Gandhi of France: The Non-Violent Warrior

[oledavy]

[SIZE="3"]Turn 179[/SIZE]

Alrighty, let's get down to brass tacks. This turn was all about the whipping.

12 whips, 15 population, over the course of two turns. ( I pre-emptively whipped for t180 to get an idea of how many machine guns I could deploy).

Sedan - 1 Pop Whip - Cannon (t179)
Verdun - 2 Pop Whip - Forge (t179)
Vigo Bay - 1 Pop Whip - Ironclad (t179)
Waterloo - 1 Pop Whip - Knight (t179)
Sluys - 1 Pop Whip - Knight (179)
Agincourt - 2 Pop Whip - Machine Gun (t180)
Dien Bien Phu - 1 Pop Whip - Machine Gun (t180)
Leipzig - 1 Pop Whip - Machine Gun (t180)
Louisbourg - 1 Pop Whip - Machine Gun (t180)
Quiberon Bay - 2 Pop Whip - Machine Gun (t180)
Crecy - 1 Pop Whip - Rifleman (t179)

Next turn, I'm revolting into Caste System, I finally have enough workshops to really benefit from the +1 hammers, and that's mostly because of this region:



I remember the first time I logged into this game, looking at the jungled north, and thinking it would later become the industrial heart of the nation. Now, that vision is finally coming to fruition



What I noticed this turn in the east is that there is still predominantly French culture on the tiles around Teleport Gank. While I took note of that, it didn't occur to me until this turn that I could settle a city for the wines and clams and instantly reclaim the tiles. However, looking at it, I could settle a city on "Or Here?", reclaim the tile to the southeast, build a railroad up to the city, and slam that fort with cannon. At that point, a two-mover stack could hit Help Pix! on the subsequent turn. Sulla has no way to reinforce the city except via boat. Denying Sulla wines and clams while getting sources of my own would also be really cool.

That city is really strong in it's own right, with three seafood resources (provided I reclaim the fish from Teleport Gank). However, this presumes I'm able to retain control of the seas, speaking of which.



We're now in the twilight of the pre-combustion era. Both me and Sulla will have Combustion in the next 2-3 turns, and all those ships will become basically worthless. In the meantime, I'm trying to inflict as much damage as I possibly can:



This turn, I finally moved into the bay north of Absolute Zero and got sight on Sulla's Trafalgar equivalent, which curiously, does not have the Heroic Epic



Right now, I'm debating engaging Sulla in one last epic naval battle before we both start deploying destroyers. It's not like those ships are going to do either of us much good once they're online. I'll discuss naval tactics more with the t180 report.

The other debate I'm grappling with is when and if to reclaim the islands. On the one hand, they'll be strategic pains in my side with aircraft. One the other, they're additional locations to defend and I'm not sure I can even maintain naval superiority - it's going to be close. I may wait until there's enough Indian culture in them so I can burn them. In the meantime, I'm trying to deny Team #1 their 2cpt trade routes. Map Control was not completely blockaded last turn, allowing Sulla to get trade routes with it, but I had to do it to preserve my navy.



In hindsight, it was a really bad idea to place Angkor Wat in Trafalgar. The problem arises that when I have population I have a conflict of interest. Because of the HE, I want to work the 0/4/0 plains hills mines. But I also want to run priests to get a prophet of course, if we had gotten a prophet on that pull 30 turns ago, this wouldn't be an issue....

At any rate, an anti-synergy in my setup I thought I would point out. Although, even with the benefit of hindsight, I'm not sure where I could have built it in any decent time frame.

My soldiers en route west:



WK gifted me a settler, I'm planning on settling the city of Gallipoli. It's either that or save him for the offensive city against Sulla. However, I don't think I'll have enough military to do that any time soon.



I have four decent city-sites left to settle in the south, that will be the focus of my next round of expansion. I haven't shown them in awhile, so here they are:



The core:



Railroads start next turn. The priority here is to build a railroad up to Orleans, and get enough units in there over the course of the next few turns to free up all my musketeers for Armageddon.

End Turn.

[Shoot the Moon]

Throwing a machine gun or two in those island cities would let you keep them safely until Marines. That's of course assuming you could actually capture them.

