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Year Zero Club

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Year Zero Club

...when simply winning is not enough!

from GalCiv2 Forums

First off, I couldn't have done this without the inspiration of the Metaverse League and Wyndstar in particular. Kudos to the master!

Now to the matter at hand.

I finally did it. A year zero win! Granted, it was only against 1 AI and on challenging (my current level) but I'm certain that 'tough' wouldn't have been much harder. On the other hand, it was my first attempt at an 'all-labs' and 'lease instead of buy' approach, so I consider myself proud that I could do it at all.

Here is the link to the character, as a proof: http://metaverse.galciv2.com/index.aspx?g=player&id=14517

For all of you, who like me thought that year zero wins are nigh impossible: Try it! Read the posts about it! It is difficult, requires constant micromanagement, but I found it incredibly rewarding to see that victory screen after 25 - 30 turns. Not the way I'd like to play constantly, but as a change of pace, it's a incredible challenge.

And of course, once you've accomplished your first 'Year Zero', post here and rejoice!


As an edit, I now include the current top score.


Attention new players!
Do not be frightened by these scores! Playing a ZYW is actually really easy, and getting a score close to 30000 points takes just a few tries. These games are usually finished in less than 20 minutes, so have at it. Try the tiny ZYWs first, I find them easier and you might get the unique chance to beat players like neilo or Wyndstar.


Current ZYW record holders:

'expert' ZYW - Gigantic


1) 198450 points - MottiKhan

2) 119000 points - Kzinti Patriarch

3) 109500 points - neilo


'classic' ZYW - Tiny

1) 56700points - MottiKhan

2) 40600 points - Kzinti Patriarch / Magnumaniac

3) 38850 points - Wyndstar

 

1,558,734 views 924 replies
Reply #501 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Damnit. I got nabbed with a cheat code win cuz I finished one turn too early. If you wipe them out and it's april 8th, and u click turn and the game goes to the victory screen, that's the earliest you can do it right? Or do u have to wait until april 15th? I coulda swore I did it on the 8th. I dunno.

I think they should change that, finishing that early without using any cheat codes and still have it register as a cheat. If no other cheats are used, then the win must be legit right? There aren't any other exploits or ways to do it that it won't tag, so why tag because I wiped them out in a deliciously expedient manner?
Reply #502 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No April 8th is the date man. Perhaps you mighta done it April 1?? And yes it does suck, i have had ZYW's beat in early March, as have others im sure, it sucks those games that are legit would not be counted....
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #503 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ahh ok. Yeah I probably did do it on April 1st then. And I've also had the bastards beat in March and I've had to wait a few more turns to finish them off haha.
Reply #504 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ahh ok. Yeah I probably did do it on April 1st then. And I've also had the bastards beat in March and I've had to wait a few more turns to finish them off haha.
End of quote


I once pulled a game off in February...and it was delicious.

I wonder if January's doable...

;)

Also, I should really start playing some ZYW games myself, but alas, I'm always doing something else. Haven't even played much GCII lately, even.
Reply #505 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ahh ok. Yeah I probably did do it on April 1st then. And I've also had the bastards beat in March and I've had to wait a few more turns to finish them off haha.I once pulled a game off in February...and it was delicious.I wonder if January's doable...Also, I should really start playing some ZYW games myself, but alas, I'm always doing something else. Haven't even played much GCII lately, even.
End of quote


January is impssible.
Reply #506 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
January is impssible.
End of quote


I wouldn't rule it out. In TA the Creativity ability would finish your current tech. IF you start out the game and it procs the Spore tech and you had a constructor and some other cargo hull enroute to the enemy planet...tiny/small map.....I could see it happen.

VERY unlikely, but not 'impssible'.
Reply #507 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
January is impssible.
End of quote


No offense, seth, but I wouldn't take your word for it.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't even take Mumblefratz or Magnumaniac's word for it.

Hell, I'm not even sure I'd take BRAD's word for it. ;)

I simply don't BELIEVE in impossible.

I'm willing to concede that the improbability of a first turn win is such that it may as well be impossible, but I still think January could be doable.

Really, the only way to pull a first turn win would be to buy the planet from them, and, well...that's just not going to happen first turn. For invading, or sporing, you'd need to build or upgrade a ship, and you can't have that until turn two, no matter how close you are.

Although, with a ridiculously high amount of luck, a second turn win would be possible. So four turns is, well, nothing really.

However, as anything under 12 turns is cheat flagged, there doesn't seem to be much of a way to prove that no other "cheats" were used; other than possibly an endgamesave to see what was actually done with said game...and maybe a save for each turn would be necessary. Furthermore, it seems an endgamesave would be necessary simply to prove it was done within x turns-whatever number x turns out to be.

Oh well. I'll get there when I get there.
Reply #508 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A January win?? Sounds like a challenge? I think it's entirely doable. All you need is engine techs, spore, universal trans and a bit of luck. I think given the luck of a 1000 anomaly, a precursor mine on your HW and having the AI nice and close...a 4 week win is possible.

