A Civilization II battlereport by

Introduction

This is a looong report, so if you don't like sitting in the same place for too long, I suggest you do not read it. =)

First, allow me to explain why I chose to write this. The first Civ2 report on Battlereports.com appeared a while back, and it proved to be an interesting and fun read. Ever since then, I'd decided that I too would one day write such a report. Throw in the fact that Praetor claimed to be better than me, but had never gotten a 40,000 colonist ship in Deity level and I had the perfect reason to play a game, write a BR and prove him wrong all in the same packet. =) Unfortunately, I didn't have the CD anymore, so I had to go out and buy Civ2: Test of Time. Trust me, don't do the same. It's not worth it, except maybe for the multiplayer.

This game was played on the map World.Mp. It is the biggest world map, and I chose it because, hopefully, everyone is reasonably familiar with the Earth's geography. =)

To give myself a little extra handicap (yes, in Deity level, I'm looking for extra handicap...), I chose to start as the Romans, because in my opinion their starting position is sub-standard. This would counterbalance the fact that I knew the map pretty damn well... I also chose standard rules and maximum barbarian activity. I like a challenge. =)

Let the game commence!

Stone(d) Age

The Roman Empire starts out in Italy with two settlers. This is nice, since it allows me to possess a settler that does not have a home town, thus requiring no support. I always prefer to keep one of these settlers to build stuff rather than build a second city.

My Tech choices are already predefined. I would go with the time-hallowed 'Monarchy-Rush', allowing me to benefit from irrigated Grasslands as soon as possible, as well as an increase in Science allocation. While vaulting up the tech tree, I build 3 warriors (2 to defend Rome, 1 to explore) and start pumping out settlers non-stop. My 'NONE' settler was busy building roads to speed up my expansion and connect my empire. I rapidly colonise the surrounding area. Monarchy is researched, and I then continue on to Philosophy, for that free Advance.

Such humble beginnings...

Meanwhile, as I continued to expand like Whoop on amphetamines, a lone Warrior encountered a Carthaginian horseman in Turkey. We exchanged four Techs, then signed peace. Slightly later, I encountered the Vikings. We only exchange one Tech, but a peace treaty is still forthcoming.

Luckily for me, my opponents are so far away that they are more concerned with their own expansion than attacking me. Their passivity could also be explained by the fact that, because of the difficulty level, I was building three military units in every one of my cities just to keep da peace, and I had a lot of cities. Computers measure military might by quantity of units, not unit types, so despite the fact that all of my 50 or so units were only Warriors or Phalanxes, they still thought I was a lean mean mofo' =).

Our Lord's Era

As the year changes from BC to AD, my empire spread into the Bablyonian crescent, Caucasia, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, and England. I discover the Viking city of Hladir in Scotland and the Carthaginian city of Malaca south of Babylon, both of which would act as boundaries for my passifist expansion. Unfortunately, the maximum Barbarian setting comes and slaps me one across the face to remind me that this is, after all, the highest difficulty setting. Nonetheless, I continue to expand like a ho'.

This is embarassing. =(

I learn of the Aztecs' existence by the face that they start building the Pyramids. This excellent Wonder is arguably the best of the game. I try to race them to it, but fail, and opt for the excellent Great Library instead, which I succeed in getting.

The Vikings had been approaching me every so often and offering me gold to attack the Carthaginians. Being too busy "whoring", as Whoop quite finely puts it, I declined everytime.

The Roman Empire around AD1140

Slightly after AD1200, I stop expanding (the last city I would settle would be Moscow) and start pumping out Caravans to get into the Wonders Race. The Carths had built the Colossus, the Zulus the Hanging Gardens and there were precious few early Wonders left. Soon, my AI adversaries might actually try building a good Wonder, like Michelangelo's Cathedral, and then I'd be screwed. My first target was the Cathedral itself, since it is almost impossible to switch to Republic or Democracy without it and not put 20 to 30% of your taxes in Luxuries. With six cities producing Caravans, I got the Wonder in half a dozen turns, and then diversified my production.