[Tyrmith]

I just wanted to say thanks for documenting things so awesomely. We lurkers are really enjoying it and having fun debating random minutia in the lurker thread.

[oledavy]

I don't think it's possible. Steam Power and Serfdom together gives workers double the base speed, but a railroad costs 3 turns of worker labor. Even on Quick speed, it's 3 x 0.67 = 2.01 turns of worker labor while a single worker produces 2.00. A worldbuilder test could answer easily.

T-Hawk, forgot to respond upthread, but thanks for the clarification

Throwing a machine gun or two in those island cities would let you keep them safely until Marines. That's of course assuming you could actually capture them.

You know, I put those cities on hills to make them easier to hold. Now I'm facing the daunting task to dislodging infantry fortified on the heights.

Teleport Gank should not be too hard to reclaim, as I can land beside the city and attack the following turn - bring a cannon or two to the fight and keep casualties to a minimal. Map Control though, a 1-tile island.....

I just wanted to say thanks for documenting things so awesomely. We lurkers are really enjoying it and having fun debating random minutia in the lurker thread.

Thanks

[oledavy]

Forgot to mention in the turn report, but I found the 3 missing mounted units - Sulla got them back onto the mainland. Guessing they're headed to attack Team #2.

[WarriorKnight]

In hindsight, it was a really bad idea to place Angkor Wat in Trafalgar. The problem arises that when I have population I have a conflict of interest. Because of the HE, I want to work the 0/4/0 plains hills mines. But I also want to run priests to get a prophet of course, if we had gotten a prophet on that pull 30 turns ago, this wouldn't be an issue....

When we get Music (and we will someday, although not really anytime soon unless maybe Armageddon gets us the last 3 GG's we need) you can always just whip a Cathedral somewhere and use those Priests.

[oledavy]

Quick Military Update:

I did some messing around in game, figuring out what I could get to Marlo by t186, and arrived at a final count of what France is contributing to the attack.

29 Musketeers
6 Pikemen
3 Longbows
1 Maceman
6 Cannon
1 Catapult
7 Knights

53 Units Total

Of these:

5 Pikemen
3 Longbows
1 Maceman
3 Cannon
1 Catapult

Are already under Indian control.

The rest will be transferred in the next few turns. The French contigent is obviously the smallest and least potent of the three armies making up the force for Operation Armageddon. However, the musketeers should prove useful post t193 to mop up the remaining Chinese cities. This is also a painful reminder to me: that if I hadn't been foolish with my forces earlier, I could be sending 62 units for the invasion (+8 knights, +1 musketeer).

We live and learn I suppose.

[oledavy]

[SIZE="4"]Turn 180[/SIZE]

Fun turn, I got to start paying Sulla back for the havoc he wreaked on my coastal cities earlier in the game:



I pillaged his whales, crabs, bombarded down the defenses of Absolute Zero, and blockaded the entirety of Sandstorm Bay. My naval forces in the eastern sea now number:

2 Nav I Ironclads
10 Frigates



So far, I've been dancing outside the range of Sulla's navy and wreaking havoc. Next turn, I expect Sulla will regroup his navy and move within range of my stack blockading the bay. I have not made a firm decision yet, but I think I will add the four frigates to the flotilla and hold my ground. With Combustion due in two turns now, these ships are about to come worthless. I'm thinking I might as well keep up the blockade in the meantime and not retreat. I'd rather go out with a bang, taking the bastards with me.

Two of the ironclads are en route to join this naval force. However, I expect they'll be obsolete by the time they arrive My last frigate is maintaining the blockade around Map Control and Teleport Gank.



In the northern sea, my pair of frigates are blockading Sulla's coastal city, while my galleon is now blockading the city of Help Pix! The third ironclad is en route to support the blockade. I'm keeping my blockading fleet within range of Louisbourg so it can retreat instantly if Sulla shows up with a destroyer. I posted a sign in game, but I'm considering forting a tile east of Louisbourg, and heading into the sea northeast of Louisbourg. I doubt there is anything present there.

I almost forgot to revolt into Caste System



As a result, I went from 7th to 4th in MFG Also, I'm now first in crop yield, probably because my blockade of Sulla's coastal cities cost him about 20 fpt.



You can scarcely tell the effects of my whipping now. Upong ending turn, I jumped up to 164 population. 33 turns to double my total population (82 on t147), and that has been while whipping and drafting heavily.

