[SPOILERS] Tales from the Enchanted Forest - Thessa of the Ljosalfar

[Nyktorion]

Turn 54

The goblins moved up to Hyll. Orthus was killed, which is consistent with Sciz' announcement in the tech thread.



I decided to take the risk of attacking the goblin with the 4XP warrior in Hyll:



Therefore, the sheep pasture could be finished as planned. The two other workers finish the nonforest-grassland cottage and start the road to Bruti, respectively. Hyll is now training a worker, and Evermore is putting its overflow into another settler. Speaking of Evermore's settler production:



I'm liking the EXP trait more and more, it feels like a beefed up version of BTS's IMP trait. Speaking of EXP's advantages, Bruti was founded this turn, and we are the first person with a third city! Bruti is borrowing Evermore's corn tile in order to speed-grow. Bruti raised maintenance by 2, and is already producing 2c on its own. Next turn, it will be connected to the trade network, making it profitable already.



Concerning diplo, Sir Yellow answered me this:

Just had a chat with Sciz of the Malakim. Apparently they are to the west of me, not south as i first thought.
In addition Orthus has appeared over there as well, though Sciz is rather vague about that topic. That's all i got from it.
We haven't discovered their lands yet in case you wonder.

He didn't really answer what I asked him in my last mail, but that was not too important anyway. Still, it's nice to know that piece of information about Sciz being to the west.

Last, the C&D update. Here is the demo screen:



WarriorKnight, Irgy, and Sciz got a pop point each. Since total land area increased by 5k, I already thought that somebody else might have founded his third city, as well. However, the only way to make the total population add up correctly (riva avg.: 198600) is that each of their second cities grew by 1.

Global soldier count decreased by 3k, and Irgy got a classical tech. The simplest way towards this soldier would be: +1k from Sciz' 10th pop point, Irgy's tech gives +2k soldiers (Horseback Riding, Archery, Bronze Working, or Knowledge of the Ether), and -6k from two killed warriors. Therefore, I strongly believe that Irgy got Bronze Working this turn, though it would not be completely unthinkable either for him to have gone for Knowledge of the Ether.

So, until I have reason believe anything else, I expect that somebody will have pyre zombies at his borders rather soon. Luckily, I'm not too close to Irgy, and I think that score/demograph-wise, I'm currently not an obvious target, either.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 55

Worker actions: A road on the sheep tile is started, the road to Bruti is finished, and another cottage for Evermore is started.

I did not mention yet that I started a monument in Bruti. I plan this to be the last monument I build, all other future culture expansions should come from religion.

Evermore is shufling in a turn of warrior building in order to allow growth to size 6.



Foreign news: Irgy, Mardoc and Sciz got a tech each (that was fast for Irgy!), and Mardoc's tech is a classical one. Also, global and rival worst soldier count rose by 2k each. So I think that Mardoc got a military tech here (also bronze working?), and that he is that rival worst in soldier count.

Future plans: next turn, mysticism will pop. I plan switching to God King immediately, but I'm not sure yet what to do with columns 2-3 of the civic screen. Taking Apprenticeship sounds nice, but I'd need to either follow along with Nationhood, or take the warrior build time hit in Hyll and Bruti (and I'll want religion back as soon as I have the Fellowship of Leaves tech).

[Nyktorion]

Turn 56

The sheep is connected, and the next forest cottage for Evermore now has 3 worker turns invested into itself.

Evermore has grown to size 6 and is continuing work on its next settler, and Bruti is already size 2.



Two pieces of foreign news this turn: first, somebody built another warrior. Second, and more importantly, WarriorKnight now also has three cities:



Things start looking like WarriorKnight is the person to watch, not Sciz. That's bad; other than Sciz, can hide behind his sanctuary from a potential dogpile.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 57

Good news: we have mysticism! Next research project will be - as planned - hunting.

Bad news:



I don't really care about that warrior (heck, a poison goblin is more dangerous than a plain warrior), but that city has just messed up my settling plan! From my SP games, I have the experience that they like to defend their cities with two "weak" (2/4) archers. If that is the case, I won't be taking this location any time soon.

That barb city nearby gave me the final tilt towards the civics I chose to revolt into:



Foreign news:

• Last turn's warrior was Sir Yellow's
  
• Sciz' second city grew to size 4
  
• Total soldier count increase: 15k. Since Sciz' pop count gave no 1k increase, I suspect that's just from warriors and pyre zombies (maybe a Thane of Kilmorph, too).
  
