[SPOILERS!] I am Molach. This is my thread. Kublai Khan of Rome

[Molach]

Animal Husbandry came in. I have 4 horses visible on my revealed map. 0 bronze. Weird, eh?

SE-S of capital popped horses, so good news. Wheel is still a few turns away, so warriors for now.

And I'm pretty definitely going 3rd worker before next settler. Only question is, which wonder should I go for? Every budding civ needs a wonder. I kind of realized that stonehenge was not optimal for me, but open to ideas. Too bad IW doesn't open up one....

[Molach]

I am compiling a three-turn report.

Turn 35
Building a warrior for a few turns, switching to settler for the chop.

Much better.

Turn 36
Okay, capital back on warrior will grow next turn, settler moved 2 tiles and will found next turn. Corn just completes, that was 1 turn early...however worker needs to blow a turn moving to cows, so okay .Also AH finishes next turn.


Demos aren't completely appealing....


Turn 37
Found the city, rename it and the capital according to my naming scheme. However pic is from before I found it. For some reason, these things aren't always clear to me.


Ah, much better.

There were, according to civstats, quite a few civs who founded before me. But they can't have gone double worker first, I guess. Guess it all depends on my enemies' lands what is optimal.

I set both cities to warrior builds. Next city will be towards Azza, so I need a warrior in place there. I want the site giving me grain + cow, with clam in first ring. One other warrior can scout northwards. But after that grow on barracks/chariot.

Capital wants to grow to size 3 at least for 3 bonus tiles. Size 4 to work farmer FP is good too. New city wants at least size 3 to work grain, cow and gold. After pottery it'll be all about growing to the max working cottages.

So I think capital can build a settler while new city build a worker at size 3-4, can complete pretty much at the same time. Can spend a chop in either, or both, if micro (hah) requires it.

Scout took some damage fighting off a lion, and has been healing up. I took combat 1 on him, because he will survive his scouting mission and become a medic. 3/5 exp now. I should rename him 'Löwe' I guess.

Capital is now Overlord. New city Weserübung.

[Bigger]

I am Bigger. I read your thread.

I read the spoiler, because Azza is dead in pb8 AND pb9, whats to spoil? :P

[Molach]

I am thrilled Bigger is reading.

Re spoiler, I know he is dead, I'm still following and rooting for you guys, even if I don't write there (to hide my ignorance of pretty much everything)
I was thinking maybe I would let on a bit info about how he died in pb8 that other teams might not know. But I guess the report wasn't that full of detail that could be spoilish from the PB's. Blame the spymaster, he is good at other ...activities than typing.

Turn.
Overlord. I thought a theme where every city is called 'city' (in various languages) but settled for this, I should be able to recall more names from WW2 operations from memory than 'city' in different languages.

Note horses SE-S of capital. This will be important later.

Scout:

Put up the beware of bear! - sign this turn. Scout moved E-N onto his current tile, and has 0.7 health. Azza's scout was around here a turn ago, hope bear ate/eats him. I'll heal up and run about some more. Going pure east, and don't tell me Oxynorm has all this area to himself. Hope. So I'll see who I meet next downstream.

And now a slideshow showing where I've revealed horse.



(I sure hope you remember the horse from capital shot? That makes it four).

The first one, western, is pretty much between Azza and wetbanding. I might hope that is the only source they have, and that they will fight over it. I will try to get the NE one, near the "aggressive eastern plant" sign. That sign is a city I definately will want at some point. It dominates the Wetbandit/Oxynorm border, and important frontier city. Ox has two good western cities, first probably by gold, second south by horse/corn/cow. And a lot of cities east, by the look of things.

Warrior in capital finishes soon. Barracks next while growing to appropriate size for settler build? Warrior from Weserübung can head east and take clear some fog/spawnbust to the east.

[Molach]

I am nearing the bottom of the pile.

I am remedying this.

Nono, not scorewise....threadwise. Must....stay...on...top.

So, I guess Boldly going nowhere built the Stonehenge. Because big score, and he built it.

Domestically, I've got 2 warriors, capital is 4 and is set to build a settler next turn. Newcity grows to size two next turn, meaning he finishes a worker in 6. Newcity border pops in one turn, putting gold in range. Move there 2 turns, then mine. I might be forced to delay worker so I grow into the mine, much free commerce here. Capital might also delay settler to build a chariot, dunno, so one solitary axeman doesn't ruin my day. Wheel in 4 turns.

But where to found? Time for.....



In the blue corner, we have Plains Hill City!
Weighing in at 2 stone hammers, this marvellous location comes with fresh water and a significant defensive bonus. It also enables a city further north to work cows. It has better tiles, and can borrow tiles from capital - the grain will send population quickly soaring. River partially helps with defense. A strong location, with great stamina and ability to withstand quite a punch.



In the red corner, the Grassland Port!
Light, at only 1 hammer, and no fresh water. However it makes up for this by being on the coast, and being able to work both a grain and make a workboat for great food. It's on flat land, but being an agressive spot, eager to secure more land. Who knows what hidden potential (i.e. IRON) might lie within reach? An agreesive spot, light on defense. Expect a furious fight.

