The Pen vs The Sword (Gandhi of NA)

[The Black Sword]

More impatience endangered Jessica again:


She got experience from the hut too, but I decided to save it for healing because I thought she'd survive that. Still, she did better than most of my scouts:


(City locations aren't near finalised.) Current plan is almost finished, I need to figure out where to settle next.



I met dazed in the north west there but still no eastern neighbour, and it now looks like Xenu is on a separate landmass as well! I'm pretty happy with my current expansion, especially since I have no early traits, still 1 city ahead of all my current contacts.



I've been debating whether to save gold in anticipation of the library and academy, but my expenses are so low that there doesn't seem any point. The aim really should be to maximise my chance of landing confucianism and it looks like I won't run out of gold before then.

[The Black Sword]

Guess I should update, I landed the games first GP:



Unfortunately, this has come at a heavy cost in expansion.



To be fair, I have a lot of hammers mid-investment at the moment, settler in Elensefar, monument in Blackwater and the two grans in the capital and Blackwater. Still, maybe I'm playing my traits too much and not the map, which is set up to expand like crazy.

My next city is just ready, Hashoosh settled as predicted, so I think we should have a peaceful border here. I could try poke at him with the Dog, since I don't believe he has horses, but I'd prefer to play nice.


I decided to leave the lakes unlighthoused, in exchange for the PH plant and the second ring pigs. They'll be easy to grab when I go into Caste.

In the East, I noted that one of the corn has been connected, so I must have a neighbour over here:


I was tempted to have some fun and try rush two chariots out of the fog but common sense prevailed. The highlighted spot is probably my next city, with a settler from Dan Tonk when it grows to 5.

Almost ready to hook the furs here:


I decided to put a granary up in the capital in the end. I can get the full bonus for growth to the next level, we have furs, silver and hopefully a religion coming up for 3 growths, so it should be worth it. No point building an academy and keeping it at low sizes. Again though, the map probably favours a more horizontal approach. We seem to be keeping up with our neighbours in expansion at least, while maintaining the gnp advantage. Only Joey recently settled one more city than me.

Thinking about long term strategy, I probably need to make something happen in the mediavel era to be among the leaders. RBmod just does not reward tech advantages after that, any would-be conquerer has too much time to catch up with the massive tech costs. So, the most realistic option is probably to use Philo to get to knights ASAP. I have some ideas here. First, using GM trade missions to keep putting 100% commerce through the academy. Second, we'll want a golden age at some stage, probably right before we hit Guilds, getting infrastructure like stables built, HAs pre-built and leaving excess pop to be whipped off. Note that there's really no point in using it for GPs when I can switch into Pacifism with Philo bonus at any time. Third, keep an eye out for Great Artist bomb opportunities. Finally, we have the old-fashioned bulbs. Some options I have there:

1. Bulb Music to ensure I win that race,
2. Then if we don't research masonry(blocking mono) or CS and bulb Philo with a GS, the next GA(perhaps the free music one) will bulb Feudalism.
3. If we clear CS and Paper(again possible thro. bulbs) then GMs can bulb Machinery and Guilds.

These do require researching or bulbing off the guilds path, so I'm not sure how optimal they are, but I'm keeping them in mind.

I also have a rather more crazy idea, when I noticed that if I bulb music, don't research masonry and do research CS(and monarchy btw), the next GA bulbs ... Nationalism! So:

1. Get Drama+Lit, bulb Music with GA
2. Research Alphabet+Med and bulb Philo with GS
3. Research MC, Sailing, bulb CS with GM
4. 2(?) GAs to bulb Nationalism
5. Golden age to ensure we can builds Taj
6. Bulb Paper with GS
7. Bulb Edu with 2 GS
8. Research Compass and Calendar(avoid machinery)
9. Bulb Lib with 2 GS.
10. Lib Mil Tradition, research Gunpowder.
11. Go on the warpath with Cuirs.

