Ancient Greece/Persian Empire

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Persian Empire is the easternmost great power in the Ancient Greece scenario in Imperialism. It occupies most of Anatolia (modern Turkey east of the Dardanelles) apart from small coastal areas (of which the most significant is the mainland portion of GP Ionia).

You cannot use any tile that adjoins the eastern border decorations.

Starting

$2,500 to play with - so the level must be "NOI". You have three mills, three factories, and a variety of resources and materials in your warehouse. Status shows all GPs equal, but the separate tables show differences, e.g.: you are bottom in Diplomatic Strength while Ionia is top; and you are bottom in Labor - but you have enough surplus food to be able to overcome that deficit fast.

Ten techs, up to Paddlewheels and Steel Plows, all allegedly purchased in 1815. One prospector; no other civilians, so order an engineer straight away. Also order two clippers to earn diplomatic points and carry more stuff for your workers to add value to.

Capital site is fixed, about as far to the south-east as possible.

Diplomacy

Crete has a consulate; Thrace (for its horses) and a couple of MNs near Sparta may be a good start for encouraging more favoritism, but watch the money supply!

Rail and ports

Rail line north-west could be a good start, but you will soon want more fruit, so try north-west or north-east for ports. North-east port, getting fruit and timber, has a good bug.

Minerals

Hope for oil, because there may not be much coal or iron.

Bugs

You may find it impossible to build a depot just north-west of Pisidia. The other terrain bug discovered is more fun. And as long as you have fewer than 15 items to transport, your adviser will beg you to revise your transport orders.

Robin's first game

Expand all mills to 4. Build rail north-west three steps for depot for grain and two timber (then later ENE for a repeat). Clipper very early. Crete and Thrace get 10% to beat competition . Put most early timber into paper for upgrading labor. Spring 1836: consulates in Aetolia and Arcadia. Fall 1837: start north-west port; when its timber starts arriving, rearrange food transport; engineer back to capital for short eastern rail link for timber and iron. Spring 1838: 2nd clipper, because we are having to turn down lots of offers. 1840, Spring: engineer to N-E port site and expand metalworks (as its product is woth most and we get plenty of coal and iron offered, and we feel the need to build some armament in parallel). 1841, summer: North-east port is built (having looked odd while we were trying to start building it): it produces 2 fish, 1 fruit, 3 grain, and 1 timber, as expected, but also 1,619 lumber, 1,724 steel, 1,618 fabric, and 1,725 fuel. I kid you not. That should be a gamechanger if we can transport and process enough of it. Maybe not the fuel yet! Order freightcar #16, the first of what should be a long line, and a couple of celebratory army units, also part of what will be a fast-growing line. 1845, Winter: finally order Farmer, to improve those orchards. The Governors vote produces almost nothing for anyone to celebrate about. But by Spring 1847 we have #1 ranking in overall status and military. More consulates and embassies to gain diplomatic points. 1848: developer; but hardly worth deploying, though we can easily afford to. Soon our ally Sparta attacks minnow Macedonia and we and others join in; our invasion of the eastern province (with three ports) is the game's first invasion. Transport is building up nicely, and Macedonia will help with fruit.

By Winter 1852 we have Pella, the Mac capital, and end up with eight of its dozen provinces. Summer 1853: DW on Ionia, taking three mainland provinces next turn and its capital and most of the remainder soon after. Minor setback as the program froze when we tried to send 80 guns across the Samos beachhead, but a rerun with fewer succeeded. 1855 Governors vote.

99:15. Isn't that enough? Disappointing to see no votes from our long-time ally Sparta. Oh, well, continue with our recently-started war against what used to be the strongest GP but has now been rather diminished by Thessaly.

Robin's second game

1835 till first vote

1835

Knowing about the port bug, try to use it as soon as possible. Order Engineer and two Clippers. Consulate in Thrace. Cash down to $0. Expand lumber mill to 4. Offer one each of clothing and furniture and bid for cotton, wool, timber, and horses. Send prospector east. Two sales, lots of offers.

Summer. Train 4 newbies. Offer 1 each of clo, fur, hdw. Thrace has us as MFTN; Crete has Sparta, which gives it 5%, so we offer 10%. Only one sale; buy horses; bal $1356, CL $264.

