last updated by cracker – January 4, 2003

Drazilrabi, scribe king of the Tigris and Euphrates

Drazilrabi conquered his enemies with the pen.

Deity level will require much luck, very fast expansion.

4000 BC – Nice start position with river, plenty grass and wheat visible.  Let's go for fast fairly tight cities to get production up as quick as possible without worrying about wasting land in late game from overlapping zones.

Found Babylon (bab), set production to warrior, warrior, settler.  Move worker south to irrigate and road cow-grassland. (irrigate for faster growth and more frequent settler production -- capital will probably be settler factory for quite some time and food is greater bottleneck than shields at least until we can make a granary).

Set research for Iron Working at minimal input (20% 1 science/turn -- 40 turns). Will need gold to buy tech and possible luxury tax to allow explorers to wander instead of suppress unhappiness.  Peaceful barb setting should permit cities to be undefended until AI conflict.

3750 BC – First warrior produced, sets out exploring to North. Cows irrigated, worker starts on road.

3700 BC – Bab grows to pop 2. Governor picked forest so we got 4 shields towards next warrior. switch to 2/1/1 grassland for faster pop growth and 2 turn warrior completion.  Set luxuries to 10% to keep city happy.

3600 BC – Second warrior produced, explore to east. Cow road complete, worker steps west, exposing dyes in jungle. Worker will continue road here.

3500 BC – Bab culture expands territory, revealing another nearby hut to NW.  We have now found two nearby huts to explore later (initial explorers will try to rove far and leave close in huts for later -- want to find territory and pop huts closer to foreign civs before they pop them).

Have discovered Gems in mountains to east.  Second city will probably be sited next to river between gems and wheat to east.  Nice fertile flood-plains with wheat to north/NE for further expansion.

3400 BC – Worker finishes road in grass to SW, moves to sh-grass to E of Bab. Bab grows to 3, put river forest in production to finish settler in 3 turns.  Increase luxuries to 30% to keep bab content.

3350 BC – Northern warrior encounters elite Persian Spear on mountain. Xerxes starts annoyed but is willing to trade us pottery for Ceremonial Burial and 20G, after which he is merely cautious.

Persian homeland looks to be rich with grass, game, forest and rivers. We made good choice going for iron working first so we can scout and hopefully claim iron deposits before Xerk gets Immortals.

Upon contact we check relative standings.  As expected Persian deity is well ahead of us for now.  We know from negotiations, they have warrior code and masonry.  Histograph score is 130 - 86.  Military advisors tells us our 2-warrior military is weak (duh!). Worker begins road in sh-grass.

3300 BC – We see godlike Persian stack of settler, spear, warrior moving South.  We will need to generate another warrior to go collect huts before Xerk gets to them. Northern warrior proceeds north and east to explore around Persian borders.  Eastern warrior has been ridge hopping mtns to east and NE, spies hugely fertile river valley with wheat in floodplains.  This will make excellent settler mill if we can settle it before Persians.

3250 BC – First settler sets out for river wheat location to E/NE for bab. Bab to build warrior, luxuries return to 0%.

3200 BC – Worker done, moves to plains to north of bab to start road to second city cite.  Persia has founded Susa south of their homeland with the settler we saw earlier. War1 proceeds east around unrevealed Persian city; war2 continues east through mtns south of river valley.

3100 BC – Ur founded at river bend between Wheat and gems.  Put wheat (2/1/1) in production, start warrior:warrior:settler.

Bab grows to two. governor used forest, so only two shields to complete war3.  Put 2/0/2 grass in production for turn. Up luxury to 10%, lower science to 10% so only one science point generated.

War2 spots hut to north, but proceeds along ridge, we'll work up to explore the hut later.

3000 BC – War1 sees another Persian settler/war stack moving east & south. War2 starts working back west to eastern hut to get it before Persians move that far south.

2850 BC – We have War2 and War3 next to huts in the near north and far east. Switch both cities production to non-settler and pop the huts: War3 pops 3 Hittite barbarians from the nearer hut, War2 pops a settler (yeah!) at the far east location.

Recently built war4 moves out from Ur in direction of Hitites and second nearby hut.

New settler moves to neighboring incense to found city and protect luxury. War 1 moves west to mtn, identifies Pasgardae, spies Gems and two Persian workers.

