[Spoilers] Dreylin's short visit to a late Era

[Dreylin]

I won't be able to get into the game until this evening, but I think I agree with most of what you said. The only thing I wasn't sure about was why not whip the Settler from GP? As I see it, we need 3 Settlers soon if we are going to replace Gaspar's last two cities - OK we'll take some turns to heal, grab Siege, and poke a finger in Scooter's eye, but that's not too many turns away and we really don't have enough size / forests anywhere closer to there that we can use. Silkworms can be used eventually, but there's 8t of revolt before then.

Just Serfdom and we stick in UniSuff and can buy a few extra if needed. Probably when we go back to Slavery is when we can switch to Rep. I'm also going to try to get a missionary over to somewhere like Donkeys, Ducks or Geese and use that city to pump more.

Oh, and there could have been value in killing Scooter's Explorer last turn to hide the results of the attack if our remaining stack was weak, but certainly not worth removing now until we attack.

[OT4E]

We cant slave GP right now and spending a turn more building settler is extremely bad for city growth. We will whip it in 6 turns probably without even losing a turn I believe.

We need 3 settlers and even more if we want to settle island but it can wait 5 turns. We will make galleon chain to deliver it to Dutch lands as fast as possible. And we honestly need more than 5 turns to get to Richard Nixon and bombard it and somehow deal with Bush. Remember that we need to raze both cities before we can plant if you agree with the points I stated.

I think we use current 2 settlers to replant against pindicator and scooter. I have an idea to get to Bush by sea btw and it requires privateers to cover us against possible scooter's activity.

Also we will spend all gold into 2nd settler and there is no need to stay on US. Lets use Rep right now, at least it gives happy. Also we got most of the granaries so no need to hurry anything. In dogs we have chops I think.

[Dreylin]

Ah OK, hadn't realised we couldn't whip it this turn. Agree on the uses for the next two.

Will take a look and confirm UniSuff; not too sure I want to exit both at the same time right now, but it is only 4t before we can use it again, so maybe that's OK.

[OT4E]

With +10 gpt we cant use US properly any more. I think we are done with US for a while, because now we simply have no gold and later we will be teching. US is good when you have +1000 income, have banks and plenty of cottages.

But you will see it yourself when you join game.

[Dreylin]

t294 -

OK, everything makes sense looking now. Whipped & bought, switched to Serfdom & Representation and started putting down fast improvements.

Here's the situation (taken after I'd finished moving, but just after Scooter logged in and started his turn):


We can land 1Cat & 8Rifles next turn, or wait an additional turn and land +2Cats and +1Rifle. Might depend whether he's popped borders or not? Because I was still in when he started moves, I saw a second Rifle arrive in the city and a Galleon heading back SW. I /think/ we would be OK with grabbing the first half of the turn against him, but probably better to take second half and avoid a 3-way turnsplit.

Forces at Silkmoths are healing; anything that could heal in 1t in outside the city; the rest moved inside. I pushed the healthy Cav West to overlook the straights and a single Rifle on to the Desert Hill to watch Nixon. GSpy has moved past Bush and sees a single Cav of REM's on the border and MG & Rifle in the city (forgot to take a shot)

[OT4E]

Since scooter is at war with Gaspar too, we will be in a 3 part split anyway.

The first half is better but scooter almost always plays earlier than you. 3 catapult bombard 20% in one turn, but I am not sure we must bombard. We must keep in the mind that his units are fortified and better promoted. I think 1 catapult is not enough. Any chances to take 4th cat instead of rifle?

Great spy's mission seems to be over, now everything is predictable with Gaspar. Wanna look for REM? Or we'd better start moving it to scooter to see what is he preparing.

[OT4E]

Well I think we should go with 3 cata at least. Then depending on defenders we decide to bombard or no. May be scooter himself decides to abandon city and evacuate his forces.

[Dreylin]

There was a Cat produced in Donkeys this turn, but I don't think we can get it in without delaying an extra turn. Bear in mind that the Rifles both moved into the city last turn, so have no fortification built yet.

Also, how long will it take him to pop borders? He can generate max 3hpt, I think, and has only had this last turn. Min he should need another 2 turn to pop them. Maybe we should go with the 3Galleons we have ready and see if we can drive him out, then bring in the 4th?

[OT4E]

I am not sure that attacking with just 1 cat will save us rifles even without 20% from culture. Though we'd better test it out. If he pops borders he will give us workboat, but may be it is not worth waiting. But if we are going to give him more turns while standing inside of his culture he can simply bring more units there by land or water, or chop more of forests.

I'll run some simulations today to say my final opinion.

[Dreylin]

FWIW, my gut says that we should either send in what we have ready this turn (preferably in the first part of the turn) or send the troops East to crush Gaspar; and come back in 10t with fresh and promoted Cavs.

We know that a Galleon is 2S of the city having dropped off a Rifle - it's very unlikely it can get any more units into the city this turn, but additional turns increase the likelihood. Similarly, we're pretty certain he can't pop borders next turn, but probably will the turn after. Also, each additional turn we wait increases the fortify on the Rifles.

Taking the city now would have two main values; firstly we arrive before he has time to build up defenses, and secondly it gives us the opportunity to replace with a Canal city and get our ships into another body of water and give us the flexibility to use them to finish off Gaspar.

The second goal is more of an issue especially now that we are starting to see WW hit the largest cities. The troops in the ships have significantly less value if they are sitting still than if they are in transit to the front. Right now, they can be entering Gaspar's borders in 3t if we drop them off and walk them and we don't have enough troops to end the conflict without at least part of this force.

Add to this that the faster we can deal with Gaspar, the less time that REM has to prep to grab for Bush.

I'm also having second thoughts about declaring war this turn, when our Peace with Donovan expires next turn and he hasn't declared on REM yet... I am expecting Cannon on the doorstep.