The Dark arts - C&D Master Thread

[Sullla]

Definitely agree; the slow start of Tree Huggers and Gourmet Menu is a major reason why we aren't further ahead right now. The good news is that both are now past their size 1 weak state, and both will become absolute monsters over the next dozen turns. We are going to blow the lid off of this game in the next 25 turns and secure a truly dominant position. Just watch and see.

On that note, we have a new turn up? Go go go, C&D screenshot capturing!

[Sullla]

I think the turn rolled in the middle of the night for our European players. Here are the start of turn Demos before any other teams logged in and after playing our turn (founding city and all that):

[kjn]

T80 - 875 BC

Cliff's Notes: I think it's easier to check the table below.

Demos:

Lots of score changes this turn, almost all pop (our new city of Seven Tribes is included here).

Team	Score change	Pop	Tech	Land	Wonders
RB	8	8 (+3 pop; 26 total)
WPC	3	3 (+1 pop; 15 total)
Spanish	3	3 (+1 pop; 15 total)
Apolyton	3	3 (+1 pop; 17 pop)
Germans	7			7 (Wittenberge 2nd ring)
CivFr	2	2 (+1 pop; 27 pop)
CFC	5	5 (+2 pop; 22 total)
Univers	5	5 (+2 pop; 29 total)

Per the F8 screen we had 10 new pop points this turn, but the score analysis gives us only 8 new pop for our teams, so we have two more barb pop points now, up to six.

Rival total population increased with 306000 over 8 pop points, of which 105000 came from CivFr's capital growing to size 8.

Rival total power increased with 26000, of which 2000 came from pop (1000 each to CFC and Univers). 8000 came from the Germans, if they continue to be the rival best. It is probably two chariots, leaving 16000 for the other teams.

The claimed land increased with 13 tiles, but it's unclear for which teams. Rival top is up to 94000 (from 90000), so I guess it's two cities expanding to the second ring. I currently have 66 unassigned land tiles, and they will start to impact the score on T83.

Last, some analysis of the war. Sullla thought WPC was going to be in trouble and might be in danger of losing a city, but I doubt it, and expect the stalemate to continue.

First factor is the poor development of the German team. Their cities have stacked whip anger and a low happy cap, and their food output is also very low. Ie, they have very little room for raising more units quickly. The combat also seems to take place in forests, from what the Germans tells us, which nullifies the mobility of their chariots, and they're also attacking highly promoted dog soldiers. If WPC has managed to get a single spear or two to the front (they do have copper), those chariots can't break through.

Even if the Germans manage to wipe out WPC's field army or forces it to retreat, they are a long way from WPC's cities, which are far larger (average size 3.75 vs 2.2 for the Germans) and have no whip anger. WPC will have plenty of time to whip out dog soldiers and spears, overflowing to archers - all of which will be highly promoted from the start.

WPC's war weariness is 17, ie there were no further combat actions last turn.

[mostly_harmless]

End of Turn 80. Only Germans left. After Civplayers whipped:

mh

[kjn]

CivPlayers did a 3-pop whip, 7->4. Population loss was 184000, and power sank with 1000.

It's likely a settler whip.

[mostly_harmless]

T81, beginning of turn:
Demos:

Top 5:

Victory Screen:

WPC WW sits at 16.

Both visible German cities are size 2.

mh

[kjn]

T81 - 850 BC

First, thanks m_h!

Cliff's Notes: CivFr (to 28) and the Germans (to 12) increased 1 pop each. Rival total power increased with 31000.

Demos:

Score changes

Team	Score change	Pop	Tech	Land	Wonders
RB	7	2 (+1; pop 27)		5 (Mansa's Muse 3rd ring)
WPC	6			6 (Hill to the Sky settled)
Germans	8	3 (+1; pop 12)		5 (Worms 2nd ring)
CivFr	2	2 (+1; pop 28)
Univers	6			6 (City E settled)

There were several score changes this turn, but as you can see above most of them were due to land points. The only "real" new score points were three pop points, for us, the Germans, and CivFr.

CivFr grows to 28 pop, growing a city from size 4 to size 5. The Germans grew a size 3 city to size 4. Total rival population rose with 69000. Total rival power rose with 31000, of which 2000 comes from pop (1000 each to the Germans and CivFr). Rival top power rose from 134000 to 146000, ie 12000, so it is possible that WPC has managed to pass the Germans in power (11000 is an odd number for a power increase from units, unless they built an archer or a barracks).

The claimed land area didn't increase, and there were modest increases in the demographics. Most strange was that the rival worst GNP dropped.

Of interest is also that CivPlayers didn't grow the city they whipped last turn, and Apolyton has so far only grown back 1 pop from the 3 2-pop whips they did two turns back.

[kjn]

CivFr performed a 2-to-1 pop whip. They have 27 pop total now, and cities of size 8, 7, 5, 5, 1, and 1.

[kjn]

CFC just settled a city, their seventh.

We should look both at the demos, and if we can see some new CFC culture on the map.

[mostly_harmless]

City of "Lakshmi"
Here are the demos:

No new culture visible.

mh