[SPOILERS] Team Unpronounceable Unicode Symbol: True Grit

[Halvgud]

I return to the most positive news in quite some time! OB with suttree! I would have loved to see that Accept being clicked. On with the turn:



Two forests half-chopped, thank you Ceil! I immediately moved both workers to rebuild the mine razed during the war. The next move after that will be interesting. Renamed some units and the new city. It now basks in the name of Renewal. Which, for some reason makes me reconsider the standing names of Yar Tshes and DZ with Curl. May I rename them? I would like for them to both be great cities as well as themed namesakes, making an impression like Retep's latin vegetarian village vernacular.

Of course, standing tall and all that is well and good, but there is something that I wonder about. Will an attempt at gaining Knoxville be the final straw for Suttree considering he is likely to squash me (though not without some loss) if I attack him? I am keeping it on the back burner for now, asking for lurker questions/feedback if possible on this matter. Will get back to it after gaining Feudalism, if I survive that long.. Since I have OB, I may as well gain some news from it. Sending 9000+ to see what the new Suttree city looks like.



Now this however, says more about Suttree than I would like. There was no significant news from the flying russian apart from border reveals and island size reveals. Will cap that next turn.



He can likely squash me whenever he likes, and he chooses to go after the larger threat/prey -Oxy- at this point. Which makes my initial question about Knoxville a standing tactical analysis waiting to happen. 3 spearmen only defend it, but losses are to be expected. I need defenses, and feudalism is the ticket there. I do not expect him to just give me back that city as it is holy and therefore free simoleans for his war supply.

Hm.. I do not think he considers (a small, one manned) Halvgud to be any threat, considering my past behaviour and subsequent loss of stature through poor play. Can't blame him. Now, how to best use that to my advantage. I mean, Peace is my best weapon here. The learning I can gain from simply observing as much as I can and acting on knowledge and lurker feedback is maybe a reason for Suttree to not move against me at once(that, and whatever Oxy is making him deal with on the western front).

In such case, big thanks to Suttree for giving me the turns that he can spare before his bid for Global Domination through peaceful conquest removes me from the board. To be honest, me seeing his research and him not seeing mine is likely quite a point of contest here. If I was him it would not be good to let me finish Feudalism with the possible Longbowmen going into the mix. Now, enough with the mindgames.

I look forward to your reply O noble lurker, feel free to critizice my choice of play and do give me feedback if you have thoughts or considerations about my tactics. Actually, one of the most important questions for me is the choice of work for my workers after they finish the mine. Continued chop perhaps? For what, another settler? Even I think that would be stretching the limits of my welcome among the other players. Move, and move again to outmaneuver. How to get the most out of those plains..

[Ceiliazul]

Welcome back Hal. Not just OB with Suttree either, here's the shot:



He can still cancel any time though, no enforced peace like if you did a similar deal with the AIs. Otherwise the turn went as expected. Props to BXB's naming here:

[Halvgud]

Turn made after slight RL delay.

Workers have two turns left on the mine, and Suttree moves a few more units to Knoxville, making it obvious that he does not intend to let that go. Well, I did not really expect him to let it be easy for me now. This means challenge, and a challenge is made to be overcome.

8 turns left on Feudalism(cap made after ending turn), and the kicker then is the building capability that I can manage. Having whipped quite a lot already, it would be good to not have to whip longbowmen since they are more expensive. I will think about that for a few turns. Keeping my cities on a level base so I have a decent income would help. Nothing like a destitute treasury to inspire fealty from armed (and hungry) forces, eh? Barracks being constructed for the high purpose of xp for longbowmen.



I will look into what I should research next and get back to that on the next update.

[Halvgud]

While I wait for Xenu to finish, I can make this statement: My most prominent goal at the moment is moving above John D. on the scoreboard, and to outlive him as well.

[Ceiliazul]

Good goal, and doable. That's Kuro, right? I've heard chatter that some of the other greens are very strong, while kuro is trying to dig his way out of newbie jail with a spork.

