10 Turn Challenge!

[sushiboat]

I am a newbie learning the ropes. One exercise I've been trying against the AI is what I call the 10 Turn Challenge. The idea is to experiment with different setups and strategies to get a strong start, yet keeping the map and settings constant. If anyone is interested in comparing their results, I'd love to get an AAR.

Use the Talis map against one AI-controlled nation with Normal AI. (I have been playing against Jotunheim, but the opponent will be far enough away that it shouldn't make much difference in the first 10 turns.) Set independent strength to 6 and keep the rest of the default settings. Create your pretender and play 10 turns. Play with the idea of creating a position that would be strong in many different situations, not of crushing the particular opponent in this map. Use the information at the beginning of Turn 11 for your report.

Here is an example. I'm setting the bar pretty low.

1. Pretender/Setup

Great Sage, F3 A4 W3 E3 S4 D2 N4 B1, Arcosephale Golden Age, Sloth 1, Dominion 5, Watch Tower, vs. Jotunheim.

2. Results

Research (73 rp): Conj 4, Alt 2, Evoc 2, Con 2, Ench 2, Thau 2, Bl 0
Gems: A 22+2, E 22+2, S 11+1, D 8+1, N 8+1
Treasury 139, Total Income 196, Upkeep 57
6 provinces
Magic Sites outside home: Arena, Chillsick Swamp

3. Future Goals

Continue territory expansion with mercenaries plus 1-2 mystics. Continue to recruit one philosopher or mystic per turn for research. Continue to concentrate on Conjuration research for summoning spells. Build a fort to secure the middle of the continent.

4. Evaluation and Comments

Expansion was below par. I was recruiting mostly commanders (almost all researchers), with only a few troops to make up for early casualties. For expansion, I relied on mercenaries, which were less frequently available than usual. I lost one battle and barely won another battle. In the past, research has been about 20 rp/turn higher because of finding a library and recruiting sages.

[Tuidjy]

I took this data from a game in which I was testing something:

Caelum: (turn 11)

Pretender: Vampire A3,W2,E3,S5,D3,B3 (level 4 by turn 11)
Research: 104rp - Alt2, Const4, Evo4+
Gems: A39+4, W2+2, S18+5+2(clams)
Gold: 305, income 348, Upkeep 113
Provinces: 8, only two pretender searched, except for arcane probing

Notes: Prophet dead, I forgot to change his script when I should have.


Jotunheim: (turn 11)

Pretender: Son of Niefl A5,W3,E3,S5,D3 (level 3)
Prophet: Niefel Jarl level 2
Research: 60rp - Alt2, Const3+
Gems: A5+1, W1+5, E10+2, S12+0+4(clams), D22+2, N5+1
Gold: 674 (lucky event on turn 11), income 345, upkeep 111
Provinces: 9, most of them pretender or prophet searched

Notes: Temple burned down.


These is not a very good start against the AI, but I consider it a good start
for a multiplayer game, where you do not want to appear too big or too strong
too early. If you are really looking for impressive numbers, some nations, like
Abysia, can easily hit twenty provinces by turn 11, but then, at least when
played by Cohen, they hit 0 provinces by turn 30, after having pissed off their
neighbors.

[Turin]

caelum: (turn11)
pretender: ghostking fire3/air5/water1/earth3/death4
order3/sloth3/cold3/growth3/misfortune2/magic3/dom6/watchtower
Research:55 (conj1/alteration3/const2/enchantment1)
gems: +13 total per turn(no clams yet)
gold:816 income:435 upkeep 122
provinces: 15 most of them searched by high seraphs.

notes: found magic pike on pretender, he got 2 afflictions(chestwound and weakened). Bad luck with magic sites, only 6 found, but one is the steel oven. Going to build 2nd castle there.
Only a couple of gems spent on wind guides, clamming just starts now. Going for air queens, which mr ghostking can cast.
I played vs easy ai ulm though, don´t know if normal would have made a big difference.

[quantum_mechani]

Pretender: Pangaea New Era, Medusa 9E4N, 3 order, 1 prod., 3 death, 3 misfortune, 3 magic, 80 point/40 admin castle

Research(86 points): Enchantment 2, Conj. 3, Thaum. 1
Gems: 44+6 nature, 2+1 water, 2+1 death
Income 481, upkeep 132
17 provinces

Though light on site searching, this setup could still work very well for a 2 person (or 1 person 1 AI game). While seeming somewhat weak later game, having a lot of provinces early means a great chance of finding indie mages (I found Amazons, Sages and Lizard Shamen). Also nature magic can branch off in a lot of directions with a bit of reseach.

[alexti]

Explosive C'tis (Turn 11) - don't try in MP with more than 1 opponent

Pretender: Scorpion King 6F7E, 3 order, sloth 2, heat 1, misfortune 2, magic 3, fortified city.

Research: Ench 3 (total 138RP)
Gems: 5+1 air, 3 earth, 33+3 death, 37+5 nature
Gold: 2278, income 865, upkeep 143
20 provinces

Fast start is supposed to compensate for lack of certain magic paths. More fortresses, temples and lans should be coming soon, sauromancers busy in the field (fighting and searching) should soon settle and boost research.

[Turin]

whoa that´s twice my income. Does c´tis start in the upper half, or is that income boost explained by miasma domain and the 5 extra provinces?

[sushiboat]

Wow! Now I have some idea of how far I have to go.

Would anyone care to give a turn-by-turn summary? Even if I won't always want 15+ provinces by Turn 11, knowing how to accomplish that seems important.

[Turin]

Well I just researched alteration 2 and sent the gk out on turn 3. A force consisting of one high seraph/your starting commander and your starting troops + ~25 built blizzard warriors gets also sent out.(with some air gems for wind guide) that nets you 2 provinces per turn, so you come up with 15 at the start of turn 11.

[alexti]

Turin said:
whoa that´s twice my income. Does c´tis start in the upper half, or is that income boost explained by miasma domain and the 5 extra provinces?

Yep, I've started in the upper half. I didn't have miasma domain. I think that besides 5 extra provinces the difference mainly came because Caelum needs Cold-3 and at that rate of expansion most of your provinces were probably far off of that optimal value

[alexti]

My plan was very simple, just plain old rush. I've set Scorpion King (SK) to research enchantment, until I've learned what was in the next provinces. So on turn 2 I've sent him to conquer indies. He was taking one province per turn going by perimeter (and avoiding things like knights). On every turn I was hiring a sauromance and set him to research enchantment. When the ench-3 was about to be ready I've sent extra sauromancers with few guards forward, so that I could expand not from the capital. After that everybody went into the battle with raise dead, 2 Groups went right away, 3rd couple of turns later, after that freshly hired sauromancers were searching for sites. By turn 8 or so Jotunheim has attacked me (trying to take provinces with some remote spells). And along the way I was hiring all mercenaries in sight, it wasn't very successfyul though, 2 companies has perished achieving nothing and only one company has taken few provinces.