kjn's Ryde (spoilers!)

[kjn]

T37 - 1780 BC

Picked up Metal Casting with the Oracle.

AT had retreated his warrior back onto the hill, so my workers finished roads (to the east) and moved and pre-cottaged (to the west). Docka (now fully healed) moved SE where he could either reinforce Citron or cover the eastern pass.

Research at 100%, so I'll finish Masonry this turn.

Now, the question is if I should whip the granary and overflow to the mint, or whip the mint and overflow to the granary...

Right now, Ryd is at 14/18, with 6/40 in a granary. I produce 2H overflow and 6 or 9H this turn.

Whipping the granary this turn isn't good - it will leave the ivory unworked for a turn and only put 11 raw overflow into the mint. If I wait until T38 I'll whip at 17/40, for 23 raw overflow into the mint, ie I should be able to finish it in another 2t, so T41 or so.

If I whip the mint first I will have to put 1t into it this turn, to 22/80, and then 2-pop whip. That should put it at 108H, or 28 overflow. Now, is this overflow divided by 2 or by 2.25? In one case, we get 14 overflow to the granary, in the other 12.

In the end, I decide on whipping the granary first. Whip anger might become a trouble, though. I probably need to move Stark back to the Ryd relatively soon.

End turn. The good news is that the two barb warriors by the silver mine moved SW, 1NW of Fröderyd. Two more barb warriors also appeared, one to my east and one to southeast of Fröderyd.




I indent to move Elg into Fröderyd when I get the turn back, and I think I'll have to move Docka to help protect my sheep, but I doubt I can stop them from being pillaged again. At least I have a road in place there now.

Foreign developments and C&D

Demos:

AT grew both his cities, to size 8 and size 2. TZ also grew Sternum to size 4 and whipped their second city to size 1. This was visible from the cities screen and having center tile visibility of Sternum.

[kjn]

While waiting for getting the turn back from TZ, it might be time to consider the next tech.

But given that the two most recent techs I've researched have been Polytheism and Masonry, what is there to discuss? Especially since Judaism hasn't been founded yet. The only contender there is Catwalk, who might have researched Masonry on T34 and in that case probably would finish Monotheism next turn, but I'm pretty sure he went for Agriculture first. There must be some limits to his religiou-culture insanity.

After that I get a real choice: Writing or Monarchy.

Writing gives libraries (with scientist slots, I should already be able to run engineers and priests), while Monarchy gives HR and lots of vertical growth in the capital and maybe another city. But if I can get the Pyramids then Monarchy is less interesting.

So I think Writing is the best choice after Monotheism. Then probably Mathematics before Aesthetics.

After tech comes wonders. Starting with the wonders I have available right now, I have the Oracle. If the other teams skip Stonehenge I might try to chop it out in another city, but I doubt it will last that long. The Temple of Artemis is heavily nerfed here, with no foreign or inter-continental routes. The Great Wall might be interesting, but I think I'd rather have Stonehenge. The Pyramids are of course highly desirable, and my current medium-term goal.

After that, the Hanging Gardens are always interesting, but not that high a priority. With the Statue of Zeus banned, I think the most interesting wonder after the Pyramids is The Parthenon - it fits very nicely with a wonder/specialist strategy, especially a non-PHI leader.

After that, I probably need to prioritise between the Shwedagon Paya, The Great Library, and the Mausoleum of Maussollos. All three have their good points. The MoM is probably the strongest, but with few visible calendar resources and no need for Sailing except as a pre-requisite for Calendar, I think the Great Library is most critical.

Ie, the tech path I'm looking at currently is Monotheism -> Writing -> Mathematics -> Aesthetics -> Literature.

[kjn]

The ISDG still hasn't rolled, so I looked some more at the power numbers.

TZ gained four power with the whip, so I think it might be another impi, making him rival best at 37000. The last 1000 in power change this turn is 1000 from AT growing to 10 pop total.

That leaves 11000 unassigned between Catwalk and AT. Might be a barracks or an archer, quite probably another WC for AT, probably a spearman, but not much else.

[kjn]

Finally managed to update this thread and the banter thread, stripping out raw Unicode, fixing the embedding of video links, and so on. Hope someone will appreciate it.

[kjn]

T38 - 1720 BC

Well, so much for the plan of getting Judaism - Catwalk planted his third city, grew his second city to size 5, and was the first to tech Monotheism all on the same turn. He still haven't teched Agriculture, AH, or Pottery, as far as I know.

No reason to tech Monotheism now, so lets go for Writing. Have to think over if I want to target CoL or Theology. It does make it much more likely I'll use a prophet out of Ryd to bulb Theology. I have enough funds to 2t of teching, but am unlikely to finish Writing in 2t, so it's 100% gold this turn.

Ryd was 2-pop-whipped into the granary, which should generate 23H of overflow into the mint. Fröderyd should grow to size 3 next turn, and will probably take the ivory to finish the granary ASAP. Unless something happens I'm going to whip a mint there next.

In unit movements, Docks went back to the rice to help defend Ryd and the workers there against the approaching barb warrior, and Elg went to Fröderyd. The standoff between Citron and TZ's axe on the rice continued, while AT's warrior continued westwards away from me.