That would certainly be putting Phi to good use, but it's rather ambitious in a 33 player game. The main thing I want to keep in mind is the effects of researching masonry and Machinery, which block some of these bulbs.

EDIT: Also, the oracle is still not built, which worries me.

[Ceiliazul]

I also have a rather more crazy idea, when I noticed that if I bulb music, don't research masonry and do research CS(and monarchy btw), the next GA bulbs ... Nationalism! So:

...

EDIT: Also, the oracle is still not built, which worries me.

I don't have to read the rest to say: I vote THIS! More Crazy More Better.

...The oracle? What's that? More importantly, whatchagonnadooaboutit?

[Ceiliazul]

Just noticed, on your demos from t57 you are 5th in crops, flatlined until t67 where you are 20th. With some hand waving, I conclude that the top half dozen guys are already 10 turns ahead of the caboose guys. Pretty impressive spread after a relatively short 60 turns.

Not lumping you with the caboose guys, mind, I'm sure you'll bounce back.

[The Black Sword]

Thanks Ceil, can always rely on you for lurker support .

Unfortunately, I'm not that confident that I'm the only Phi player who will try ignore machinery and double bulb Lib and if someone else does then I don't think I can delay so long.

I can't build the Oracle myself due to chopping most of my forests and nerfed whip overflow. Maybe I should have saved the resources that went into my academy for it instead, though that would obviously be a more risky course.

Anyway, I think I'll just let Parkin orchestrate my comeback.

I'm away from Wednesday to Sunday this week, so I'll need a lurker to play the turns. I'm afraid I've stopped planning this game out as before, so I've just got some general instructions.

Research: Finish CoL obviously, not too sure after that, probably Maths or Monarchy makes the most sense. If we lose the religion then alphabet to set up a Philosophy bulb. Sailing could also be useful.

The capital will want to spend 3t working 2 crabs, wine mine, plains cottage and grass cottage to complete the granary on 24/30f. Then 1t on 6f with AV(2 crab, 3 grass cottages), and 1t with wheat, 2 crabs, 2 grass cottages for 9f. Grow on military, worker or maybe settler at happy cap.

Dan Tonk should probably build a a settler for the highlighted spot at size 5, I haven't checked if we can get the worker support in time. There's 1 chariot and 1 warrior to help defog and defend. There's 1 other floating chariot who can go where he's needed.

Blackwater Bay and Elensefar need to grow now, Blackwater on archers since it has a totem pole, elensefar some other military. Probably want to 2-whip workers/settlers at the happy cap. After connecting the furs, at least 1 of the workers by Blackwater can be re-purposed.

The new city is ready to be set up, it has 2 workers to immediately farm the wheat. It also has 2 forests pre-roaded, chopping into a granary might be a good idea. Again though, we might want to repurpose one of the workers after the wheat is connected.

Obviously we should spend 5t in Caste once that comes in to pop borders with artists. Immediate GP opportunities are GM for trade mission or bulb currency or GS for Philo. I haven't decided whether to do that yet, concentrating on catching up in expansion might be better, I don't mind if you want to go for it or just delay it until I get back.

[Lord Parkin]

Turn 69

Founded your next city. Didn't see a name suggested nor a list of names in your thread, so went with Fort Tahn (based on this).

Two Workers are farming the Wheat. Dog Soldier remains in place this turn, will move if the barbarian Warrior on the Spice tile comes towards the Workers.

Started a Granary. I was inclined towards a Totem pole, but I guess if you get Confucianism you'll have a source of culture anyway.

Okay, domestic situation: 5 cities, 4 workers, starved for happiness. Not exactly ideal.

Capital continues with current build as planned.

Started a Settler in Dan Tonk, with the understanding that Elensefar and/or Blackwater Bay will be whipping out Workers soon.

Started a Dog Soldier in Elensefar after seeing GermanJoey's Spearman to the east. This city was previously working an unmined plains-hill, which was hardly ideal. Swapped tiles and took a cottage from the capital, while the capital took another cottage which grows to a hamlet in 1 turn.

