Fragapalooza East 2002

by One_Dead_Angel

...back to part 1

The Angel of Death Cometh

I arrive a little late on Sunday, so I got to play one of the Microsoft staffers as my first round opponent. The game settings for the tournament games were highest score at 45 minute time limit, auto gathering villagers, with sudden death capital elimination on a 2 player Sahara map (similar to the Arabia map from AOK). Using the press beta version and civs as our software platform. The tournament was one versus one with sudden death elimination after each round of competition.

I had seen the staffers play on the first day of Fragapalooza, so I had some idea on my opponent's style of play, which I saw to be good at the economic side relying on nukes, but relatively weak on the military side. He picked China as his civ, and I picked Russia. My overall strategy was to play defensively, expansion and economy was my main focus and relying on the Russian Winter ability and a small defensive force at each city to by time, while building at least one major attack force for my main push when the time was right. That is, to play it safe. I was fairly confident I could beat my first opponent but I didn't want to be overly so. My research upgrades mainly began with increasing my city building potential (civics track) and economic caps (commerce track). Developing these two main research tracks was my main priority all game, while advancing the other two tracks (science and military) when needed. Also building or researching things that can increase my borders and Russian winter attrition rate. Basically following the booming strategy as applied to Rise of Nations. The scores were pretty close in the beginning, but my strategy of massive territorial expansion was paying off as most of the map was under my control. I also made sure to build all economic upgrade buildings at all of my cities to maximize its economic potential and hitpoints (which effects how difficult it will be for an opponent to capture). I also built a set of each military building in each city. This is so that after the first military upgrade, I can place a few of each type of troop at each city to prevent an opponent from waltzing in on my city and capturing them too easily. I also placed a tower, or when resources allowed a fortress to help defend each city. My expansion was generally to create a country that cut across my side of the map, and where allowed envelop my opponent's. However my worthy opponent was able to prevent this, so my first contact with his territory was at the center of the map. In addition, to my defensive forces at each city I was also building a main attack force at the center, with banks of barracks, stables, and siege factories. Punctuated by fortresses as I built towards his territory. Our forces met around the Enlightenment age, and the battle was furious but I came out ahead to hold ground with a significant force remaining. However it was not quite enough for me to confidently push forward. So I secured my gains with more military buildings to anchor the new territory, and pumping out troops like a mad man. I proceeded to dig into his first city. He put in a concerted resistance but I had aged up before him, and my industrial troops were mowing down his and before long I had captured my first city. He responded with some bombers of his own, when he managed to age up, and did some damage but I built some AA's in defense and before long his bombers were resigned to the scrap heap. Continuing my push, I kept replenishing and increasing the number of my troops and pushing forwards into the middle of his territory. I also began to hit the population caps and I had to build a few wonders to increase them, as I could not research any more from the normal research tracks. Hitting the modern and then info age quickly, I managed to research some of the game ender techs like anti-missile shield, and max economy caps. By now I had cut his territory into two separate sections, this essentially cuts of any hope he had of accumulating any wealth as any trade units that could make it past my red guards, and T-80 tanks were withered away by my Russian winter. I also had been building a second attack force towards the North end of the map, and by now in my secret arsenal I had built two nuclear missiles. I sent a detachment of my northern troop group into his northeastern city to scout it, then sent a nuke into the city. I wished I had some bread around cause I could've made some toast with that nasty denotation! With the city a smoking heap, I sent my forces in to capture it, meanwhile I swung my main army group south, dropped my second nuke on his Southern city, and proceeded to march south-west across the rest of territory in what essentially was a victory parade! I was past my first hurdle!

