[SPOILERS] Cheerful Cat Crew Have No Clue (Sury of France)

[slowcheetah]

What does RBMod SoZ do?

SoZ: no WW effect. Now +3XP, 200 hammers, no building prerequisites.

Im almost certainly going to have to launch a naval invasion at some point. The +3 means I can actually build Amphibious whatever in cities with a barracks whilst running Vassalage + Theo. Could definitely prove useful.

Oh, additionally I'm in a coinflip at worst for Paya.

[Krill]

It's +3XP only in the city that built the wonder.

[slowcheetah]

It's +3XP only in the city that built the wonder.

Hmmm, didn't know that, in that case the SoZ is probably by some margin the worst build in my empire. Maybe even in the game. I guess I can workshop over pentonville when I do go to war...

[slowcheetah]

Ok, things have been a little frantic recently, but there has been some exciting developments for the game.

The most exciting news, and the one I will focus on is I traded bRICK his world map for 50gold. Now I actually have a (rather in the past view of what's going on in the world.

Lets have a rundown through the contenders, I'll rank them in percieved order to win the game.

1) The Big Daddy; Commodore




Holy crap that's a lot of land already, and with two good expansion prospects, his peninsula to the northwest for which he is only competing with Azza (who would have to reinforce by galley), and the one to the northeast of which he should be able to grab at least half before running into Mr Wonders (Serdoa). Commodore isn't lacking in important resources either (although it looks like he had a tough time getting strat resources early), with iron, horse, stone marble and 5 happy resources (gems, gold, ivory, silks and whales) there aren't really many factors limiting his game. If I get astronomy early and take him by surprise I may be able to raze some of his far western cities. Little gain to myself, but I can't see him not being the big leader overall.

2) Plako




My number 2 has been my only contact for an age and is probably the player I know least about borderwise. What I do know is worrying. He has the full bore of calender resources, a lot of eventually delicious grassland jungle, highest cropyield and further expansion room through the struggling Merohoc. The only plus is that he currently seems to lack iron, although it's only going to be so long before he can take out the stranded impala iceflow. The only happy news about Plako, is if he's busy taking out Merohoc he'll probably leave me alone for the time being. He also has the MoM

3) Serdoa




Serdoa has once again one the early game wonder race, building oracle, colossus, pyramids and the buddhist shrine. Consequently, he's set up for a very strong teching economy. He also has expansion room to his south (please compete hard with Commodore) and the embattled Xenu, who based on this turns 'event's screen seems to be losing a war to bRICK. Serdoa has a good amount of happy present, but only hs iron as a strategic resource, which could prove problematic iin the renaissance era.

4) Me- I'll go into detail about me in a post later in the day. I say myself because I have a large amount of cities and a fair amount of uncontested land still to claim. Of course because my land is mainly water, somebody who does well in a contested land war could overtake me.

I'll continue this throughout the next couple of days. For now I have to go though.

[slowcheetah]

Okay I don't have time to continue my rankings so I'll just provide a regular turn report. I think the four I've listed are the current best shouts of winning the game anyway.

Anyway, the new map information has some exciting consequences for my empire as a whole so I'll focus on that. The most exciting news are potential conquering opportunities other than the potentially prohibitively strong Plako.

Pindooter and Nafool are at the bottom of the scoreboard and seem to have been embroiled in a serious war throughout the game (with pindooter losing). Provided I get a good foothold on holy carp island this is my most likely expansion zone.




As an added bonus Pindooter built the GLH (in Sids sushi), which will help make a conquest halfway around the world more manageable financially. Getting a good foothold on Holy CARP is made more iffy by Jester's proximity to the area, however, having been in a war for ages he's probably rather technologically backwards, so I SHOULD be able to kick him off the island. I'll definitely have maces available within the next twenty or so turns, however, travel times are long.

A further possibility for expansion is this island of Azzas, again it needs astronomy before I can attack, however Ivory would be very nice for happy and the isle also contains dyes and sugars. It could also setup a further assault onto Azza's coast. Since I feel it is likely that Azza and Bigwyn will end up involved in a destructive but ultimately stalemated war (Bigwyn is boxed in) there is a potential to take advantage. Also note I am one tile from circumnavigation.




The plan for attacks would be knights off of Galleons (guarded by musketeers). Getting them quickly is another matter, as I've already closed off the easy bulbing options for astronomy. I may have to enter the liberalism race, but that takes me away from a fast guilds. Hmmmm

The empire as a whole is still chugging along nicely, I've lost the food lead substantially to Commodore. However, I still lead in production. I also have a GA coming up in 5 turns, this will facilitate civic switches and the generation of a few furthe great people.




