saxogrammaticus wrote:

Will start by crediting Komodo with a few key points: breakneck pace, Statue of Zeus, and skipping Three-Masted Ship. Everything else, I am fairly confident of independently arriving at. For the first point in particular, I am still shocked at how one can really book it through the eras. Our settling patterns are one substantive difference that is not immediately legible to me.

Also, I use the antiquated notation, providing a save where you can end the turn into victory, but to clarify, we reached The Red Planet on T36.

I do enjoy the total difference with Against the Odds in terms of eking out maximum fame vs. accruing more than whatever abysmal amount Red comes up with. Also, am I the only person who read the scenario and thought we would be up against empires plural?

Saxo T37.ctr

Turn 36 red planet is impressive,i predicted that it will go down all the way to turn 34

Thanks! Anything in the 30s is quite impressive! Thanks for sharing your prediction. I think it is primarily limited by the turn you can research Rocket Science, which itself appears dependent on reaching the Joseon but especially the French and the Japanese.

Can't see your save game

saxogrammaticus wrote:

Will start by crediting Komodo with a few key points: breakneck pace, Statue of Zeus, and skipping Three-Masted Ship. Everything else, I am fairly confident of independently arriving at. 

Well, I got 1st and 3rd on my own, but... Statue of Zeus? Why? How does it make this map faster?

DrCron wrote:

saxogrammaticus wrote:

Will start by crediting Komodo with a few key points: breakneck pace, Statue of Zeus, and skipping Three-Masted Ship. Everything else, I am fairly confident of independently arriving at. 

Well, I got 1st and 3rd on my own, but... Statue of Zeus? Why? How does it make this map faster?

It gives you about 120 stability, alowing you to build more districts

Mewanna wrote:

Can't see your save game

Sorry. I am not aware of a workaround for this. It doesn't appear that the DLC have any impact on the scenario itself other than giving an intel advantage to those with the most content, myself in this case.

DrCron wrote:

Well, I got 1st and 3rd on my own, but... Statue of Zeus? Why? How does it make this map faster?

To add to Komodo's point, it seems to translate into an extra research quarter per city and another four research quarters in the city that builds it. I think it is more important to get the Pyramids early, but Statue of Zeus helps with stability woes. So it helps keep up momentum of district placement, and those extra research quarters help get to Rocket Science earlier.

On a side note, I got down to T42 before giving up Three-Masted Ship. Not sure if that in and of itself is optimal, but goes to show it doesn't add the most baggage.

Shaved another turn off. This start was absolutely wild with 24 units entering the Ancient Era. Additionally, for the first time, Red settled in place rather than moving east. Well, that basically screamed Runner rush. You will see Arjuna did abysmally this run. On top of that, I had a REX problem with my two early conquests from Red when a hostile Independent People spawned south of the capital. Well, that was unacceptable and led to some shenanigans for early consolidation.

Saxo T36.ctr

*Blink* well, i count this as a win in my book, when komodo submitted his run he said that turn 34 is about the best somebody could do in the event. i looked at it and said nah, somebody could probably squeeze a turn 30 in there, and you proved me right! Way to go!

Thanks so much! Glad to prove your prediction right. I do like discussion of the theoretical limits of these scenarios and the possible paths to them. Also, I have learned so many tricks from you, I struggle to keep track xD