[SPOILERS] Four Score & Seven Dynasties Ago: Pindicator plays Lincoln of China

[pindicator]

Turn 036

Well, we found a neighbor, although closer than I hoped to find one. I moved 1 tile and saw yellow borders in the fog. Oh no, not Egypt. A second tile confirmed it. Hunting just increased in priority by A LOT.

I put a post in the diplo thread, but now I regret saying my scout tarried long (which is technically true, if misleading). After all the diplo shenanigans I pulled in 26 I think I can only be served by being as honorable and honest here as possible. At least, until the time is ripe for a stab In truth it is 8 tiles between our borders at the quickest route.



Speaking of sunrise, he grew another pop. Since he's practically the score leader, should I offer a game-long alliance and give him free reign on a wonder of his choosing?

Sadly this means I will not be able to go for those lush plains to my north. Too bad, even if they were food poor those would have been a much-needed cottage ground. Instead I will plant as defensively as possible: probably onto the desert hill on my side of the river. It would be nice to beat sunrise to the corn and floodplains to the east, however. This could be an interesting border lining up.

Well, I've chosen to settle south anyway. And my settler is now in position. One of my warriors are moving to the south coast to scout more of the fog, and my capital will make an axe after the warrior is finished.



Those of you that are astute will notice that Mysticism is now due in 2 turns when last turn it was in 3 before I turned to anarchy. "He must of changed the tiles around" you'd say, but you would be wrong. It appears you still get the 1 beaker even when you go into anarchy, and this was enough to make me reach 65/85 on Mysticism. Since I am putting 10b/t into the tech, I now have 2 turns left on it.

[pindicator]

Turn 037

A turn in pictures:

[pindicator]

@Pindicator - Your next moves are NW->N. Yes this steps into my borders, but as a courtesy I will permit it (and my unit will be out of your way so as not to block your path). I have visibility on most of the tiles you'll land next to and they're safe. I did spot an animal a while back, but I suspect you killed it with your scout. You are eight turns from contact by the way, taking the optimal path which I'll direct you on. The non-military favor I'd like to ask of you will be able to be repaid in 4-5t.

Good to know that he didn't / chose not to notice I stepped in his borders this turn. No more ducking in and out without express permission. Now what kind of non-military favor could he want in 4-5 turns? I suppose not building defense for his incoming war chariot could be his idea of "non-military"... but if he decides to send WCs against me I'm screwed anyway, at least until hunting comes online. Maybe he'll accept a worker as tribute, if it comes to that...

Perhaps he has a scout coming to my lands and wants directions. Aside from that, I'm not sure what he could want that he knows I could offer.

[pindicator]

Turn 038

Chops are in and so is mysticism:



We steal the corn while growing, otherwise Piranha Plant will work the silk. Our workers now will move to the last 2 forests in Piranha's cross and chop out that worker.

In the north our scout did as sunrise instructed and came up a great forested land. Our warrior in the south found fish off the southwest coast. Maybe a future Moai site.

[pindicator]

Turn 039

Look what I found!



I think I will pop it next turn. If it's barbarians there will only be 1 because of the peninsula it is on. But let's not think of barbarians; hopefully we'll get some good luck. Also, where the warrior is standing may end up being a good Moai site (except there's no hills or stone to help build the wonder).

Also, our two workers have moved to the last two forests in Piranha Plant's culture. They'll chop those into its worker. So in 4 more turns we'll have 4 total workers and be working on our first axe.

[spacemanmf]

Also, our two workers have moved to the last two forests in Piranha Plant's culture. They'll chop those into its worker. So in 4 more turns we'll have 4 total workers and be working on our first axe.

Looking good. How are you popping the second city's border?

[pindicator]

Thanks!

On turn 38 I turned the first 2 chopped trees into an instant monument. Borders should pop the turn I finish Animal Husbandry, letting me start pasturing the sheep as soon as the tech is finished.

[pindicator]

Turn 040

I continued to follow sunrise's directions. He's cleverly led my scout away from his capital; He could have directed me onto the forested plains hill overlooking his capital and still gotten me to the tile I'm on now, but why would he do that? Now that I know his capital is there, do I move back south next turn to the plains hill? Or do I continue to follow his directions? Probably will continue to follow his directions; if he has troubles with neighboring Rome then let's let the two civs with early UUs fight it out and let's keep our heads down.



Midst a bit of trepidation, I entered the village, but was rewarded with a friend. Not the best outcome, but I'll take the extra unit. I think I will send this scout east to try to map out the rest of the land south of SleepingMoogle. Now that the southwest is mapped out, I'll keep that warrior on the tundra tile 3S of the deer / 2W of the wheat to keep barbarians from spawning but also to keep my warrior as close as possible.



Demos. I think I'm looking pretty good so far.



And a startling discovery: I have one extra beaker than I should. Why? I missed around with GNP and selecting technologies, and it appears that 2 of my contacts have Animal Husbandry. At 13 commerce I am generating an extra beaker, but at 12 commerce I am not. If all 3 of my contacts knew AH then I would generate the extra beaker at 12 commerce. So I am going to assume that it's Moogle and Sunrise that know AH. Moogle did research a technology on turn 39 and gained 2k power, which could likely be AH, and Sunrise practically knows half the Ancient Era techs already.

This underscores the need to get more contacts. Every beaker helps, especially early on.

[pindicator]

Turn 041

3rd worker is finished at the capital! I've sent it NE to the wine plains hill to mine it. Then we start roading to city #3.



Sunrise finished a tech this last turn and I think it was Pottery, because now I'm getting an extra GNP when I select that tech, just like Animal Husbandry. Last turn only AH gave me that bonus. So I have the game's tech leader to my northwest and the game's population leader to my northeast. Wonderful.

[pindicator]

Turn 042

Chop + Chop = Worker



Check the diplo thread for my scout's situation.
Also, sunrise settled his 3rd city this turn.