Bab returns production to settler, putting both forest in production to complete in 3 turns. Ur goes back to warrior production (may need another if the barbs defeat our two in the field available for defense).   Luxuries upped to 30% to keep bab happy.

2800 BC – War3 is ambushed by the Hitites, defeats one and receives promotion, defeats next, and is finally destroyed by the third. War4 continues moving out to kill final Hitite.

Bab switchs non-trade forest to 2/1/1 grass to improve growth and income while still finishing settler in 2 turns.

Ninivah (nin) founded on incense square. Begins production of worker, to be followed by temple. High corruption means only one shield and trade no matter what configuration picked -- so set for best food production for now.

We see Persian city of Arbela to north and war2 moves up there to explore border, spies wheat, freshwater lake, and more grassland.

2750 BC – Wheat irrigated, work1 begins road.

2710 BC – Bab produces settler. Production set to worker (need to build roads out to distant city and improve more land).  Luxuries reduced to 0% again.

Settler moves to dye-jungle on river to found another city and bring luxuries into homeland next turn.

War1 is exploring up mtn ridge to north of Persia, War2 continues exploring east.

War4 moving up to hunt Hitite.

2670 BC – Ashur founded, bringing dyes to self and bab.  Set production to warrior, worker, temple, then barracks (without a 3+ food source, this city is not a good settler factory, but we'll need some veteran military before too long).

War4 keeps moving north, but no sign of Hitite where we left it, perhaps Persians destroyed it?

War1 keeps exploring arctic, war2 moves east, encounters Persian spear exploring south (hope we find remaining huts before they do).

Ur has grown to pop2, raise luxuries to 20% to keep her happy.

2630 BC – Road to Ur complete, reduce luxuries to 0%. Worker moves north to start road to fertile river valley.

Ur builds war5 which sets out due east to explore area to south of the ridge explored by war2.  Ur sets production to settler. war4 gives up on Hitite and moves west to explore coast.

2590 BC – Bab grows to 2, governor grabbed forest, switch to 2/0/2 grass to get more growth/trade and make worker in 1 turn. War1 seems to have found northernmost tip of continent.

2550 BC – Bab finishes worker. Starts on Granary to accelerate settler production.

Work2 starts irrigating plains to north of bab.

2470 BC – War2 pops a hut to the far east which teaches us masonry. Ashur finishes war6.

Work1 moves NE to continue road out to wheat river.

War1 is scouting down north-eastern coastline; war4 finds rich cows near coast to west of susa. (and saw settler stack heading for wheat river area last turn. Tarsus has been founded on east coast.

Persia is expanding way too fast!  How can we keep up?

2390 BC – Ur grows to 3, raise luxuries to 20% to keep happy.  Forest in production to finish settler in three.

Bab grows to two, switch governor's forest pick to newly irrigated plain for faster growth,

Nin finishes work3, which moves South to irrigate and road flood plain.

Work2 moves to plain NW of Ur to build irrigation and road.

2350 BC – Xerk founds Gordium in my wheat river valley!  Grrr.  Well, he left enough room for another city there so the Ur settler will be able to squeeze in and help join up the distint Nin.

2270 BC – Ur produces settler, which sets off on road to wheat river.  Luxuries reduced to 0%.

Ashur finishes work4, which starts mine in grass by river to NE of ashur. War6 heads off to pop nearby hut to north.

2230 BC – The hut is deserted. Perhaps not what we wished for.

2190 BC – Bab grows to 3, increase luxuries to 10% to keep her happy, send war6 back to bab to pacify citizens. Put 2/1/1 grass in production instead of forest. work3 finishes irrigation starts road.

2150 BC – Discover Iron working at last!  We're kinda in luck: There's Iron in Mtns near Nin.  Switch nin to temple to expand influence to iron deposit -- let's get serious about making road to nin.

Unfortunately there's Iron way north in what will ultimately be Persian territory.  We will need to build an army and attack Xerxes before they have a chance to hook up this iron deposit and build Immortals.

Ellipi founded at river bend next to game forest and within range of two wheat flood plains.  Ellipi immediately starts temple -- maybe we can culture-assimilate Gordium?

Now researching Alphabet at minimum.  We expect to buy or extract tech from Xerxes.  Also we will need funds to upgrade warriors to Swordsmen once we get the iron road built.

