Civilization IV Beyond the Sword - The Misadventures of Donavannj!

[donavannj]

I've been meaning to do a Let's Play of Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword for quite a while now, and I finally remembered to do so for a game I started last night. No matter how many times I play this game, it never gets old, because each time I start a new game it's a different world and a different story and outcome. I will be chronicling my adventures and misadventures in this Let's Play!

Update List!
Game 1
Update 1 - A King and His Idiots April 8th, 2011
Update 2 - DEM RUSKI TRUFFLEZ April 8th, 2011
Update 3 - The Case of the Lazy Screencapper April 10th, 2011
Update 4 - New Places, Funny Hats, Bald Guys April 10th, 2011
Update 5 - Finally Got a Religion This Game April 11th, 2011
Update 6 - NOT YOU AGAIN. >:( April 11th, 2011
Update 7 - Research Party! April 11th, 2011
Update 8 - THESE BORDERS ARE CLOSED! April 12th, 2011
Update 9 - Bandwidth Killer
Update 10
Update 11 - No Offense, but I Hate You.
Update 12 - Holding Our Ground! Kinda.
Update 13
Update 14
Update 15 - Shwe****n Paya
Update 16 - Chichen Itza
Update 17 - Technological Acquisitions
Update 18 - Hagia Sofia! Oh, and an overview.
Update 19
Update 20 - RUSSIA HAS A MILITARY?!
Update 21 - We Fail to Build the Mausoleum
Update 22 - Islam
Update 23 - Meh
Update 24 - A Whole Lot of Nothing
Update 25
Update 26
Update 27
Update 28
Update 29
Update 30 - Building Things
Update 31 - Philosophy
Update 32 - Soon there will be guilds!
Update 33 - Improving Finances
Update 34 - Telling Saladin to Bugger Off
Update 35 - New Cities
Update 36 - Putzing about on beginning of turn things

Game 1 (Peter of Russia) - Update 1: A King and His Idiots

Spoiler:

Okay, so after setting up the game in a custom game to have either 10 or 11 rival Civilizations and setting every Civ as a random one, making sure barbarians were turned off (they've been a big problem for me of late for no apparent reason at all), and then loading the game and finding out I was Peter of Russia, I had to minimize the game and go and download Fraps so I could take screencaps because printscreen was being a pain.

Oh, lookie here, I've got a Scout and a Settler! :D I prefer starting out with a Worker of some kind instead, though, usually.

And I decided to move my Settler closer to the shore for some reason that I'm not quite sure of anymore. Imma build a city and call it... WHOAH! When did that name get in the name box already? @_@ Moscow sounds like a good city name. I think I'll go with that one. :B

Where did all that gold come from? :B

... you know what? Who cares?! WE'RE RICH, WE'RE RICH! :D

I totally forgot why I took th-- OMFG TOTALLY DIDN'T NOTICE THOSE BACON MINES ON EITHER SIDE OF MY CITY! MUST HAVE BACON! *drools* @_@

Oh, what's all this, then? Why am I in charge of what research when I pay a scientist to do that for me?

... oh, wait, you mean I don't pay him at all and I made a law that said all decisions had to be made by me? Fine, fine, you incompetents. I choose...

Oooh! This one looks cool! I can build a place called Monument! :D

... what do you mean that Monument is not a special place?! D:<

... oh, so it's Stonehenge that's the really super awesome special place I get to build? What's that look like?

... You. Don't. Know. What the heck am I paying you people for?! >:(

... I don't pay you? This is news to me! You ingrates think that food and shelter aren't payment?! >:O

Anyways, moving on...

99 GOLD FROM A GOODIE HUT?! 8D WE'RE RICH! 8D I SHALL NAME THIS LONG THING OF FAST WATER FAST WATER OF GOODIE HUT!

Look! A giant pile of rocks! :D

:o I CAN HAZ MY BACON MINES! 8D

And that's it for Update 1.

 

[Netto Azure]

Nice. I actually am liking this. :3

But yeah, Most of the time I just set my workers to Auto produce LOL, I'd rather start building a bunch of cities.

Still can't wait for updates. :D

 

[mishy.]

