Fall of the Empire.

Journaling these last few games has definitely changed the way I’ve been playing, regular breaks and reviewing each session has resulted in much more consideration, but, I still have a problem. I’m too rash, and prone to charging on with turns rather than taking it all in, and in a game like Galactic Civilizations especially, that leads to disaster, as my last game showed.

The English empire was failing, and rather than plow on I thought it would be best just to end it and review what went wrong instead.

-The small starting area was safe, but made expansion difficult until i could build ocean faring vessels and support overseas colonies.

-Being passive didn’t help, starting a fight across the channel wouldn’t have been ideal, but taking a city or two from France would have helped further on down the line.

-I need to pay more attention to culture, London switched to French control without me even being aware of it, and the only conceivable way of retaking it was through military force, which I didn’t have.

So:

-be aggressive when you need to.

-build and sustain a military.

-be aware.

Civilization and This Gaming Life.

Jim Rossignol’s book, This Gaming Life, arrived in the post this morning, so I’m plowing through it in between turns; but anyway, on to business, this Empire isn’t going to expand itself.

Onwards!

1200 AD- As the English I’m getting some nice, upbeat orchestral music to accompany my path to domination. The only thing that’s missing is some nice summer weather but, alas, there’s nothing but overcast skies outside my window.

1220 AD- I use a new great scientist to kick off a golden age.

1250 AD- The French now have galleons out and about. I’m already working on getting privateers to sort them out, though.

The Aztecs and Americans, alone in North America, have declared war.

1260 AD- America asks for assistance; sod that. Although I do give them the gift of horseback riding to help them in their fight.

Further exploration of South America reveals that the East coast is unsettled and rich in resources, definitely a site for future colonisation.

1290 AD- Our economy should now be able to easily afford long distance colonies and settlers head off to islands in the Atlantic. After that I can send more to the Caribbean and South America.

1320 AD- Warwick and Newcastle are established off the coast of Europe.

We can now build privateers!

1410 AD- While they haven’t expanded to the East coast, it seems the Mayans have most of the West coast of South America under their control.

1490 AD- The BASTARD Americans got a settler to the main Caribbean island a few turns before we landed and the BASTARD French have a newly built city on the North end of South America.

BASTARDS!

1505 AD- Oxford is built in the Caribbean.

1520 AD- My new privateers claim their first kill, a Spanish caravel. Time to start giving the rest of Europe trouble on the high seas.

1530 AD- Liverpool, our first colony in South America, is built.

Time for another break.

Building the Empire: Day 2.

580 AD- Our galley discovers the extent of the French empire, with Athens under their control they’d obviously been the ones who’d done away with the Greeks early on and now they controlled a good chunk of Europe.

780 AD- A great scientist appears. I begin establishing harbours to reap the rewards of trade.

800 AD- The Mongols start sending threats so I decide to build more defenses, I’ve been here before, in a galaxy far far away.

820 AD- England is now the wealthiest nation. Hurrah!

860 AD- Research finishes on optics and starts on Astronomy, and the galleons that will let me dominate the sea.

1000 AD- The first of many ocean faring vessels sets sail from York.

1010 AD- Despite numerous demands for Optics from other nations, I jealously guard my advantage. No dice.

1020 AD- Another great scientist appears!

1050 AD- England is slipping down the scoreboard, more cities our needed to expand our empire, Greenland/Iceland looks ideal.

1050 AD- England reaches the new world and makes contact with the Americans.

1150 AD- I’d already decided to trade Astronomy to the Malinese in exchange for Engineering. It was easily the best offer I’d received until France offered 1460 gold and Philosophy.

Deal.

1180 AD- Another great scientist appears, and my Caravels in the New World discover the Caribbean. It’s entirely uncolonised and a possible site for more English cities.

1200 AD- Time for a break.

For King and Country.

And we’re back to Civ again, Civ IV.

Trying out the 18 civ Earth map, as England.

4000 BC- The island start should keep me free from harassment while I colonise the British Isles. Built a worker and focused on the technology to exploiting the many resources next to London.

2200 BC- Stupid idea, but I happened to have a quarry setup fairly quickly, the Great wall of england is built. As usual, however, i wasn’t paying attention to my economy and had slipped into the red.

1200 BC- A great spy appears in london and I establish scotland yard, never really made much use of espionage, now might be a good time to give it some attention.

875 BC- First galley constructed and I send a settle across to colonise Ireland.

725 BC- Hastings is established in Ireland.

675 BC- Started moving the palace to the centre of my empire in York to cut down on maintenance costs.

600 BC- Ze Germans cancel our trade agreement. I didn’t want their fucking pigs anyway.

425 BC- Judaism has swept through Europe and is now supported by all of the nations I have contact with, so I go with the flow and convert.

300 BC- York is now the capital of England.

175 BC- The massive amounts of food in England has left me with heavily populated, and therefore unhappy, cities, I’m hoping a wave of aqueducts will sort that out.

Intermission- Already I’m losing focus, my first plan of controlling the British Isles is complete. I’m thinking about playing it like Britain, with sea power and trade.

My default route in Revolutions has been an economic victory, no such luck here, but a decent economy can be applied to many things, maybe a Space race victory.

25 AD- Another great spy in London, meanwhile, I send a couple of spies France’s way.

50 AD- Who send me and offer of 400 gold and Meditation in return for calender.

125 AD- Which is convenient, as my two spies got rumbled trying to steal from their treasury.

175 AD- Oh dear god it’s 5am.