RBPB4 [SPOILERS] - De Gaulle of the Egyptians

[Lord Parkin]

NAP update:

Rego - 170
Plako - 180
Nakor - 200
Luddite - 210

So we should be pretty safe for at least another 50 or so turns, and by then we should be in a position where we can start thinking about who we want to take down.

[Lord Parkin]

A small matter that needs to be decided on - should we convert that farm to a cottage at the capital? Upside is that it's better economically to start growing it towards a town earlier. Downside is that we'll want to grow more soon, since a Forge + Temple will bring our happy cap there to 19 in a few turns. Any thoughts are appreciated.

I'm also considering whether to switch the 2 Scientists to 2 Priests to up our chance of a Great Prophet in a few turns. Downside is that the Scientists are really nice with the +85% bonus to research we have there. A Great Scientist wouldn't be so bad as our next Great Person anyway, although it'd probably be preferable to get a Great Prophet. (Christianity will be in at least a dozen cities worldwide by turn 130, so a shrine would give us at least +12 gpt in addition to +2 hammers from the AP.)



We're ready to settle the Horse island next turn. Actually we've had a stroke of luck there - our Worker has revealed an extra Pig resource at that site, which is a nice surprise.



We're also about to found our Crab-Fish city next turn, securing us all three seafood resources. That'll bring us up to 17 cities as of turn 125. Last time I checked, I believe our two nearest competitors were Plako on 18 and Rego on 16.

[Irgy]

A small matter that needs to be decided on - should we convert that farm to a cottage at the capital? Upside is that it's better economically to start growing it towards a town earlier. Downside is that we'll want to grow more soon, since a Forge + Temple will bring our happy cap there to 19 in a few turns. Any thoughts are appreciated.

I remember reading somewhere that, when it comes to farms+cottages, optimally, your food surplus should equal your growth potential (the gap to your happy/health cap). Which would roughly suggest the time to convert it is coming soon.

I'm also considering whether to switch the 2 Scientists to 2 Priests to up our chance of a Great Prophet in a few turns. Downside is that the Scientists are really nice with the +85% bonus to research we have there. A Great Scientist wouldn't be so bad as our next Great Person anyway, although it'd probably be preferable to get a Great Prophet. (Christianity will be in at least a dozen cities worldwide by turn 130, so a shrine would give us at least +12 gpt in addition to +2 hammers from the AP.)

How far away would a prophet be from appearing somewhere else?

[Lord Parkin]

I remember reading somewhere that, when it comes to farms+cottages, optimally, your food surplus should equal your growth potential (the gap to your happy/health cap). Which would roughly suggest the time to convert it is coming soon.

Yeah, I figured it was close, hence why I was unsure.

How far away would a prophet be from appearing somewhere else?

We're probably looking at something like 25-35 turns from now (20-30 turns after the next Great Person). All in all I think I'm leaning towards encouraging a Great Prophet since it'll do way more for us than a Great Scientist would in that time. The lost research from the scientists for a few turns would be more than made up for by the research gained if we got a Great Prophet. I guess we'll just have to chance it.

[Lord Parkin]

By the way, does anyone know if the 1 in 10000 chance of popping a resource from a mine applies when you're in anarchy or not? I switched all my cities over to hills last turn when I was in anarchy, but I'm not sure if there was actually any point to it or not.

[Lord Parkin]

City counts at 225 AD:

Plako - 18 (including 3 from the war with WK)
Rego - 16
Us - 15 (17 next turn)
Locke - 13
Luddite - 12
SleepingMoogle - 11
Nakor - 11
Adlain - 7
Mackoti - 5
WarriorKnight - 4

At this point in the game, you can pretty much rule everyone who hasn't got double digit city numbers out of the running for victory.

[Tyrmith]

By the way, does anyone know if the 1 in 10000 chance of popping a resource from a mine applies when you're in anarchy or not? I switched all my cities over to hills last turn when I was in anarchy, but I'm not sure if there was actually any point to it or not.

I'm vaguely recalling from my civ-playing days that it's only when a plot is actually being worked and hammers derrived from the plot that you get the chance.

[Lord Parkin]

I'm vaguely recalling from my civ-playing days that it's only when a plot is actually being worked and hammers derrived from the plot that you get the chance.

Thanks for the input. I'm still not sure myself... I know that there's zero chance when you're not actually working a tile, but I'm not sure about when you've got a tile selected but are in anarchy. My gut feeling is that it probably works "properly"... i.e. that there's zero chance on anarchy turns so there's no need for mass micromanagement on those turns. However, I was in a bit of a pedantic mood, so I figured I'd give it a shot anyway... no loss either way, after all.

[Lord Parkin]

Okay, time for more screenshots, as promised.

Lynx will whip out a Confucian Missionary after its Lighthouse.

Puma has already had a Granary chopped out, and is now chopping/whipping out a Courthouse. Once borders expand there, that'll become quite a powerful city, with all the food and river grassland.

Serval was just founded this turn, and is borrowing a mine from Pantherinae for the present. It's a pretty crappy city right now, but when the borders expand to net the Fish and Crab it'll soon become a seriously decent city.

Acinonyx is soon to start on a big whipping campaign to get plenty of buildings up and running, once Christianity spreads there. I won't whip it below size 7 to keep all the best tiles permanently running, and with 9 food surplus it'll regrow very quickly.

Pantherinae will finish its Market next turn, and will then begin on a Christian missionary for Acinonyx unless we get an autospread. After that, it'll be time for the Christian buildings.

Leopardus has reached size 2, and is nearing the time for its border expansion. Once we've got the Fish+Sheep being worked there, it'll be yet another great whipping city.



The capital is closing in on the Apostolic Palace. We'll also get a Great Person there in 5 turns, hopefully a Great Prophet (other possibilities are a Scientist or Merchant, neither particularly bad alternatives).

Tigris is building a Work Boat for Acinonyx, then will build another Settler.

Onca is building a Worker since we're slightly short of them with all the new cities (and also due to Civil Service arriving which enabled irrigation spreading). After that, either military or Settlers are probably due.

Magadan is working on the Christian buildings in preparation for the AP being completed.

Evermore is continuing to build missionaries to spread our religion around. After this one, it'll probably switch to a Christian Temple in preparation for the AP.



Jubatus is chopping out a Granary, and will then chop/whip out a Courthouse.

Felidae is building a missionary from chop overflow, and will then build a Settler and Christian Temple.

Pardalis is finishing its Granary and will then begin on the Christian buildings.

Leptailurus was founded this turn, and has immediately started working the Fish tile we just netted. Later on that tile will go back to Pardalis, and Leptailurus will work the Pigs instead. We're building a Granary there, to be followed by the Christian buildings or a Courthouse.

Pardus has finished more War Chariot builds, and will build a Galley now for potential settling over in the west. After that it'll switch back to more land military units.



Leo will whip out a Christian Monastery next turn, and will then move on to a Christian Temple.

[Lord Parkin]

Demographics are... well, good, as always. Plako's "hiding" a bit at the moment due to the current war he has, but after it's finished and he's recovered I expect him to pop ahead some more.



For the first time in the game we've got graphs on everyone this turn. Most of them are fairly uninteresting, but the food graph tells an interesting story. You can really see quite clearly who are the up and coming world leaders from this graph.



The power graph is also somewhat interesting to compare Luddite and Plako's military strength. They're actually surprisingly similar at the moment. Also of note are Mackoti's wild fluctuations in power. Fortunately he seems to have built up again at the moment, so let's hope he can hold Luddite off a while longer. I don't have anything particularly against Luddite, I'd just prefer him not to become a megapower too soon by consuming two civs' worth of land.