Polar size 1 one city challenge early landing. COMPLETE

connorkimbro · June 24, 2001, 17:12

Had been reading some of the OCC logs. . and someone in there (jokingly) i think suggested this challenge.

Well, i took the challenge! And, although I didn't win the game (the egyptians beat me to AC by 5 years) I at least DID make it to AC in 1992. Diety, Raging hords, only one size 1 city, located on the southern polar ice cap. I worked the city square (which was the ivory trade special) and one square of ocean. tried to make use of tech gifting as much as possible, and also requesting gifts every turn as much as possible. got the essential wonders for that type of challenge. . as well as only the essential city improvements. . but the egyptians had (of course) way more cities than i did, so even though i'd buy a piece every turn. . they had more cities pumping out parts, and ended up beating me. btw, i sent a fusion powered 15-2-2-1-1-1, they sent a fusion powered 15-3-3-1-1-1. . there were a few other civs going for space too, but we're farther behind.

i think if i were a bit more careful with beakers and trading sciences, i could have shaven a few more turns off, but other than that, i don't know how to do it much faster than i did. one of you guys that knows what you're doing ougta try it so i can learn a thing or two more. .

connorkimbro · June 24, 2001, 17:18

some observations. . . the other civs (and barbarians) don't seem to hang around on the polar ice caps too much. . i don't think i was ever even threatened. therefore, for the entire game (except after the ship launch) i never even had a defensive unit in my city. just the caravans i was piling up.

DrFell · June 24, 2001, 18:34

Good work! You were more successful than me - I tried this a few weeks ago using only a whale as the Persians. It took a few tries before I got a good enough start to have a chance (all prequisites for monarchy) although its suprisingly easy to get a polar start (just customise a small landmass archipelago cool wet world and pick a late civ like Persians or Mongols).

I was doing okay and leading in the race for AC - and I probably would have won it, if I had more time (80 beakers per turn from 10 trade - was ahead of the ai but researching space flight in 2020AD so I gave up as I wouldn't beat the timer). Requesting gifts is easy when you're so weak for some reason - I lost track of all the gold I got given in my game. Only one unit came close to taking my city, a French elephant. I did get quite a few useless techs like mono and theology. I'm sure a better OCCer could do the single whale challenge.

I still have the 4000BC save if anyone wants it.

samson · June 25, 2001, 17:25

I'd congratulate you, Connorkimbro, except that I know how easy size1 OCC is.

Still, it's nice to see someone else trying it. I played a bunch of these size1 OCC games awhile back; they're kinda like pistachios. I did gold, wine, gems, ivory and rivered silk. Most of the landing were late 1800s or early 1900s. All of them on small maps.

Like any OCC game, you've got to get stingy with techs towards the end, else the AI ends up with Superconductor and beats you to AC. And this is one case where Darwin's Voyage is good to build. At 7 or 8 turns per tech, those 2 free advances are worth the 8 carvans.

The gifts of gold are pretty remarkable, a couple of hundred per turn once you got all your alliances set.

DrFell,

I haven't tried size1 with whale, but it's probably doable. You should be able to get more than 10 trade with three good trade routes in place. With gold, size1 trade routes are worth about 10 arrows each. With a whale, I'd think you could get at least 5.

connorkimbro · June 25, 2001, 20:18

Quote:

I'd congratulate you, connorkimbro, except that I know how easy size1 OCC is.

yes, i agree, of course

i was surprised how easy it is actually. but to someone that hasn't tried it, it SOUNDS damn impressive

Alexander's Horse · June 25, 2001, 22:45

You people are insane

War4ever · June 26, 2001, 00:41

ok i am impressed , now lets see you take that polar start somehwere in an MP game

EOL · June 26, 2001, 08:14

Problem with doing it on whale is keeping the population down. You'd have to support a settler (which you don't really need since your original NON will be around to build roads etc..), or take the worker off of the whale every now and then or set up a food trade route to the AI (could increase bonus's eventually).

DrFell · June 26, 2001, 12:33

I founded my city on glacier terrain, and as whale only produces 2 food my city remained at size 1 - if you wanted to found on other terrain I suppose you could home your NON settler to your cap, although I've never tried this.

EOL · June 26, 2001, 17:02

Quote:

Originally posted by DrFell
I founded my city on glacier terrain, and as whale only produces 2 food my city remained at size 1 - if you wanted to found on other terrain I suppose you could home your NON settler to your cap, although I've never tried this.

I didn't realise that you didn't get the traditional extra food when you found your city on a non-food producing square with the glacier. I presume you don't get the unhappiness shields that come with working a glacier square normally either.

samson · June 26, 2001, 17:42

I think we may have a quorum of the "insane" present here.
How about a OCC1 mini-challenge?
Earliest landing date for each trade special class:

Gold class (6 arrows): Gold.
Ivory class (4 arrows): Ivory, Wine, Gems, rivered Silk.
Silk class (3 arrows): Silk, Whale.
Ocean class (2 arrows): no specials.

Whale and Ocean will require special care to prevent population growth.

Settings: Deity, 7 civs, raging hoards, random map.

These are quick games, folks, and not very difficult.
Try it. Amaze yourself, astound your friends.
Can anyone land in the 1700s?

Ribannah · June 26, 2001, 18:30

OK, now try a Tundra city square and working a Glacier (no specials)

DrFell · June 26, 2001, 20:04

Quote:

Originally posted by EOL

I didn't realise that you didn't get the traditional extra food when you found your city on a non-food producing square with the glacier. I presume you don't get the unhappiness shields that come with working a glacier square normally either.

You only get a single shield, I was suprised myself that you couldn't get any food from founding on glacier.

Alexander's Horse · June 26, 2001, 20:36

Quote:

Originally posted by War4ever
ok i am impressed , now lets see you take that polar start somehwere in an MP game

Hydey did that once. He said he had started on the pole and we didn't believe him. He circumnavigated the world without finding any land mass before we finally believed him and restarted.

DrFell · June 26, 2001, 21:47

Hehe, my first mp game ever I started on the poles - there was a way onto some good land but it was a right walk. Serves me right picking English on a small map 7 civs game.