[Spoilers] Defining the phrase "€˜Hung Like a Horse"€™: Pb & the Kuriotates

[pocketbeetle]

Isn't it OO voodoo song .. ie are you converting into OO (as your state religion or just the founding as I can't see the interest of SR right now) ?

Close enough! Octopus Overlords got founded this turn yup.

This was Bob's attempt:

(9:12:52 PM) BobChillingworth: you know, you can also do that trick by holding off an using a mobility promo
(9:12:54 PM) pocketbeetle: Iskender was just asking about what's banned etc. Then asked about haste, that was my answewr
(9:13:24 PM) pocketbeetle: Yup, need mobility I to move 3 forests effectively. But then a hill forest just screws you
(9:14:02 PM) BobChillingworth: I very often like to leave some 1-movers with another, unused promotion ready, and then if I have to, you can promote then to mobility I after they've already moved
(9:14:11 PM) BobChillingworth: works just like haste, only it's a 1-time deal
(9:14:18 PM) pocketbeetle: V true
(9:15:17 PM) BobChillingworth: you can steal a lot of AI workers that way, since it only calculates your unit's range based on the default 1 movement point
(9:15:41 PM) BobChillingworth: course, you can beat the crap out of a deity AI with teir II melee units and a ton of seige, so it's not really all that necessary or impressive
(9:16:03 PM) pocketbeetle: Deity? Oh no, I'm a settler level player
(9:16:13 PM) pocketbeetle: Prince if I'm feeling adventurous
(9:16:22 PM) BobChillingworth: I know, it's been pretty evident
(9:16:30 PM) pocketbeetle: good good
(9:16:55 PM) pocketbeetle: Oh and since I gave it to Selrahc also
(9:17:05 PM) pocketbeetle: Hadaee mada tawila
(9:17:11 PM) pocketbeetle: Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
(9:17:11 PM) pocketbeetle: Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
(9:17:12 PM) pocketbeetle: Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
(9:17:17 PM) BobChillingworth: ?!
(9:17:24 PM) pocketbeetle: I dream of rain
(9:17:27 PM) pocketbeetle: ayyyeeee ayeeee
(9:17:31 PM) pocketbeetle: I dream of gardens in the desert sand
(9:17:37 PM) pocketbeetle: I wake in vain
(9:17:40 PM) pocketbeetle: ayee ayeeee
(9:17:44 PM) pocketbeetle: I dream of love as time runs through my hand
(9:17:55 PM) BobChillingworth: w-what is this...?!
(9:18:09 PM) pocketbeetle: Don't worry, you'll figure it out eventually
(9:18:41 PM) BobChillingworth: google says it's lyrics to some arabic song
(9:18:49 PM) pocketbeetle: really? interesting
(9:19:19 PM) BobChillingworth: sung by... sting?
(9:19:53 PM) BobChillingworth: Desert Rose
(9:19:54 PM) BobChillingworth: never heard of it
(9:20:03 PM) pocketbeetle: really? interesting
(9:20:29 PM) BobChillingworth: this shit's getting pretty crypting
(9:20:33 PM) BobChillingworth: cryptic*
(9:21:15 PM) pocketbeetle: :D

Edit:

Either you mean something about your upcoming religion or about the spell, I think it is named "Spring".

You were on the right track too Serdoa.

[pocketbeetle]

Turn 86:

At Avelorn, Bob started roading.
Turnlog shows that Selrahc declared war on Cull, and also switched to the civic City States.
Turns out I was so busy ranting that I missed a pop increase and tech for Selrahc. Oopsy.



At Caledor, Bobbin started mining, Bob Marley moved S-SE onto the second gl Silks.
Clicking end turn founded OO in Caledor () with an accompanying blast of music from Sting’s Desert Rose (which I've always particularly liked – Youtube link).



The new Zealot will head to Kwythellar.


Demographics:

Bob gained +1 pop, probably in Nubia, too soon for his third city to grow.

Regarding tech path, I think it’s time to stop messing about now.
Back to focussing on food, hammers and GNP.
Hammers is already being sorted by Mining, I’ve mined every hill around Kwythellar (except the one in progress), am about to start on Caledor, and Avelorn will get a few also.
Food and GNP will be covered by AH(3-4t) and Education(6t) respectively, AH first so I can get the two sheep and the pigs in my territory improved.
After that, I’ll take stock of the situation.

[SevenSpirits]

(9:02:37 PM) Selrahc: Um...

(9:17:17 PM) BobChillingworth: ?!

[pocketbeetle]

Turn 87:

MftD splashscreen on loading the turn. Note brave Concepcion proudly battling against the currents in the foreground.
Alas, the management is still considering cost-cutting measures, including scrapping her to build some mere clam-fishing boats…



And another blast of Desert Rose, this time with photobombing bear optional, depending on whether you want to strain your eyes or not.



