Epic 4
This will be a different sort of game - difficulty is Deity (the hardest) and Raging Barbarians are on, which makes the whole thing even more difficult. I've not provided the teaser screenshot from the Realms Beyond site, as I went for the 'special option' listed below - I figured I need all the help I can get, and so I'll take the save from 12 turns in. My plan, such as it is, is to survive above all. As the game will continue until either I'm dead or someone wins by Domination then I've got a chance to reach tech parity once we all run out of techs to research. Then I can conquer the world, muahahahahaha! Or not. ;)
Scenario
Sponsor: Sirian
Opening Date: Monday, May 29, 2006
Duration: Six Weeks
Difficulty: Deity
Civilization: Rome
Leader: Julius Caesar
World Size: Large
Map Info: Not Disclosed
Rules: Raging Barbarians
Victory: All victory options except for Domination are disabled.
Epic Goals
Play it out, no retirements, no matter how bleak things may appear.
Special Option
As the first dozen turns are the most critical, I'm giving every player the option to "borrow" the first twelve turns from my own game. You may download either the Start file (4000BC) or the Start With Help file (with a dozen turns already played for you). Unless you have survived to 1000AD on Deity before, I urge you to take the help. The first wave of barbarians will arrive in a coordinated attack from multiple directions around 3400BC and it will then get worse from there.
Those who think they can "handle it anyway" are likely to be the ones eliminated before AD. Choose wisely. Take the help, get your scouting warrior home before the first attack, and maybe you'll live past 3000BC.
You have to choose up front, though. If you open the Start With Help file to have a look at what I did, then you have to use that start. (If you're starting with help, you may also look at the original file, but not make any moves with it.) Or you can take your chances and start from scratch. (Feeling lucky today, punk?)
Strategy
I recommend you start focusing on improving your military on turn one. I'm talking units here, since if you try to build barracks first, my civ will be conducting archaeological digs in 6000 years, looking for any evidence that your civ once existed. Just worry about defending your capital against the barbarians at first. Stuff like scouting or improving the terrain will have to wait. You get a fleeting grace period, and then the slaughter will begin. "There's a dividing line between a live hero and a dead one, and you don't want to be on the dead guy side of the line, do you?" You can worry about the AIs if you live long enough for them to give you trouble.
Since the AIs cannot simply sit back and tech their way into space (only Domination is active, and the game will go on and on until there is a winner), you are still in the game as long as you still have units and cities. Where there is life, there is hope. Scratch, claw, and hang on to the last man. Even if you lose the game, just surviving to see an AI claim victory would be an accomplishment.
Scoring
None. This is going to be a rough ride. Suck it up and jump in with both feet. Today is a good day to die.