[Spoilers] Gavagai, Bacchus and Elizabeth Form a Romantic Trio

[Gavagai]

What the hell, Koln was working silk instead of cow this turn. I'm pretty sure that I didn't reassign tiles and this time I don't have Bacchus to blame.
Actually, this is pretty important: food and hammers in this city are in high demand.

Edit: Actually one can see some good news on this picture: we now have Buddhism in this city.

[Oxyphenbutazone]

Do you really not have a single cottage in your core on turn 89?

[Gavagai]

Do you really not have a single cottage in your core on turn 89?

I'm not that terrible, I have another cottage (hamlet now), forcibly taken from Jester!
...actually yes, I'm that terrible. These are the economic consequences of war: no workers to build cottages, no pop to work them. This war consumes a lot of worker-turns and is still consuming them: the worker, previously earmarked to cottage the capital, is now chopping a spear in another city. I need these cottages badly but even more I need to be able to hold conquered cities .

[Gavagai]

Shrine is doing good things for me. I've got a spread in Deau-Vere.
Serdoa got his Prophet from Hendge. I wonder what he is going to do with him: he has no Holy city to shrine and it is probably too late for settling. I think he will save it to bulb Theology.

[Gavagai]

Well, I'm the last in mfg. This is quite an achievement, actually, as it means that I'm below Jester. GNP, however, is impressive, given that I'm the first in power and working only two cottages.
The root of this evil is low pop:



but I hope to fix it in a few turns. Monarchy will be done next turn and all cities are set to growth. I have only three whips planned for the near future (granary in Kanbery, Library and a Spear in Koln) and none of them are in my core.

Also:



Started to run scientist at last.

[Gavagai]

I researched Monarchy and Archery (for cheap MP) and revolted to HR. My position somewhat improved: I'm actually the first in GNP at 100% science.
I think I will go Masonry - Construction next and focus on killing of Egypt ASAP. Settling South is a pretty expansive enterprise and I won't be ready for it soon enough anyway.



Barb behavior was interesting. They had an axe an a warrior moving towards Londra which suddenly turned away and wondered to the South. And then a barb city appeared near my borders. I'm not sure, what I should do with it. It's a good spot but I wanted to settle my own city 1N from Rice to share away a clam from the capital. Anyway, I will need to scout it and see, how it is defended.



A chariot is sent to explore Sian's neighborhood.



Egypt situation. Enforced peace has ended but none of us wants to start the war anew now. I'm playing conservatively and keeping all my units in cities.
Koln will whip a library this turn. Not sure what I should build next: a monument, a monastery (to take away copper from Jester), a lighthouse (to be able to work coast tiles and don't worry about land improvements for a time) or a spear (for extra defense). The worker has just finished the cottage and will move north to chop a forest (borders will expand soon enough to catch this chop).

[Gavagai]

I ultimately decided to postpone the final war with Egypt until maces. The reason is that if I try to attack them now, I will need to build a huge ancient age army which immediately will become obsolete. So, I set research to currency.
Of course, I'm taking a risk that Egypt will prepare some nasty surprise for me but I will have to live with that. Offered them OB to signal peaceful intentions.

[Gavagai]

And yes, international news: Serdoa built Pyramids.

[Gavagai]

Jester accepted OB and this is the stack he has in Moria:

[Gavagai]

Observe that Jester doesn't pillage a cottage 1N from Parye. It can be either a mistake, quite expected from a player with low MP experience or a sign that he hopes to retake his city before I claim this tile with my culture.
His stack, however, is clearly optimized for defensive purposes.