[spoilers] OT4E's crusade

[OT4E]

People has started planting their 3rd cities. I am going to whip settler next turn to get some overflow.


1 turn later or earlier makes no sense here imho. The one who plants more at the same time wins.

...the turn rolled while I was making this update. And I see that TBS is going to settle 4th already but he is IMP.



Demos:

[OT4E]

TBS got Music while I am (1) from Civil Service and this is only brought by building research everywhere. So this is the basic result from Merchant strategy: you get 1 teach ahead. Btw another GM waz born in far away land and I guess this is GJ's one. Probably he was rushing towards something else, may be Machinery for chokonus.

Btw barb cities has grown really big, so this is an extra reason to grab them soon. Or they kill us ) seriously, 2 random barb cities appeared near me, so they are surrounding...

[OT4E]

As planned I got GL in 1 turn:

So 7 turns before first GS and academy.

Chumchu has got feudalism. TBS has planted 5th city.

[OT4E]

Academy is built and I am top GNP:



But this is by the cost of being last in expansion. I have planted 4th city while TBS is close to settle 8th, I believe.
I planted rather aggressive towards chumchu, though I knew he has horses hooked. And here is the result:


Probably I will have to upgrade my warrior and whip some urgent military. Machinery will help but I honestly didnt plan to use it so soon. But it was chumchu's choice... whatever.

[OT4E]

I havent got time to report recent turns.

It went hard against chumchu, missionary saved my city and I had to upgrade warrior into spear. After this chumchu decided to calm down and proposed peace, which I accepted. The more dramatical the situation was with barbarians. There were hordes of those passing by and I was close to lose one of the cities or even both. But barbs have their own mind and half of them passed peacefully to their city without attacking.

Here is how our front looks like now.

The most funny thing is that the barb city is the most defended.

Anyway while trying to defend I dropped to the last place in food and production. Those 2 cities of mine stays at size of 1 for too long, and I had to whip my core cities too much.

On the other hand I captured 1 barb city in the south, it has worst placement ever but size of 4 and in my situation I couldnt even talk about perfecting city placements.


I was whipping and whippin but only 1 LB met me in. Lol?

Returning to chumchu I will try to refrain from war with him if possible. In fact I have already stolen enough land and my intuition advises me to focus on islands. And I will hope that he will make some troubles to TBS or at least will not fall easily and will act as a bareer.

About islands there is a chain of those between me and Mr. Cairo, my western neighbor. I was lucky to get circumnavigation and with East Indianmans in future I hope to get control over seas and terrify everyone. Mr. Cairo got Colossus and I doubt he will be willing to rush Astronomy.

Here is the map:


Demographics are not promising:


But at least GNP is not that bad.

[OT4E]

City count:

TBS - 11
GJ - 7
Mr. Cairo - 7
chumchu - 10
Gavagai - 8
OT4E - 8

[OT4E]

Got 10 mins to make a short summary of the initial phase.

You probably know that TBS has got liberalism with several GSes. Very nice.

Our front with chumchu seems to be established. I razed barb city and planted a couple of tiles behind and he is pulling his army away.


My main plan is to get Astronomy, grab and keep as many islands as I can. Later I can use them effectively with dikes, but they are not bad now by themselves.


On the other hand I grow some GSes to bulb renaissance teches. I will be behind compared to the leaders but not very far.


Demographics are still poor but look better from one turn to another and the moment I stop being on the last place in everything is not far away:


What people know:


City count:
TBS - 12
GJ - 7
Mr. Cairo - 11
chumchu - 14
Gavagai - 10
me - 10

My population is 45 which is something like 1/8 of overall.

[OT4E]

GJ used Great Artist to take a city from Mr. Cairo.
Gavagai declared on TBS, but no cities taken within 2 first turns. TBS got Gunpowder just now.

I have 3 settlers ready and 2 more coming in 2 turns. So I am recovering. Unfortunately I cant catch up in workers yet, but I focus on islands cities which are not so worker dependant.

[CML]

So what's going on? EIM yet?

[OT4E]

So what's going on? EIM yet?

The game was moving slowly, but yes I have got Astronomy and a few EIs out. 

I recovered a bit in food, so currently I am on 3rd position not far behind from leader. Something like 240 agsinst 270. 

TBS has got Oxford and he has just researched Military tradition. Recently he was defending with drafted muskets. Thats not bad considering noone is even close to that. Though he has no Machinery. But with OU and cap size of 20 he will recover quick.

About my business, I have to slave many units against chumchu. He was drafting maces and got impressive power. I know my front city will never let him calm down. Last turn he warpeaced with me and it gave me some break from slaving, slaving and slaving. He will probably go for barbarian cities, less likely against TBS. I wish he does but I never believe he dares.

GJ and Cairo made peace, it seems that Cairo has lost something like 100k power when GJ attacked him and it took him a while to recover. I dont think he has chances for revenge unfortunately. Needless to say that any conflict plays for me except those I am involved in.

Few words about domestic things. I settled most of close islands, but I need time to make them work. Currently I am teching Education with GS and plan to build my own OU. I am not decided with its location yet. Cap will build it quicker and gice the most immediate output but it has less potential for late game and if the game doesnt demand decisive actions from me may be I can think of moving cap and OU.

What will I do with EIs? Not sure yet, may be just make my closest neighbors worry a bit more.