[SPOILERS] PB7: Winning The Hard Way - Mao Plays Craps

[spacetyrantxenu]

No updates the last few turns, but nothing much is happening. My worker finally finished our first improvement, a pasture on the cows, and is now moving toward the wheat to build a farm. And...that's about it. I got a score increase, the only thing I could figure out is that several people got one. I think my points total for "wonders" is higher -- it's 3000 BC, is there some points bonus for having a wonder for 1000 years that I never noticed before?

[coco]

I think you get points for land you've owned for 20t, or something like that.

[spacetyrantxenu]

No need for an in depth update, really. I'm still in the same holding pattern, waiting for BW to finish so I can chop these damn forests. This game is feeling so SLOW. No doubt the bad moves I started with are the main reason, but even so, I'm 30 turns in and there isn't much to do on a given turn. BW due in 5, then I can get these two workers busy chopping. First up is probably a settler to get the FP city settled north of my city. And if this wasn't a huge map I'd be interested to chop out a stack of dog soldiers and try to whack someone, but so far my options would be limited to Plako and it seems like he's far enough away that it wouldn't be a guaranteed success. So my dog soldiers are probably going to be relegated to defensive duty...which is great, until I get totem pole powered archers online, at which point the dogs would only be good for preventing a choke. I guess I could go choke someone with them, but to what end? I probably couldn't do lasting damage and it would likely help them decide to focus a retaliatory strike against me. Anyway, that's all I have for now. I'll probably post again in 5 turns when BW is in and I have something interesting to do.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Brief update, I'll be finishing two dog soldiers over the next two turns (no whips, just one chop + overflow + 11 base hammers - I'm still not in slavery). If MackSeven decide to keep the train rolling this way they're going to have to work harder than they did against Azza. I'm also (foolishly) thinking about chopping a counter force and throwing it at them, since dogs beat axes and that would be a fun thing to do. I should really chop another worker, chop a settler, chop more workers, etc...but with as much land as they're bound to have to my east and by being surrounded on all sides by vastly superior players (LP to the west, Plako to the south, and Mackoti/SevenSpirits to the east), it's just a matter of time until someone eats me anyway. Mist gave me all these trees to work with, why not chop out a stack of dogs and go on the offensive before I get steamrolled?

[spacetyrantxenu]

Well this is a shame:



Mack/Seven is #1 in power. I'm #2 and chopping.



Violence in 3...2...1...!

[spacetyrantxenu]

It's a trap!



If Parkin's scout steps blindly onto one of those forests, he's finished.

[oledavy]

Why have you built so many dog soldiers?

[spacetyrantxenu]

Why have you built so many dog soldiers?

Because my neighbor is now Mack/Seven, with the premature demise of Azza. I don't believe them when they say they'll leave me alone if I leave them alone. I know they have graphs on me. So if they see I have as much power as they do, they probably will decide an invasion is too expensive.

On the other hand, I had a mind to go raze their acquisition, just to set them back and to avenge Azza. That would be a silly play, but really, what is it I have done in this game so far that has not been pure ? I have little belief that I can out play Mackoti and Seven together, or Plako to my south, over the long run. My UU is as powerful as it is going to get right now...after that it will be playing defense with Mao. If I'm going on the offensive it has to be soon.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Seven's attack on my warrior was in poor form. I don't care if he attacks the unit, it's AW after all. But what was the point in lying about it? I don't get it. Was he so afraid I'd double move and escape, denying him 1 xp? If I thought he was not going to stick to his word I would have just deleted the warrior to deny him the xp, so where was the threat to his city? Nice move...if I wasn't already thinking about coming after you before, I definitely am now.

Finishing Pottery soon, then I'm going to tech Hunting. Settling horses in city 2, pasture it, build a lot of chariots, build a lot of spears, and send all those dog soldiers with chariots and spears to make a mess out of everything I can in MackSeven's territory. When the expedition comes to a horrible end for me, they'll invade me and probably knock me out of the game in short order. gg xenu.

[scooter]

Seven's attack on my warrior was in poor form. I don't care if he attacks the unit, it's AW after all. But what was the point in lying about it? I don't get it. Was he so afraid I'd double move and escape, denying him 1 xp? If I thought he was not going to stick to his word I would have just deleted the warrior to deny him the xp, so where was the threat to his city?

I will say the impression I've gotten is this game is supposed to be different in that all the diplo is in one place and because it's AW and the game is unique, deal-breaking is somewhat encouraged - much moreso than a typical RB game anyways.

Nice move...if I wasn't already thinking about coming after you before, I definitely am now.

And just like I'm cool with him lying (in this kind of game), I'm pretty cool with this response of yours too.