Arise, Riders of Rohanna! Ride for Molach! [SPOILERS!]

[Molach]

In those strange days, there was found a hidden cache of official-looking letters which shed some light on the strange happenings in the world at this time.
Turn 96: Hippus to the Clan:

Hey again
I sent out a team to seek revenge on your offending wolf-riders, but all I found were some badly mangled goblin corpses and some scraps of battle-worn wolf harnesses. Wonder what happened...really wanted to try my new weapons against them.

And I also wanted one of those wonders you got, too...

Dejectedly,
Molach of the Hippus.

Turn 97: Clan to Hippus:

Hi Molach,

yeah, I kinda expected you to want that wonder. Really sorry for that, but my advisors mumbled something about denial. I would have been open to discuss this as part of a NAP-deal naturally, but you seem kinda reluctant to take them, even though you don't seem to believe that you attack me in the timeframe I offered. That really left me wondering. If you don't lose anything by it, why not take it? Well, too late now I suppose, but if you offer peace I won't turn it down. We still can peacefully coexist, you just have to want it.

Kind regards,
Serdoa

Then, turn 101: Hippus to the Clan

Hail Serdoa of the Clan.

Been thinking.
And watching graphs.
While we think we may defend ourselves with honor, we cannot at this time see war between us serving any useful purpose.

We are open to discuss a NAP at this time.

We will be willing to take a NAP that lasts beyond your current NAP (if it still is in effect) with the Balseraphs - whenever that may be.
We will not expand further east than Orcamon and are open to discussion on settling limits to the west (I still haven't scouted, but I know where former gtAngel lands were)

Perhaps it's better not to tell Whosit about any of this - at least until we have met him in person. Working on that.

-Sincerely, Molach of the Hippus.

There was a personal journal entry, in Molach's own hand:
Diplo channel open again, see what he says. Perhaps he is dead-set on taking me out, perhaps he really wants to exist peacefully. His last message hints that we could work together....maybe he will rush the tower now he made himself untouchable. Maybe he will stomp Whosit into the ground for good measure. He cannot plan for religious victory, never without my cities converting. So a lot depends on when the NAP with balseraphs runs out.

Then there were two more letters, appearently hurriedly thrown in with the rest:
Turn 101: Clan to Hippus

Hi Molach,

so how long a NAP are you thinking about exactly? T130?

As for settling limits: The line shall be drawn at your current most westward city. I found it this turn, interesting defences btw, though not that many I have to say.

Kind regards,
Serdoa

Turn 101: Hippus to Clan:

T130 is better than T150, I must say that. Still leaves room for excitement near the end.

Do you agree about not telling Balseraphs until I do so? If so, we have a deal.

About wonder agreements and NAP - I'd like to build the Catacomb Libralus,is that something that can be a part of the deal? Hate to waste time losing another race. You may of course name a wonder (or two) I won't race you for in return.

Interesting defense...you mean Conrod Mor with the chariot? I have two cities one tile further west further south, Edhelamar and Tincamon. I'll agree to not settle further west until T130, nor east of Orcamon. North and south are okay still, I take it?

Hopefully, Molach of the Hippus

.


But as we know, it was all in vain. Turn 100 the Orcs attacked Balseraphs, proving beyond any doubt that their NAP was at an end. Thus, all hopes of the Hippus were dashed - the Balseraphs and their holy city would surely fall before the Orcish iron-shod boots of war.

Some side notes:
Only after I sent off the NAP agreement did I see that Balseraphs had lost 200 points of score. Nothing turns up in news when I don't have contact - so I missed it till now. Orcs will surely crush them quickly, the holy city will fall. Too bad we never got contact or I would have known about the T100 NAP-end.
Only possible plan now (apart from beating him to the Tower of Mastery without succumbing to 239 orc units) will be to alpha-strike the holy city at T130 and convert. Probably hopeless.

Second note: The catacombs libralus being included in the NAP is important. Its intended to confuse Serdoa as to what I am planning and at the same time intended to further strengthen the feeling that I have no clue what I'm doing. I don't care about that or any other wonders.

Third note: Very bad timing, not seeing that score decrease. Damn. This post was started 2.5 hours ago, but has sort of grown as different messages and stuff has popped into my mailbox and head.

What I really learnt from this game:
Scout! Lose a scout/warrior/whatever, but get out there, get contacts.

And ban the clan with huts .

Might as well put out the turn report, got it ready and all:
And in the days of King Micras, he was cursed by the dyslectic deity, so that everything he touched turned to Glod. Glod was of course a dwarf digging for gold in his far-away dwarven fortress, and he found himself endlessly dragged through space and time and reproduced in the lands of King Micras. To this day, the people there have a reputation of being both short, and short-tempered.


What? Okay. Sure, why not. Might need a swig of this now.


Capital converted, then got an instant -2 happy: We will not fight our brothers and sisters of the faith. Right. Still at war with Orcs.

Configured for max hammers, brewing house + temple will give two happiness back (temple because I have gems)

Outpost city

Kept sending out the chariot to scout. Just finished sheep (they could be improved earlier due to worker movement, also they are arguably better in a golden age than pigs.)

Annnnnd finally, with great fanfare, the scouting mission Southwest set out.

