[PB79] End of the beginning?

[coldrain]

Turn 121





Didn’t start a golden age yet. Finished metal casting some time ago too (didn’t remember if mentioned this). Code of law next although I will not be the first to discover it. I’ve been avoiding whipping core cities to set up a MoM golden age after enabling caste system. Haven’t calculated exactly the best timing, but I will grow slightly more and accumulate extra food so I can change to max specialists in couple of cities when the GA is triggered. Target for GA#1 is to:
-          Immediately swap to caste system and set up heaps of specialists in core cities.
-          Get two scientists.
-          Get at least one great merchant.
-          Optional: get a great artist.
-          Work max commerce/production in cities that don’t assign specialists. Switch cottage tiles from core cities to periphery settlements to help with this.
-          Swap back to slavery and possibly to bureaucracy or vassalage or org rel, depending on tech path during GA.

This way I can have a guaranteed GA#2 ready (one scientist and merchant) and can bulb philosophy with the extra scientist. If I get extra merchant, he can be used for trade mission. I will try to calculate how many great person I can get without starving the cities too much. Good candidates for specialist cities are:
-          Capital for scientist
-          The Swamp and South Wetlands for merchants
-          The Grid for scientist
-          Stenn Desert for artist (lower priority as of now)
- Shem for any, maybe a merchant as well?

I have been thinking best use for PHI + golden age is to lock in even more MoM boosted golden ages. Bulbs can be directed to philosophy or maybe astronomy. Speaking of which, I need to check was it machinery that blocks philosophy bulb, or maybe I’m mixing it to liberalism bulb path… Philo bulb (requires meditation) would be nice to secure my own religion and start building discounted monasteries. Ankor Wat could be my ticket to a later golden age #4 or shrine, as caste system is limited to scientists/merchants/artists. Also need to remember that MoM gets obsoleted at nationalism, I think I can easily get three GA:s before that. I’m a bit nervous of leaving slavery soonish, so I’m building some triremes and HAs for defence now. Demos:



EDIT: And once again I need to mention that this game has been played fast, I must admit this has reduced the amount of planning I've managed to do between turns. I think I could have hogged all of the south-eastern islands with a more focused approach to navy building, but Xist10 was able to snipe a couple of those places from under my nose. Good play by him. Not that I'm complaining about the turn pace, I'm a willing participant in doing 2-3 turns a day. Later this will slow down for sure, especially if any wars are started.

[Dreylin]

Looks like the world has filled up; any space left / fillers still to place?

It also seems like Xist grabbed a few islands that Miro might consider "theirs", any moves in that direction? What's the diplo situation, have any plots going?

[coldrain]

Turn 126





Started golden age T124. Xist10 also did same a turn earlier. That makes three civs in GA right now (Gira too). Swapped to caste system and assigned specialists. Next turn a great scientist will be born out of capital. Also founded city on last open spot available, the eastern island near Rickety. Forgot to rename it, will do so soon. Going towards monarchy/feudalism and then to guilds. I have a vague idea of assembling an army of knights and go smash a neighbour. Miro is a potential target due to longest land border with me and for now I’ve had good trading partnership with Xist10, although he is looking like to be the main economic competitor and is ahead in tech.

[coldrain]

Turn 128



Researched construction after priesthood just in case, since Miro is whipping more than usual and his military score is climbing up. Alphabet is next to unlock philo bulb. I have stables in Stenn Desert and Crater, those cities will continue building HAs and war elephants. Spider plains will switch to catapults after the swordsman. Otherwise I’m building infrastructure in larger cities and periphery settlements build order is totem pole -> granary -> lighthouse -> (walls if is a potential frontline city) -> wealth.

Next great person is a merchant from Swamp. I should be able to squeeze another scientist after that from capital. Haven’t simmed this, so next turn I will double check if I save the philo bulb scientist instead for second GA. Gira’s golden age ended, so it’s just me and Xist now. I’m suspicious of Miro building up to invade me, I want feudalism soon too so I can train totem pole boosted longbows. Demos:

[coldrain]

Turn 134



Golden age is nearing its end. I now have one great scientist and two merchants. Third merchant is almost doable, but next turn I will swap from caste system. Golden age #2 is therefore secured, but I’m planning to do it later. Extra merchant goes for a trade mission to Carthage island, I believe 1300 gold is the price to be collected. Xist10 completed guilds, I’m getting there in 2 turns as well. Before the GA ends, I’ll swap into monarchy, vassalage and slavery + convert to Taoism. Then build/whip an army of knights and go invade a neighbour. Miro keeps whipping heavily and military score is climbing up. He sent cow-for-cow a turn ago, but I didn’t respond since I think my best option for conquest is through China. Is he planning to go against Gira or Rickty, Xist is in an awkward angle for him to get to? Of course he might change direction to me after I didn’t confirm peaceful intentions…

Tech situation and demos:

[Dreylin]

The power distribution looks interesting; can we see how the graph is looking?

xist seems to be a bit of a step ahead of you & Miro despite your score lead; do you think you can afford to let him eat Rickety without challenging him? Miro has a large Power lead and you risk getting bogged down; OTOH, any fight with xist is going to be as much on the water as the land. Any plan to gain an advantage on that front?