Fall. Ten idle labor, but that won't last long. Offer 3 again, bid for wool, timb, coal, iron; sell 3; buy 2 wool, 6 timb; bal 2927, CL 503

1836

Winter. Try to start port: prog freezes a few times but patience sees it recover and eventually agree to start the engineer working. Two idle; make 3 paper, fab, hdw. Crete again favors us, with Sparta still offering 5%. Buy 5 wool, 1 timb, 3 coal; net 1482, bal 1409, CL 727.

Spring. Make 2 fab, 1 clo. Offer clo, hdw. Consulate in Arcadia (which has no other). Status: #1, but 6= in military as most GPs build. Buy 6 wool, 1 timb, 2 coal. Net 1609, bal 2518, CL 936.

Summer. Make 1 pap, 2 fab, 1 clo. Offer clo, hdw, bid for cott, wool, timb, iron. Consulate in Epirus (which has two others, but it often has leftovers from large offerings, so being #3 in line won't be all wasted). Buy 1 cott, 2 wool, 6 timb, 1 iron. Net +732, bal +2750, CL 1048.

Fall. Port on stream, with results as in game 1. Transport 2 lumber and 2 steel (and we could have moved more with some adjustment of surplus food; done in subsequent turns). Engineer moves to west port site for more fruit and timber. Labor shortage at last! Briefly worsen it by ordering two experts. Make 2 lum, 1 steel, 1 clo. Our consulates all report "neutral" relationships; Epirus still favors Sparta, so we offer it 10%.

1837

Winter. West port plays up too, looking as if it may end up sending us canned food, but it settles down and (a few turns later when we have the money) lets the engineer build. Order freeightcars #16, 17, and 18. Make pap, 2 fab, steel. Transport 7 lumber, 6 steel (after reducing food trucks).

Spring. Order next 7 freightcars. Move 8 lumber, 8 steel, and some fruit.

Summer Order next 8 freightcars (the maximum with our 16 labor). Move 11 lumber, 12 steel.

Fall. Order 8 cars. Expand all factories to 2. Move 15 lumber, 15 steel. Make 1 fabric.

1838

Winter. Expand lumber mill to 8 and others and metalworks to 4. Getting close to credit limit with almost nothing to sell, so it's time (maybe overdue) to earn money and produce paper for training and to start getting immigrants. Make pap, fab, fur, hdw. Order just 4 freightcars.

Spring. Make 2 fur, 2 clo, 1 hdw; order 3 cars. Expand factories. Start moving more foods and some fabric.

Fall. Start west port. Order Hussar and immigrant and 2 cars. Make 2 pap, fur, clo, 3 arms, hdw. Move 3 mt, 3 fr, 6 gr, 1 tim, 15 lum, 17 steel, 5 fab (total 50 cars). Offer 1 each of clo, hdw, fab, lum, steel; bid for food, wool, timb, iron.

1839

Winter. $2,831. Order Immigrant and Horse Artillery. Train newbie and expert. Make 2 pap, fur, clo, 2 arms, hdw. Move 11 foodstuffs (needing only 7), 1 tim, 15 lumber, 20 steel, 5 fabric. Bid for food, timber, iron, hors.

Spring. Order immigrant and hussar. Train expert. Order 2 cars.

Summer. Dascylium becomes a town - one each of fur, hdw, and clo! Port done: adds timber, fruit, 3 fish, 2 grain; engineer starts depot there, with his eye on the inland fruit. Order hussar, immigrant, expert, and 3 cars. Make pap, fur, clo, hdw, 3 arms.

Fall. Order SOTL, two Clippers, two immigrants, and 5 cars. Train newbie. Make pap, fur, clo, 4 arms. Expand all mills to 16 (though we may never really need that much), all factories to 8. Consulates in Argolis and Aetolia. Start offering two of each of the transported materials.

1840

Winter. Military strength is now 5th, above Thessaly and Macedonia. Order Horse Arty, 2 immigrants, and 4 cars. Start making two each of fur and clo - but the town has doubled its output!

Spring. Order Farmer, 2 hussars, 2 immigr, 2 cars.

Summer. Order hussars, sapper, SOTL, two immigr. Train newbie. The town is producing 3x3.

Fall. Our military strength is #1. Four more consulates.

