[SPOILER] The Steak, Beer, and Cigar Saloon

[haphazard1]

Wrote a long reply but my computer crashed and I lost it. Short version:

- Jowy will probably want the gems site, but the rest are probably OK. He has other directions to expand/compete for as well.
- Moving ivory west will start the city much faster, but it will take the cows from C3 and will not really be any stronger overall long term.
- Demos look mostly good, especially GNP and hammers. Crops could be better but is not really that far off. Population looks heavily skewed by a couple larger cities -- note that you are 7th despite matching the rival worst.

Where is C6 on the dot map?

Edit: OK, the latest posts just totally changed. Hmmm, now C7, I see C6, etc. Oh well. I still think Jowy will want the gems. Also, where is AH in the tech path?

[Catwalk]

C6 is hiding to the north west, peeking out from behind the sugar

I've revised this over and over, going over a ton of different options. I had the pink dot at C9 previously, and I decided that was probably too long to wait. I also decided to put off Monarchy, as I really don't need a lot of happiness pouring in at once. I'll have +2 happiness when I settle C6, and another one as soon as I plant on the incense. That should last me through an expansion phase, then Monarchy for vertical growth and consolidation. I'm keen on making a run for the Colossus, with all of this coast and being FIN I feel it will be worth it. Vacuuming is a great city for building it fast, even though I can't make much use of the GPP there.

[Catwalk]

Turn 42
Rapid pace! Nothing new here, except I decided to switch to a warrior in Vacuuming instead of a granary. I'll be chopping the granary anyway, and I won't finish it any faster with those 15 hammers. I only have a small window of being able to build warriors, Hunting will disable them except in cities without a copper connection. Another warrior will be useful to scout the NW, and then return for cheap garrison duty later on. Demos still suck, growth in my expansion next turn will help a little bit with that. Sadly, I'm still short on good tiles to work.

[Catwalk]

Turn 43
Still nothing much happening, 3 turns until Meditation and 7 turns until the next settler. Workers busy farming rice and mining a PH. Cities are size 3 and 2, demos are a bit better. Screenshots will follow sometime soonish

[haphazard1]

You did not report "Buddhism founded in a distant land" so no news is good news.

[Catwalk]

Turn 44
More good No News!

Everybody is chilling, waiting for the rice farm and PH mine to come in next turn. If Buddhism doesn't get founded next turn, I'm guaranteed a coin flip.

[Catwalk]

Turn 45
Yet more no news! Guaranteed at least a coin flip now, and I'm feeling confident I'm the only one going after it. I'll be able to build a monastery and missionaries from there, might be worth it for border pops. Stonehenge was built, looks like Nakor is the proud builder. I think that's good news for me, that's 80 hammers spent not building workers and settlers. Turn 45 is quite early for Stonehenge, it's bound to set him back, even as IND. Second settler will be done in 4 turns, a little late but not terrible. This is still a catch up game for me.

[haphazard1]

Good luck with the religion -- hopefully you will land it.

Stonehenge may have set Nakor back a bit, but it will be very helpful for him now that he has it. He will make back the hammers invested with just a couple of cities not needing monuments, and being able to plant his cities without worrying about border pops can have significant results, allowing for more efficient longer-term placements. And of course the eventual prophet could also be quite helpful in snagging a later religion via bulb. Good for Nakor -- after all, if you are going to pick an IND civ you may as well try to make the most of it.

What I am wondering is how many other IND players just got a chunk of fail gold, and just how unhappy are they right now?

[Catwalk]

Turn 46
Buddhism is ours I feel that was worth it, I'll still get necessary early techs more or less in time. Worker micro is slacking due to bad planning, though. I'll need to quit being lazy and not assume everything matches up nicely, losing little advantages here and there. Just got graphs on Nakor, it looks like he whipped his capital to build Stonehenge.

[haphazard1]

Congrats on grabbing Buddhism! I assume the holy city is the copper city?

Hmmm, slaving Stonehenge would be an interesting tactic. But presumably he was worried about other IND civs beating him to it. And with production focused on the wonder, his extra pop is presumably working unimproved tiles anyway. So the whip doesn't cost him too badly, even though generally it is a poor idea due to the penalty.