[SPOILERS] Bismark of Sumeria (luddite + Atlas1998)

[luddite]

It begins...

Sorry for keeping you guys in the dark for so long. I was just afraid that someone might accidentally let something slip to Mackoti.

Right now his whole military consists of 1 axemen, 1 chariot, and some warriors. He's in serious trouble, unless he starts doing some heavy whipping immediately.

I'll write up a longer post tomorrow, showing all the different plans I've considered.

[luddite]

The game rules are causing a bit of a problem right now. I'm planning on declaring war on the turn after next, which means I need to be ready to move in the first 6 hours of the next turn, which basically means I need to be the last to play this turn (I can't just end my turn and go to bed, because I'd have no way of knowing when it would end. So I need to hold the turn while I'm asleep). Mackoti seems to be doing the same thing, since he's logged in 3 times without ending turn.

[luddite]

OK, who's ready for a big update! Sorry for not updating this thread more regularly. But now I can explain everything I've been doing for the past 10 turns.

This plan was a fake. I never had any intention of doing that. I thought it would be just too slow, and too obvious. It was my idea of an April Fool's joke, and a way to ensure secrecy.

Remember this? I was serious about that. I really, really wanted to do it. Partly because I thought it would have a good chance of netting me an extra capital, but mostly just because I thought it would be cool.

I even went to the trouble of drawing up an elaborate attack plan:

It would have been so beautiful. After razing Lupu with a quick chariot strike, they could move north and hide in the trees. He'd rush units east along the southern road, while my vultures would be headed west in the north, just outside his vision range. They'd hit together with the surviving chariots, so he'd need at least 1 spear. They'd be forced to attack across a river and up a hill, but as long as he didn't see it coming they'd still have excellent odds of taking the capital. The plan (which required a LOT of detailed city micro) was for the chariots to hit Lupu on turn 93, and to attack the capital on turn 97.

So why I am I talking about all this in the past tense? Because disaster struck.

His scout showed up in the wrong place at the wrong time. If I settled the city, he'd see it immediately, and surprise was absolutely essential for that plan. He saw the galley, but I moved the worker and settler out of the way, so I think those are still a secret from him. (I'm going to settle that city anyway, both to threaten him with the rear strike, and because I just want that silver).

Since I had already built so many units (including 3 galleys) it was too late to call off the attack. I NEED this attack to work, otherwise I'm completely screwed in the long term. Lord Parkin just has too much land and resources for me to compete in a long, peaceful game. The map basically gives him as much land as me and Mackoti combined, plus his ridiculous triple gold , gems, and double ivory.

So, the new plan is fairly simple. Hit Lupu turn 93 with 6 vultures, and 2 chariots, with reinforcements following after. Raze Lupu, then I can continue down the coast and take all his eastern cities (I think he has 3 cities east of Lupu). Lupu and the one immediately to the SE are his only coastal cities, so after those are gone, the others will be cut off from any resources. He might attack me in the south, but I've got some units there too.

Ideally, what I'm really hoping for is that Mackoti will realize he's screwed after I reveal my army. If he sees that he can't save his eastern cities, he might be willing to talk peace. I'd be willing to let him keep Lupu, if he gives me his other eastern cities. I could also trade him silver, as a way of keeping the peace. Honestly I don't think he'll agree to that, but that's my hope. If he won't agree, I can take the cities anyway. Check out the power disparity here:




The power graph is from this turn. I can't believe he didn't build more units- surely he knew that I was planning to attack him? My power spike was huge, and obvious.

I also have another ace in the hole. Lord Parkin has a scout wandering in the south, and he's agreed to use it as a scout for me.

me: anyway, i just wanted to ask you if you would be willing to use your warrior as a scout for me
Lord Parkin: Yeah, I could help out there
There's one Axe of Mackoti's just to the west of your land down there, not sure if you can see it
4:38 PM That's all I've seen so far

I've got a scout in the back of Mackoti's lands too. Plako has a scout somewhere as well, but he's promised to stay neutral.

If the war really drags on a long time, maybe I'll still have time to hit the capital with the orginal plan after all . Or I can sail around to his very back, and take out his only copper source.

[luddite]

I moved in my army, and saw this

Nice! He's got nothing! The other unit in that city is a warrior! Unless he's got a mass of chariots hidden in the fog, that city will go down easily. And judging my his power graph, I really doubt he does.

and I'm about to settle the silver city. Just before my gems deal with LP ends, too


I sent this proposal/ultimatum to Mackoti and Ioan:

So, now you can see my army outside of Lupu. That's not all of it either- I have more units following right after. And from your power graph, I can guess that you have very few units right now.

I don't think it's possible for you to save Lupu, if I attack. I have too many units, and can reinforce quickly with ships.

If you don't want to lose Lupu, my offer is that you should give me your eastern cities, and let me settle all the land south of Lupu. If you don't agree then I can still take those cities, but you'll also lose Lupu, and maybe everything.

Another thing- you can see my settler in the north. I'm going to settle the silver. If you'll agree to peace, I'll give you that silver for the rest of the game. Otherwise I'll just keep it for myself.

Sincerely,
Luddite

edit: better picture showing all my units in the area.


I went with a theme of Pixies songs for my army. Their music is pretty much the opposite of "warlike" but the names work well.

[luddite]

By the way, you might wonder why my main attack force was pure vultures with no spearmen. Remember that originally I was planning on sailing vultures around to his capital, so I needed as much attack power as I could get. I had to change plans suddenly, and so I sent the vultures before I had spearmen built. It'll be ok though. Even if he does have chariots, he can't attack me this turn (because of DoW rules). Next turn my chariot will join the stack, and combat 1 vultures on hills still have a decent (33%) chance to win against chariots). That's why I said I'll be fine unless he has a LOT of chariots hidden.

[Ellimist]

Very nice!

[Nicolae Carpathia]

Gouge away
You can gouge away
Stay away
If you want to...

Best of luck! Roll a dozen hits in a row!

[luddite]

Thanks guys!

Mackoti just logged in and whipped something. If he finishes his turn within the first 6 hours this turn, then he could theoretically declare war on me next turn. I'd much rather get the first half of the turn timer, so I could attack before his whipped units move. So, there might be a race next turn with both of us trying to declare war as soon as the turn starts :P

By the way- Can I log in later to check the situation, without moving anything, and still declare war next turn? All my units have already moved.

[Gold Ergo Sum]

By the way- Can I log in later to check the situation, without moving anything, and still declare war next turn? All my units have already moved.

The burden of proof is on you.

I need screenshots showing the turn timer when you finished the unit moves, and also I would prefer screenshots showing that nothing was moved when you log back in.

[luddite]

Easier for me to just not log in, then.

Anyway, I got this response from Mackoti/Ioan.

bring it boy.

Right then. Total war it is!