[SPOILERS] *Placeholder* Zakalwe plays a soldier

[zakalwe]

Thanks for playing the turns, Mackoti. Anything to report?

[zakalwe]

I'm up and running and can take over the turnplaying again.

Dazed has a warrior right outside our second city. We can only cover it with one warrior, so let's hope he doesn't both feel lucky and get lucky.

[zakalwe]

In pictures:




We just discovered mining, and started polytheism. Both our cities are about to grow next turn. Aachen will start a worker or a settler, and Prague will start another workboat. Dazed has a warrior encroaching on Prague, as noted.

Our cities:







Sitation at the isthmus:




We've been thinking about settling our third city here, on the plains hill NW of the sheep. Hopefully Novice will then choose to do the same on his side, giving us a relaxed border. Mackoti has started roading towards this area.

South of the capital:




I was thinking the scout in the south could sit on that highlighted hill. Each turn, it can move NE-SW, maintaining visibility on the easternmost desert hill as well.

[zakalwe]

Sandbox: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/49396026/rb/pbe...dSwordSave

[zakalwe]

I haven't passed on the save yet. If we want to be absolutely safe, we could build another warrior in Prague, working the cows this turn and the cows + grass forested hill next turn. But Dazed's warrior will be attacking at strength 2 vs. 3, with 9.9% odds of victory. He might take that shot and win, but I think we can probably risk it. Let me know if you disagree, Mackoti, but I think I know what your answer will be.

[zakalwe]

Dazed kept advancing. If he tries to move closer to our capital, we can 2 vs 1 him. If he attacks Prague and wins at 10% odds, then such is life.




We've taken the score lead. Apparently, we are the only ones to have both a size 3 and a size 2 city. That's my guess, at least. Pretty much flying blind when it comes to C&D so far.




I haven't paid much attention to the espionage screen yet; we've got graphs on Dazed, so I'm getting them on Boldly, too, and will then focus on Novice.




Mackoti and I have been agonizing about where to settle on the isthmus. The problem is that Novice may decide to settle the canal site where his warrior is sitting. So to prevent that, we have to settle it, even if it's a terribly aggressive plant. It's a bit of a prisoner's dilemma. One option is to settle 1N of the sheep instead, encouraging Novice to settle 4E of that, on his plains hill. If we juts settle our plains hill, he could settle the canal site and his creative culture would temporarily steal the sheep. So that's really not a good scenario.




We will have to think on it some more, but in any case, we're building a settler and roading towards the area.

[zakalwe]

Sandbox: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/49396026/rb/pbe...dSwordSave

[zakalwe]

Dazed didn't take the shot, and moved east instead. Novice also made a very unaggressive move with his warrior, moving it east. So that's good news, I think. If he was planning on settling on that tile, he certainly wouldn't move his warrior away. The timing also seems right for his second settler approaching the plains hill site. If he settles the plains hill, that's a clear invitation for us to do the same. Of course, we could still go for a more aggressive plant.







North of the sheep still has its merits, not least the ability to fort into the southern sea.

I moved one warrior back into the capital and held with the other two. The one in the capital can head to the isthmus if Dazed continues to back off.




Prague is growing in two, and will then finish the second workboat in one, working the newly mined plains hill. The worker will improve the silver next, and Prague will continue to grow.




Aachen is building a settler, and will do a worker next. No more good tiles to grow onto here, yet.




We now have graphs on Dazed and Boldly, and I'm putting all EPs on Novice. Here are the graphs:

[zakalwe]

Sandbox: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/49396026/rb/pbe...dSwordSave

[zakalwe]

Dazed moved onto the grass hill. The situation should be under control.