It's looking like we and the Persians are all alone on this continent, so we will have to conquer them without any help from allies.

2110 BC – War6 fortifies at bab, luxuries reduced to 0%.

2070 BC – Work3 finishes road, moves to sh-grass to NW of Nin to build mine & road. Work2 finishes road, moves to gem mountain to build luxury road.

2030 BC – Work1 finishes road through game forest (Ellipi now conected), moves to flood plain to NE to continue road out to nin.  Work4 finishes mine, moves N to start another mine on sh-grass to West of bab.

1990 BC – Bab grows to pop 4, raise luxuries to 10% to keep happy.  Keep forest in production to finish granary in 2.

1950 BC – Bab switches from forest to sh-grass to grow faster and still complete granary next turn.

1910 BC – Bab puts settler in production, switch 2/1/2 grass shared with ashur to 1/2/1 forest to build settler faster and let shur have the grass when expands next turn.

1870 BC – Work1 finishes road moves NE to wheat continuing road to nin for incense & iron.

1830 BC – Xerxes encroaches on our territory. Our foreign advisor says he's annoyed.  We buy The Wheel from him for 268G to lighten his mood. Good fortune reveals horse within our borders near bab.

1790 BC – Whoo!  Xerxes' soldier's continue marching past ellipi towards their territory instead of taking our undefended town. a little healthy trade makes for a nice appeasement.

We must start gearing up for war now: Ur finishes temple, starts barracks. Ashur is nearly done with temple and about to start barracks.Work4 finishes mine and moves to horses to N/NW of bab.

Ashur switchs 2/1/2 grass to fishery as the new mine just adds a shield that goes straight to waste.  This lets bab switch from forest to the 2/1/2 grass, so it will grow next turn and still finish settler in two turns.

Work3 finishes mine near nin (alas no help, all extra shields go to waste).

1750 BC – Pop rush temples at Ellipi and Nin.  Make disgruntled nin worker into scientist, lower research to 0%

1725 BC – Bab makes settler, switch production to worker. Send settler to desert on coast where game forest and horses will both be in zone.

With temple complete, Nin can put scientist back to work harvesting grassland.  Nin starts worker production, Ellipi starts barracks. Reduce luxuries to 0%, restore science to 10%.

Work1 finishes road, moves East to floodplain to continue road to nin.

1700 BC – Gem road complete, send work3 to plain to SW of Ur for irrigation and road.

Work3 done with road, move to wheat flood-plain to extend road from nin back to homeland.

1675 BC – Horse road complete, New worker from bab joins this one to irrigate horses in 2 turns. Bab puts settler in production.

1650 BC – Japanese city of Kyoto completes Oracle. Persia is working on Pyramids in Persepolis and Colossus in Antioch -- we hope they complete them before civs on another continent, because we'd really like to capture both and have no time to build wonders.

Found new city Akkad to NW of bab. Set to build temple then barracks. Starts with forest in production as no 2-food square available yet.

Ashur & Ur's culture boundaries have recently expanded.  Looks like Xerxes rushed his temple in Gordium too, as it's boundary just expanded... so much for Ellipi culture assimilating Gordium.

1625 BC – Ellipi boundary expands, so wheat flood plain now available.

Horse irrigation done, one worker continues road to Akkad, the other returns to build mines and roads between bab and Ashur. Another worker continues extending road to nin.

1600 BC – Warrior stuck behind Persian boundary in arctic north manages to influence settler to found Sardis three squares away from northern iron further delaying Immortal production.

1575 BC – Switch production in Ur and bab so that bab finishes settler in two while ur grows a hair slower, but gets an extra trade and still finishes barracks in 3.

Nin's boundary has expanded and with pop 3, can now put mined sh-grass and iron mtn in production to finish worker in 2 turns.

1550BC – Trade 236G to Xerk for Alphabet, start work on Mathematics (Persians have writing and warrior code, so we'll try extorting those once we pursue the war).

1525 BC – Bab completes settler and starts worker. New settler dispatched to Gold hills between nin and ellipi.

Road to nin complete -- three luxuries to all cities! Worker returns to Ellipi to irrigate wheat.  New worker from nin moves out to build iron road.  Worker which just completed road to Akkad moves to game forest to build road.

