Exile

[sakasiru]

Sakasiru proudly presents:

Exile

A brand new scenario from the hot egyptian desert!


You have been sent to exile by your treacherous uncle. You will struggle for your life and those of your few faithful servants, but you never forget that the throne of the two kingdoms is rightfully yours. Get it back, whether by arms or by charm...




very small map
few ressources
few food
few villagers
depend on trade and tariffs
playable with a small army or entirely without military!


Edit: Updated version uploaded due to small bug.
Edit2: uploaded another update: not shown requiremets deleted.

Edit 3: Since scenario files are no longer hosted by Tilted Mill, I have resurfaced a copy and uploaded it at http://cotn.heavengames.com

[Yahya]

That's an interesting idea. :p

[Kiya]

Looks very interesting indeed :) You seem to create very extreme maps: a huge beautiful one, and now a tiny, very barren looking one. ;) :D And like Yahya said, an interesting idea indeed.

[Yahya]

So I played one year of this, just to see how it started. Very promising, Sakasiru.

But, now SWIV will look like a copy. :eek::p

[sakasiru]

It all started with just a lab over trading prices :p

I know there are similar scenarios out there, but I havent played many, so I hope I didn´t steal any ideas... Especially not one not even published yet :eek:

Looks very interesting indeed :) You seem to create very extreme maps: a huge beautiful one, and now a tiny, very barren looking one.

Yes, I tend to look for the unusual. :) Btw, I seem to be the only one who first creates the map and then makes the story, world map and triggers around it? :confused:

[sakasiru]

So I played one year of this, just to see how it started. Very promising, Sakasiru.

Thanks! :D I just hope I didn´t mess something up again :o

But, now SWIV will look like a copy. :eek::p

Oh, no! I didn´t want that! :eek: But everyone knows you´ve been working on this for some time, so its no way a copy.

[Tinkerbell]

HELP!

:eek:

:D

[Yahya]

Btw, I seem to be the only one who first creates the map and then makes the story, world map and triggers around it? :confused:

Actually, I think I am the only one who does the story first. Maybe thegrad and Karter as well.

I think most people follow Matt Zimmitti's advice and make a map first.

I personally need a really strong story, so I write that first, and figure out all the characters and plot points.

I then make a trigger plan, to tell that story.

After that is debugged, I make a map to figure out what all my sites will be on the world map.

I then build the world map (without resource requirements), and then the triggers, and test both sides of things, with no requirements from the nome. That is far easier. Once that is done, I make the nome level, and test that to see if it functions the way I want. Once that is true, I add the resource requirements on the world map, and play through to see how it plays. If necessary, I tweak requirements on the WM and retest. That way, I only have to play the whole scenario two or three times to get it where I want it.

My triggers tend to be many, so it is FAR easier to just do them first and run through testing them at 5.0 speed. If I had done the map first on SWIII, I'd have never finished. I had to run through the triggers about ten times. That alone would have taken me something like 40 or 50 hours. Far too long. As it was, it took me about 5 to 10 hours. This one was quite bug-laden. :p

[Tinkerbell]

Ugh... Dat wuz HARD! :eek:

but

I absolutely loved the Win Screen, sakasiru. No images yet, cuz it might give too much away.

Thank you! :)

[sakasiru]

I have uploaded a new version. Tinkerbell pointed out that a trigger was missing, so I added it now. :o Sorry, and thanks, Tink!

It´s a minor bug,
(Spoiler)
that prevents the hired raiders from showing up in your city


so if you have the first version and are in the middle of the game, just continue.

[Nyarlahotep]

Small, complex and unique! a tiny jewel of a scenario.
did end up with HUGE discrepancies between the Treasury report and the amount of food listed on the WL, often 0-300 showing up in my report, maybe 0-300(but never matching up with the report numbers) in the bakeries and DOP's and then thousands listed when looking at a WL site requiring food activation. Very odd and I loved it!:confused::D

[sakasiru]

@ Nyarlahotep

Did you have TOO MUCH food on world level?! :eek:

If yes, can you post a savegame?


btw: beautiful screenshot!

[Tinkerbell]

I only wish I had too much food anywhere ... :eek:

26 years for Nyarlahotep! Waaaay kewl! :)

[Kiya]

26 years for Nyarlahotep! Waaaay kewl! :)

I think I need glasses but I see 36 years. ;) Well done in any case. :)

[Jimaaten]

Actually, I think I am the only one who does the story first. Maybe thegrad and Karter as well.