... I want Bacon because of you now. xD Anyways, this is lovely so far! Can't wait to see more and see your tactics so I can use them when I play Civ4 because I suck. :B

 

[donavannj]

Replies:

Nice. I actually am liking this. :3

But yeah, Most of the time I just set my workers to Auto produce LOL, I'd rather start building a bunch of cities.

Still can't wait for updates. :D

I used to do that a lot, but I only do that when I find out they have nothing left to do and I get annoyed with telling them what to do.

Thanks, Netto! I hope you'll like my update in this post! ^_^

... I want Bacon because of you now. xD Anyways, this is lovely so far! Can't wait to see more and see your tactics so I can use them when I play Civ4 because I suck. :B

Bacon is so yummy and delicious and stuff. @_@ *drools*

I'll try to keep it interesting! I think I missed a fair bit of my strategy this time around because I was lazy about taking screencaps. :B Thanks Tara! ^__^

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways onto fun update stuffs, with a bonus image because I just noticed the first update was 9 images, not 10 like I thought:

Game 1 Update 2: DEM RUSKI TRUFFLEZ

Spoiler:

Oh, lookie! It's another of those Goodie Huts! I wonder what's inside a Wonderball?

Also, what the heck are those giant spotted things? :B

Oh, yay! I got my technology! :DD

I think I like this Polytheism thing. That Hinduism thing sounds pretty cool! B)

Oh hey I got this thing called a map from that goodie hut. Looks like it tells me where more neat things are. :B

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I DON'T GET TO SEE THAT WHAT THAT HINDUISM THINGY IS! ;___;

Also, what's that Buddhism thingy? :B

OMG IT'S ANOTHER GOODIE HUT! :D

Looks like Moscow finally got done building that Worker I told it to build. Now to build a Warrior.

Now to tell my Worker what to do.

What the heck are those blue circle things? They must be important! Off to the BACON HILLS with you, servant! >:O

WHOOOOOOOOO! 60 GOLD! WE'RE SWIMMING IN GOLD! 8D

Oh, look, I got Polytheism! I think that Priesthood thing looks like a good next target.

YOU JUST CAN'T BEAT THEM RUSSIAN TRUFFLES! YUMMEH IN MAH TUMMEH! ^_^

And that be it for Update 2!

 

[mondays suck]

Nooo, why would you settle Moscow one off a river:'(
Sorry, but I just love Levees that much.
On the plus side, it has lots and lots of food, especially nice for a PHI leader like Peter.

Anyway... Keep this up, I already love it!

By the way, could you post a save (the 4000BC Autosave?), so we could shadow this game?

 

[Netto Azure]

Well at least you turned off the Barbarians. I hated those guys. Kept on destroying my cities and allowing the Aztecs to settle there. >.>

That aside FREE BACONZ! :D

 

[donavannj]

Replies:

Nooo, why would you settle Moscow one off a river:'(
Sorry, but I just love Levees that much.
On the plus side, it has lots and lots of food, especially nice for a PHI leader like Peter.

Anyway... Keep this up, I already love it!

By the way, could you post a save (the 4000BC Autosave?), so we could shadow this game?

I'm pretty sure I can still build Levees as long as the city has any tiles with a river in them.

Yes, it does. Especially DEM BACON MINES!

Thanks for reading! ^_^

I'll see what I can do about that.

EDIT:

Well at least you turned off the Barbarians. I hated those guys. Kept on destroying my cities and allowing the Aztecs to settle there. >.>

That aside FREE BACONZ! :D

GAH! NETTO! WHY YOU POST WHILE I UPDAAAAATE? ;_;

Just kidding. It's nice to know I have followers. ^_^

Barbarians are no fun. :B

YES FREE BACONZ! :D

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways, since it's late, I'm gonna do a short update here. Also note that I'm playing on Warlord difficulty because I suck at any higher difficulties but the lower difficulties are too easy for me. :B

Game 1 Update 3: The Case of the Lazy Screencapper

Spoiler:

For some reason this king was lazy and found nothing interesting going on in turn's 22 and 23. I then decided to consult my technology advisor for reasons I'm still not sure of myself. Oh, wait, I wanted that cool Judaism thing I heard about, and I wanted to know what the heck we needed to do to make it mine. B)

Oh, and I also met some short, bumbling half-wit named Napoleon. I didn't find him very interesting so I didn't take pictures of that weird guy. :V

Oh lookie here this guy has his own land... WAITAMINUTE! THIS MEANS I'M NOT A SPECIAL MAN FOR HAVING MY OWN LAND! :'(

FOOLISH TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR. I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU I WANTED JUDAISM FOR MYSELF! NOW GO GET IT FOR ME! >:O

OH LOOK A GOODIE HUT! :D

I'll send my military in to check it out! :D

:o It gave me more loyal subjects! :D

And that's it for Update 3.

