[SPOILERS] Catherine of China

[plako]

The 3 way canal tile can have a fort.

True, but you couldn't build farm or cottage there then.

Writing comes in next turn as well as couple of Granaries. SleepingMoogle is only one that has Writing at this point. I was considering whether should delay settler for a turn or 2 to chope the settling spot (that is why there is a worker on queue in Lol). After taking the shot I decided to just finish it and switched back to settler.

There are several other nations with 5 cities now.

Also we're no longer #1 in power someones power has spiked a bit.

[plako]

Nakor/Gaspar weren't intrested in trading corn and apparently they're pretty squeezed between us and the Barbarians. Our settling agreement seems to be pretty favourable to us. Between the lines I understand they would like to settle on our side, but I deliberatly didn't understand it right:

Nakor to us:

Hi Plako,

We've been talking about your proposal but if we let you settle that spot, we loose any chance we have of settling north.
I think we need to discuss how we can split the land and both focus on expanding north instead of figthing each other.
There is no room to our east since we're already touching borders with Locke there.
Is there land for you to settle to your north?

Kind regards,
Nakor

My response:

Hi Nakor,

This is alright. I just asked and I totally understand, if you're not intrested. I'll probably then settle on the coast in that area i.e. 1 tile further east than in my original proposal.

There are few spots in the north, but there is lot of water there.

Kind regards,
Plako

[antisocialmunky]

I logged in to check out the settling situation. Nakor is not particularly badly squeezed but he's screwed out of further expansion due to ceding his western land bridge area to the Barbs. :\ for them but we can take advantage of the situation for ourselves.

We shouldn't antagonize them too much because we need to deal with the WarriorKnight situation in the near future. Then we can deal with Nakor.

If you really want to be passive aggressive towards then, give them the spot. Its a strategically awkward position for them to be able to hold IF we force them to found without violating our BFC so they have to snake them around. After all, it would be 'unfair' for them to go back on a deal regarding our already planted cities.

We have plenty of spots to expand and its not really an exceptional spot so we don't lose out in anything in particular. I mean, we have 2/3 seafood dots up north. So hopefully that makes them happy for the short term. Might as well throw in a short NAP extension or bring it to make them feel a little more at ease.

For our part, we should beeline a city to the canal site and tell them we want that spot to we can connect our bodies of water. It'll leave a very narrow corridor for them to go further north. If and when war is declared, then he'll have a harder time figuring out what to defend. Forces from BrB will be able to threaten 2/3 adjacent cities while only needing to hold BrB and we can use our naval advantage and our natural chokes to screw with him further.

I guess our reply in this case should be something like:

Oh, I guess we misunderstood. So the Barbs managed to restrict your expansion North West correct? This is a very odd map with respects to expansion paths.

We do have some land north and we'd be willing to cede you part of the path North around the mountains. However, we need you to promise not to intrude on the BFC of our cities planted with regards to the previous settling agreement. Also, in the north, we have a prospective city to connect multiple bodies of water. We ask that you do not take that spot. We can provide pictures and potential dot maps.

Also, since we are already talking. What do you think about an extension [maybe a 20 turn extension?] to the current NAP agreement as a further gesture of friendship?

BTW - I put lol and asl on lib and set research to masonry. I'd like to talk about what we want to do research wise. I'm leaning towards a not religious tech path.

[plako]

Yeah. That spot is nothing special and total nightmare to defend for them in case of hostilities. I'd like to wait their opening though.

I would prefer taking a shot at Judaism. We've the hammers needed to spread religion. Therefore I would set research to Mystisicm to give 20% discount on Masonry.

I can't remeber, if we had something in the build queues we need to finish (hammer decay reason), but I would put all cities except Brb on Libraries. I'm going to run max Scientists soon to speed up our teching.

[plako]

I had chat with Luddite. Main points: OB, but no scouting unless separetely approved
OB is opened after either one of us gets sailing.

[Krill]

Screenshot of Brb city screen please?

kthxbai

[plako]

Screenshot of Brb city screen please?

kthxbai

I'll give it at next convinient moment. I don't have time to log back in now. It is working Fish and Gold now. It just did grow to size 2. No buildings and building WB that will finish in 2.

Libraries dialed in. I'll whip the one in Lol and possibly also Asl next turn.

[plako]

We get to use your draft immediately. Nakor sent me this. I'll use it and make some slight adjustments.

Hey Plako,

I don't think you completely understand me.
I think we need to re-open the discussion of our settling arrangement.
If we keep the current one, we can't settle north by land, only by sea and that gives us a huge disadvantage.
There is only one way north from our lands, and that's past the blocking peaks up north.

Do you have a suggestion?

Kind regards,
Nakor

[SevenSpirits]

:\ for them

You're going to gift them a unit?

[plako]

My response:

Hi,

Oh, I guess we misunderstood. So the Barbs managed to restrict your expansion North-West correct? This is a very odd map with respects to expansion paths.

You're asking quite a favor here e.g. the area contains our only source of spices. However we've a good relationship so I'm willing to negotiate. If the price is right, we'd be willing to cede you a path to North around the mountains. My minimum requirements are:
* You position the city/cities in the area according to my instructions. I promise they will be ok positions. I just want to make sure they interfere as little as possible with our current and planned future cities. Especially there is a spot in the north connecting multiple bodies of water that we strongly consider ours. There should still be room for you to get to north
* I can settle above the spices, that basically means our cities will have minimum distance since your city would be just behind the lake
* You offer us a compensation preferarably in the form of units e.g. workers or militaty units. Please tell me what you consider fair price for the land

We should probably also trade pictures and potential dot maps before signing the deal.

Kind regards,
Plako