[coldrain]

Turn 150



I really dropped the reporting for a while here. I’ve just been too tired after work to muster the energy for anything that requires brain activity. I think this also shows in my current situation in game. Miro and Xist hammered Rickety and split the lands between them while I twiddled my thumbs. In the turns since last report, Xist proposed a fish-for-fish which I left unanswered so he cancelled all deals. Got open borders from Miro. I did swap to monarchy/vassalage/slavery after the GA and whipped some military and now economy buildings (forges and courthouses). Once again I’m starting to avoid whips in core cities to prepare for GA#2. Summary of previous great persons and their uses:
-          1st scientist: start (MoM boosted) golden age #1.
-          2nd scientist: bulb philosophy.
-          1st merchant: tried to get trade mission from Xist, but he closed borders just in time (I avoided a double move). Made trade mission to Miro 3-4 turns ago and gained 1700 gold.
-          3rd scientist: partially bulb astronomy.
-          4th scientist and 2nd merchant: saved for next GA, start it soon?

Tech situation: I’m only player with astronomy, but totally forgot that galleons need paper in this mod… I’m scarping up now, so let’s see if I can focus more and do something more active in this game. Xist is not far from astro, but it would obsolete his Colossus. Gunpowder is done next turn, which should unlock privateers immediately unless I again missed some other requirement. Next tech goal could be paper for galleons or engineering for road movement and castles.

I’m later to the party in building court houses, so I lost graphs on most players. Trying to get graphs of Xist now. Military situation: I’m #2 in power and garrisoned eastern border islands with some highly promoted longbows. I’m assembling a knight + horse archer + catapult stack between Stenn Desert and Grid. If I would go to war, Miro could be easier target (best units are cho-ko-nus), but leaving Xist uncontested doesn’t seem like a good idea. So privateers and galleons next to try to capture the islands? Maybe. On the other hand, golden age #2 could be launched any time, so maybe do that first? I’m building some missionaries in case I want to swap to pacifism temporarily (would cost a fortune in upkeep I think, so need to plan this carefully). Demos:



I’m still invested in the game even if I had some rushed turns during last month. I worry a bit about falling behind in city count and economy if I don’t come up with a great plan for conquest or utilizing PHI and MoM golden ages… CHA could be useful too with navy building if I spread religion around, keep vassalage and swap to theocracy at some point. Of course I would need theology for that.

[Dreylin]

Seems like time to decide which way to go; do you 2v1 Miro or Xist? Miro's (remarkably straight) land border might be less complicated to assault, but it seems like Xist may already have concluded that you've chosen a side. Though I do hope you are taking advantage of the Miro open borders to scout him out!

If you have naval superiority, you can always decide to bypass xist's islands and go for his mainland coastal cities first, then turn around.

[greenline]

Why do you see Xist as a greater threat to ignore compared to Miro?

[coldrain]

Turn 158



Half-way through my golden age and Xist declared war. Previous turn he amassed a fleet near Skinner’s Roam and sent me fish-for-fish. I didn’t answer since I don’t want to give him a chance to use frigates + knights against Gira or Miro freely. And I was partially thinking he was bluffing. Turns out he was serious and declared, now the fleet is bombing down defences next to my island. He killed one of my privateers too. I’m building more and will reach frigates myself next turn. I swapped into slavery and away from pacifism, which I had used since start of golden age #2. Time to whip a frigate fleet in the upcoming turns. Not sure if accepting the fish-for-fish would have been a better option. Our military scores are roughly even, so unless I make blunders in troop positioning, I should not lose much, maybe an island as Xist is ahead in fleet building. I requested Miro to stop trading with Xist, I want to try and isolate him a bit diplomatically. Land forces are gathering to start marching towards my north, Carthaginian cities there are lightly defended for now.

Domestic developments: Some banks have been completed during GA, improving my economy. I got great artist and great scientist with help of caste system and pacifism. I will keep great person pool of South Wetlands clean from scientists, so eventually I have the persons needed for third golden age.