Adventure 3: Part 4
In 1525AD I finish the Hanging Gardens:
And Isabella starts asking me to change to Buddhism ... and I refuse, I want those points on the scoring system ;) In 1560AD another Great Scientist is born and I send him off to Novgorod to put an academy there. I've decided my next research goal is Gunpowder, I'm feeling a little out classed with the military side of things. Saladin declares on Isabella in 1570AD which is rather nice, I'm hoping that'll keep them both out of my hair for a while. Then I've a chance to pull my empire back round - at the moment I'm clawing back my research rate, it's up to 40% now. In 1585AD Civil Service is discovered, so I promptly revolt to Bureaucracy:
After the revolution is over, I meet Hatshepsut, who is nice to me. Always a pleasant surprise :) In 1620AD another Great Scientist is born - I use him to research part of Education. I then hawk my map out for gold, and notice that no-one else has paper (and I keep it all to myself. Muahahaha! Erm, yes, sorry, got a bit carried away there ;) ). Christianity is still nicely spreading without much effort on my part, in 1640AD it spreads to Giza:
By now I've met Montezuma and Louis as well, and sold my map to them too. So I've a fair view of the world, but I know I've not met at least one of the other civs. I'm land-locked though, which is rather tedious and I wish I'd noticed earlier, so I shall have to wait for them to come to me.
Once Education was discovered I've managed to claw my research rate back up to 60% (at a slight loss, but I've the money to support it) so I decide to detour via Philosophy and see if I can get to Liberalism first. I sold Paper to Louis and Hatshepsut for Drama, Calendar and some gold, which helps me finance at 70% science rate at a bit of a loss. But to no avail :( In 1670AD someone else gets to Liberalism first, and I drop the science rate down and start researching Gunpowder. And the next turn I had a sudden flash of inspiration and decided to hawk out Education and see what I could get for it. In total I managed to fleece the other civs I knew for: Literature, Feudalism, Horseback Riding, Music, Metal Casting, Compass and Construction. And 1290 gold. And two of the civs can't trade for Education so they get lesser things for another 60 gold. And I get two World Maps in that lot. This is another point where in hindsight I don't think I pushed the advantage I had. If I'd really run with this and tried to aim for a Spaceship victory at this point then I might've had a chance of being in the running for it. But instead I floundered around for a while and lost that edge.
In 1700AD I make a dumb newbie error :( I upgraded my best unit (an Archer with 15XP) to a Longbowman, and that takes his XP down to 10. Normally, I wouldn't be too bothered, but one of the scoring things is most XP on a unit at game end. And now my best unit has 10XP. It'll still be enough for Tsar points, so live & learn :(
Gibbon comes along in 1705AD and tells me who's advanced. I'm pleased to be on the list - and note I've not yet met the most advanced Civ:
In 1715AD Gunpowder is discovered, and I start Moscow (my best/only production city) pumping out the Musketmen. I'm aiming for 2 per city. I was going to upgrade those Axemen, but they don't upgrade to Muskets, so I leave them be. And come 1720AD I get another chance to sell Education - Montezuma's finally able to buy it, so I get Engineering & some gold. Christianity starts spreading again, in 1750 to Grenoble, and in 1804 to Andahuaylas:
I then proceed to hawk out Printing Press to various people, netting Optics, Divine Right & 570 gold. And up goes the science rate again. In 1810AD I'm astonished to see the Malinese are gone. I didn't know they were in the game ;) And shortly after that I meet Asoka, who is already annoyed with me. I guess I should've been more impressed when the Indians wiped out the Malinese, or something ;) Christianity just keeps on spreading:
In 1832AD a Great Prophet is born, who joins St Petersburg as a super-priest. And I realise I've not got State Property yet, so that's that scoring point down the drain. But it frees me up to revolt to Free Market.
In 1862AD the largest civs get ranked:
And I'm pleasantly surprised I'm not last. A couple of turns after that (1886AD) I decided to stop for the evening - having made the decision to beeline to Rocketry and finally go for a Spaceship Victory (though I'm way late making such a decision).
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