[Spoilers] Old Human Tourist: Empress of Azteca

[Old Harry]

Nice report

Scout is now squeezed between pindi's and Barry's lands:

Do we have OBs with Barry? Can Scout even get out that way?

That's trying to be a "let's be friends"-type of message with clams being a hint that there is a chance that we could pillage them if we wanted. Let's see if this will be misinterpreted in some disastrous way If he does not accept I say we just declare and go through without pillaging the clams (unless he murders our scout). As you said, no need to piss off a neighbor unnecessarily, but sooner or later we might well end up fighting..

We could move the galley back south and avoid conflict. But you, me and Pindi all know we're never going to be best friends. You've given him a chance so I have no problem declaring to move through (and maybe even do some pillaging if it's on our way ) I'd offer a cease-fire once you're through, peace treaty is no use to us if he's got gaps along the coast.

Azza should not have much map knowledge and he does not necessarily know that this is only a 3-player continent. I'm hoping that he speculates with us looking to other directions and believes into long-term peace until its too late... (well, who knows what happens, maybe we end up being busy with pindy/cyneheard/CH instead)

A fake war dec to cover our troop buildup would be nice.

Note that Azza is building some aggressive-looking roads to our border. Based on scouting we should not be in any danger though. Note also that we now have a sentry chariot N of Flossie. We could park it inside Azza's lands, go scout the battlefield between Azza and Mardoc or just keep it hidden? Note vol.3: Azza has changed his plans and is going Sailing instead of Construction.

I'd really like to see what the front lines are like and what units Mardoc has got on the border, was it a purely ancient-era fight or were cats/HAs involved? If I were Azza I'd be using the ten turns of peace to send his victorious units to extract something from us - I think he's a nicer guy than that - however those roads look ominous. Find that stack! Did Azza get HBR in the end? We may need a few more spears... If so I suggest showing him the new Horse Archer to let him know we don't want any trouble... Perhaps add it to the staging tile in view of the mountain?

Hiding our scout is now too late, sorry! I still haven't offered OBs to dtay, because I speculate that he might get routes via whosit's + CH's lands and not have full set for all his 16 cities. But maybe we just do it now despite the fact that with Temple of Solomon + Colossus + a great start he is definitely a major contender?

Offer them for cash?

Alfie is already waiting for Bureaucracy and wants to grow to size 50..

Yeah, I like Astro very much as well. Organizing the bulb will be very hard in practice, almost impossible. CS + MC will unlock Paper, which will unlock Education and Machinery will unlock Printing Press. We could avoid meditation in order to not unlock philosophy.. Luckily I have a strong faith in our economy and that we can research the tech normally at a competitive date.

If we want to compete for the Economics merchant following a banking bee-line I'm not sure when Astronomy will fit in, but if the choice is between knocking out Pindicator's coastal production and getting the GM I'm not sure what I'd choose... He won't have Amphibious units unless he has another war or builds the Statue of Zeus, so our coastal cities are probably safe with a zone-defence force and two or three decent defenders in them for the next 50 turns.