1841

Winter. Railyard expands; Adramyttion becomes a village (but that seems to be of little value in view of the province's terrain). Start depot ESE of it. Train 4 newbies. Order Horse Arty, SOTL, 2 immigrants. 10% to several MNs and embassy in Thrace. Town(s) now producing 4x3 goods.

Spring. Order 3 immigrants, raider, 2 clippers. Start offering 3 of each good and transported material. Consulates in all remaining MNs except Lesbos and Doris (invasion targets). Start sending troops to the provinces adjoining Ionia.

Summer. Towns produce 5x3. Order 3 immigrants, 5 clippers. Train 5 newbies. Order 1 car. Increase standard offers to 4 of 6 items. Give most GPs and MNs 5%; seek alliances. Pact for Thrace, embassy for Epirus.

Fall. Train 4 newbies. Order 3 immigrants, Hussars, Sapper, Cuirassiers, Horse Arty, 2 freightcars. Pact for Epirus. Sparta offers alliance: yes!

1842

Winter. Train 3 newbies. Order 3 immigrants, 3 freightcars. Purchase Bessemer Converter (which we should have done much earlier, before ordering some sappers, hussars, etc). Embassies in Arcadia and Aetolia.

Spring. Increase arms order to 6. Order 3 immigrants, 5 freightcars. Train 3 newbies. Pacts for Arcadia and Aetolia.

Summer. Order 7 freightcars. Forgot immigrants. Train 3 newbies. Town production 7x3 goods. Increase standard offer to 7 goods and transported materials. Order Paddlewheeler. Buy Compound Steam Engine. Thebes seeks alliance: yes.

Fall. Train 2 experts. Order 3 immigrants, 10 freightcars. Embassies in Aegean Is and Cyclades.

1843

Winter. Buy Rifled Artillery. Town production 8x3 goods. Change standard offers to 9 goods and 1 transported material. Order 3 immigrants, 2 scouts, 4 cuirassiers. Train 1 newbie, 1 expert. Pacts for Aegean Is and Cyclades. Embassies in Achaea, Argolis, and Crete. 22 initially idle labor because we were not looking after steel supplies, but there's more than enough work in the normally idle mills.

Spring. Order 3 immigrants, 8 freightcars. Train 3 newbies, 2 experts. Pacts for Achaea, Argolis, and Crete.

Summer. Order 3 immigrants, 3 freightcars. Train 3 newbies. Town production 9x3 goods.

Fall. Order 3 immigrants, 8 freightcars. Train 3 newbies, 3 experts. Expand metalworks to 12. Five more embassies.

1844

Winter. University expands. Buy Breech-Loading Rifles. Town production 10x3 goods. Order 3 immigrants, 11 freightcars, 2 Combat Engineers. Train 3 newbies, 5 experts. Pacts.

Spring. Order 3 immigrants, 3 freightcars. Train 3 newbies. Grant Aetolia, Crete, Epirus, and Rhodes $1,000 per turn: they are the four with a neutral relationship to us and competition from another.

Summer. Order 3 immigrants, 14 freightcars, 3 Carbine Cavalry. Train 3 newbies, 2 experts. Expand metalworks to 16. Town production 11x3 goods.

Fall. Order 3 immigrants, 3 freightcars, 2 Combat Engineers, 1 Guards, 1 Clipper. Train 3 newbies, 2 experts. Grant Troad $1,000 per turn: it's joined the "neutrals with competition".

1845

Winter. Order 3 immigrants, 14 freightcars, 6 Carbine Cavalry, 1 Guards, 2 Field Artillery, 1 Clipper. Town production 12x3 goods. Train 3 newbies, 2 experts. Aetolia's relationship is average for Attica but a step above for us; Crete now ditto wrt Sparta and us.

Governors meet. 16 for us, 27 for Attica. No other GPs voted. We got one from Argolis. Attica got 20 from MNs to the east and north-east of them, mostly the three adjoining us. All the more reason to invade Doris and Lesbos and colonize Troad.

1845 till second vote

1845

Spring. Engineer moves to coast for fish, grain, timber. Order 3 immigrants, 5 freightcars, 2 Field Artillery, 1 SOTL, 1 Clipper. Train 3 newbies, 1 expert. Declare war on Ionia. Send 3 SOTL westwards.

