[SPOILERS] Donovan Zoi Reflexively Clicks Advanced, Then Back

[Donovan Zoi]

T70

Whoops, forgot about Archery and I guess Masonry too because I did build some Walls.  This is just as interesting to me as I hope it is for you, as I am always at least vigilant with taking screenshots.

Heading west to announce my western border. Yeah, Walls would definitely be my next tech need.  So even though I have RegentMan just a step away from my Horses, I decide I want to use the plant of this new city to surprise Alhazard.  He has Copper very close and my thought was I'd be able to pillage that, and then any Horses he may have and have an easy cleanup from there.  However, remember we have OB so he is keeping tabs on me as well. And he still has quite a few units meandering around protecting Workers and Scouts.





This will be the my first big mistake in the game. Though in hindsight I also think favoring HBR over the Monarchy path a blunder as well, because I could have used my UU to max out Hereditary Rule to grow my cities even taller since they were so cheap and I had a good food ceiling to match due to EXP and a variety of food resources. I go that route, and I still get to be the same ruffian but my economy doesn't tank because my cities are already tall and grow back quickly.

Look at my big beautiful cities before the carnage begins.  






Once again, stupid....there are two much better candidates I should be pursuing than my declared friend.  

[Donovan Zoi]

T73

OK, it's time.  I liked the HA/Chariot combo because I figured it would be effective vs. Axe/Spear combos.  I was fine with losing a few HA's to soften up Spears because the Chariots would have such good odds against Axes and wounded Spears.  Plus I'd be disconnecting that Copper as one of my opening moves.






Listen to your advisor, dumbass!  Breaking OB before declaring is just as bad as letting Alhazard see the units.  I've beaten myself up for most of the game for the events that are about to unfold.  Mainly because it will ultimately answer many of the lurker questions on why I didn't get to finish off RegentMan before going after Commodore.






T74

Next turn I declare war and move to the forest next to the Copper.  I thought I had more screenshots but this is the best one I have.  Behind the popup is that newly planted city.  I had Axes for support to protect the Horses.






Anyway Alh was prepared by whipping quite a few units.  I decide to declare anyway, but the Mongols were able to counter with a decent presence.  Better off without the visual evidence, I guess. 

Silver lining, I get peace for 10 turns to go harangue someone else.  The bad side is I've now wasted 3-4 turns while I retreat from Mongolia and move to the other side of my empire to strike Regentia.    He's already got 3 decent units garrisoned here.






Finally was able to get a good map of the region as of T75.

[Donovan Zoi]

T78

I am finally able to get over to the east, where RM now has 5 units waiting.  There is another reason for my haste -- RegentMangrad has just built a Library here!  I don't have much time before he pops some tiles to my west and make it easy for him to mess with my Horses.

There were also 3 workers prepping this city for production, so I snagged em.  I took taking a chance sneaking a Horcher in from the north in the hopes it would draw one of the 2 spears out.





I suppose I could have also built a road in one of the western forests to make it easier for me to attack.  Sometimes I am just to coy for my own good.

Another map, unveiling the nothing burger that is Rooster Lake.  No food resources and a failed attempt to mine *my* gold through the mountains.   Gotta love the realism this game sometimes provides.  At least its has some grassland along its rivers for Cottages.






T79

I lead with a Horcher and 3.4% odds which dies but that's the only casualty.  I have high hopes that this will be the extent of the heavy lifting and the other 3 cities will fall like dominoes.  I had sent an HA forward last turn on a possible suicide mission to see what lies ahead....



*Before getting to that, check out my gpt at 0% science.  It seems like Gavagai was also having that same issue this game.  Plenty of funds for now, but I'll be putting a bit of time later into the many ways I managed to avoid a strike until my eventual demise.  It wasn't pretty.


...and the capital of Eggnog Paradise is revealed! There is only an Axe and maybe a Spear here. Seeing this right now, I am just as curious as you as to why this city didn't fall.  But keep in mind, my army is still 4 tiles back at this point.




Also, a chance to look at how those 5 units fell.  One HA dead and one retreated, but the damage to each Spear was enough that a Warrior stepped up to face the second Chariot instead.


OK, that's all for tonight!  Looking forward to sharing more with you tomorrow....

[Old Harry]

[Donovan Zoi]

T80

Rooster Lake ends up being guarded by an C1 Axeman and a Warrior.  I take it with two Chariots, leaving my HAs for the capital.

It's right about this time where the Strike Clock becomes a daily concern.  As I whip more units and elect to retain subpar cities (I should have burned this one)  my negative gpt at 0% research continues to plummet.  Luckily I have the prospect of conquest gold to keep things moving -- this 72g was a shot in the arm that could extend the war through 11 more turns.  And with gold coming from Regentia's last two cities, I should have enough to make a slow play for Monarchy.  This tech would allow me more whips or to fortify and maximize pop in more lucrative locations.





To those who have wondered aloud about me ignoring my economy, I had really considered this to be a sustainable model at the time.  If I was successful in destabilizing 2 of my 3 neighbors, I could continue to chisel away gains on each while establishing a front against Alhazard.

T81-82

Speaking of that Mongolian front, I planted two city sites to the west with the hopes of slowing down an advance on cities that mattered - Cuzco and Tiwanuaku. And to the east, RegentMan was gracious enough to leave me with size 1 cities for my troubles to this point.   






T81 was a positioning turn, so T82 I was able to take the Copper city of Turtledove -- with only Chariots again.  I had 3 Axes with me and would be ready to hit the Eggnog on T83.  But RegentMan had begun to whip in earnest and employed consecutive Archers.  It's here where my screenshots got a bit sketchy for a few turns, but it was these Archers that caused me to abandon my plans here.  I would send two HAs on attack with one causing no damage. My forces barely doubled his at this time -- 11 to 6 IIRC -- so I felt it was time to move on.

I even sent a peace treaty on T84, which RegentMan declined.  But there was not much he could do either, so a stalemate would ensue for the next 20 or so turns. He tried to make a play for Turtledove again with Spears, but I kept two Axes and 2 Horchers nearby to dissuade him from going through with it.  He must have visualized the next few chess turns to discover why I had staged things the way I had, and retreated back to his capital.  I also had a Chariot ready to pillage the Copper should he take the city.





Revelation

Looking through this history again, it does reflect my intentions against Commodore in a new light.  I did get 63 more gold from taking Turtledove, but was now bleeding 18 gpt.  Also, I tried to get peace from RM before Commodore ever gifted any Copper.  It's kind of funny the narrative you allow yourself to hold until you back and revisit what actually happened...

I'll have to leave you in suspense for now, but there was a definitely a good case for doing what I did -- at least at the start.