[SPOILERS] Wilderness

[Jowy]

We got Sailing this turn. Four cities now have +2 GPT trade routes with Retep.



And we settled the fifth. I had originally planned it 1 tile south: On a hill for defense, and horses in first ring ready to be improved when it's settled. I changed my mind to get a health bonus from fresh water, to get better long term BFC tiles from the north that would otherwise go unused, and to leave the hill to be mined so that the city has some production and can get the essential infrastructure built at better pace.



I offered REM Open Borders to get more foreign trade routes. You might have noticed the same as me, he's not doing so good right now. He did get The Oracle IIRC, but he's two cities down and only has one resource connected. He has BW (power bump) and has copper inside his culture, but hasn't connected it. I have an axe that will be built next turn in 399 Opts, and he's gonna go take a look up north. I could cause REM some trouble if I get to his copper and it's still unconnected. I could even take his capital if he only has warriors. We'll see what happens. I'm hoping for peace just because I'm scared that I'd screw my game with a war like I tend to do, but some chances are too good to not be taken.

[Jowy]

Two hours later I get the save back and REM has copper connected. Well, that's good. It's not like I was getting excited or anything.



Death Dot grew to size 7. I started working two scientists there.

Great Scientist in 9 turns. It could pop Alphabet, but it's a relatively cheap tech and we have no need for it yet. I think the first scientist should be used for a capital academy. Second for GA, third for Philo bulb? We'll see, the later two are still far away.

[Jowy]

REM converted to slavery but also to hereditary rule. He must have picked Monarchy as his Oracle tech.

[Jowy]

We just had demos a few turns ago, this is more for me than you



I did in the end only run 1 scientist specialist. I figured it's more important to get the next settler out 2 turns faster.

[GermanJoey]

Still looking great! What are your tech plans after Math? The standard currency run-around, or perhaps something different?

How are your rivals doing, as far you're concerend?

[Jowy]

Still looking great! What are your tech plans after Math? The standard currency run-around, or perhaps something different?

How are your rivals doing, as far you're concerend?

After Math: Currency, CoL, CS, Calendar for economy.
Construction, IW, Masonry, Machinery, Engineering for military.

We have to be ready to fend off a cataphract attack if it comes to that. Byzantine is our only neighbor, we're bordering him from north and south. Best case scenario is that he's too far behind to do anything by the point he gets cataphracts, or he has another neighbor and finds them more inviting to conquer. Worst case scenario is that we're looking at 20-30 cataphract stack and need at least a stack of 30 units (15+ cats) at time of declaration if we hope to attack out at his stack at some point. It gets easier if we can hole up in cities, but I don't think we can just rely on that. In my last PBEM Mardoc hanged around my capital for ages when he couldn't attack it, I had to build up forces to take out his stack before I got peace.

It's hard to judge how well my opponents are doing. I think I'm leading by a small margin, but they are not far behind. REM was slow to build new cities, but he just plopped down two to match my 5. Cornflakes lost a city last turn. If I'm reading the Glance screen correctly, no-one has ever been in war with him. That only leaves barbarians as the culprit, but I'm not sure how you could lose a city to barbs on T66 on Noble difficulty In any case, he's in last place in city count.



We got a Judaism spread from trading with Retep. All our cities have a trade route with him, let's hope for more religion spreads.



Plans for new cities. Eastern X will be settled next in a few turns. Then the western super-city. It seems like it's far, but it's as close to the capital as our third city (399 Opts).
I'll grab the southern cows spot eventually. North coast could be a place for a filler city, but it's so low in food that it won't be worth it until much later.

[Jowy]

I've been thinking, I should go for Mausoleum of Maussollos.
- I have marble
- I have a high production city (Fullout War)
- Increased golden age length synergizes with PHI
- Great Artist points from the wonder will help me get a non-scientist great person to launch a second golden age
I'll have Math researched next turn. Question is do I want to go for the wonder right now or leave it for later.

[Jowy]

I went for Calendar. On top of the wonder, we'll get three new happiness resources: silk, spices and incense.



We are the first to settle a sixth city. The new city somehow has trade routes with Bob.. I couldn't figure out how, but I'll take it
We dropped down to 40% science. There's another city being settled soon, then I will slow down expansion to not tank our economy.

The world as we know it:

[Jowy]

We got the Great Scientist and built an academy in the capital with it. An academy gives just as much science as a super specialist would, and it will only get stronger as our city grows and our science slider goes up.



Here's our seventh city, Crashing. It's a production site and will be plenty useful in the future. Right now it's a -7 GPT burden :/



REM built The Great Lighthouse I didn't realize TGL was up for grabs. It was the map maker's choice. I have Commodore on ignore. FML.
REM just made himself the leader. TGL is huge on this map, nearly every city will be coastal. I went early Sailing this game, I could have beaten his completion date with minimal effort.

I canceled OB with REM . Cornflakes didn't. Cmon buddy.

[Commodore]

Hah, that's making your own karma.

But, um, who's HAK?