I will also found my fourteenth city next turn;




My expenses are worrying, but I'll soon get to compass and harbours will definitely help (most cities are at +6gpt from trade routes).

Demographics





If you have any questions, fire away. My micro isn't exactly astounding so I tend to just try and give the broad strokes.

[slowcheetah]

Whoops, down at the bottom of the update pile (again)

Anyway, these are August times for my civilisation.
On the previous turn I joined my nearest neighbour (plako) and sparked an age of creativity, hardwork and prosperity. Unfortunately, my people are a little lazy so Plako's shiny metal times will be a little longer.

Ok, so if you understood that gibberish you'll know I'm in a golden age .
I'll be honest this isn't going to be the most exciting golden age of all time, there will be no wild bulbing schemes or deliciously chained golden times. Instead the golden age will achieve two major things:

1) Facilitate a civic switch to OR, Bureau and Slavery by the end of the GA. Whilst uniting my people under the teachings of Confuscius.
2) Produce a Great Scientist and a Great Merchant under caste and pacificm and generally raise my GP counters to a more respectiable level.

It also achieves the less quantifiable snowball effect, ok admittedly I'm not winning, but I'm far ahead of a lot of the game with an early game leader. I need to still be in a good lead by the time it comes around to astronomy and galavanting into others lands with pointy sticks.

PS- I would have been able to get a third great person, but I thought one city site had religion when it in fact did not.

As things stand I have finished the second turn of my GA and am in the civics HR, boring, caste, tedious and pacifism. I also revolted to confuscianism on the first turn of the GA.

The relevant Pacifism cities:




Bow street will be my great scientists birthplace. He'll be headed over to Euston road to form an academy honouring his intellectual brilliance (the guy has a bit of an ego). I realise that I'm researching BEFORE putting down the academy, however, if I'd delayed I wouldn't have had CS on time for a last turn GA switch to Bureaucracy. Poorly timed but needs must.




Northumberland avenue was the home of the dude who made all of this possible in the first place, Rene Descartes. The site is now contributing further by generating a great merchant for my cause. Mr Merchant will go for a trade mission in Plako's land. Note the happy cap differential, that's because there has been a large swing in happy for the city over the last two turns. Firstly, a slavery unhappy wore off, secondly two units arrived as their final step before a voyage to settle the farwestern isles, thirdly the place gained a religious happy.




Euston Road will complete the palace in three turns and also become my academy site. I should be able to grow her to size 15 BEFORE my great merchant swaps my dark age sushi for dyed clothes, so the profit margins will rise by 200gold.




Here's the traitorous city who wasn't confuscianist when I wanted it to be. I suppose they did build Paya and make all this possible.... I guess they can have a pass.



The highlighted galleys are on their way to settle fur city. Turns out Beavers bring hapiness.




All three of the gallys pictured will be used to transport, a settler, two workers and an axe, spear wombo-combo. To my prep for invasion of pindooter isle.




I thought that a qucik starting site with immediately hooked clams, plains hill plant and lots of production would make claiming the rest of the land easier (maybe I won't have to ship everbody dozens of tiles from my mainland for once).

Empire Overview shot. Sorry about the signs.




Cities Screen



Units



Demographics (Plako is the number one GNP, I'm pretty sure Commodore is the intimidating food baron).

[flugauto]

Could you show Old Kent and Pall Mall, please.

[slowcheetah]

Could you show Old Kent and Pall Mall, please.

Sure, I'll put them up when I log in tomorrow. They haven't really changed much to be honest. OKR is a pure production city and I haven't got anymore good production tiles until I get to workshops. Pall Mall has primarily been building wealth, I can throw up Moai in a couple of turns there, but I don't have the happycap to fully utilise it (need more troops/religion/furs). So tech and unit considerations have seemed more important.

Edit: It has actually been a really long while since you've seen them. They've matured a little

[slowcheetah]

As requested;

Old Kent Road




Pall Mall

[slowcheetah]

I'm officially an idiot. Turn of anarchy in five turns for only revolting to Bureau and OR not SLAVERY. That was just unbelievably stupid. God.

Here are a few pictures of the state of the empire:

Euston Road- Now with Academy




Pall Mall- Moai will complete next turn




Furs city- The beavers will be hooked up next turn




Demographics- 580 GNP is scary. Hopefully that involves a fair amount of wealth building.




A few turns ago Plako got circumnavigation, probably from a border expansion here coupled to a bRICK map trade. That is seriously bad news if he ever wants to tussle.