[Halvgud]

"kuro is trying to dig his way out of newbie jail with a spork."

It's not a good thing to do but I did chuckle from the description. Would it be a good idea to take my entire army up there and steal his settlements and be left alone in the cold and frozen north?
I could rename the cities with a Game of Thrones theme just to set the mood?

Turn is taken and screencaps made.

Retep offers world map, I accept. Now I can get my single galley doing something else... like moving up to John D.'s northern lands and either OB move through his lands or take high risks and move through him by declaring war. A shitty way to explore his territory perhaps, but there it is.



Note the minimap.


Larger view.


Retep has really done a good job spreading out.

So about the Research, I'm wondering what to go for. Horseback riding gains access to the Horse Archer, but Calendar is a more forward option if I manage to get that City Site #2 to the west.

70% slider gives me:

• Alphabet 7 turns
• Code of Laws 7 turns
• Drama 7 turns
• Horseback Riding 7 turns
• Calendar 8 turns
• Compass 10 turns
• Theology 12 turns
• Music 14 turns
• Machinery 16 turns
• Engineering 24 turns

I am not moving anything on my side of the new turn since I am now last in the order and in case Suttree want to deny me vision by ending OB.

[Halvgud]

Unfrozen from diplo screen with retep. Current exchange with other teams is as follows:

Retep: OB + Clam, Fish, Rice, Iron.
Suttree: OB + 3g, Horse, Ivory.
Wetbandit: OB + Horse for Wine.
Oxy: OB + Copper, Crab.
WilliamLP: OB
Kuro: OB
Moloch: Nothing
BGN: Nothing

Ok, I may be taking liberties here but this is what I did.
Cities renamed as follows -

Lesson(Capital), 1t Barracks, followed by 3t archer - 7pop 2t
Learning(second city), 8t spearman(whip?) - 7pop 4t
Renewal(third city), 4t archer - 2pop 1t

Thus following my theme of nametagging based on my mistakes.
..and my personal inspirations (I'm looking at you Ceil).

Flying russian found little of interest, more from him in 4 turns when he reaches xenu's fog of war.
Interesting point: Kuro declared war on Xenu this turn. Makes me wonder what is happening in this area:
Note the name of Xenu's Capital

Now, a hundred years ago this was the bodycoun- eh, citycount among the other teams:

Suttree 17
retep 15
WillLP 13
Molach 11
Bandit 15
Xenu 15 <---
Oxy 8
Kuro 7 <---
Halvgud 3

Xenu has 15 cities. With me having visibility on 8, there may be a number of cities in the fog of war. However, in 4 turns the Flying russian will likely find 1 of them far north, and at least 1, possibly 2 more is hidden from view in close proximity, plainly visible through the extension of cultural territory. I wonder what Kuro is doing..

I am moving the 4th reincarnation of Ceil south into the lands of Suttree, next turn may yield another city location.

[Ceiliazul]

Ok, I may be taking liberties here but this is what I did.
Cities renamed as follows -

Lesson(Capital), 1t Barracks, followed by 3t archer - 7pop 2t
Learning(second city), 8t spearman(whip?) - 7pop 4t
Renewal(third city), 4t archer - 2pop 1t

Thus following my theme of nametagging based on my mistakes.
..and my personal inspirations (I'm looking at you Ceil).

Liberties? You're the emperor! The DICTATOR!! I like the theme though. As far as me being an inspiration, cool. Trades are looking good, keep working those angles. Try to hold off the whip until the existing anger counters run down a bit.

[Ceiliazul]

Kuro declares war on Xenu? Lol.

Hey, Xenu finally gets the chance to be the not-underdog in a war? Yay for him!

[Halvgud]

Kuro made peace the same turn, what really went down we will never know. Moved worker to build Workshop on a plain along with the protection. Not much tp update this turn apart from this curious demand.



I accepted from the Oxy: OB + Copper, Crab deal I have with him, and it may be of help for his work against Suttree.

lol at THE DICTATOR!! Perhaps I should try to not get too mad and powerhungry too soon?