Killed a lion in our way. The injured one has a promotion to heal up with. Good mobility, but any spider would probably kill a chariot. Weaklings.

Oh and need to wait 6 turns to switch back to god king. I wanted to, as capital production is only thing that matters now. And growing cities.

Capital - size 11 - converted to RoK. Rok Went from 48% to 54%.

[Molach]

It seems Serdoa attacked you...

That would actually have been just as well - provided he only killed a city (and later converted it to RoK in his spare time) and gave a NAP.

I'll probably convert another hammer city to RoK, spit out thanes, meanwhile see if I can't snipe that city.
If I only knew where it was. I'll send out adventurer SE-wards...even if I did see a goblin and wolf riders appear from there.

And if not I'll convert my cities anyway for a classy ending. Concession - never

[Ichabod]

I thought Serdoa had attacked you due to a post in the PB12 thread. Thought the Orcs still had a NAp with the Clowns...

What are the prereqs of the Commando promotion? Combat 3? How much XP can we get from a city, with max war civics/buildings?

We might have a better chance of Alpha Striking the RoK city with Commando chariots... Can we get haste in a reasonable time frame? If all that matters is one turn, there's no problem if the mage (or haste is adep level?) can't keep up with the rest of our troops.

Or maybe we should send only 2 small but brave units to the Mines of Dal-Gur, hoping that Serdoa's eye will be looking in another direction.

BTW, if you meet the clowns, ask for their maps if you can. If they give you, stop exploring in that direction. Let's fake that we want to attack the Orc cities to our NE, not former clown lands.

[Ranamar]

Haste is adept... you just need the body node. Not sure for commando, but combat 3 sounds about right.

Max XP for us is 9, I think - Apprenticeship (2) + Conquest (2) + Command Post (3) + Form of the Titan (2). Ride of the Nine Kings gets +10 for mounted but it's waay up there. I think someone else has Form of the Titan, but I'm not sure.

I take it no deal has actually been reached? I don't expect a deal now, given that he's at war with the clowns.

[Molach]

I think that it is combat IV to enable raiders.

Too drunk to make a report with screens.

However i did play a turn. Just now.

And the Balseraphs are halfway to death, score down from 650 to 300-something this turn.
Demos also show 8 as crop yield

I think. Or MFG.

Whatever.

Scout team found a bear lair, some earth mana....and a whole lotta nothing otherwise. Hrm.

[Molach]

Pretty fast conquest of Whosit as well. Not surprising given the Orcish massive power

Now, I'm alone in the game with Serdoa, and we've a NAP for 26 turns. This is not enough to win a Tower of Mastery victory, and, I fear, it is too long to win my backdoor religious victory.

I still don't know where Serdoa's holy city is.

I guess I'll play along a bit more, would be fun to see if there ever was a chance. Serdoa is (rightfully) ready to end the game, so it is perhaps a bit selfish to go on based on a chance about as likely as QPR winning premier league...

If I quit I could ask for Serdoa's password, and play out a few turns with myself and see....

Whaddya think? Serdoa is busy enough with the WW-game as it is....

End(?) state of Hippus lands.
Scouting southwest - found enemy prophetic mane, nothing else. 3 chariots, 1 now severly hurt after a run-in with a bear that wasn't quite enough to exp him to next level.


Scouting southeast - 3 chariots, including the raiding adventurer.


Scout mission Northeast - solo chariot, gotta hope no spiders appear.


Perhaps we can calculate religious status from these shots? I'll do so when my head stops spinning.



Demos

[Molach]

I've sent off a new turn, found Serdoas (old) lands in the Northeast, still guessing Old Balseraph lands are south of him...but no contact with the ruins.

And my religious plan might have worker with Whosit alive, but now I assume Serdoa has taken a look at victory screen and realizes that garrisoning the holy city is a good idea.

Last longshot remaining is breaking the NAP. I could 'accidently' settle a city too far west or east, and then let Serdoa attack it. Then seize holy city, convert, win.

Naw.

I think I'll just concede, get his password and muck around a bit in the game.

Unless someone wants to see what happens I'll send the surrender terms tomorrow.
Which are, gimme the password to your civ so I can play with myself (...) a bit and poke around the map, then I'll surrender.

[Molach]

Tech thread:

I guess I can continue and check out stuff on my own.

Serdoa, I hereby declare that you have won this game.

Your economic advantage is advantageous.
Your people are more populous.
Your Horde can beat mine any day of the week.

Thanks to you and the dead people for playing.

-M

I and serdoa bounced about 7-8 turns back and forth - I tried to find the holy city to see. I found jubilee, but then serdoa popped the borders with a thane, so I couldn't get further.

I had a lot of space to myself after Sian was eliminated, but I was a bit too shy to scout properly - kept husbanding my military units, which saved hammers but ultimately led to me conducting diplomacy in the blind. It would have been more fun if I had made contact with Balseraphs before, so I knew that I had to harass him to help Whosit.

It would have been more fun, yes, I mainly played against the barbs this game.

However result would have been the same.

[Ichabod]

That was a good effort. You did very well for your first game. The problem is that the Orcs are incredibly powerful and Serdoa didn't leave us any openings to try and exploit. Now we just got to win PB 11.