In the meantime, Bob Marley started chopping the second Silk forest while Bob-A-Long completed the first Silks plantation.
That instantly raised Caledor’s happy cap to 8, which on clicking end turn it grew into.
I do love these wonderful coincidences, now where’s my smug smiley? Ah yes.



Avelorn completed a worker and now has the dual aims of both growing fast and completing that market even faster, as maintenance costs continue to sting.

Kwythellar has been set for growth also, working only one gl mine for the moment.
The ETA for the Giants remains the same, should be able to make up the time thanks to the extra tile it’ll be able to work and an incoming chop.


Demographics:

Selrahc has two of his Ice Elementals out which means his soldier count is back above 100k, guess Cull's in trouble.

No changes in score apart from mine, which is really starting to pull away after all these 22 point religion techs.
Problem is, that gap is only going to increase when Avelorn starts its growth spurt and AH comes in 3 turns from now.
Even worse, I used Legends on T74.
The cultural score for claimed land will get added on T94, and I’m guesstimating it’ll be worth 80-100(?) points.
That’s when the whispering and nudging is really going to start, if it hasn’t already, with other civs deciding that maybe building some military units would be for my own good.

Even more entertainingly, it’s looking like the Giants may not actually add to my power rating.
Probably something to do with them starting with Hidden Nationality.
That could give someone a nasty surprise if they’re not paying attention to the turnlog.

Either way, distance is on my side for the moment.

[pocketbeetle]

Turn 88:

The new worker, Bobby Moore, moved NW and connected Avelorn up to the capital.
Bob moved NW-NE and put in a turn of roading to Stelvio Pass.

Bobbo completed the mine over at Kwythellar, chopping 8 hammers into the Pact.
Looks like the bear may be Welsh also.



Over at Caledor, Bob Marley chopped the gl Silks forest, so Bob-A-Long moved E and started building a plantation.
Bobbin completed the mine off screen, and the city switched to max hammers to complete the RoK temple in two turns.



Clicking end turn meant Kwythellar grew to size 9, AH in one more turn surprisingly.


Demographics:

A few things happening this turn:

• Selrahc gained a pop point in his capital Silent Night, now size 7, should be at his happy cap.
  
• At first I thought Bob and Iskender had gained techs, but then realised that Bob’s score increase was an odd number – 13.
  Checking city founding, turns out they both founded their second cities on T68, so that’s just land points.
  Iskender getting less points (10) implies either coastal or overlapping with capital borders.
  Bob getting 13 points is interesting, I believe that’s a full 9 tiles of score, ie he settled it inland, and not overlapping with the capital boundaries.
  Will check. Checked – comparison with Selrahc on T58 confirms.
  
• For some reason Sareln hasn’t given Cull his city back yet?
  
• Someone popped a GSci.
  Not too hard to figure out. Can’t be Sareln obviously, can’t be Bob as he can’t run a scientist specialist yet, similarly nor can it be Cull.
  So that leaves Selrahc magically managing to get a second (no chance) or Iskender, who’s had the Mysticism tech for 44 turns now.
  I imagine there is an event which gives a free GSci, but I certainly can’t recall it offhand.
  

Cull is not getting lucky apparently, according to a chat with Selrahc:

(6:08:23 PM) Selrahc: Just got way too lucky in my first attack.
(6:08:37 PM) Selrahc: Won a 10% odds battle to kill Cull's best defender.
(6:08:45 PM) Selrahc: C3 Shock
(6:08:54 PM) Selrahc: No archers there yet...
(6:09:04 PM) pocketbeetle: ouch. poor him
(6:09:13 PM) pocketbeetle: Was going to ask, any archery range building?
(6:09:39 PM) Selrahc: Not looked properly yet. Just checking in quickly really.
(6:09:41 PM) pocketbeetle: how about roads?
(6:09:48 PM) Selrahc: No roads.
(6:10:19 PM) pocketbeetle: interesting. Mind if I ask how many warriors he's got? Take it the top defender died to a ice elemental
(6:10:54 PM) Selrahc: Can't rememb er, but about 8.
(6:11:00 PM) Selrahc: Maybe 7.
(6:11:07 PM) Selrahc: Maybe 7 now.
(6:11:16 PM) Selrahc: Yeah, to an ice elemental.
(6:11:17 PM) pocketbeetle: what are you thinking? should be easy? or still undecided
(6:11:26 PM) Selrahc: Looks like it should be easy.
(6:11:40 PM) Selrahc: At the moment.
(6:12:06 PM) Selrahc: Getting 99.5% odds with the top priest.

Meh, comon Cull.
Note the roads question.


