[Spoilers] Cometh the Messiah - Varn Gosam and the Malakim

[Ilios]

Isn't that why you're playing?

Touché!

Thanks for the detailed updates; they've been clear and concise and interesting.

Thanks, appreciated!

T82

Philosophy splashscreen:



Allows blah blah blah, gives access to Priesthood tech, and unlocks Incense as a happiness resource (with the right building). This alone makes it worth building a Desert Shrine in each city, costing only 34 hammers for a Spiritual leader. And since Desert Shrines give an extra 2 experience to all Divine units, they are clear winners for where I'm heading.

Which brings us to the Civics conundrum I've been contemplating for the past few days. I will surely miss the hammer and gold bonus from God King, but what really got me thinking is the loss of food from Aristocracy.

Case in point, En-Kai:



The city will have grown to size 10 by the time the switch to Aristocracy occurs (basically, as soon as I've researched Code of Laws, or in four turns). Lacking proper food resources, En-Kai will be sitting on a 3-4 food surplus, provided two more jungle tiles are turned into farmland, and if I really want to work the non-grassland tiles (i.e. gold mine, incense, dyes, lumbermill). In short, very... slow... growth...

I've thought about switching to City States first, but I just can't justify giving up the 50+ extra beakers I'd be getting from Aristocracy. (I'm sold, remember?)

So, what to do with my civ while I wait for Sanitation and Ancient Forests, knowing that I still need to grab a ton of techs before I can get them?

Why, switch to military mode ofcourse!

With the Fruits of Yggdrasil (+1 happy, +2 health) and the Incense from Desert Shrines, my cities will be way under their happy cap, and growing slowly. This will allow me to switch out of the Religion Civic (losing 2 happiness in every city with a state religion and a RoK Temple), and into Nationalism.

The 10% bonus for building military units handily counters the 10% malus I'll get for switching to the Apprenticeship Civic (+2 exp for new units).

With this civic and Desert Shrines, newly build Priests will basically start with 5 experience, thanks to the Potency promotion (free on Divine units thanks to the Spiritual trait).

So that's two move, strength 5, Combat 2 badass RoK Priests! (to be followed by Priests of Leaves, Ritualists, etc)

So, after getting Priesthood (should be a 4-turn tech at most), I'll be building units, while researching Hunting for exploration, Writing and Masonry for my 1-turn-Great Library build and Construction for more farms and bridges or Way of the Forest for Priests of Leaves and Ancient Lumbermilled Forests.

I hope all this made sense...


Meanwhile, back at Yggdrasil:



Bronze Kilmorph Soldier in a forest vs Baby Spider... I like my chances!

And a nice overview map:



Are there any screens in particular people would like to see? Don't be shy!

[Ilios]

I've finally found a nice pic in anticipation of the Kilmorph Priests:


Born to Rune

I hope to smite Evil with them very soon!

[Ilios]

T83:

Not much to report really.

The Kilmorph Soldier destroyed the Baby Spider as expected. I'm slightly miffed though, because that critter managed to hurt the Soldier to 3/5 of maximum strength, for only 1 measly exp...

No matter though, Humility and his Soldier friends will soon be sacrificed for the greater Glory of the Malakim Empire!

My Settler party has moved to the designated site, and will be founding next turn. Provided they don't get hit by Momma Spider, that Griffon I saw earlier and the Hill Giant Mist released from the Dungeon near Mutanbo...

Research has been set to Code of Laws. I'm about 10 beakers shy from getting it in two turn, so I think I'll go 100% research, then 50% and 50%, for some emergency upgrade money.

Most of the rival nations have been expanding.

Balseraphs: 6 cities

I think Serdoa has done like me, use God King to the maximum extent to crank out Expansive Settlers and claim as much land as possible. However, it doesn't seem like he is close to having the same Workerforce as I do (I have 9 Workers so far, with a 10th to be finished by the capital in two turns).

The GNP graph shows the Balseraphs pretty low, even after the switch to Aristocracy, which leads me to believe two things: Serdoa's cities are working a lot of unimproved tiles, and the Balseraphs are hurt by expanding upkeep costs.

What is good about Serdoa's expansion, is that it will force the other players to dedicate resources to expansion as well, leading inexperienced players to plop down cities without Worker support. =)

Ljosalfar: 4 cities

Uberfish is building up a nice economy, and doesn't have any hostile rivals. In the long run, I think he'll be my main competitor.

Lanun: 4 cities

Amelia must be fretting, since the Lanun are not the n° 1 in GNP as she probably expected. She still hasn't expanded towards me, which gives me a shot at claiming two more sites between us. Both En-Kai and Horus will pop their borders in the coming turns, allowing me to dominate the southern approach to the Empire.

Doviello: 4 cities

In addition to Cotton Valley, the city Mist took from the Luchuirp, the Doviello have recently founded a fourth city. Mist seems to be doing ok economically, so I'm not sure Sciz will be able to fend off a renewed assault. I think I might dedicate a couple of Kilmorph Priest to the battle, if only to get the required 26 experience quickly for the Form of the Titan wonder (+2 exp in all cities).

