Whatever else happens in this game, I feel very strongly that the Privateer fits in nigh on perfectly at Paper+Optics. Because if you opt into the privateer as a defensive measure, it precludes you bulbing Astro AND Chemistry. Or you can can bulb Astro, then grab paper and be left with researching Chem. Or you can just try to bulb Astro and Chem before Paper but be left with a massive hole where you GA plans should go, and down Education/PP. But you can fight Frigates in small numbers with just privateers, it's only when they start appearing in stacks that keep on growing that privateers start to fail.
So it works. Right now I have a clock against OH (although looking at the production numbers, I'm not certain that I do lack on frigate production if I want to rush to Chemistry and Astro now), which is him getting Chemistry and then stacking Frigates. I can delay that clock by forcing him to build land military to deal with the number of land units I can build, but I'm not longer certain what the best option is. I'm going to look much more closely at the game tomorrow. I reckon I could pushing out 5 frigates per turn if I put all coastal cities over 20 base hpt on them. Each turn OH and I play should affect the others strategy at this point.
So it works. Right now I have a clock against OH (although looking at the production numbers, I'm not certain that I do lack on frigate production if I want to rush to Chemistry and Astro now), which is him getting Chemistry and then stacking Frigates. I can delay that clock by forcing him to build land military to deal with the number of land units I can build, but I'm not longer certain what the best option is. I'm going to look much more closely at the game tomorrow. I reckon I could pushing out 5 frigates per turn if I put all coastal cities over 20 base hpt on them. Each turn OH and I play should affect the others strategy at this point.