• WarriorKnight got his first classical tech. From the soldier count increase, I suspect that it's a non-soldier-giving tech. Due to his city maintenance, I couldn't exactly read his beaker count from the GNP graph anymore, but I would put it in the 350 ballpark. The closest match would be Code of Laws (if he indeed got that, we should notice next turn). Other possibilities include Writing (if my beaker estimate is too low) or Philosophy (if it was too high).
  

[Nyktorion]

Turn 58

News from the Ljosalfar: another cottage for Evermore was finished, and the orc warrior came closer to Bruti.

News from foreign lands: WarriorKnight's point increase is just from land points in the first circle of Glens of Killybegs. Sir Yellow got a tech; for instance, Mining would fit very well beaker-wise. We now also know for certain that WarriorKnight's tech last turn was Code of Laws:



Soldier count wise, another two warriors were globally trained this turned (+6k). Thanks to graphs, we now also know more about how the 15k increase from last turn was split up: 3k went to WarriorKnight, 3k to Sir Yellow, and 3k to the rival worst. That leaves 6k in the open, which I believe to be Irgy's first pyre zombie.

[Nyktorion]

Turn 59

More worker turns go into forest cottages, and the orc warrior moved up to Bruti this turn.

Mardoc got another (ancient era) tech this turn, and Irgy's second city grew to size 3. Soldier count rose by 7k (1k from Irgy's pop increase, and 6k from two warriors globally).

Here's the demo screen:



In particular, the rival best GNP number (81) is interesting; it was only 53 last turn. So it seems that WarriorKnight already has quite a few aristofarms...

[Nyktorion]

Turn 60

Hyll has finished training its worker, and is now continuing the warrior it started before that worker. The new worker immediately helps with the cottaging of our forests.

Speaking of forests, a new one has grown 1W of Bruti.



Foreign news: Thoth and Irgy got another ancient era tech each. Thoth's second city grew to size 5. Irgy lost a warrior.

From the way the 1k power increases from population work, and rival worst/best numbers, I think I can now spell out the soldier count spread for all rivals (even for the three I don't have graphs of):

• WarriorKnight currently has 29k soldiers: 6k from 6+5+1 pop points, 2k from a scout, and 21k from 7 warriors
  
• Irgy currently has 30k soldiers: 4k from 5+3 pop points, 2k from Bronze Working, 6k from a pyre zombie, and 18k from 6 warriors (alternative possibility: 2 zombies and 4 warriors, if he lost a warrior and gained a zombie last turn rather than gaining a warrior)
  
• Sir Yellow currently has 24k soldiers: 4k from 6+3 pop points, 2k from a scout, and 18k from 6 warriors
  
• Mardoc currently has 24k soldiers: 4k from 7+1 pop points, 2k probably from his classical tech (Bronze Working, too?), and 18k from 6 warriors
  
• Thoth currently has 24k soldiers: 6k from 7+5 pop points, and 18k from 6 warriors (might also be just 4 warriors and a Thane of Kilmorph)
  

[Nyktorion]

Turn 61

The Orc warrior attacked Bruti, and the defenders won without even taking a scratch.

Hyll finished its warrior, and is going for yet another worker (can't get those forest cottages up fast enough!). Two forest hill cottages were finished this turn, which immediately began being used (one each by Hyll and Bruti). The workers are working on yet another

Next turn, Evermore will finish its settler. I plan to plant my fourth city somewhere in the desert/flood plains area.



Foreign news: Mardoc founded his third city. Sciz got 13 points from the first ring of his second city. WarriorKnight got a tech, counting GNP suggests something with >=200 beakers (Mining?).

[Nyktorion]

Turn 62

The two free workers complete the Evermore <-> Hyll road. The settler moves into Hyll. Two warriors from Hyll start moving towards the prospective spot of Yonna.



Foreign news: Mardoc's second city and Inishbofin grew to size 2. Sciz got land points for his second city's second circle. Sir Yellow founded his third city (Trinity). Global soldier count grew by 8k, split into 2k pop points, and a warrior each probably for WarriorKnight and Sciz.

Last, some nice ews from the demo: we are #1 in Food and Hammers!

[Nyktorion]

Turn 63

The Yonna settling group is moving on; I promoted its 2XP warrior to Guerilla I, which will improve my odds against any attacking griffons while making sure the 9XP warrior does not get hurt.

Evermore finished a warrior, which is moved to Hyll. I finally decided to build my first elder coucil there.

Another cottage for Bruti is finished, work on the next one is started.



Foreign news: WarriorKnight and Irgy each got a tech, after 2 and 3 turns of research, respectively. So both techs should be in the 160-200 beakers frame (e.g. Festivals, Animal Husbandry,...). Also, soldier count increased by 2k, so somebody got a scout (I don't think that's hunting, the research times clearly speak against that).