Looks like you're planning to hook up Furs at Blackwater Bay when the borders expand next turn, so moved two Workers into position as well as a Chariot to defend in case of barbs. Not entirely convinced by the Archer build - still not great if you don't also have a Barracks as well as a Totem Pole - but left it anyway.

Located Joey's borders to the east. Will know in a turn or two whether his city was founded on the plains-hill or the tile 1E... but I suspect the plains-hill.

While we're in this area, I checked out your dotmap. I really think you should consider settling on the plains hill 1S of the Silver. Awesome location after borders expand, defensible from Joey, and most importantly nets you the Silver immediately - which is crucial considering how starved you are for happiness right now. You can still get the Crab to the west by settling another city 1S of it later.

An alternative if Joey settled on the plains-hill (since he'd be likely to have control over the Deer and Wheat) would be to settle on the tile 1SW of the Silver, which is on flatland but does net you the Crab and Sheep. It also has the ability to build a Lighthouse and get no fewer than six 3f/2c lake tiles (Moai would be awesome).

It wasn't clear to me which city spot you intended for the next Settler, but to me there's no question - it should be either 1S or 1SW of the Silver.

Demographics.

[Ceiliazul]

that's some high quality subbing there Parkin.

[Lord Parkin]

Turn 70

Northern Workers are hooking up the Fur at Blackwater Bay, will be done next turn. Next job will be mining the Copper - once that's done Blackwater Bay will be quite a respectable town at size 4.

Granary will be finished in the capital next turn. Elensafar will grow next turn and can switch to a Worker. Settler continues in Dan Tonk. Spotted a Lion to the east with the sentry-promoted Chariot.

Hashoosh has a Scout investigating down south near Fort Tahn.

Demographics.

[Lord Parkin]

Turn 71

Swapped tiles in capital to 2 Crab + 3 grassland cottages as requested. Building a Chariot while we grow to size 6.

Started working the newly hooked up Fur in Blackwater Bay. Switched to work the Wine tile in Dan Tonk. All combined, the extra commerce shaved a turn off Code of Laws!

Elensefar reached size 4 (current happy cap) so switched off the Dog Soldier and onto a Worker.

Wheat farm finished at Fort Tahn. Building a road on the tile now.

Hashoosh has two Workers on the Gold and a Scout on the Spice.

Demographics.

[The Black Sword]

Thanks for subbing Parkin! Though no avoid growth on the capital last turn, looking back my notation of AV is pretty unclear.

On the bright side, the Oracle is still not built so Confucianism is ours! I'm now considering Maths next and setting up a 1t Oracle when that comes in to take Civil Service. Could I really do that in a 33p game ... I'm still pretty happy with my decision to ignore the Oracle so far though, tech is pretty good, hammers are not. I probably would have preferred Oracling CoL to teching it directly, but not by much, and I don't think the difference would be worth the risk of losing it.

I had a look at the east and I agree with your choice of the plains hill 1S of the silver.



My original choice was before I knew about Joey's city, I think this spot needs to be on a hill against an aggressive civ.

PB20 spoiler

and player

Unfortunately I'm clearly lacking in workers, so I can't get the roads done in time. Still, we want to work artists on the first 3 turns of the cities existence so it's not too bad. Additionally, I'm pretty confident we can ring the second ring culture battle, via access to caste and religion, which he lacks. In the worst case scenario, there's always a culture bomb .



I pulled the Dog Soldier from Fort Tahn(Nice name!) to start heading up to the new city and counter the spear. The other choice was to whip the dog in Elensefar, but I feel rather military heavy already. Haldric has 99% odds on that barb, so hopefully that will be an ok risk. I'll keep some hammers in an emergency whip archer in Tahn to help defend against Hashoosh. It seems Parkin is subbing there too, hopefully an indicator of a lack of war plans.