Overseeing the fight: Ichabod is our Referee!

....anyone wanna place a bet on the fight? (i.e. help?)

[Commodore]

Agg Rome means never having to say you're sorry.

[Gavagai]

If you are seriuos about Praet-rushing someone than plain hill is a no-brainer.

[Molach]

Turn! Finally Azza did his double move. I read in another thread, that while taking Azza out of the game might speed up turns, the actual fight will slow things down. Every other day Azza is typically last to log in, and then he of course does a double move. So pace isn't bad, this isn't every 24 hours either, more like 12 hours. But if Azza is in war and can't double move....a lot more waiting.

If you are seriuos about Praet-rushing someone than plain hill is a no-brainer.

It is?
Why?
This is a honest question, not being argumentative or anything.

However I do not plan to praet rush this way. As my spymaster said, the word on the streets in china is azzumed to be "We won't get fooled again" (music by the Who)

Anyway, here are some pictures of the current turn:

Scout report: Evil red border spotted. We have found Sisu!

Started some EPs flowing his way. Next turn we have graphs on Oxyesthesia so can put all this way. Perhaps. If I want these graphs bad enough. Good thing Sisu is here, I was worried about Ox having his hinterlands safe and secure.

My lands.

I just revolted to slavery. Capital is working two unimproved tiles (3/0/1, but still unimproved). So I'll have no qualms about whipping this settler, will grow back fast while building chariots. My new western city is a slow starter, will need to chop a workboat for clams, then wait for border pop to farm the grain. So I've little reason to get settler out before the workforce is ready. I also have a spare pop in capital I might as well whip away - so I should whip settler last turn and overflow into a worker.

And here is a brief sketch, trying to convey my current take on diplomacy/war plans.

In plain: Establish a presence in the west, but nothing aggressivly aggressive, just passive aggressive. Try to be powerful, yet friendly, so Azza and wetbandit/kurumi can have a go at each other instead. In a creative way. Anyway, if I go for Azza, I'll get a nice indefensible banana-shaped empire. For a while. Then it'll get peeled and served up as a snack.

East is my espansion space. At least for now. However don't really see myself praet-rushing him, too far for that. Unless he settles down my throat. Praets have a long life, even if they aren't a rush unit after longbows. They are as good as macemen when attacking longbows, for instance. So I'll put them to use.

Tech plan: Finish wheel, 3 turns, then pottery and go cottage-bananas in my capital, whip/chop granaries elsewhere and tech towards IW. Yeah, with 3 neighbours in range I'd really want iron. I might lose the game right now if someone just wants to rush me, but in my opinion I lose just as handily by teching IW after wheel.

[Molach]

Turn 45.

The pictures speak for themselves.







But for those that don't speak picturesque;
- I got a good chunk of score, and when wheel rolls in next turn I'll be in the lead! Wohoo.
- No wait, score is meaningless at this point. I am only painting a bullseye on myself. Doh.
Yeah damn creative, turn 45 you get the significant boost in score, after owning your capitals third ring tiles for 20 turns. Hopefully most of the guys should know this. I'm harmless. Global lurkers, be sure to tell any clueless guys this.
("Hey Molach is racing ahead in score....no religion....no wonders....he must totally rule....") ("No just creative culture blah 20 turns blah"). Mechanic 'question'. Right?!?

Azza founded a city grabbing the corn. In a pretty good spot, except it's right in the mouth of the beasts, so to speak...I guess it is Azza's location, but very close to wetbandit and mine sphere of interest. And as game progresses, and soldiers grow restless, spheres suddenly become more interesting, all of a sudden.

Demographs say I'm Average.
For GNP to become average, subtract 4 'useless' creative culture.
For soldiers, be prepared to add a few when I stop settler build and grab a chariot. 1-pop whip into settler could work.
...the rest are pretty averagely 'mediocre'.

Except Crop yield, doing 'okay' there.

New city will be founded on grassland port. I'll chop a forest into workboat, then fill up with 10 more shields. This city will get the chariot I'll build in Overlord. And be ready to whip like tomorrow never comes in case of attack. Has nice food surplus to handle it. I hope.

[Molach]

I am forgetting some minor details.

First, Sisu looks like this:


And next two screenshot are background for my latest poem which I've entitled "Should I worry"



Should I worry
Should I worry?
My farmers are working, my people are fed.
Should I worry?
My research is flowing, my wise men have said.
Should I worry?
My civ has the allmighty combat I praet.
Should I worry?
Perhaps, cuz I ain't got 'em yet.
I worry
That farms and no mines have been built
I worry
That Wetbandit's feeling some guilt
I worry
That nowhere is iron in sight
I worry
That mapmaper will prove me right
...
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Transfer report: Recent 'minister for cultural learning for make great poems about civilization' has been assigned to the staff of 1st chariot, a unit which will soon receive training in Overlord. His new assignments will include, in the words of his new commander, "Horseshit".
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