1500 BC – Worker completes irrigation/road by Ur, moves to mine/road sh-grass to SW.

Ur completes barracks, starts work on warrior (before iron complete, will upgrade later).

1475 BC – Bab finishes worker, starts settler. Worker moves to river grass to E of Ashur to build mine and road.

A warrior returns to Ellipi.

Bab's influence spreads allowing Akkad to use game-forest, -1 trade, +1 shield.

1450 BC – Pesepolis completes Pyramids.  Yay! a trophy to capture! (Aren't we optimistic... Xerxes has 11 cities to our six.  Ah well, we'll have better tactics and IRON SWORDS :)

Worker finishes mine near Ashur, so Ashur adjusts production to finish barracks next turn.

1400 BC – Found Uruk on gold hill -- now have contiguous territory out to nin. Uruk starts temple, then barracks.  Worker is irrigating then roading patch of flood plain between urik and river road.

Ur is half done with second veteran warrior.

Fiddle bab/ashur production so Ashur finishes warrior in 2, bab finishes settler in three.

1375 BC – Worker finishes road near bab, moves to river grass to NE of bab to make mine and road.

Ur finishes second warrior, switches to Spearmen.

1350 BC – Indian city completes Colossus.

Iron road complete.  Upgrade three veteran warriors to Swordsmen.  Ur & Ashur working on Spearmen. Optimize production between Akkad, Bab, & Ashur. Send warrior from bab to ashur for upgrading and to explore SW tip of continent (just realized that there's the edge of visible "coast" tile and we never looked at the edge of the jungle).

 One iron worker stays to build mine, the other moves to plains by lake to irrigate and road and to connect up with Persian road network. Worker near Akkad finished game road, Proceeds to irrigate plain.

Trade territory map to Xerxes for his world map. Then sell our world map for 3G.  Not much new here for either of us.

1325 BC – Persians switch Antioch production to Great Lighthouse.

Bab finishes settler -- dispatch to grass on coast south of Uruk. Bab starts temple.

Upgrade warrior at Ashur, send swordsmen out to perimeter cities. Worker near bab finishes mine, starts road. Warrior at Ellipi heads back to Ur for upgrade.

1300 BC – Worker near Ashur finishes mine, starts road. Worker near Urak finishes irrigation, starts road. Worker made at nin moves to irrigate wheat. Nin continues worker production.

Akkad finishes temple, starts barracks, shifts from forest to irrigated horses to increase growth.

Swordsman fortifies in Ellipi. Warrior upgrades at Ur.

1275 BC – Ur finishs spearman, continues making spearmen (every 3 turns). Continue dispatching veteran units to periphery.

Swordsmen gets to SW point and spies some land across the straight further SW.

1250 BC – Worker near Akkad finishs irrigation, moves to plain on way to Ashur, will make mine and road.

1225 BC – Eridu founded on coast.  Set to build temple then barracks.

1175 BC – Bab finishes temple, starts barracks. Last warrior (except the iron sentry up north) has been upgraded.

Switch to heavy research (80% losing 1gpt) -- we've got no further need of gold at present -- math will be discovered in 9 turns.

1075 BC – Nin suffers disease from flood plain.

1050 BC – Bab finishes barracks, begins cranking out swordsmen every 3 turns.

Raise Science to 100% to make Mathematics in 2 (losing 11gpt).

1025 BC – Pop-rush temple at Uruk.

Reduce science to 90% (math in 1 turn, -7gpt)

1000 BC – Discover Mathematics. Start researching Currency.

Reduce science 70% (+1gpt, discover Currency in 19 turns)

Trade Math+49G+WorldMap to Xerxes for Mysticism and WarriorCode.

Summary

… I hate Deity games. They require too much luck.
This scenario was terrible: a single potent opponent on a mid-size continent.  Huts were mixed and they usually have to be spectacular to make deity work.  Best strategy for Deity is to use diplomacy to make AIs play off each other.  With only one contact, this can't work.

In another 10-12 turns, we'll have enough swordsmen to try a rush attack on Persia.  If things go well, we'll grab three or four cities, including Pyramids, sue for peace and get the bulk of Xerxes gold and tech.  The only thing making this feasible is the Persian’s lack of iron.

If they go poorly, we may be so crippled that Persia will wipe us out by 1AD.