With the Cathedral in place, I consider my empire less prone to civil unrest, and flip into a Republic. The extra trade boost kicks in, and it is becoming clear that no nation in the Old World can compete with me. However, as a result of the government change I have to disband most of my defense forces, since they are now a burden rather than a necessity. This makes me look weak and fat to the other empires, so I carefully reinforce my borders, making sure the cities most likely to be attacked have decent protection.

It Couldn't Last...

Sure enough, the Carths perform a sneak attack on one of my Babylonian settlers, and move in on Mosul with a large army of cavalry and catapults. Bastards. Fortunately, I had just rush-built a City Wall, and reinforcements of Pikemen from the city of Tblissi just north ensure that the citadel remains in Roman hands.

These three brave pikemen would soon become the Three Musketeers...

If there's one thing to be said about me, it's that I'm direct; instead of slowly crawling into the Carth Empire, I chose instead to invade Carthage itself; the fall of the capital would weaken the entire empire, allowing me to easily subvert a couple of cities with Diplomats. I changed the production of numerous cities in my capital to Catapults. When Rome built a caravel, I began slowly ferrying across my army of catapults, with two defending pikemen, to the mountain directly south of Carthage. This mountain was easily defendable, ensuring that my entire army could regroup without fear of being annihilated. Eventually, over a slow siege my catapults and pikemen defeat the defending Carthaginian legions and archers, although I have to ship in reinforcements to keep the storm brewing. The fall of Carthage is shortly followed by the fall of Malaca (thanks to Mr. Diplomat), and suddenly things are looking very bad for the Carthaginians.

Malaca... mine, all MINE!

With Malaca gone, the Carths approach me begging for peace. Wusses. If you can't handle a fight, don't start one. Unfortunately, my senate is even wussier, and forces a cease-fire. Damn them! No peace treaty is signed, however.

Meanwhile, I build Leonardo's Workshop, converting all my pikemen into Musketeers and all my catapults into cannons. Unhappy with peace, I keep demanding that the Carths remove their troops from my territores, even though they have none in them. I was hoping to piss them off and get them to declare war. Heh. Come on, motherfuckers, try me...

War, War and More War!

It turns out that the Carths aren't the only ones after my blood: the Vikings also attack me, but I had foreseen this: I had build a forteress to defend England from incursions, and Moscow, my city closest to the Vikings, was defended by Musketeers behind city walls. Hard as nails.

Possibly encouraged by this attack, the Carths finally lose their temper over my ceaseless demands, and declare war on me. YEAH! Utica, a Carth city near the Nile river, gets hit by the survivors of the Carthage invasion. Needless to say, legions and archers stand approximately NO chance against cannons and musketeers... Utica falls in only 1 turn. The entire Mediterranean Sea is now Roman, as history intended it.

Anyone for a swim?

I finally meet the Zulus, who had been south of the Carthaginians. Peace is offered, but somehow I doubt it will last long... and I am proved right scant few turns later, when the Zulus sneak-attack my southern-most city. Fortunately, their military is too backwards to breach city walls defended by musketeers.

Somewhere around this point I take a look at the Top Five cities:

Heh... oops.

As you can see, not ONE is Roman. =) Not impressive, Warphead, not impressive...

At this point, I continue to stomp into the remaining Carthaginian cities east of Mosul and Malaca. The cities fall one by one, unable to to stop lead slugs and cannonballs with arrows and swords...

Cannons > Everything

Up North, things are also going well... Britain is well-defended, and a single cannon unit is able to slowly pound away at both Viking cities.

Mother Russia takes on a whole new meaning

The Russian front is too underdeveloped to change: any cavalry units don't stand a chance to capture a city, and any artillery units don't stand a chance to reach them. We need ROADS, people!

Eventually, all Britain falls under Roman rule. The Vikings offer a cease-fire, which I accept, and the Carthaginians, with two cities remaining, beg for peace. Again, my damn senate betrays me and goes and accepts. Those idiots will pay...

At this point, it is around AD1810, and the Americans and Aztecs are starting to becoming very competitive, research-wise; when they discover Electricity and cancel the Great Library, I realise I need peace for Democracy, to stay ahead in tech! Fortunately, I am only just behind them, and a switch to Democracy with an increase in Research allocation should do the trick. Alternatively, I could continue the war with the Zulus...

The Roman Republic at the start of the 19th Century
For the full-sized picture, click here