Purpose: Provide thoughts and commentary of a ridiculous setting game in efforts to help Brad and crew understand my methods to defeat the AI. I'm optimistic it will help the team understand why/how to counter the more hardcore players. I fully realize I'm not God's gift to strategy games - but I would like the ridiculous AI to kick my ass now and then.  

Scenario:

• Medium random map
• Ridiculous across the board
• Max players
• Normal pacing
• Playing as Gilden
• Not using any cheats except ctrl-T to visit enemy faction shops (ascertain gear level they should be equipping champions)
• Custom bard/charisma/resource build sov

Commentary:

• S1: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S1.EleSav
• Assess my surroundings before founding kingdom. Fire shard, oasis (extra food!), fertile land, and mine. There is 1 available npc (merchant master) and 3 goodie huts visible. Decide to move 1 square to the northeast so I'm 2 squares away from the fertile land (upgrading it later won't affect my city build queue time). Found kingdom.
  • Improvement queue - start building a hut (I can because of the food attribute). In my capital I NEVER want to hit a pop lock (i.e. prestige is being wasted) unless I'm doing it for a damn good reason.
  • Unit queue - designed my first melee unit (basically peasant with staff instead of gnarled club). Queue is empty due to lack of materials.
  • Start learning arcane weapon for the +5 attack to any unit for only 1 mana casting cost - great buff when needed
  • Start researching warfare 1 (equipment) for the padded armor & oak spear
  • Hired Lejadiri for 22 gold - since Lejadiri provides 1 gildar per turn, will start turning a profit in only 23 turns plus I get an extra pair of feet grabbing goodies and exploring. Going to outfit Lejadiri in season 2 with some traveling boots in season 2 and send her out in the world.
  • Anxiously awaiting Janusk in season 2
• S2: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S2.EleSav
  • Hire Janusk and equip with traveling boots - start exploring
  • Equip sov with traveling boots and staff
  • Equip Leja with traveling boots and start exploring/grabbing goodies
  • Start training basic melee unit - found some materials from the goodie huts
• S6: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S6.EleSav
  • Improvement queue - beacon of hope for +1 prestige (double current growth rate)
  • Unit queue - 2nd basic melee unit
• S9: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S9.EleSav
  • Moved sov back into capital to help with prestige growth
  • Improvement queue - build another hut which has me set to level 3
  • Unit queue - next turn my 2nd melee unit will be completed. Will leave it empty since I now have a defense against mobs. Will start building again once I have oak spear/padded cuirass units designed.
• S11: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S11.EleSav
  • Capital is now level 2 - I always take the gildar buff, especially in capital since it will be the hub for all trade routes
  • Uh oh - a 4 attack bandit moved into my zoc, time to move my garrison outside the capital limits and kill that stupid bandit. My sovereign is going to get some experience!
  • Victory! Soveriegn gained a level, put 1 into dexterity (to round it out to 10) and then extra 2 points into charisma. Moved garrison back into city to heal.
• S14: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S14.EleSav
  • Improvement queue - building workshop so I can build fertile land. I'm not finding any additional goodie huts thus dry on the materials.
  • Equipment tech in 2 seasons!
• S16: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S16.EleSav
  • I now have equipment in warfare tree - researching level 2 to get armor
  • Upgraded my melee design to oak spear and padded cuirass
  • Unit queue - leaving empty for now due to materials drought
  • Purchased oak spear & padded cuirass for sov
• S18: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S18.EleSav
  • Janusk just discovered Altar - their FP is 7 vs. mine of 5. An addition they are pretty far away, tentatively feel they are too far away to rush early at this point. There has to be someone closer. I think I picked the wrong direction to explore initially. Their settlement is undefended so if I wanted to take it over Janusk could march in there. But he's pretty far away from my main force.
  • I'm not asking for any treaties, especially non-agression. I want to leave my options open.
  • PROBLEM: please note how the Altar AI has left their settlement undefended, allowing Janusk, who is only armed with a gnarly club and no armor, to consider taking it over.
• S19: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S19.EleSav
  • Eureka! Janusk just discovered a +25 materials goodie hut. I now have enough materials to create some melee units. I'm 7 seasons away from arcane weapon and if I take over Altar's settlement, start to gear Janusk and create some melee units there.
  • Improvement queue - another workshop to support military buildup
  • Unit queue - leaving empty in capital while I consider grabbing Altar's settlement. If I go that route, will buildup there to push Altar capital.
  • Used ctrl-T cheat to teleport onto an Altar tile to see shop options, and then ctrl-T back to original tile
  • Altar is at tech 0 for gear, thus staff and traveling boots
  • Building farm on fertile land in capital zoc (note it's not yet part of settlement thus not tying up the city build queue)
• S20: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S20.EleSav
  • Ok so I moved Janusk in and conquered it. Cancelled the hut to avoid rationing in capital and q'd up a workshop. Q'd up a melee unit. A little concerned of the 8 attack power bandit 3 squares away. Sold the midnight stone and salted pork on sov to get some quick cash.
  • Capital zoc increase allows building of refugee camp, woot! Housing won't be a problem for awhile when that is built.
  • Capital unit queue - leaving empty for now to see what happens near Altar

Summary:

• Things are looking good. Capital is almost level 3, have oak spear and padded armor, and just expanded by conquering Altar's second settlement.
• I have 1 other champion out exploring right now - sovereign is kicking it in the capital to get it to level 3. Refugee camp will ensure I don't have a population lock on capital for awhile.
• Gildar is the main concern right now but the fact my capital is growing pretty fast should increase tax revenues.
• Just need to consolidated my gains near Altar and push for their capital. I have the edge on technology at the moment - going to use that to my advantage. Will switch gears to buff Janusk and provide an army to wrap up the Altar campaign.
• Arcane weapon buff is right around the corner.

For seasons 21-40 see here: https://forums.elementalgame.com/404944