[Spoilers] Commodore as Darius of the HRE

[Commodore]

Derp. Ah well, still worth it for a turn faster chop. Thanks for looking over this!

[Ceiliazul]

Derp. Ah well, still worth it for a turn faster chop. Thanks for looking over this!

It's a 3-turn chop. The sheep worker would take too long walking, getting movement points on the forest tile just as the chop comes in...

I think it'd be better for you to play the turn, I know its hard to discuss micro without having the game open.

I don't want to mess you up on the first opportunity to sub. :-)

[Commodore]

Sigh. Communication failure on my part. I'm always dropping it on the city micro, but I know what I'm doing for worker micro.



Beyond that...nothing much happens. Hoping for another turn tonight, but Yuri's probably already off.

[Ceiliazul]

Ah, that works pretty well. I'm happy I didn't play the save then.

I'm still a relative newb, happy to be in the passenger seat for this ride.

[Commodore]

Gack.



Back in my day, barbarians at least had the decency to make cities that worked with your dotmap. Meh, hopefully at least they haven't developed archers yet, and my chariots can thus whack this annoyance quickly.



My core, barbarian annoyances aside, is developing nicely. Ophir finished the warrior EOT, going back to happiness, and ivory is the next planned hookup for a little more flexibility, as well as a revolution to Hinduism (baring spreads) next turn. I agree about the holy city being valuable at a choke location, but with MNG not settling towards me at all and Library culture about to come in, I'll default to the cities with happy problems as my first religion. Not to mention the upcoming building whips that can use the OR bonus...

Here's the aforementioned MNG border:



Yeah, whatever weirdness is going on, it's not heading southward (eerie feeling of famous last words there).

[Commodore]

Dropped a line to Mr. Nice Guy:

[COLOR="Yellow"]Hey MNG,

Figured I'd drop a line here, just a quick update from your neighbors down south.

First off, as you can see, my chariot is cheerfully bumbling up towards a rendezvous with Yuri. Directions would be very much appreciated, and if you need a barb warrior whacked on the way, just let me know where.

I've managed to get my own barb city spring up, which is playing a merry hell with worker micro and dotmapping. Not too sure if it affects you that much, but it will probably delay extra silks from getting online...do you need silk? Silk and sugar are the extras on my little blob.

Met GES, finally, and he's a loooong way away, as is apparently Ranamar. The landbridge between us is a dozen jungle tiles long. It makes me wonder if you two are actually quite close post-astronomy. Eh, we'll see.

Anyway, hope things are going well,
-Commodore[/COLOR]

[Ceiliazul]

Whas the big picture after writing? Will you drive for the Great Library?

I'd like to plant a bug in your ear one more time about that marsh site I suggested... triple flood plains plus oasis plus marble is a rocking 4th city. If you don't settle the marble ASAP it won't figure in the race for GL.
If the hangup is being coastal, the marsh city could be moved 1S at the loss of a grassland tile and the freshwater bonus.

I highly recommend you beeline for the Great Library. With your league leading GNP, and marble online, it's yours to lose. You'd pretty much have to decide before your next city placement.

It would be an easier choice if you knew which civs had marble. Specifically, it would be good to talk more to GES about Rana's land...

[Commodore]

Requires hard thought here. I agree that the GL is mine to lose right now, baring some sort of insane shenanigans from one of the Ind players, and I suspect their next targets are GLH and Colossus respectively, with both having the 'mids and the Hanging Gardens somewhere in their awareness, too.

The area as a whole down there is hard to dot map.



My initial thought looking at the region is that the desert to the west of the marble tile can be settled with the least damage to the current map. The marshland spot is very lush, but I still wonder if its maybe too lush, monopolizing so many awesome tiles. It'd also kill any chance of ever getting use out of that southern fish, and makes my only other south-coastal settle a miserable grasshill fishing village with zero food or even ghetto food (flood plains, lighthouse lakes, etc).

My gut now would be to go ahead and settle Red Dot, using the borders to safely road towards the desert marble location/farm rice for quick growth, and immediately follow that fourth city with a fifth for the marble. Any indications that Yuri or Ranamar are heading towards Writing?

Marble is a really nice resource for another reason too...Maths is my next tech no matter what, for more efficient chops. Calendar is thus very close, and I need it anyway for the dyes, silks, and sugars...why not gun for the MoM? It'd be great to deny to the runaways, and if the Taj Mahal can be built by us (outside chance w/ Marble!), well, that might make us the runaways. Bit far out, but eh.

I do think the desert site or the marsh would be good for another strategic consideration: Three core cites that are not coastal. Culture isn't a win I'm gunning for, but with three unboatable cities, if's still a possible fallback condition.

All of this can change, of course, if seafood shows up beyond any of those hills. I'm feeling fairly maxed out already, but I really need to send a scout down there to see just what exactly is in the fog.

[Commodore]

Well, looks like I won't be playing until late this evening. Ceiliazul, up to you of course but if you'd like to try the sub again...
Research to Maths, break even rate
Solomon keeps moving N
Krull E if GES offered OB, otherwise offer OB
You and Gaspar mine copper.
Unless threatened by barbs, Piet E to start roading ivory.
New Ophir warrior fortifies.
...on to MNG.

If not, it's fine, they'll just have to wait six or seven hours.

[Ceiliazul]

Turn played, per your instructions. Only deviation was attacking out of Ophir with the warrior. I did this only after confirming that a new warrior could be completed in 1 turn if needed.



The victorious warrior saved the dyes farm and arrived back in Ophir before any riots could develop. He is awaiting a promotion

No OB offed by GES, so I proposed for next turn.

Meanwhile Chariot Kane proved that French cities are too 'sophisticated' to be interested in smelly equine beasts.