EDIT: Also, initial save attached.

 

[Netto Azure]

Nice a settler. Do you put it near your Main city or put it on a far territory to create ur future boundaries? Because it's hard to defend and make it self sustaining. Workers take 4ever to make LOL.

 

[mondays suck]

I'm pretty sure I can still build Levees as long as the city has any tiles with a river in them.

Unfortunately that only works if you are playing the Dutch and your city is on the coast (not sure if lakes work as well)

Not sure what to do about France. On the one hand, Paris is pretty far away from Moscow, on the other hand the little corporal is among the worst persons to have as neighbors in this game. Having a hill city being the only city on a short border and stacking units in there would be ideal I think.

Also going to try the map myself now, it's not like I've got anything better to do:)

EDIT:
Fun game so far. What do the AIs love to say again...?

Spoiler:

BOW BEFORE THE MIGHT OF MY HORSE ARCHER - in this case I'm meaning the plural form, of course.

Killed Gandhi, then went for Napoleon and Joao almost simultaneously. The former is down to one city I am going to take in about three turns once my main forces have healed up in Paris, from the latter I took only one city and then sued for peace (got a tech and some gold) because he started building spears and an ugly stalemate began. Going to redeclare when peace ends, my current forces in Coimbra are WAY stronger than what I had in the first Portuguese war.
I do have an unhappiness problem, I think bad micro is to blame. I'm ahead in tech despite all the warmongering and the fact that I haven't used a Scientist for a single turn yet and Genghis is at war with Joao, so... Looking good.
The Settler in StP is going to settle the tundra north of Rostov, to block off Saladin from all the land in the west that will be entirely mine once Lyons falls.
Huge size and no barbarians is a really interesting variation I must say, huge makes warring harder, but no barbarians allows you to neglect your defenses, meaning entirely focusing on something like a Horse Archer war becomes possible.

 

[donavannj]

Replies:

Nice a settler. Do you put it near your Main city or put it on a far territory to create ur future boundaries? Because it's hard to defend and make it self sustaining. Workers take 4ever to make LOL.

I just focus on putting it in a good city spot. And it's not all that hard to defend. (b'-')b

Unfortunately that only works if you are playing the Dutch and your city is on the coast (not sure if lakes work as well)

Not sure what to do about France. On the one hand, Paris is pretty far away from Moscow, on the other hand the little corporal is among the worst persons to have as neighbors in this game. Having a hill city being the only city on a short border and stacking units in there would be ideal I think.

Also going to try the map myself now, it's not like I've got anything better to do:)

EDIT:
Fun game so far. What do the AIs love to say again...?

Spoiler:

BOW BEFORE THE MIGHT OF MY HORSE ARCHER - in this case I'm meaning the plural form, of course.

Killed Gandhi, then went for Napoleon and Joao almost simultaneously. The former is down to one city I am going to take in about three turns once my main forces have healed up in Paris, from the latter I took only one city and then sued for peace (got a tech and some gold) because he started building spears and an ugly stalemate began. Going to redeclare when peace ends, my current forces in Coimbra are WAY stronger than what I had in the first Portuguese war.
I do have an unhappiness problem, I think bad micro is to blame. I'm ahead in tech despite all the warmongering and the fact that I haven't used a Scientist for a single turn yet and Genghis is at war with Joao, so... Looking good.
The Settler in StP is going to settle the tundra north of Rostov, to block off Saladin from all the land in the west that will be entirely mine once Lyons falls.
Huge size and no barbarians is a really interesting variation I must say, huge makes warring harder, but no barbarians allows you to neglect your defenses, meaning entirely focusing on something like a Horse Archer war becomes possible.