My workers teamed up to road this turn - on the tiles 1S of Fröderyd and 1S of the sheep. That will help make it easier to attack the barbs and for the workers to move around. Depending on how the barbs move, I might go for a cottage in Fröderyd, camping the deer, or something else.

End turn. Elg handily defeated a barb warrior while defending Fröderyd, AT's warrior survived another attack on its hill but was badly wounded, and there is another barb warrior approaching from the east.




Foreign developments and C&D

Demos after ending turn:

As noted above, Catwalk settled his third city, teched Monotheism, founded Judaism, and grew his second city to size 5. He also added 14 tiles to his land. It think it's quite likely that Judaism was founded in his third city.

Rival power rose markedly, with 15000 total. TZ added another 4000 to their power (from graph) and are now at 46000. Probably another impi - his army is 1 axe, 3 impis, and 1 warrior. Rival worst rose from 37000 to 38000, and is probably Catwalk, of which 11000 is units and buildings. That leaves 47000 for AT, of which 25000 is units and buildings. Lets hope he uses that to do something to someone.

[kjn]

It's somewhat tricky here. I really hope the other players have as much barb trouble as I have right now. The picture in my previous turn report should give a clue.

Fröderyd has taken over the ivory from Ryd, and will finish its granary in 2t. Plan is to whip a mint there next, maybe with a skirmisher first to grow to size 4. Ryd has just whipped its granary, and has 3t to finish its mint.

But it's the worker and tactical movements that are the real thing. Docka moves 1N where he can attack the barb that might move onto the sheep at the end of turn, using the newly built road. Elg in Fröderyd heals this turn. He has 71% odds, wounded, against a barb warrior in a forest. It should be far better if the barb moves up to the silver hill, though he might be hit by the warrior that's on the sheep right now. In the south, the standoff with TZ continues

Question for clarity: when attacking along a road, even up a hill, it counts as road movement?

So, what to do with the workers? I get a sign here that my empire development haven't been optimal: my tile development is outstripping my population.

In the east, I finish the cottage 1S of Fröderyd. Hopefully, it can delay the barb coming from the south. The rest of the workers makework, but I prepare the road to the southern pass as well.

End turn. The warrior 1N of Fröderyd suicides against Elg. The rest of the barbs move in.




Plan is to use Docka to kill the barb on the sheep ASAP, and maybe use Elg to kill the barb next to the silver.

Foreign development and C&D

Demos after ending turn:

TZ grow both their cities, to 5 and 2, and AT grows his second city to size 2 (total 9). No techs or other score changers things.

In power, TZ gained 1000 from pop, and Catwalk (rival worst) gained 4000. I imagine it's a spear.

I'm falling behind in foodhammers, though part of that is that the sheep is blocked right now. The things that are good are that I have more vertical growth potential, even with heavy whip anger, lots of developed tiles to grow into, and better infrastructure. But I will need more settlers ASAP.

[kjn]

Just noted that Catwalk got a huge amount of score when the turn rolled. It fits exactly with the amount of land points he should receive on T41 according to my land power tab. I guess I'll have to check this manually at times - no need to bother fixing this "for real" right now.

[waterbat]

and a new turn is in. I'd wait for that barb to climb the silver hill. Maybe take a shot at the other one(although it is across the river)

[kjn]

Yeah, 93% odds isn't that great - it's the same against both barbs. I'm planning on moving Elg to the silver and fortify there, while Stark covers the city. That way I think I can get both barbs to suicide next turn, and Elg can still kill the southern barb next turn if it moves to flat land.

I've already used Docka to kill the barb on the sheep, so 2t to the Mint. I also plan to work the cottage over the silver in Fröderyd for a while, for max growth.

Available on Gchat right now.

[kjn]

T40 - 1600 BC

Another turn today! *woot*

Docka starts with attacking the barb on the sheep, and wins flawlessly. Another XP and I can get G2 on him!

In Fröderyd I work the new cottage instead of the silver. Quick growth is needed, and I will finish Writing quickly anyway. Elg fortifies on the silver, while Stark covers the city.

I start a farm 2W of the rice - it will help to get another +1F in Ryd, especially if a city on the copper steals the sheep - and finish the last river cottage around Ryd.

End turn. Both the barbs around Fröderyd suicides against my defenders, and the barb in the east moves onto flat ground! Another one appears in the north.



Foreign developments and C&D

Demos after ending turn:

TZ whipped a granary in Sternum for 2 pop, and also their second city for 1 pop. Catwalk grew his third city to size 2. That means the land points aren't from a new city, but expanding borders. Since AT is rival worst there, it's probably a border expansion from a monument in his second city.

Rival power rose with 6000. The pop changes cancel each other out. Rival best rose to 49000 from 47000, and I dropped from #3 to #4 in the rankings, so one possibility is that Catwalk has built an axe.

Going forward

With the barb situation temporarily under control, I need to plan for my next city.



My primary options are on the copper, or to go for the horses. I'd like to scout out the area around the fish better, and one possibility is to send a worker onto the hill. I should probably send Stark to the capital, to act as MP, unless I can get a skirmisher there quickly (probably doable by taking back the ivory).

Next build in Fröderyd? Another skirmisher, a barracks, or a mint? I should probably assign an engineer next turn, which would give me my first GP in 12t, if I do my counts right, either a Prophet or a GE.