My domestic advisor:



I've been building a few barracks before I continue my military spam.

My IW has been painfully delayed by all this. Next turn, Dien Bien Phu builds it's last machine gun, two turns a levee, then resumes building IW. It Should take around 10 turns to complete.

I threw up a half-dozen railway lines this turn. I've highlighted the priority railways to construct.



Right now, the most important of the three is the red north-south one linking all my major production cities up to Orleans. Tertiary priority railways are to the Indian city of Proposition Joe, which Shoot is aiding with, and a rail line up to Louisbourg. Nothing in the south is of similar importance, at least for right now.

Last turn, I finally reclaimed Orleans' food, I can finally start growing the city

Lastly, upon ending turn, I popped another source of coal by Dien Bien Phu.



I would have preferred gold or gems, but hey, it's +2 hammers for my IW city, I'm not gonna complain

End Turn.

[oledavy]

.............



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsbYx6hevoQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yfr_Zj1iU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbeR6uYxU50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgZIYdFmZqc



I don't have time for this. I realize I was the one to attack Team #4, so it's only natural they would try and retake their city. In fact, taking Trottingham may turn out to be the biggest mistake of the game. So yes, I know, they have a logical reason for launching this attack.

Nonetheless, pardon me, but I'm going to tilt a bit.

Goddamnit, this is frustrating. Team #2 is within spitting distance of a culture victory, and we seem to be the only team trying to do something about it! What the fuck is Team #1 doing! It's 12+ turns to go, Sunrise and Sulla's power levels are FLAT. They're showing now signs of doing anything to stop the victory. The way I see it, there are three options:

1. Team #1 does not realize Team #2 are heading for a cultural victory. Sulla, Speaker and Sunrise have been playing Civ4 since its release, so I would find this extremely hard to believe. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what is going on. A quick look at the Top 5 Cities Screen and Event Log should indicate this. The fact that Team #2 has not researched a tech in a long time should also clue everyone in to what is going on.

2. They realize it, but have the culture victory date pegged later than I do. This is probably the most likely of the three, and there is a chance my estimate is off. They're leisurely building their factories and a massive swarm of infantry before invading. If this is the case, they're going to lose the game before their army can invade.

3. They realize, but think that it won't work and therefore that there is no rush to invade. This is probably the least likely - it took us one WB test to confirm that the victory is possible. This is Speaker and Sulla we're talking about, their attention to detail is legendary. They had to have tested this in WB. Even if they decided not to, there is a simple logic test here. The more I look back on the game, the more I think Team #2 was planning to win a culture victory from the very beginning - from the wonderwhoring to the odd research path, it all adds up. Even the "Retrospectives Thread," which I wrote off at the time as them giving up on the game, is probably subtle misdirection on their part, as they're obviously still in it to win it at this point. The logical test is this: Lewwyn, ASM, and Luddite, when he was with the team, are all very competent players. There is no way they would try this if it wasn't going to work. A noob might make that mistake, but not them. If I was basing my entire game plan around as assumption on a game mechanic, I would test and confirm, and test to the point of redundancy to make absolutely sure that assumption was correct. If Team #1 has written off the culture victory because they don't think it will work, that's just hubris.

I'm hoping I'm totally wrong and they're in the process of moving a massive army against Milkshake. There has been no evidence of this in the event log or civstats yet, but one can hope.

And then, we have Team #4. Oh, how I wish Nabaxo and Thoth had sent that stack against Sulla - you know, the guy who has an enormous tech lead. There are enough units in that stack to do some damage wherever it goes, infantry and machine guns be dammed. However, instead of attacking Team #1, they're attacking us. On the eve of me moving those troops west to invade Lewwyn. Nabaxo and Thoth should be aware of what we're doing! They've been watching me send and gift troops to Shoot west south of Hoofington for the last dozen turns! Why do they want to stop that? Don't they realize I'm about to demilitarize the border! All signs point to it.

At any rate, I hope I didn't offend anyone with this rant, but I'm legitimately really frustrated with the other Teams right now. If Team #2 wins by culture, let it be said we did our damndest to stop them.

[Shoot the Moon]

Dave your picture doesn't show it and I don't have access to civ right now what exactly is the makeup of those stacks?