Moving onto the second round without a break, I face what would turn out to be my toughest opponent. He chose the Japanese as his civ, and again I picked Russia. Why mess with a good formula right? I followed pretty much the same strategy as my first game against the Microsoft staffer. My second opponent was a competitor at the main Fragapalooza event. From the start I can tell this game was going to be a challenge. This opponent had made it past others in competition, and from the excitement from spectators I knew he was able to do some damage. Indeed, observing the scores as the game progressed, his was slightly above mine, with occasional periods where I was ahead. Although I was able to more or less contain his territory on two sides, and in mid game I was ahead in points for a significant stretch. After I defeating a small raiding force he had sent. I replied with a few raiders of my own around gunpowder age to harass his trade units, and out laying resource collectors. I also noticed that he had built up a significant, cavalry force. So of course I concentrated in developing a counter force of heavy infantry. I began to accumulate a rather large main military force on my northern borders, and then began to build a second force at the center, and pushing towards his center with cities and fortresses. I marched my troops into his first border city at industrial age. This fist city wasn't too developed nor defended, so it was not much of an effort to capture. But just as I was about to move in builders and my troops to anchor my gains, he sent a huge countering force. I had to recall my troops towards my own territory to defend the two cities I had build to expand my center. He had built a massive force of tanks and anti-tank rifles, along with artillery, and flame-throwers. My earlier heavy infantry became anti-tank rifles, and I also build some a fairly well rounded mix of troops also but didn't have any flame-throwers, which turned out to be great at flushing out my garrisoned villagers and destroying buildings as well. After a tough struggle my first city fell to his furious attack, and instead of capturing it, he just destroyed it. I had to build troops from further and further back in order to keep a defense up but it looked bleak for awhile as he was using well managed directed fire to mow down my troops. My score also began to take a beating, and he was now in the lead. My heart and mind was racing in order to deal with the unrelenting onslaught. He continued his push and began to whittle down my troops and defenses at the second forward city. Normally it would not be a game ender, since my core economy was still intact, but this was a timed game, and he was ahead. I could not afford the time to recapture these outlying cities. Meanwhile I had continued to accumulate an army on the North. Seeing that the time was running out, I sent the whole force straight into his backyard and into one of his main cities, where he had a pyramid wonder. As the time ticked down to the last minute, then seconds, my forces managed to capture the city in the last 10 second! He was too distracted by the battle at his main thrust, and had hoped his own city would hold out long enough. But the capture, created a big hole right in his heart, and a 140-point deficit out of a 20,000-point game! Truly an exciting game, that was close right down to the finish. Looking at the post game stats, he had a better military graph then mine, but I far outpaced him in terms of territory. But the overall points graph was like two snakes coiling around each other, with one notable and important leap for me at the end!!

After the second game, it was time for the finals. So I decided to take a short break to relax and get some food! After a half-hour break, the Microsoft staffers spotted me hanging in the wings while I checked out the rest of the Fragapalooza events. So it was time to battle again. I settled down in my seat with a hot tea, and a pounding heart, still riding high from my last game. Taking a few sips and cracking my knuckles in preparation, I hunkered down with a strategy of repeating my victories and strategy with the Russians, while going over what I could improve for my final game. Having a close game in a timed game while exciting is cutting it close. So I was intent on being in tune with keeping an eye on the time, while playing this time. This time I was facing a Russian civ as my opponent. So it was truly a test of will and skill this time. No excuse for beta balancing issues. We were at a level playing field. This game was the finals! So I expected my opponent to be even more challenging then my previous two. Indeed initially he was ahead in points, but before long I was making big gains in points, and in territory. I again was on a massive territory and city expansion path, and managed to envelop my opponent's territory on three sides. In around medieval age, my opponent sent in a massive cavalry force. He attempted to attack my capital, in hopes I think to eliminate me with a sudden death capitol victory. But I was not worried as I had carried out my tried and true strategy of building defensive buildings and a small army at each city. While my forces defended my capitol, I swung my main battle force that I had been building on my southern zone, straight into his flank. His cavalry force was literally caught between a rock and a hard place. Defensive towers on one side, some defensive troops and a tough city at his front, a huge defensive force chomping at his heals, and top it all off with sweet sweet Russian winter! His precious horsies were reduced to jam by my Russian meat grinder in a matter of minutes! After this point, my score far outpaced his. I learned one thing from this match, and that is for the Russians, territory is not only your friend but also a potent weapon. In after thought, it seemed he had invested his entire resources and efforts into this rush strategy but lacked a plan besides this. As I aged up, and continued to envelop his territory, there was little else I could do but push into his territory, and little else he could do in response. Victory was already assured with the now massive score difference. So in the last minutes of the game, I sent my main army into his north, and brought together all my defensive armies into his east in a two-prong attack, to apply the coup de gras. I had bombers and tanks along side arquebusiers against his arquebusiers and pikemen. It was a rather anachronistic final battle. As the last seconds ticked away, I continued to keep my focus on the game, orchestrating my troops into his last two cities, and doing research upgrades to the end. As the victory splash screen popped up, I was declared the Rise of Nations Tourney Champ.

Veni Vidi Vici

For my efforts, I won a Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse, an impossible creatures T-shirt, an autographed Rise of Nations' poster from Paul Stephanouk, and a championship plaque. Me, the finalist and Paul had our pictures taken, with Paul giving an enthusiastic double thumbs up at the successful event. In the excitement, I didn't even remember to take my fresh drink from my computer station after I left or to even find out who won the overall Fragapalooza tournament! Oh well as long as we I got my Rise of Nation's fix, who cares!! To summarize my experience at Fragapalooza, I have to repeat the words of Julius Caesar; "I came, I saw, I conquered!" I might also add, collected.... some cool prizes!