Astronaut without sin confounds press, invites trio to control civilization

[Gaspar]

Yeah I was thinking about putting RB players into tiers (slightly less controversial than outright ranking).

First tier: Sullla, Krill, novice, SevenSpirits, mackoti

Second tier: maybe rego, darrell, Cyneheard, Nicholae, Speaker, Lord Parkin, Lewwyn, etc?

There's maybe 5 or 6 tiers.

Anyway, we should really get the first tier a game!

I've debated this before, actually. I'd feel like I was hijacking your thread, but I'm complementing you so I won't feel bad.

I think you have to put Spullla together. Since we've never actually seen Sullla in an MP game here on his own, not fair really to put him alone with Speaker on the second tier.

I'd probably call the first tier Krill, Seven, Kyan, novice, Spullla, mackoti (probably in that order, in fact.) [For the record, novice, you're too nice in diplo or I'd probably have you ahead of Kyan.]

Once you get past that there are too many variables. Also have to assume you're just saying BTS, if you throw FFH into Thoth has to go tier one, and say Krill gets a bump for excelling in both formats. Someone like Lewwyn is excelling in an Always Peace game - when war comes into play he's liable to do something very stupid. So his micro might be 2nd tier level, but his macro is lower than that. I'm also loathe to give too much credit for anyone who only played one game - Sandover, for example, on the basis of PBEM3 might have been called a 2nd tier player. After PBEM14 I suspect many might drop him a level. So for someone like LP who's excelled but only in one game here, you really can't put him on the same level as someone whose shown the goods over several games.

Its a topic that never ceases to entertain. Its unfortunate PBEM17 blew up so spectacularly - we might never get that many top players in one game again, and it makes for fascinating lurking.

To stay on topic, I think the early Astronomy push makes a lot of sense on the right map. Whether this is that map or not is not for me to say (since I've seen all of it.) But PBEM19 was clearly the right map for it and it paid in spades, and there have been other games where it would have made a ton of sense if someone had gone for it (PBEM7 comes to mind.)

[SevenSpirits]

It's always difficult to comment on rankings that include yourself, but Gaspar, I'm definitely ranked too high there. I haven't even beaten a single one of the other players you mentioned.

Thread hijackings are fine by me - it would be impressive if we managed to equal the combined post counts of the other players' threads.

[SevenSpirits]

90% of attack paths on this map are over water. Additionally, there's more colonizing to be done overseas. We wouldn't slow-tech it with such high priority, but as a bulb target it's very efficient, and protects our lead well.

I just thought of a better answer.

Since there's no talking in this game it's hard to arrange NAPs. Getting Astronomy is our way of promising to Yuris that we do not intend to capture his Colossus city.

[Rowain]

Getting Astronomy is our way of promising to Yuris that we do not intend to capture his Colossus city.

...you are just going to raze it instead

[spacemanmf]

Also Spaced, I'd be very careful to not let Speaker see that list.

I think you have to put Spullla together. Since we've never actually seen Sullla in an MP game here on his own, not fair really to put him alone with Speaker on the second tier.

I'd probably call the first tier Krill, Seven, Kyan, novice, Spullla, mackoti (probably in that order, in fact.) [For the record, novice, you're too nice in diplo or I'd probably have you ahead of Kyan.]

Yeah I did think about putting them together, but it's Sullla who seems to behind all the micro planning, which seems key for these slow-paced games. I should have made it clear that I wasn't including live MP games, for which Speaker would clearly be in the top tier. He probably is anyway, but there's nothing like stirring up a bit of controversy!

My point was really to try to encourage a game between the top players, all playing alone. With no diplomacy.

[novice]

Sandbox up to date per T69:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15215428/PBEM23/...dSwordSave

[SevenSpirits]

Fierce accepted OB - it's worth 3cpt to us. Meanwhile I cancelled the gold/clam/fish deal to Sian and the OB stuck around. I guess they just can't be bundled. I decided to just let the OB stand. Sian can cancel if he wants. If we'd cancelled them, I believe it would push his workboat faster towards circumnavigation.

Other important thing when I opened the turn was: Mackoti ressearched Code of Laws (yay discount) and founded Confucianism in Pharsalos (). I didn't do the culture calculations but I expect he won't be taking over any tiles he doesn't already have culture in, at least. But we should see what this means for the island city.



Speaking of the island city, I prepared our galley here. We have two options next turn - move W - unload spear onto spice - load-settler - move W, and then SW-S next turn; or unload spear - load settler - stay/move S.



Luddicator's galley moved as expected. I decided to defend like so: 2 WC in the city with a galley blocking his path if he does the incredibly likely NE move first. Even in the worst case of 2 impis he has very low odds of taking the city next turn and no sane player would take them. By building a WC I avoided having to divert the chop from Iapetus' lighthouse. Next turn we can move a 3rd WC in if desired. I also covered our chopping worker with two WC. This is possible because both Ganymede and Europa don't need a garrison right now since we got our gold back.

Defense plan for next turn if he moves NENE is to move our galley on top of his. Then, if he declares war, his galley will be bumped out of range of Europa.


Our warrior in the north went north, expecting to be bumped west when we closed borders. Since borders were not closed he's still there.


I neglected to put signs for the workers here. I was planning to have one of the pair finish the chop for Io, and the other two nearby ones finish that 2t cottage. I also forgot to remove the axe/monastery sign over Gany. We went with axe.


Demos:


And here's a city overview from before ending turn since a lot of things completed.

[novice]

Updated sandbox. It's at the start of t71, because I pulled some temporary tricks to correct the beaker count to match the game. (I also gave Mackoti Code Of Laws).

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15215428/PBEM23/...dSwordSave

[novice]

Turn 71 started with Luddicator offering Open borders for silver. I rejected, and after playing the turn responded with an offer of Open borders staight up.

There's no point in keep Luddicator out, since Sian will land circumnavigation this turn.



End of turn situation. We have 2 axes, a spear, a settler and a workboat headed for the plains hill on Callisto island. That spot isn't any less exposed than 1N of it, and it gives us better visibility on Mackoti. (Plus we could steal his iron and stone with a culture bomb.)



I set research to 30% to mask our GNP a bit. At 100%, with 1.45 research bonus, our GNP was 294. After ending turn, with 30% science and no tech selected, our GNP is 174, which is hopefully a bit less scary.



Builds before ending turn:



I vetoed a worker action on the northern island. The worker that was on the plains hill forest is more useful chopping a granary for the new city.



The new city's settler was whipped in Titania this turn. It will be founded t73 and work a netted fish. The chop for the granary comes in at t74, with the city's food box ending at 10/14. So the city will grow to 6 / 16, and grow to size 3 in two more turns.

[novice]

As can be seen from the F1 screen, I put Europa on wealth, since it needed to grow and we needed the cash. My plan then is to start a settler in Europa next turn, for the gold city. I now remember that the gold city will need a work boat as well, but we can build that after the settler, since the new city will be working the gold and building a granary initially.

Titan is also on a settler, but I reckon we can switch to a missionary there next turn, as a missionary slot frees up. (My vote for our northwestern missionary is to spread the faith in Rhea. I guess the missionary headed for North Island should go to Titania, and the one headed for South Island should go to Charon.) Europa lacks a monastery so will probably focus on settlers and military instead of missionaries. The MoM is also an option.

Our workers in the northwest should start preparing to chop jungle, with Iron Working coming in eot73.