Huh. Didn't know that. I was pretty certain it worked all the time.

We'll find out in a later update what I did or didn't do about France.

Okay! It's a pretty interesting map.

Spoiler:

Holy hell you work fast. I'm waaaaaay too passive in my gameplay. You'll find out what I mean in a later update.

-------------------------------------------------------

Game 1 Update 4: New Places, Funny Hats, and Bald Guys

Spoiler:

Hahaha look at his funny pointy hat! I totally wanna ask him if I can try it on. :B

NEW FOLLOWERS! I COMMAND THEE TO BUILD A NEW SETTLEMENT! Nononono! No numbers at the end of the name! >:O

That's more like it!

This place needs more improvements! Create a force of Workers!

You! Protect this place! >:O

I also met a funny lookin' bald guy with glasses. Claims his name is Gandhi and calls his place India. :V

End Update 4.

Game 1 Update 5: Finally Got a Religion This Game

I'm bored of the clueless leader ruse, so I'm just gonna post it how it is.

Spoiler:

I HAVE A RELIGION FINALLY! That's basically a win condition in Civ IV. :V

Most definitely! HAPPY DENIZENS ARE PRODUCTIVE DENIZENS!

I think I'm gonna go for the technology that gets me those BACON MINES.

Waitaminute did I just find another goodie hut? Cool! Need all the gold I can get early on.

And now that the anarchy is over, we can resume normal production: A worker, and The Oracle. B)

 

[mishy.]

The Oracle in which the Chosen one will go and start their Journey of Regeneration! :D

... Yeah idk either. :( But I want more bacon now, because you keep mentioning Bacon mines, and I just had bacon yesterday. This is also making me want to play CivIV... but on a lower difficulty because I fail at the game. XD;

 

[Netto Azure]

I liked the ruse tho :(

Still I founded Christianity so I win :D

That aside are you going to be aggressive or???

 

[donavannj]

Replies:

The Oracle in which the Chosen one will go and start their Journey of Regeneration! :D

... Yeah idk either. :( But I want more bacon now, because you keep mentioning Bacon mines, and I just had bacon yesterday. This is also making me want to play CivIV... but on a lower difficulty because I fail at the game. XD;

YEAH! TOTALLY! :D

... I wish. I could totally not worry about Napoleon being my neighbor if that were the case.

I haven't had bacon in over a month. ;;

I liked the ruse tho :(

Still I founded Christianity so I win :D

That aside are you going to be aggressive or???

It was boring me and hard to keep up. :(

You want a religion as early as possible. :V

I'm actually pretty passive in my games. Probably way too passive.

------------------------------------------------------------

Game 1 Update 6: NOT YOU AGAIN. >:(

Spoiler:

Oh, look! I found a goodie hut!

And St. Petersburg grew culturally.

Why are the goodie huts giving me so much gold this game?

YES! FINALLY I CAN BUILD ME SOME BACON MINES! :D

Now I think I'll go for agriculture since I've got two farms inside my borders.

And a Turn 50 overview of my nation. Moscow's borders got bigger again.

That's a pretty ominous proclamation to receive considering that's one of Gandhi's warriors just above the box for the announcement.

And now I can build farms to make my cities grow even faster.

If I'm going to keep expanding, I'm going to need a monastery or two so I can produce missionaries to make sure my state religion goes to all of my cities.

>:( THIS GUY. GEE, THANKS.

But I cannot afford a war, so I offer peace for now.

Aw, crap. Not this prick, too. >:( I really don't like most of my neighbors so far this game. I have bad histories with them from past files.

Still, I need to make peace for now.

End Update 6.

 

[Netto Azure]

Why is your Civ so far behind everyone's? :(

Still be wary of the aggressive people.

They bite.

That aside do you do open Borders or..?

 

[mondays suck]

Build some military already - pull out the nasty guys' teeth and they won't bite you.

 

[donavannj]

Replies:

Why is your Civ so far behind everyone's? :(

Still be wary of the aggressive people.

They bite.

That aside do you do open Borders or..?

That's just a power chart...

I already know that.

I've experienced that pain before. >_<

I tend to not (and in some cases that comes back to bite me. >_<).

Build some military already - pull out the nasty guys' teeth and they won't bite you.

