One City Challenge

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MikeDuk
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2021 3:58 pm

One City Challenge

Post by MikeDuk »

Hi.

Those of you who have played One City Challenge (OCC) do you enable barbarians?

Having only one city, research speed is very slow, especially during the first hundred or more turns. However, the AIs will do research much faster (by the way, do you allow cheating or hard AIs in OCC?) and, therefore, when barbarians appear, most probably will send Musketeers, whereas the best defensive unit one can build with a slow research pace will be, by that time, a Phalanx or Legion.

So you can establish good relationships with your neighbours but barbarians or pirates can finish you off because, with just one city, you are simply way behind in technology.
Ignatus
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Re: One City Challenge

Post by Ignatus »

Actually, your key feature in OCC is diplomacy. You exchange techs since the beginning (if you have chosen a good city spot, at early state you can be even ahead of smallpoxing AIs), from the most stubborn ones you just steal techs (just don't steal where you live), and then you never fall much behind. Also, some moderate number of troops is just a necessity for your city, also, you most probably have river (because a good city spot), and to the musk time you can build (most probably buy) city walls and barracks; that would provide you enough def from the number of green musks barbarians could ever get for you even with phalanxes (and as I've said, if you are behind pikemen when your neighbours have musks, you likely are missing something).
Dino the Dinosore
Hardened
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Re: One City Challenge

Post by Dino the Dinosore »

I often play OCC with barbarians enabled (hard but not cheating), and find I have more problems with other civs than barbarians. Yes it's scary when they send Musketeers and all you have is Phalanx or Legion, but in my experience they shy away and don't attack if I have city walls, or even a fortress on a hill. OTOH, barbarians will do suicide attacks.
Agree about diplomacy, trade for techs even when it feels like an unfair trade, at least until it gets late in the game. I also invest heavily in sending caravans to get the trade and science bonus.
Another strategy I've had success with is to build Hanging Gardens asap (maybe after library), and keep the city celebrating - takes less time than getting Monarchy and gets you the same effect. Then when you get Monarchy you get Republic-like benefit.
MikeDuk
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2021 3:58 pm

Re: One City Challenge

Post by MikeDuk »

I agree with the basic strategy and I will implement it when I play my first OCC.

What I can't see is how I can trade techs with other civilizations that are ahead of me and, most probably, already have all the techs I can offer them. When they have built their third or fourth city, their research speed is going to surpass mine, let alone when they build their 8th or 9th. They don't sell techs for gold, either.

So try to build your only city on a hill with river, or forest with river. Build roads for trade, build city walls and some defensive units, send caravans and just wait a lot.
Negus
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2024 6:56 pm

Re: One City Challenge

Post by Negus »

How challenging is it? I've never tried OCC before and I want to give it a go.
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