I think most people follow Matt Zimmitti's advice and make a map first.I can't speak for anyone else, but I always need the story idea first. I need the inspiration from it to spur me to do the work to make the map, WL, triggers etc. That's why I haven't done very many scenarios. ;)

I do make the map first before doing the world level, but I pretty much plan everything out on paper (map, WL, triggers, goals) before I open the editor. :)

[Nyarlahotep]

the first one is maybe 2 hours into it i think with over almost 1900 food on the WL and none on the Nome
the second is pretty close to the end where there is over 4k on the WL and only 400 or so in the Nome.

I tried all sorts of things to coax that food into my bakeries, I built granaries, I tore down granaries, i placed extra DOP's, I tried to use it for edicts(no such luck) but was never able to make it show up in any noticeable amount in my food report, thus my people often starved but I never had to hesitate to open a WL site with a high food requirement

I don't mean to suggest that I never had food in my bakeries it's just that it was rarely more that 400 and never more than 1000
I didn't notice anything funny about the WL food until I opened the spy camp and was looking at bribing the priest, when I was suddenly hit with the fact that, except for prestige I could very nearly win.
After I noticed the large amount of food, I noticed that it seemed to steadily increase year after year.
Looking back the only thing i can think is that i never had a scribe count fields really, so perhaps through some sort of bug it got diverted to Pharoah's offshore secret WL granary

[Yahya]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I always need the story idea first. I need the inspiration from it to spur me to do the work to make the map, WL, triggers etc. That's why I haven't done very many scenarios. ;)

I do make the map first before doing the world level, but I pretty much plan everything out on paper (map, WL, triggers, goals) before I open the editor. :)

Indeed. It is the story idea that keeps me going. I wrote the basic storyline for Sand Wars in August, 2007. I know where the story is going, so I feel compelled to finish it, even if my original goal is completely shot. :D

[Nyarlahotep]

Usually I start with something I want to try in the editor, which usually gives me some idea for a scenario challenge. But when It comes down to making the scenario i usually to my City Map first. Then I come up with a story to fit the challenge, and then I start on WL and trigger's not included in the initial testing in the editor

[Tinkerbell]

Do you find that you have more World Map food than city food as usual for your gameplay, Nyarlahotep? Or was this scenario special for you?

[sakasiru]

@ Nyarlahotep:

This is really funny :confused:

The food in your report matches the food in your bakeries and dops. Maybe some food in dops is not shown because there are more than 4 items in it, but if they get clearer it matches.

The WL food is completely out of control. I´ve never seen that and certainly didn´t write this in the scenario. :eek:
I have found that it increases and decreases a bit according to your nome food, but not due to a certain factor. No idea where it comes from.

[Yahya]

Hmm. Maybe we'll have to troubleshoot that and figure out how it is happening.

[Miut]

OK I am having serious problems with this scenario. :( And that is unusual for me.

I never get above 180 absolute Max in the harvest and with any sites I have open. Mostly it is from 50 to maybe 120 at most which is not enough to do anything.

I cannot save enough food to get to even 200. :( As for Copper, where is it, please? So far I have seen no way to get any and I haven't enough food to open the sites fro emeralds, statues, in fact, anything more than I have. So I must be doing something very basic wrong, or have a broken version of the game...

I tried restarting it but no use.

I'd appreciate a Hint please, in a PM here to avoid Spoilers.

EDIT: by the way, loved the Trader/Peddlers called A Step to the Left and A Step to the Right. /giggles with appreciation.

Saved game attached.

[Kiya]

As for Copper, where is it, please? So far I have seen no way to get any and I haven't enough food to open the sites fro emeralds, statues, in fact, anything more than I have. So I must be doing something very basic wrong, or have a broken version of the game...

Your version is not broken, keep trying... ;)
As what comes to copper, it is there, a long chain of things though. Hint: keep opening sites. Spoiler:


You need small statues to open Garden Island which again opens copper mines for you, but to get copper you need to open emerald mines to get cedar from another source, to make chariots which you can exchange to gold to get finally copper.

[Miut]

Thanks, but how do I solve the food problem? I don't usually overbuild, so I dunno how to make sure I keep more food. I tried shutting routes down to save food....