Tech:

Revisiting Bob’s little CoL escapade.
Bob:
Average GNP = 33-31 ie ~32 ie 30 research
9 * 30 = 270 beakers
75b more for CoL (345b).
Maintenance therefore would have to be ~8/t. (9 turns * 8 = 72b)

Bob had only settled Nubia at the time, so city costs should have been at most -5/t.
So he’d have to have been at least 2 units over his supply (including the scout we know is out of his lands atm) to make 8 maintenance, with maybe the Agrarianism civic weighing in for -1/t.
Yeah okay I can live with that. I don't particularly like it, but I can live with it.
The only other alternative is a hut tech (I don't think so, hut pops seems to have concentrated on lower tier techs so far) or an event. But as with the GSci pop above, I would prefer to stick with the simple solution for now.
He must have popped a lot of huts/ got a serious gold boost from a lair, to have been able to stay at 100% research throughout both Education and CoL however.

I should factor in one or two turns of 0% science for his next tech, he’ll need to take a pause.

[pocketbeetle]

Turn 89:

It’s been far too long since we started a turn report with the adventures of Vanilla Ice!

Let’s rejoin our hero now, as he intrepidly ventures out into the wilderness erm…and then runs straight back to safety.
Vanilla Ice is no longer a young Ratman, and all notions of bravery faded long ago to the heels of pursuing Lizardmen.

He’ll camp out on that hill and await the Hill Giants.



Over at Avelorn, Bobby Moore and Bob work on completing Stelvio Pass.
Bob, 1E of Mt Stelvio, only has to put in one more turn of roading for the Kuriotates to commence foreign trade.

The turnlog shows Cull declaring war on Sareln, and diplo screens confirm the Dwarves have retaken their second city.
Sareln is back down to one, although why he couldn’t just gift it I have no idea.



Over at Kwythellar, the lone worker Bobbo moved to road the wheat.
He’s going to drift North to help build some cottages around Caledor when Education comes in.

Clicking end turn finished the RoK temple in Caledor, completed AH, and meant Avelorn grew to size 4.



For the eagle eyed among you, there are two changes to note in that screenshot.
One is the Horses appearing just outside Selrahc’s capital (), the other is a minor tile change.
Any takers?

The Horse resource means I need to stick a settlement in that riverbend asap.
I don’t need Horses for units, but there is a priority wonder that requires it: Ride of the Nine Kings.
Selrahc shouldn’t fight over it, he has another option over to his East.


City Update:

Now that we’ve done a bit of growing, a quick tour.



Kwythellar:
No surprises here, all hills mined, decent supply of food for when it needs to grow, running a Sci spec.
Decided not to scrap Concepcion, there’s no real need to net the Clams before the Giants pop.




Caledor:
Ahhh, here we have the makings of a serious capital. Check out the maintenance on that bad boy.
Currently working several unimproved tiles (yuck), but it’ll get there eventually.
Will start building a RoK thane for Kwythellar next, then after that a Deruptus Brewery.




Avelorn:
Ignore the forested glh being worked, that’ll be switched to the 2f/1h pigs and that particular hill will be chopped by Bob after completing Stelvio Pass.
With AH just in, I’ll need to pasture the glh pigs (and pl sheep) asap.


Demographics:

• Score changes all due to pop:
  Selrahc +1 pop somewhere, Bob + 1 pop in 3rd city Acacia.
  Cull +15, Sareln – 21, so Cull’s second city dropped down to size 3 after being retaken.
  
• Sareln’s ‘Nameless Tower’ city is size 1 from Rival Worst Population.
  
• Rival Worst Approval Rate: 45%
  Cull’s capital unhappy at size 7 due to split treasury.
  
• Worst Soldier Count: 17k.
  Probably Cull.
  

In other news, I really need to get contact with Iskender, he’s funny.

(8:40:05 PM) pocketbeetle: let's hope so. Have you asked Sareln to stay/ told him the save may be with him soon?
(8:40:34 PM) Iskender: i will now
(8:41:16 PM) pocketbeetle: Cheers
(9:09:37 PM) Iskender: demographics say that one guy's GNP is just siiick
(9:10:06 PM) pocketbeetle: Really? Guess we'd better all gang up on him then
(9:10:52 PM) Iskender: yeah

Now recently, I’ve been racking my brains on how to save Cull.
Yesterday, I had an idea…

[Rowain]

For the eagle eyed among you, there are two changes to note in that screenshot.
One is the Horses appearing just outside Selrahc’s capital (), the other is a minor tile change.
Any takers?

Those nasty tundra-tiles around your capital are finally gone.

[v8mark]

Or one of them at least - there's one still there.

[Square Leg]

Cull had to take the city by force since it was the elven capital and couldn't have been gifted.

[pocketbeetle]

Those nasty tundra-tiles around your capital are finally gone.

Or one of them at least - there's one still there.

You guys are on form.

Exactly, the tile I don't care about has reverted back to grassland, while the hill mine is stubbornly staying at tundra.
It's a good sign though, hopefully the other will revert soon.

Cull had to take the city by force since it was the elven capital and couldn't have been gifted.

Ah thankyou, I didn't consider the palace.


Now onto that idea...