I'm too far in this game for that. >_< I'll keep that in mind for my next game, though. I keep forgetting that. :x

------------------------------------------------------------

Game 1 Update 7: Research Party!

Spoiler:

Shiny rocks are always a nice luxury to have.

And I got the Oracle! I forgot what I chose to be my freebie tech, though. I think it was Bronze Working.

Got Meditation now, so I'm gonna go for Fishing, since I'll need that to get me some of this bronze over here.

And now to research Sailing.

And that makes everything fantastic. ^_^

Ah, yes, Pottery. Health will become an issue pretty fast with how quickly these cities are growing.

Just checking my difficulty. Things seemed to be going too smoothly up to this point. I also chose to research Archery as a just-in-case type thing.

And there we go. We're set in case we don't get that bronze.

I don't think I actually chose writing at this point. I think I ended up going for Iron Working. I'm not quite sure.

End Update 7.

 

[mondays suck]

You popped gold in a riverside grassland hill mine belonging to your capital in 1760 BC?

Wow, that smiley looks crappy...unfortunately I didn't find anything else...


That's just an INSANE advantage - and it might cause some jealousy among the other civs...

 

[donavannj]

Replies:

You popped gold in a riverside grassland hill mine belonging to your capital in 1760 BC?

Wow, that smiley looks crappy...unfortunately I didn't find anything else...


That's just an INSANE advantage - and it might cause some jealousy among the other civs...

SPOILER ALERT: I FAIL TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. :(

Game 1 Update 8: THESE BORDERS ARE CLOSED!

Spoiler:

I forgot what I just finished building here, but I need Archers for defense against my neighbors.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna need some units with EXPERIENCE! So barracks it is.

And I've just founded my third city for bronze access. Hopefully this won't come back and bite me in the butt later.

And I think I'll research Iron Working just in case I lose that bronze source and there ends up being a source closer to me.

We gonna build us a fourth city! \o/

No, Gandhi, I do not want Open Borders with you. >:( Sometimes this staunch "no open borders" stance will come back to bite me later.

YES YES YES! HIGHER TRADE ROUTE YIELD! LET'S DO THIS!

Also, one bacon mine complete.

And I apparently didn't even have to build a missionary to spread Judaism to Novgorod. Sweet.

Oh yay a Great Prophet! I could totally use the boost from the Judaism holy building in St. Petersburg.

Sorry, but, uh, no.

Wonder how much of the stuff I've done this update will come back to bite me. even though I already know that answer

End Update 8.

 

[mondays suck]

Should have taken Open Borders with everyone except maybe Gandhi (Buddhist) and Napoleon (he only has you as a target, so if he feels like having a war, his target WILL be you), since it increases the chances of Judaism spreading to them. Some allies are always nice. Well, I didn't get any in my shadow game, but I could always convert to whatever religion the Khan believes in or converts to, I'm pretty sure he and weak Saladin are the only known civs that don't hate me yet.

Another thing, why do you appear to be so reluctant to explore the east? Should have seen it like this: You are the tsar of Russia, and all the people over there are just Siberians waiting for you to conquer them! Except that these eastern lands are better ones than real Siberia with all its taigas and tundras, of course.

 

[donavannj]

Should have taken Open Borders with everyone except maybe Gandhi (Buddhist) and Napoleon (he only has you as a target, so if he feels like having a war, his target WILL be you), since it increases the chances of Judaism spreading to them. Some allies are always nice. Well, I didn't get any in my shadow game, but I could always convert to whatever religion the Khan believes in or converts to, I'm pretty sure he and weak Saladin are the only known civs that don't hate me yet.

Another thing, why do you appear to be so reluctant to explore the east? Should have seen it like this: You are the tsar of Russia, and all the people over there are just Siberians waiting for you to conquer them! Except that these eastern lands are better ones than real Siberia with all its taigas and tundras, of course.

Yeah, I didn't end up doing that (I'm roughly 100-150 turns ahead or soemething like that for this game because I got "one more turn" fever while playing a couple times). It came back to bite me.

I honestly don't do much thinking other than worry about my relative size to other Civs and my technological status relative to other Civs. That and I'm kinda lazy in my playing style. :x