[sakasiru]

You have floodplain only for three farms, but you have more. They take away their share of food for nothing and use up villagers. so delete some.

If you don´t have failed floods, the farms should give you arund 250 food a year. You don´t need to set a scribe to collect taxes, since the farms belong to the palace.

More food will come through collecting tariffs from the peddlers. Build more lux shops, assingn some more scribes to this task and let your Shopkeepers produce expensive wares by importing ressources.

You have opened the oasis, but don´t have turquoise for them. Mine some! Your workers and overseer don´t have much else to do anyway.

Despite the map is so small, you have long ways. Your merchant centers are far from the lux shops, and your workers are at the other end than the mines.

You will not have food enough to keep all routes open, so concentrate on small goals and always only open those which you need at that time.

A weapon maker is expensive. Build him when you need him.

I hope this will help. If not, send me a PM.

Good luck!

[Tinkerbell]

It looks to me like you are doing fine, Miut. Keep going...

I do not believe extra farmers is a bad thing, sakasiru. They provide childbirth for the city. Also, what food they get is taken from the Palace share, not ours. I don't think it matters.

EDIT: Adding a clarification after reading Miut's response below. Half of the Palace food belongs to the Palace. Farmer's food comes from the Palace half. ;) Same thing as with Nobles ~ farmer's food comes from the Noble half.

It is just that Scribes set to Assess Taxes don't matter, cuz they are only counting Noble farms to keep them honest.

[Miut]

Thanks, guys. Was already doing the usual juggling of Trade partners, shutting down routes to save resources when I didn't need their goods.

My, what a very challenging scenario indeed! :D

I am now trying to amass enough kopeshes beyond the trade 6 needed for my army.... I'm already some 45 years into it! :eek: I'm gonna retake my throne as an animated Mummy at this rate!

Sakasiru - thanks.
Yes I did count the fields and realize I only had enough for fewer than 8 farmers, but like Tinkerbell said, I wanted them for the birth rate.
Doh! on the fields are Pharaohs anyway.. I missed that obvious fact! /blushes.
I was only getting 180 food per good Harvest, no more. Yes, I was taking Tarrifs. :)
I didn't build the weapon makers till I did need them, don't worry. :) Mm, didn't think the Laborers were too far from the mines... will check that out.
Turquoise had just run out. I am mining both Tin and Turquoises in rotation to keep them up at about 60 - 70 each - tin only for the kopeshes.

Now, I just want to Win it. :D But I will try it again soon with what I know now and try to complete it sooner.

Again, thanks for the tips. I seem to have been on the right path even though I wasn't sure...

[Kiya]

I'm already some 45 years into it! :eek: I'm gonna retake my throne as an animated Mummy at this rate!


:D
Keep going.... You'll get an extra cookie if you're going to do it all over again from beginning. ;):)

[Miut]

ROFLMAO! Thank you, I will collect on the cookie. :)

WIN finally - Yay! I was almost an animated Mummy though...

Win piccie attached.

Funny sighting for the day - 2 monkeys working the bellows in a Kopesh maker. :) I only noticed it by accident, and just managed to catch a snapshot of it. :)

Thank you for an extremely challenging game, Sakasiru. :)

[sakasiru]

Congratulations!

And: Amazing how you managed to even get a temple on the map! ;)

[Miut]

Thank you. :) It was indeed an exciting challenge.
I did overbuild a little in an attempt to get Prestige as I wasn't sure which path I would take - I has 2 Sphinxes of brick and 2 large brick Horus', plus used one of the Large Statues, one small Isis, one Bast and hmm.. another.. plus all the small steles. :)

Next time, I will try the economy version with the minumum, lol. :)

[thegrad]

Sakasiru; Thank you for a great game. Look forward to your next one. :D

[sakasiru]

Congratulations for getting the win screen, and thanks!

Is this getting some sort of contest who finds room for the biggest temple? :)

[texasmine]

This is one of the most difficult scenarios I've played: it's tortuous trying to get the necessary resources. Congratulations!!!

[texasmine]

Has anyone built the obelisk?

[thegrad]

Yes, twice:eek:

[texasmine]

GOOD GRIEF!!! I tried, and tried, but although the food showed in the WL export/import list, I never received the obelisk. I sent enough food for 3 of them. Another problem I encountered was small basalt would disappear even though I had suspended trade with the garden village. Finally solved that problem, but no obelisk. I'm going to try this scenario again.

