Q's Quietly Quitting Q Puns

[fireblaze]

It's a cozy starting spot, but it does really seem like all the hills make it rather obnoxious to get some horse blitzes going-- though maybe you're in the hillcountry and the rest are more flat, which could be a bit of a double whammy bonus for you

e. yeah i'd just go for the rice share, an unupgraded plains-hill deer isn't awful but not the sort of food resource you'd want to give up a nice share to position for, especially without the tech/worker to immediately exploit it I'd think

[Qgqqqqq]

Most of the areas I've explored are hilly. There might be bits of the map that aren't but this is more than I'd expect from a Erebus Continents map. I also think there's a real risk this weakens my horsemen - especially when Sidar, Luchuirp, and Ljosalfar all have relevant movement bonuses that are unweakened by this.

[Qgqqqqq]

Aro founded runes. I can see this despite not having met him, for some reason.

[fireblaze]

Any updates for the new year?

[Qgqqqqq]

This is a bit old - I'll get you an updated screenshot in a couple of days:



I've since settled two cities on the plains hill north of the capital and the hill south of the sheep. That brings me equal, but behind in turns, Coldrain. That's left me a little despondent, alongside Auro (not met yet) blazing demos - I feel I'm just barely keeping up, but with a civ that only has strength early against a late-game and mid-game (free wonders) powerhouse. I've been hurting on worker improvements all game, and struggling to balance expansion with growth and workers.

I decided to go MotD, which was almost certainly a mistake, but will give me some culture and potentially collateral. After that I'll take HBR and then probably straight to stirrups. I've settled a border with Coldrain that gives up a city spot in return for not antagonising him (he can't take said city spot without antagonising me of course - it's a relatively shitty one-fish desert hill indefensible mess), so will aim to eat Bing with horsemen/HA. My exploration is pretty pitiful as I've tried to focus on REXing and the upgraded griffons lurk.

The issue is, of course, Coldrain will always have a nuke for the first time he's invaded. Should I aim to force it out of him, and then attack someone else? Anyway, this is a long way away.

Any questions?

[fireblaze]

I like the city naming scheme. Also dunno if it'd be worth trying to bait out March, but hard to say without a better feel for the overall political geography. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a few decent islands to backfill rex into for that sweet overseas trade after finishing the overland rex. But yeah I agree that it seems overall better to try and take the tempo then wait to get overran if you're already struggling to pull ahead

[shallow_thought]

Being passive risks letting Auro do whatever he's planning, but you rated the Ljos as strong early. Any hints from Coldrain's play as to whether he's food or trouble?

[Qgqqqqq]

Trouble. Strong expansion means definitely not food. Hard to say how he'll do militarily later on, but then again I've not done great in that area.

Auro isn't a neighbour and I haven't even met him, so can't really plan around him yet. Mig won't be food, so as long as I don't let him eat Bing it'll just (*just*) be a matter of dealing with Dwarven Druids and mages on his REX when our borders do touch.

[Qgqqqqq]

I've been storing up a t50 update but in the meantime I have to post this:

What the actual Coldrain? He's pinkdotting me out the wazoo - this would touch my expanded borders and cut me entirely off from the mountainous centre? Right after I signalled peace and he reciprocated?

Maybe this is the multiplayer inexperience coming into play. Ain't no way I can let that stand.

Well, sending a settler this way to secure myself a toehold and I guess I know where my horsemen are going after all.

My nearby core for reference (few turns old):


This is, btw, already me being punished for the hubris of MotD. If I had HBR I'd be completing my first horsemen now and be ready to burn this already.

[RefSteel]

Thanks for the update! It looks like things are starting to heat up!

Not much to contribute but I did write some flavor text to post for anyone who shows this custom map feature in their thread:

Rumors are spreading about the site of a terrible battle between the living and the dead that took place soon after the glaciers receded from an ancient vault.  Many died and rose again to do battle against life, and the master of the undying army was only thrown down and destroyed when one who dared stand alone against it in the face of the deathless hordes transformed the power of the vault itself.  Tales vary with the tellers and the audience and with time, but it is said that Syraethe, the mysterious general who led the living army, ultimately gave her life to effect the transformation in a last and desperate stand.  Some say her courageous spirit still watches over the site where the vault once stood, but all agree that afterward, when the corpses were carried away - some perhaps still restless - and cairns or tombstones raised above them all, then whatever became of Syraethe's spirit, her body was never found.