Some more news of the world:
North America
Wahl-Profi is by now the far dominant player. He's taken quite a bite out of the Chinese, Rob, and is going to take the capital very soon. Lao-Tse (Ramses) in Alaska has stabilized a bit (after being repeatedly attacked successfully by the tiny Korean) and will contest WP as well as he can. Which is not going to be that well, I think.
North America will not be playing a role in the outcome of this game, however, as even WP lacks the economy needed for catching up in research.
South America
Consolidated under CocoRico's rule. He has an eye on the Caribbean and may try to contest WP there, as he's slightly more advanced than him. Depending on circumstances, may still have long odds at finishing among the top contenders.
The Pacific
Flunky is preparing for a full-scale invasion of Australia using Grenadiers and Frigates, followed by a second wave bringing Cannon. This is the make-or-break move for his winning chances, and he knows it. Interesting that he, who was decried as too peaceful by most 'pundits', still clearly sees the necessity. We still need to see whether he can pull it off and dislodge Shade, who still looks very powerful and has also had Astronomy for a while. My money is on Flunky pulling it off more or less successfully, which will make him a top contender.
Asia
Jesper Portus is setting up an all-out draft Rifles assault. He hasn't disclosed the target yet, but I'm guessing it must be Superdeath to the east. JP is famous for going for the low-hanging fruit, and he knows that he will need a bunch of coastal cities for fleet-building if he is to go toe-to-toe with Flunky in the late game. Low-hanging coastal fruit are found in easternmost Asia this game.
Plemo, not content to consolidate, has taken some quick and juicy bites out of Carthage (s.b.), and is gearing up to become an economic powerhouse due to Rathäuser and massive amounts of land. I expect him, JP and Flunky to sort victory in this PB out among themselves, in spite of what they may say about the power of the African super-techers.
Africa
Dullland (three l's for some reason
), profiting from a tactical blunder by Leibniz, has quickly overrun his western neighbour, and is sitting pretty at ~20 cities now. He is eagerly eyeing Tim's Rome to his Southeast for his scheduled Riflemen expansion, even though Rome is looking quite powerful right now. If he can pull that off, he's a contender alongside the Asian-Pacific top trio.
Frozen has run out of steam in his campaign against Hubabl after some early successes and is awaiting better weaponry to recommence the fighting, against Hubabl or maybe Maugitar's Saladin. Frozen is now at 11 cities, I believe - still not substantial enough to make him a candidate for winning.
Europe
Portuguese Ziankali has taken over most of Iberia, with Hubabl snatching up some few cities (which are now Frozen's). He then profited from the Aztec troubles to take over parts of Poland. He'll likely turn South next and snatch up some tasty, tasty Saladin in Greece and Turkey, who is also being attacked by Sauron's Zulus in the Levant, and possibly Frozen (s.a.).
Aztec lands have been vacated by nane's Carthaginians after losing their whole army before the walls of Tenochtitlan, and Sven's Finno-Greeks have conquered an already much-pillaged Belarus and the Baltic. Nane has meanwhile been dismantled by Holland and an opportunistic Plemo.
Aspi of Mali is peacefully building in Scandinavia.
KSL has reversed his early bad war fortunes against Xist, taken Iceland, burned some coastal cities in Greenland, and marooned Xist's first land army on Iceland following a peace treaty - all due to a naval tech advantage. Frenchman Louis (Klops) had joined the war cutting off Xist's international trade, as you may recall, and Xist sent his available troops and all his fleets against him. With his superiority, he forced a landing on Newfoundland and burned a French city, but after some tactical blunders lost his second land army. Klops has Caravels against Xist's Triremes and Galleys, so he dominates the seas, and was able to burn a city on Greenland proper in retaliation, but the war has now entered a stalemate.
North America
Wahl-Profi is by now the far dominant player. He's taken quite a bite out of the Chinese, Rob, and is going to take the capital very soon. Lao-Tse (Ramses) in Alaska has stabilized a bit (after being repeatedly attacked successfully by the tiny Korean) and will contest WP as well as he can. Which is not going to be that well, I think.
North America will not be playing a role in the outcome of this game, however, as even WP lacks the economy needed for catching up in research.
South America
Consolidated under CocoRico's rule. He has an eye on the Caribbean and may try to contest WP there, as he's slightly more advanced than him. Depending on circumstances, may still have long odds at finishing among the top contenders.
The Pacific
Flunky is preparing for a full-scale invasion of Australia using Grenadiers and Frigates, followed by a second wave bringing Cannon. This is the make-or-break move for his winning chances, and he knows it. Interesting that he, who was decried as too peaceful by most 'pundits', still clearly sees the necessity. We still need to see whether he can pull it off and dislodge Shade, who still looks very powerful and has also had Astronomy for a while. My money is on Flunky pulling it off more or less successfully, which will make him a top contender.
Asia
Jesper Portus is setting up an all-out draft Rifles assault. He hasn't disclosed the target yet, but I'm guessing it must be Superdeath to the east. JP is famous for going for the low-hanging fruit, and he knows that he will need a bunch of coastal cities for fleet-building if he is to go toe-to-toe with Flunky in the late game. Low-hanging coastal fruit are found in easternmost Asia this game.
Plemo, not content to consolidate, has taken some quick and juicy bites out of Carthage (s.b.), and is gearing up to become an economic powerhouse due to Rathäuser and massive amounts of land. I expect him, JP and Flunky to sort victory in this PB out among themselves, in spite of what they may say about the power of the African super-techers.
Africa
Dullland (three l's for some reason
), profiting from a tactical blunder by Leibniz, has quickly overrun his western neighbour, and is sitting pretty at ~20 cities now. He is eagerly eyeing Tim's Rome to his Southeast for his scheduled Riflemen expansion, even though Rome is looking quite powerful right now. If he can pull that off, he's a contender alongside the Asian-Pacific top trio.Frozen has run out of steam in his campaign against Hubabl after some early successes and is awaiting better weaponry to recommence the fighting, against Hubabl or maybe Maugitar's Saladin. Frozen is now at 11 cities, I believe - still not substantial enough to make him a candidate for winning.
Europe
Portuguese Ziankali has taken over most of Iberia, with Hubabl snatching up some few cities (which are now Frozen's). He then profited from the Aztec troubles to take over parts of Poland. He'll likely turn South next and snatch up some tasty, tasty Saladin in Greece and Turkey, who is also being attacked by Sauron's Zulus in the Levant, and possibly Frozen (s.a.).
Aztec lands have been vacated by nane's Carthaginians after losing their whole army before the walls of Tenochtitlan, and Sven's Finno-Greeks have conquered an already much-pillaged Belarus and the Baltic. Nane has meanwhile been dismantled by Holland and an opportunistic Plemo.
Aspi of Mali is peacefully building in Scandinavia.
KSL has reversed his early bad war fortunes against Xist, taken Iceland, burned some coastal cities in Greenland, and marooned Xist's first land army on Iceland following a peace treaty - all due to a naval tech advantage. Frenchman Louis (Klops) had joined the war cutting off Xist's international trade, as you may recall, and Xist sent his available troops and all his fleets against him. With his superiority, he forced a landing on Newfoundland and burned a French city, but after some tactical blunders lost his second land army. Klops has Caravels against Xist's Triremes and Galleys, so he dominates the seas, and was able to burn a city on Greenland proper in retaliation, but the war has now entered a stalemate.
Just read superjm's thread since you bumped it, and I see it's dominated by Krill complaining that it doesn't compare to RB starts and that superjm should just wander around with his settler and give up. Some things never change.