Very difficult and extremely time consuming to try, but pssible.
Reply #509 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
but pssible.
End of quote


/snerks

I'm not sure how easy it would be w/o the TA Creativity...but I do agree, it does sound like a challenge.

If we prove it is ~snerks~ pssible Seth, would you re-post that inertial dampener picture you had over in the Kzinti thread? Hrm, nm I think that was dystopic's thread. I'll have to come up with another prize.
Reply #510 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A January win?? Sounds like a challenge? I think it's entirely doable. All you need is engine techs, spore, universal trans and a bit of luck. I think given the luck of a 1000 anomaly, a precursor mine on your HW and having the AI nice and close...a 4 week win is possible.Very difficult and extremely time consuming to try, but pssible.
End of quote


1) Cash anomalies aren't needed: The game isn't going to last long enough for you to run out of cash. Just lease buy stuff and you're golden.

Even in DA, lease buying the tech capital on turn 2 (I could've done it on turn 1, but I had a 400% research tile so I dropped a lab instead), I didn't go under 1000BC, and my understanding is that due to the new ways the tech trees work, that it's no longer possible to get it so soon.

Remember, you're only spending money for FOUR TURNS here. (Ideally, anyway.)

2) You don't actually NEED universal translator to kill off an AI...

3) If you're close enough, you don't need engine techs. Given that TA's base speed is 2 rather than DL and DA's 1, in addition to some races having a +1 to speed as well, getting to impulse drive for +1 speed (and another +2 from having one on the ship) is almost irrelevant.

4) You don't need a precursor mine, and you don't need a precursor library. It's almost doable in DA (probably doable, but it's rough) with only a 400% research tile; in TA with the creativity boost all you need is for it to proc on your spore weapons.

5) The worst part is that damned Ctrl+N bug.

Just had a game where he went Fool on me. *sigh* I thought that bug had been fixed? :(
Reply #511 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
1) & 2)

Since there is little chance of having any weapons you will need cash and universal trans to buy any ships the AI is likely to have in orbit when you get there.

So that leaves you able to research engine techs since IIRC the techs themselves provide a speed increase to a base ship. Take the +2 in speed and your half way there.

4) No your right you don't need a precursor mine, but it would make getting spore in 1 or 2 weeks so much easier.

All this in DA..not ToA.
:)
Reply #512 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I hadn't considered buying the colony ships off of the AI; space militarization and space weapons (with galactic warfare taken at the start) is doable on the first turn without impacting the time it takes to get spore weapons researched...the only problem is of course speed (which is where TA could make up to +2 difference) as well as how many ships the AI has in orbit; which can be as many as 1+turn number, particularly with the Suicidal AI.

That was a long sentence...

I'll look into buying the ships off of them rather than destroying them, though.

I'm 90% sure you're referring to a precursor library, not a precursor mine...I believe the mine is the manufacturing bonus. ;)
Reply #513 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I thought of a couple new ideas recently, and I intend to try to break the tiny-map ZYW record tonight! Last time I thought I had some bright ideas I came very close, but couldnt quite do it.

Kzinti empire2.JPG Sentient species taste better...
Reply #514 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm 90% sure you're referring to a precursor library, not a precursor mine...I believe the mine is the manufacturing bonus.
End of quote


Yup...of course. ;)
Reply #516 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Broke my personal record today with my second account:

:D  

Kzinti empire2.JPG Sentient species taste better...

Reply #517 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well done, KP!  :congrat:  

er...KW!  :congrat:  

Reply #518 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

An effort worthy of a Klingon Warrior!! The great halls of the Klingon high Council will rumble with the song of your great victory!

 

Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!!!!!

 

Reply #519 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

A personal best for me.  I finally broke 100k in a ZYW.  :D  

Reply #520 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

And that would knock KP to 3rd on a giagantic I beleive...

Reply #521 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Geez. I still cannot get those scores. You guys attention to detail must border on fanatical!!! ;P

Reply #522 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting Loupdinour, reply 20
And that would knock KP to 3rd on a giagantic I beleive...
End of Loupdinour's quote

Congrats Motti!! :congrat:

Dang it!  I'll get it back... ;)

Quoting Neilo, reply 21
Geez. I still cannot get those scores. You guys attention to detail must border on fanatical!!!
End of Neilo's quote

Most definitely.  If I know I have an exceptional setup, I'll try to squeeze every last point out of it.

Kzinti empire2.JPG Sentient species taste better...

Reply #523 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

well i've managed to get my best score so far

 

81900pts

Reply #524 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Nothing wrong with that Sb. I am happy if i can avg 80K+. It's volume of games in the end that is the big thing, not so much the individual game score. That being said, if i could avg 95K+ a game i would be!!!! :grin:

Reply #525 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Pushing it a little further.  A 1000 bc anomaly let me run my tech level up a little farther than normal.  Still no minor races to be found.  I'd bet that would boost it up even more. 

I believe this'll put me in the top spot for the time being.  :)  

 

 

 

Edit - The .jpg is a little fuzzy.  The score on that one was 105700 for those of us with smaller monitors and lower graphics settings.