I WILL BUILD THAT MONSTER.

[thegrad]

I have found that if the site that need the small balsalt is not open they will be used by the sculptures in your city. As long as the site is open and placed on reserve the scuplturers will leave them alone. Did you make a DOP just for the obelisk? I ordered 2 just in case.

[sakasiru]

Hi texasmine!

You have to keep the obelisk trade site open for two successive years. The first year they will come and get their food, but will bring no obelisk with them. The second year they deliver the obelisk and take their payment. So you need to have enough food stored for this to get your obelisk. I considered to change the trade site type to prevent this, but I just felt mean that day :p

Small basalt statues are sometimes bought by sculpture lux shop keepers to sell them. You have to set them on reserve to prevent this, but they also bring a good amount of tariffs when sold ;)

[texasmine]

Thanks for the responses, grad and Sakasiru. I did put the small basalt on reserve...it just took a while...I left my brain in a safe place, and it took me a some time to find it. Also, I did have a designated DOP for the obelisk and left the site open for several years. As I said, took the food, no delivery. However, I have decided to try again and purchase the obelisks b/4 the statues. I LOVE TO HATE THIS SCENARIO.

Had some work done on my computer, so now some things don't seem to work properly: i.e. the camera in CoN. Anyway, attached is win screen in a word document.

[sakasiru]

Congratulations, texasmine, and thanks for the win screen!

If you want you can upload a save so I can look into what´s wrong with the obelisk. But it seems you were doing quite well without it!

233 prestige in 35 years! Wow! :eek:

[texasmine]

Thanks for the offer, but I have a plan: I'm going to purchase the obelisk b/4 opening some of the other sites. I REALLY have enjoyed this challenge, Sakasiru.

[ramuhotep]

My good friend JuliaSet has often complimented me on my "small, efficient cities", so this seemed like a natural challenge for me. And challenge it was. It seems that every time I had the reigns in my teeth, something came along to slow me down again.
Temple? Plenty of room! But either there was a lot of palace intrigue going on, or Pharoah was pulling a Henry VIII. All the small mastabas on the map save one are occupied by a Royal Family member!
Many times my food was in single digits, and several times at 0! But somehow I managed to compile enough food to win.

As to the problems with Resource Report food vs. World Level food, it seems to me that the RR does not include food in Drop-Off Points, while the WL does. Would that explain the reported discrepancies?

piccies:

[sakasiru]

Hi ramuhotep!

Congratulations for winning!

Your city looks truely efficient! I think, what´s eating up most space is that most players tend to decorate more, especially when prestige is needed. :D

I like your idea to block the edge space with plazas!

I don´t think 6 family deaths in 50 years is unusual. Personally, I build only pharaoh tombs and noble tombs, sometiemes one or two family, but since they give no prestige hit when not entombed, I forget to stock up once they are occupied.

I looked long and hard what caused the food discrepancy, but I didn´t find an answer. I waited some time to see most of the dop´s empty, since I guesses there was food hidden behind 4 other items, but didn´t discover any. Food in dops is distributed regularly to the bakeries, so it isn´t likely to have so much and at the same time empty bakeries for a long period of time.

[ramuhotep]

Statues are a good way to build Prestige, but for most of the scenario, I decided that I needed food more than I needed statues/steles. Once I started importing, Pharoah's tomb seemed the obvious place for the steles.

On maps where space is at a premiium, I frequently mark "unbuildable" tiles with Plazas. There was an excellent map a couple of years ago which consisted entirely of one island (apologies for forgetting the names of both designer and scenario) where I uploaded a map with all such tiles marked for the help of others.

I'm going to go look for your other scenario now, I'm in the mood for a sprawling city. :)

[sakasiru]

Have fun! This time you will have to build bigger :D

[texasmine]

Got it done! This was really aggravatingly fun, Sakasiru. GOOD JOB.

[MoonHeart]

This was really hard! I had to cheat sadly twice.:( But at least I won!:)

[sakasiru]

Hi MoonHeart and welcome to the forums!

May I ask at which point you needed to cheat and why? (and how ;) ?) This scenario is supposed to be hard, but should be playable without cheating :confused:

[sakasiru]

Sceanario should be available at heaven games forum soon.