Luchuirp: 2 cities

Sciz has been hit hard by the Doviello rush, and has only now managed to clear his remaining lands from Mist's marauders (thanks to those shiny new Bronze Weapons!). Unfortunately, most of the tile improvement have been pillaged, and Sciz will need to get those back up before he can climb out of the hole he's in (GNP of 2 currently...)

Calabim: ?

Haven't met them yet, but I guess they should be around the 3-4 cities mark as well. Soon to be attacked by the Balseraphs.

Malakim: 4 cities

Only 4 cities? Yes, I really wanted to improve my current lands before expanding, which I've managed to do. The Yggdrasil city will be founded next turn as mentioned previously, and another site will be claimed on T86.

[Ichabod]

Hey Ilios,

if it's not too much trouble, could you post the techpath you followed in this game? It doesn't have to be perfectly accurate, just the basic idea.

Thanks in advance!

[Ilios]

Sure, no problem:

Agriculture
Calendar
Mysticism (one turn in Exploration, but then changed my mind)
Exploration
Crafting
Mining
Way of the Earthmother
Bronze Working
Festivals
Cartography (could have skipped this, but at the time I was seriously considering sending troops into Luchuirp lands)
Animal Husbandry
Archery
Fishing (to supply Sciz with my Copper)
Philosophy

I'm currently researching Code of Laws

Future tech path (bound to change)

Priesthood
Hunting
Writing
Masonry
Construction
Way of the Forest

If there is a chance to take out the Lanun, I might pick up Way of the Wicked -> Knowledge of the Ether -> "the tech that gets you Ashen Veil"

[Ilios]

T84:

Dappa rules the wings:



And Yggdrasil is claimed!



I couldn't choose between Thor and Odin, so...

Notice the huge initial upkeep costs, good thing Aristocracy is just around the corner (total Empire costs increased by 9 gold). I've set the city on a Market, which will be chopped in a couple of turn, and will then follow with a Monument.

Founding Thordin reveals quite a lot of land, thanks to the peak inside the borders:



Yes, the little fucker inside my borders is Loki. Serdoa moved him there last turn, which means he knows I will claim it. He better not do anything tricky... like convert the city to the Balseraphs, since it has zero Malakim culture.

I'm sure Serdoa wouldn't be that crazy... Right?

Anyway, a bear den has been revealed as well, which I hope will produce lots of little bears by the time my Hunters arrive on the scene.

A barb city has appeared near En-Kai:



Its location neatly blocks any possible rival expansion. I'll just have to make sure any Warrior parties are welcomed appropriately.

Demographics:

[Ilios]

Got this from Uberfish:

you can probably see my hunter SE of Horus, rather inconveniently your borders expanded last turn, so...

I'd agreed a right of passage thing with Serdoa, so I'd quite like to pass through that jungle tile 3E-1S of Horus on the way since I'm kind of stuck otherwise.

I offered OB again, you can have a couple of turns of the one-sided trade routes in exchange

alternatively, if I can use your road, I'll throw in a screenshot of Lanun land (water?)

My reply:

Hey,


I can agree to Open Borders so your Hunter can move into Balseraph lands.

One condition though, no war declarations to get rid of the Open Borders. Just cancel them after 10 turns (or better yet, get Fishing so you can benefit from trade routes as well!)

I already have some trade routes from Sciz, so it would only amount to an extra 2-3 commerce per turn.

And since you've been offering me screenshots of Lanun territory, I can imagine you've promised Serdoa screenshots of MY lands as compensation for the right of passage.

Regards,


Ilios - "The Voice of God"

[Ichabod]

Thanks for the update and the information, Ilios.

Wow, there's someone with a very high GNP in your last screenshot...

At least you are leading in the other relevant categories (while still having a killer GNP, even without aristocracy).

[Ilios]

Thanks for the update and the information, Ilios.

Wow, there's someone with a very high GNP in your last screenshot...

At least you are leading in the other relevant categories (while still having a killer GNP, even without aristocracy).

My pleasure Ichabod!

The rival best GNP is Amelia's Lanun.

She currently on top because I'm running 60% research at the moment. And like me, Amelia has built her Academy in a city other than her capital (meaning more there is more commerce potential then the capital), so we've been leapfrogging each other GNP-wise when one of us goes 100% gold.

That will change when I switch to Aristocracy ofcourse...

[Ichabod]

My pleasure Ichabod!

The rival best GNP is Amelia's Lanun.

She currently on top because I'm running 60% research at the moment. And like me, Amelia has built her Academy in a city other than her capital (meaning more there is more commerce potential then the capital), so we've been leapfrogging each other GNP-wise when one of us goes 100% gold.

That will change when I switch to Aristocracy ofcourse...

Ah, sure, I didn't realize you were running only 60% science.

Nevertheless, your GNP is crazy. One thing I've been realizing in the FfH PBEMs is that the players aren't being able to get a good economy going. Everybody just seem to think: "well, I'll head to aristocracy some time in the future, so that settles it" and this is not a good thought, in my opinion.

Honourable exceptions exist, of course, like you and pb.

Other questions:

1. Why haven't you settled Thordin 1S? I'm guessing you didn't want to annoy Sciz by doing it.

2. What's do you think about the spiritual trait in FfH?