Summer. Macedonia DW on us. Thebes and Sparta honour our alliance. Attica pulls out. Send new SOTL west. Order 3 immigrants, 9 freightcars, 8 Carbine Cavalry, 1 Raider. Train 3 newbies. Town production 13x3 goods; raise standard offering to 14. Attack three Ionia provinces from our 3 4-tent provs. Grant allies $10,000 per turn. Military strengths: Ionia #5, Macedonia #7, totalling about 66% of ours. Capture Teos, Ephesus, and Smyrna, losing no units and killing most of the militia and almost killing their 2nd Lt Arty. Timber, coal, foods.

Fall. Program stops when I try to move the farmer. But resumes OK from autosave. Order 4 immigrants, 10 freightcars, 1 Clipper. Train 3 newbies, 2 experts. Expand metalworks to 24, making 20 guns. Capture remaining two mainland provs, killing all militia. Smyrna becomes a village; Ephesus a town.

1846

Winter. Order 5 immigrants, 5 freightcars, 1 Field Artillery, 1 Raider, 1 Clipper. Train 4 newbies, 1 expert. Expand metalworks to 28, making 24 guns. Town production 14x3 goods (plus 1 for furniture); raise standard offering to 15. Beachhead on Chios (N-W island). Thrace and Epirus relationship now average-to-fair with us and nobody else.

Spring. Order 5 immigrants, 7 freightcars, 1 Clipper. Train 5 newbies, 1 expert. Send 20 guns against Chios. Order 5 immigrants, 5 freightcars, 12 Field Artillery, 1 SOTL, 1 Clipper. Train 5 newbies.

Summer. Capture Chios, gain 8 coal etc. Order 5 immigrants, 2 freightcars, 12 Field Artillery, 1 SOTL, 1 Clipper. Train 5 newbies. Town production 15x3 goods (plus 1 for lumber); raise standard offering to 16. Start offering 1 Arms. Ionia-vicinity ships head for Macedonia, which has found and developed the bugged desert iron but has no rail near it.

Fall. Iron+gems south of Sardis. Chios is a town. Order 5 immigrants, 1 freightcar (taking total to 200), 2 SOTL, and first Miner. Train 5 newbies, 1 expert. Town production 15x3 goods (plus 1 for clothing and furniture).

1847

Winter. Buy Advanced Iron Working. Order 5 immigrants, 4 freightcars, 1 SOTL, and second Engineer. Train 5 newbies. Town production 16x3 goods (plus 1 for clothing and furniture). Beachhead in southern Macedonia. Thebes relationship is now fully Good while Sparta is Fair-to-Good (with us and Thebes). We are #1 in Diplomatic Strength.

Spring. Order 5 immigrants, 2 freightcars, 4 Field Artillery. Train 5 newbies, 1 expert. Capture Pydna - a bit lucky, as the Macedonians had more troops than we had.

Summer. Developer - go north for timber. Pour troops into Pydna. Order 5 immigrants, 8 freightcars, 2 Field Artillery, 4 Guards, 2 Ironclad. Train 5 newbies, 1 expert. Town production 17x3 goods (plus 1 for clothing and furniture). Beachhead in Samos.

Fall. Pydna village. Halve the ally grants. Add to Samos beachhead and more troops to Pydna while sending some against western prov. Order 5 immigrants, 2 freightcars, 1 Ironclad, 4 SOTL. Train 5 newbies. Capture Aegae.

1848

Winter. Order 5 immigrants, 9 freightcars, 2 Field Artillery, 2 Carbine Cavalry, 1 SOTL, 3rd engineer. Train 5 newbies, 1 expert. Town production 18x3 goods (plus 1 for clothing and furniture). Capture Pella, killing 9 of 16 defenders; capture Elimea (S-W prov).

Spring. Order 6 immigrants, 11 freightcars, 1 Combat Engineers, 8 Carbine Cavalry. Train 5 newbies, 1 expert. Capture four Macedonian provinces but fail at Samos.

Summer. Try Samos again now that more SOTL are beached. Order 9 immigrants, 5 freightcars, 1 Field Artillery, 8 Carbine Cavalry, 2 Ironclad. Train 6 newbies, 1 expert. Cut gun production to 25 - getting too far ahead of available cash. Cut ally grants to 1K; increase Troad to 3K. (Program freezes, which probably means that we capture Samos. Freezes the second time. too)

to be continued