselves:
After selling China Ecology for 200gpt, I secure an alliance by giving them . . . Rocketry (Why didn’t I give it to Rome again?). My military is actually pretty thin, one mech per city and about a dozen artillery, a dozen tanks, a cav army and a pair of tank armies, and the two jav armies. I start by using my artillery and tanks to eliminate his mobile units and most of the infantry, but I’m still left with the Stack-o-stuff. Here is where I get creative, using a modified “Mobile Defense.” I wake all my garrison mech infantries. Each one runs up the rails, takes out a rifle/med infantry/longbow, then rails back home. Never did this on this scale before, but by using every garrison (I only lose 2 Mech Inf, btw), I destroy the entire stack. Those who promote to elite are kept near the border, while wounded mechs go back to garrison interior towns. I
do save a couple of Roman longbow for some I also plant a spy on Rome, see they are Fascist, have 57 infantry, 12 tanks, 11 TOWs and 5 Trebuchets? left. China starts to make short work of them, however. They also have 8 bombers, and sink a battleship I had left off the coast, but I sink 4 destroyers, a transport and a galleon they sent around the world toward me. With China on my side, they can’t reach me by land anymore, and I don’t see any more of their units. I decide it’s not worth the effort to go after them either, other than a few bombing runs on their nearest city, until China takes it. By now we have started the final countdown, as techs keep flying by and parts are falling into place. No other “interruptions”, and we get a successful launch in 1625AD:
Final Stats: 31 Cities (Capital, 29 slaves, and one flip) with one slave left over. No spaceship parts, in fact the only Modern techs China had was Rocketry and Ecology, which I gave them, and Rome only Rocketry. For being worried about my limited # of cities, I got over 50% of population!
A very interesting
concept, and I learned a lot from this game.
The start was certainly a challenge, and required a different mindset.
I should have been better prepared to use my early slaves, as I was
scrambling to get settlers out and in place, and lost out on some good city
sites. I think I could have been
even more aggressive early, to get more slaves and settle in a more normal
pattern, but it was interesting to go through the game with a lower number of
cities and a wider layout. It was
especially interesting to me that I was able to get 4-turn research through most
of the industrial and modern ages with relatively fewer cities than I normally
have at that point. I have realized
for a while that the majority of my research/economy comes from the top 10-15
cities in the late game, but this illustrated the point rather dramatically.
Even my ‘marginal’ cities on the south and west coast were fully
developed and productive toward the end, with Police Stations.
Still didn’t make much use of specialists, I could have gotten some
benefit from Police or Civil Engineers but still getting used to them.
Always room to improve! Also,
I think the Jav armies were a big help in the mid-game, as single javs weren’t
going to make it vs. NuMercs or Muskets, but the armies gave me a good batch of
slaves to settle 2nd ring towns.
Using Javs in armies was a good lesson learned from RBC4 SG!
This was also a good opportunity to become more familiar with the RBCiv rules, as my first epic. I had a few situations (especially the whole episode with Hannover and the aluminum) where I paused to re-read the rules and make sure I was following the spirit as well as the letter of the rules, I hope I succeeded. I also apologize for what I can now see is probably an overly long report, but I wanted to describe what happened and why I made some of the decisions I made, especially since this was my first attempt here. Anyway, I look forward to more challenges in the future!
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