Nobody expects the Chinese Inquisition: Isabella of China

[NobleHelium]

Since I'm still unspoiled from other threads, I'll offer some comments.

From your last screenshot, you have two workers that would be vulnerable to a chariot out of the fog, the ones south of your capital. In both cases, the chariot would be able to threaten Croqueta China, on flat land, defended by a warrior. That's not very good odds to lose a city this early in the game. Not to mention that if he gets lucky and moves west afterwards, he'd be able to raze Agria Dulce uncontested as well. He can see both it and your capital by moving to the tile NW of CC.

[Gaspar]

Bottom line, there's really no choice here. I took the deal. Let's see what happens. Rumor has it if you dance with the devil you get burned.

Hi Mackoti,

After talking it over, I'll take the offer. Hopefully we can use this to forge a decent partnership this game and then have an entertaining battle at the end.

On that, have you met anyone else yet? My scouting efforts have been poor so you're my first contact. Any thoughts on the map?

Regards,
Gaspar

[Lewwyn]

Early Chariots FTW!

They are so powerful if you get them fast enough. Pretty much we have to take this deal and be happy we have the chance.

I've said this in chat, but for all the other lurkers, I think we build a chariot rush it to the other side and see if we can get a snipe or something. At the very least we put it on our opponents borders and stall their growth. And we don't sign NAPs with whoever is over there. If they get their panties in a bunch just tell them they're safe as long as they have enough defense. Make 'em build military and waste growth.

[zakalwe]

Sorry I couldn't chime in, but it sounds like you made the right choice. Which is always easier when there aren't so many options to choose from.

[Mardoc]

I do think we're now obligated to turn up on the better end of the deal, especially in comparison to our outspoken opinions on display *ahem* elsewhere. Regardless of who's in the other corners, we need to be #1 in expansion and growth, period. Ideally mackoti looks back at this as the moment he lost the game.

Which means I'm not sure on building our own chariots. We know mackoti spent at least a few hammers on them, but wouldn't we rather grow?

I suppose maybe one or two for scouting purposes would be handy.

[pling]

Rumor has it if you dance with the devil you get burned.

Well, being as you're the Inquisition, surely you should be the one with the fire? :fireball:

More seriously, at least this means Mackoti doesn't see you as an easy push-over to start his path to a conquest victory so he'd rather extort a NAP?

[Gaspar]

Appreciate all the comments from the gallery, belated or otherwise. Not sure what I've done to deserve such a fun bunch but I'll take it.

Mackoti responded to my message and I don't like it:

Hi ,

Super let de game beggin,well i supose we can talk about what wonders we plan to get in the future, i realy want Mids, if you let me this you can pick one from wich i wil not try, or we can compete for it and one of us will loose hammers.
About meeting other :2 turns ago i set my scouting chariots one met you and the other just killed abarb warior , but if this map its made from an inland sea map, its a big distance between me and other neighbour.

Regards,
Pericle

Mackoti cracks me up.

But I really want the Pyramids this game. I guess we could go for a more boring cottage spam/GLH/Colossus set-up though. On the other hand if he either doesn't know that stone is in the lake or he doesn't have access I think we could beat him to it. And I guess it doesn't matter if I antagonize him since we have a potentially forever NAP.

Still haven't seen the turn, though.

[Mardoc]

Suppose we gave up the Pyramids in exchange for GLH and guaranteed open borders to go with it? It really is a powerful tool, my earlier argument against it was that I thought it would get us crushed like nospace, and maybe a bit of only three civs needed to organize a boycott. But we've already agreed to the dangerous open-ended NAP with the potential runaway, what's a little more diplomatic risk?

I guess I just don't see what makes Pyramids especially good on this map, while I do see why GLH/Colossus would be extra strong. Even if you just did that :neenernee

Or, if we do get the stone first, I suppose we could race him. But if you do that, probably best to make sure you tell him you don't want the deal, don't let him believe we agreed when we didn't. The language barrier makes being blunt important.

[Gaspar]

Suppose we gave up the Pyramids in exchange for GLH and guaranteed open borders to go with it? It really is a powerful tool, my earlier argument against it was that I thought it would get us crushed like nospace, and maybe a bit of only three civs needed to organize a boycott. But we've already agreed to the dangerous open-ended NAP with the potential runaway, what's a little more diplomatic risk?

I guess I just don't see what makes Pyramids especially good on this map, while I do see why GLH/Colossus would be extra strong. Even if you just did that :neenernee

Or, if we do get the stone first, I suppose we could race him. But if you do that, probably best to make sure you tell him you don't want the deal, don't let him believe we agreed when we didn't. The language barrier makes being blunt important.

I've been thinking about this while chatting about the game with someone not on the site... I'm not going to give him the Pyramids. While we have a super long NAP and all that, he still got it via threat. Also, its conspicuous that he ignored my map question - I don't get the impression Mackoti is really looking to be my friend here. He really wants the Pyramids - let him work to get them. While he may have caught us with our pants down, he did give up something and he can't attack me any more than I can attack him. Let's go get that stone and come up with a microplan to chop Mids out ASAP.

Bottom line, I don't see any situation where its wise to give early Representation to the Cre/Phi player.

[Gaspar]

Sent this to mackoti:

Hey Mackoti,

I don't mind the idea of a wonder agreement but I'd prefer to hold off on anything until I've seen more of the map (i.e. resource doublers, etc.) I'm going to get some chariots of my own out and see what we can see and I'll get back to you.

Yeah, I haven't seen the save yet but assume you came up from the south. I would guess the west/east neighbors are a good ways away.

Regards,
Gaspar