[Spoilers] Boldly Going...on a Bender and Pissing Off Xenu

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

Just so you're aware, I didn't actually run the numbers to see how many hammers Commodore has in his current production queue, I took the screen in case you wanted to. For all I know his MFG shows a production spike because he has mined tiles or something and is working a lot of hammers. You should keep an eye on the number of hammers invested if you want to be certain. If it is still rising a turn after he could have completed a settler you'll have confirmation (unless you can othwerwise determine there is no way for his MFG to be at the current level without using IND to increase output).

Why do the math when I can make a blind assumption and feel good about it? :weed: Still, harassing Commodore isn't a terrible idea. I still think he's the best player in the field by a good margin. Even with my baby choke, he was the first to two cities. Sian recently whipped, though, so he's certain to be planting soon too.

[Catwalk]

PBEM42 spoiler:

I'm having a hard time making good use of whipping. Whipping essentially converts commerce to hammers, and commerce seems to be much more scarce on a map with high upkeep costs. On top of that, making use of extra hammers is difficult since you quickly reach your cap for how many workers and settlers you can use. I'm questioning the early use of it on a map like this, other than for security purposes. Seems much more productive to me to simply go to hammer mode when producing workers and settlers and let an overlapping city which needs food borrow any food resources you may have.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Since we're not EXP you're right that it doesn't matter whether we build workers with food or hammers but all things considered I'd rather whip workers when it makes sense to do it for two reasons. First, it gets the worker sooner than slowbuilding so it can begin improving tile yields sooner. Second, after the whip you can go right back to regrowing the city. In the turns it would have taken to slowbuild we'll get most of the population back. Besides I don't think we have enough improved tiles at the moment so we're whipping off unimproved tiles IIRC.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

Since we're not EXP you're right that it doesn't matter whether we build workers with food or hammers but all things considered I'd rather whip workers when it makes sense to do it for two reasons. First, it gets the worker sooner than slowbuilding so it can begin improving tile yields sooner. Second, after the whip you can go right back to regrowing the city. In the turns it would have taken to slowbuild we'll get most of the population back. Besides I don't think we have enough improved tiles at the moment so we're whipping off unimproved tiles IIRC.

Pretty much this. I don't have pottery yet, so no (FIN/riverside) cottages. I'll be growing onto 2/0/3 coast, which I am happy to whip away. I'm hopeful that by the time I can grow the capital for a 4/2 whip that I can get a granary in there and make it a profitable whip.

Edit: Not clear as written that I would intend to make that 4/2 whip a granary, so that all subsequent whips are efficient. If needed, I'll whip military, but I'm hoping I won't have to.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

After screwing up sending the save and some delay, another turn (then another), and now a report. We have a new city. Everyone, meet your newest villain, and certainly better named than Dark Heart, Cobra Commander:



I've highlighted the maintenance. As per usual, first city founding requires some adjustment on the slider. Had I sandboxed this, I would not have had any anxiety about delaying my religion founding next turn. So, anxiously, I fiddle-- no loss at 100%, 50%, and fortunately no loss at 70%, so we don't lose any turns on Polytheism.



Building a Q here too. I really want my granaries...



Finally, an overview shot. We'll be working the mine pretty soon in CC, then the oasis. Hopefully after that I can lay some cottages in the capital and just maybe hook up the ivory for an extra happy face.

Demos: The large production is Commodore. I'm sure my GNP advantage is my creative culture in the second city. We're no tech geniuses here. If there is anything else you want to see, let me know. I'm saving the individual shots of the graphs for when I get graphs on Sian. That will be several turns yet.



Hit enter.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

And a short while later...



Buddhism fell last turn, and Commodore's Bronze city has popped borders. Coincidence? I think not. I'm really glad he went for Buddhism and that I got my religion. On the other hand, it would have taken him one more turn to get Hindu, and since I got it this turn, I think I would have had it. Maybe. Well, glad I got mine anyway.

Next goal: Cottages/Terraces!!!!!

[Catwalk]

Congrats on landing Hinduism Where do you want your next city and when? How much did upkeep go up by all in all, 4 gpt? That's way less than I expected.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

I need to explore the stone/marble location. Given that I'll have Axes/Spears for defense, I can make an aggressive plant, I think. From what little I've explored, it looks like stone/marble are on an island. If that's the case, a coastal city on the lake is necessary to get a worker to the island. Or, to plop a city down for ICTRs... Something to think about, but getting cultural control over there will be important. I don't want Commodore wonder-whoring for cheap with a marble/stone monopoly. But, I can't fixate entirely on him, he's not my only opponent. I will say, though, I like his opening. Kinda reminds me of mine. I'll put him solidly #2 right now.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

Played T30 last night. Sian's built himself a nice pile of rocks.



I'm not fond of working these water tiles.



So I pulled a fast one. Sub-optimal, but guaranteed to cause a blood feud, growing from size 3 to 4, I worked two coast tiles at the expense of my deer. I want to double whip an axe, then probably another one. If Sian's been putting hammers into piles of rocks, I can make his life difficult with a couple of axes. A weaker neighbor competing for the marble/stone area won't hurt my feelings. The tradeoff is that I could have put the double whip into a granary in 3t (much better economic play) but I don't know how long my window is for denying Sian bronze and making his life a living hell. We'll recover ok in DH soon enough, faster than Sian. Hopefully the meta-play after this will make people think I'm Commodore-crazy and they'll build Too Much Military. Doubtful, but this is the plan for now, barring significant mewling by my ded-lurkers.



CC grew onto the Oasis EoT. I'm going to put it on the completed bronze mine unless this (combined with the proposed whip at DH) delays pottery.



Early game demos are a sucker's bet. The guy who lags behind is probably spending time building workers/settlers and winning while you're admiring your score/stats.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Kill them all!