{SPOILERS} 2metra, Dreylin & OT4E. This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

[2metraninja]

One thing I notice - we are middle to low rank on hammers and food (GNP is top, because we tech AH I think?) and I doubt most of the land we settled is counted towards score yet, and yet we are third in score. How is this even possible?

[Dreylin]

I think it's probably because we've gimped Samarkand's growth curve so that we can work the Gold - which we did at size 1 for quite a while (and partly because we went for Stonehenge. My guess is that we're around a tech ahead of most of the others right now, which is compensating for the lower Pop.

Goal at the moment is definitely to grow onto more improved tiles and sensibly share the resources across the cities (Bodmin needs to grabs the Corn to accelerate it's growth, however 54 has also been growing and so has been keeping it. Granaries will help, as will converting the Sheep from Mine to Pasture.

[OT4E]

Dreylin is right. Most of the score comes from tech. Cheap ancient tech give us 6 points each, any classical could give us 12, but they cost more than twice beakers more. The score from land mostly comes from cap and 2nd city which were planted "properly" giving us as much points as it could, almost. Each pop is just 1-2 in score.

About GNP we are not leaders, but we must notice that cre civs, SH-owner or religion-founders could have more. So gold is doing fine job. Still need to start cottaging, considering we need 10 extra turns to make them work while not using riversides.

[Dreylin]

Yep, first Cottage is going down now between Bodmin & Los Millares. Also Writing in 4t now we're back working the Gold.

Interturn our Warrior defeated the oncoming Barb; 1xp earned and 6t to heal. He stayed put while the injured Scout headed back to Samarkand to Heal.

Here's what Dolly could see at the start of turn:


So dtay is about to meet Commodore.

Question: do we divert EPs to get Commodore's graphs once they've met, or keep them fully on dtay?

She moved 9-9 and ended next to an injured Lion (1.0/2); should be a second xp for her interturn.

Oh, and here are our Horses:


Not at the Capital as expected, but on our East Coast where we had planned to plant a city. Also out West at a later city location. With Copper about to be hooked, I don't think we need to rush founding that spot and can pick it up later.

I'm planning on heading to the spot South of Samarkand first and then the coastal spot South of 54. I still want your input whether we should be going 3S or 4S of Samarkand?

Right now I also think that 54 is the only city we can use for building Settlers in a timely manner - at least until Los Millares pops borders and grabs the Clams. The others will concentrate on growing for the time being.

[OT4E]

I proposed my spot mainly because it is on the river. Right now there is no big difference but if we are aiming for long game we shall take it in account too. This would be a nice production city.

[2metraninja]

Why not on the PH east of the non-coastal horses?

[2metraninja]

As for espionage, I think it will be fair to start spending points once Dtay meets Comm.

[Dreylin]

t56 was uneventful and I didn't have a lot of time anyway. Summary is that Dolly defeated the Lion without taking a hit.

t57 rolled and dtay & Commodore have met. Comm sent all EPs against dtay; dtay split his (probably inattention). I sent full against Commodore - I will watch for the break-even point (43, I believe) and then redirect back to dtay. Unless we've found anyone else by then ... which we still haven't yet!

Copper is connected and we started an Axe in Samarkand. 54 generated it's MP and then started on a Worker - it would be 3t using the Corn, but I switched that to grow Bodmin in 4t and now the Worker is also 4t. Once he's completed, we can switch the Corn back and start on the Settler. I started a chop at Los Millares which will give us half the Barracks; then we can whip the rest and put the overflow into the WB.

I proposed my spot mainly because it is on the river. Right now there is no big difference but if we are aiming for long game we shall take it in account too. This would be a nice production city.

I'm still getting the hang of overlapping cities, which is why I asked; 1S seemed to me a better fit with the rest of the dotmap as it doesn't lose much potential at founding, but with a border pop can share the Deer with the "wonder" site.

Why not on the PH east of the non-coastal horses?

I like this spot too, as it gains us the Horses right away, will pop to the Sheep and support the push to the frontline city location. Only issue is that it invalidates both OT4E & my spots - I guess we'd need to move that city 6 from my proposed location.

Here's a map to help discussion:

[OT4E]

I like 2metra's placement. Definitely a good city and not wasting forest and food, but still less potential levees in the late middle game. The last decisive point is that I dont like having 3 front cities in 1 line. This one is on the hill too and will let us settle safely further to the south.
We will be able to plant city to 1E from Dreylin's spot later and borrow sheep from our coastal city (while building GLh?) and pop up deers and some forests for 'wonder' spot (Try HG with it?)
Still need to check if we screw some other good city placements.

[Dreylin]

OK, I'll go ahead and plan towards that spot and the coastal city for the next 2 plantings.

There's a Barb warrior 2W of Samarkand; I've moved the garrison warrior across the river from him to try to entice the attack. The Warrior from Bodmin is moving forward and can cover or take out the barb in event of a loss. Worst comes to worst, Samarkand can whip it's Axe next turn.

dtay & Commodore have both planted their 4th cities; dtay has not touched his EPs, still split 2-each with us & Commodore.

We'll complete Writing next turn; do we go Sailing next or make a run at something else?