RBP3 - [SPOILERS] - Team DIM (Mehmed of HRE)

[Ilios]

Diplo-update

As I'm sure you all read about it in the other threads, a couple of turns ago, Krill asked for a diplosummit between him, India and ourselves. Here's the summary of what he proposed:

- Krill can build the Oracle by T62, coinciding with him researching Writing, allowing him to sling into Alphabet. (he's skipping BW and Pottery to do it)
- A tech alliance needs to be formed
- He will then spread around the tech to those with cheaper techs to trade around (e.g. Archery, Sailing, etc)
- Every team gets one of the more expensive techs to research. We've established the important ones:
*Iron Working
*Horseback Riding
*Monarchy
*Mathematics
*Metal Casting
*Currency
*Aesthetics
- DIM will probably head for Archery, then HBR. We will self-research The Wheel, but will be skipping Pottery IF I can get guarantees from Krill we will be getting the tech on T62. If he can't, we'll be self-researching it before heading for Archery.
- So far, Egypt, India, Portugal and DIM have commited themselves to the alliance. I've just received confirmation from the Ottomans that they're onboard as well (more on that in a minute)
- The alliance will probably include a couple of other teams (most likely Aztec and Carthage), but it goes without saying that the larger the alliance, the more unwieldy it becomes. The hard part will be to convince those teams to skip some essential techs to focus on their assigned tech.

[Ilios]

All hail Meatbalz!

I was weighing the pros and cons of leaving the settler unescorted for one turn, and had resigned to the fact we'd be founding our second city one turn later. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good!
Especially since a wolf could be hiding on three tiles and destroy our defenseless settler without a problem.

Anyway, huge sigh of relief all around... And Midas' Folly founded on schedule!



The good news doesn't end here. I had expected the new city's upkeep costs to hit at least 3 gold from the outset. But I was pleasantly surprised to see it was only 2 gold. I do expect Midas' upkeep to increase to 3 once we found our Horse city (Dazed, you can start thinking of a name for it), and the new city will have an upkeep of 4 gold from the start (ouch!).

Good thing we have the gold to keep our research at a decent pace. In 9 turn our two cities will be connected (because of the river system) adding two more commerce.

I suggest we go 100% gold for two turns, and then finish BW. We could finish it earlier, but there would be no use, as we won't be chopping until we finish the worker in the capital (ETA 5 turns). That way, BW will come in for our worker to start chopping immediately.
I have changed the capital's build to worker, seeing we could finish the warrior in 1 turn for emergencies. We'll be going max food again once we finish the worker and have the warrior coincide with growing to size 4, after which we start a settler.

This is how our two chops should be done:



This will put our worker one tile ahead of our settler, allowing him to immediately start working on the Horse Pasture once the city is founded. There is also no chance of an enemy warrior double moving and snatching him.

[meatbalz]

fortune favours the bold. and the congenitally stupid. i'm both so i figured we'd get good odds on the settler

we need to WB a similar start to check whether we do indeed get +2 commerce when DIM expands borders (because trade connection via rivers requires sailing)

funny that france did indeed get a "screenshot of city 2's location" as their warrior happened to be right there at the time

[Ilios]

Yes, I'm getting more and more nervous about France. I'm hoping we have copper in one of 3 city sites, but I wouldn't count on it. Hopefully we can hold out until archery comes in. But in the meantime Midas is very vulnerable, and even one chariot could end us. Good thing we have the NAP though. We should have a couple of Archers by the time the NAP runs out. (T61)

In other news, Ottomans have agreed to our counter proposal, and have accepted the worker/chariot trade, to be executed around T70-75. Depending on our defences, if they get Writing before that time, we should check with them if we can trade the chariot earlier.

Here's the full reply:

Honorable Triumvirate of DIM

We are not aware of Carthage's exact location but they are probably
8-12 tiles south of us. Unfortunately there is a long lake that
stretches N-S to the South of Nemedia that our borders will soon cut
off. You will have to go the southern route around this lake to meet
them.

Carthage has also expressed an opinion of meeting you and has informed
us that they will be sending a scouting unit in about 10 turns. We
replied that they will also have to go south around the lake so maybe
the two of you could meet there?

To make this meeting as pain-free as possible, could you give us the
location of your scout in relation to our capital? We will keep you
informed on their scout's position in return should you have not found
them when they send their scout.

In other news, we are willing to commit to the tech alliance being
formed. We will have contact with most of the other civs that are
included soon.

Regarding your settlement agreement, you mentioned that you would like
to trade a worker for a chariot. We would just like to clarify if this
is part of the settlement agreement or not, but we are willing to
agree to the deal either way.

Enough Talking!
WarriorKnight of A4

I know we're not too keen about NAP's, but I'd like to offer them one as another gesture of goodwill. I believe they have shown themselves honest and dependable, and an NAP would seal our budding friendship.

This is what I sent them back:

To the leaders of the glorious Ottomans,


Thank you for your message. I'm glad that we've reached an agreement that is acceptable for both sides, and I hope our relationship remains strong throughout the Ages. The worker/chariot deal was indeed meant for said agreement.

I've already informed India and Egypt of your willingness to join our alliance, and have told them you would be sending out emissaries soon.

Krill, leader of Egypt and current primus inter pares, is analyzing the optimal research path for each of the alliance members. While I'm pretty sure you are researching Pottery at the moment, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to confirm this, so I can relay with Krill and convince him of your preference to eventually head for Mathematics.

As for our scouting warrior, he will be leaving DIM soil next turn and is currently located a couple of tiles east from the Horses you saw on the screenshot we sent you. I gather that Nemedia is the city you founded on your preferred site. Tricky (our intrepid explorer), will be heading southeast for a couple of tiles, and then head due east to try and find the lake you mentioned.

You have our gratitude for your willingness to act as intermediate, which will certainly speed up our meeting with mighty Carthage.


Highest regards,


Ilios for DIM

[dazedroyalty]

I'm good with a NAP with the Ottomans at this point. If we are gonna change plans to attack someone (unlikely) it would be a choke move on Rome.

I'm glad someone else took the risk with the settler. I wouldn't have and it would have just slowed us down. However, let's not make a habit of it!

[meatbalz]

turn played without issues.

confirmed you only get pre-req bonus to rsch if there's a line between techs (so pottery gets 40% discount not 60%)

[Ilios]

Message from Krill to India and DIM:

Hi guys,

just forwarding this message to you, along with a screenshot of the relevant map so that you can figure out a quick way to meet Rome. I've told Portugal to tell Rome to move 99633633 (keypad, you can work out the direction for yourselves )

Krill

Forwarded message:

Hi Krill,

Just to let you know Rome's warrior is currently 2NW of our second city (6N3W of capital). Rome would like contact with anyone we know so if you could pass that information along to India and HRE that would help. Also, if you could relay India and HRE's nearest scout location to us that would also be appreciated.

Regards,

Mukha & Dantski

Here's the screenshot Krill sent us



Couple of remarks

Portugal are actually a lot closer than I thought, Hernan would have almost made contact if he'd moved another 2-3 tiles west.

Happy Hour, India's second city, is on a prime location (4 FP, Horse, Pig and a couple of hills)

I don't think we can spare a scout to move back in Portugal's direction. Unless we decide to use Tricky and send him northwest after hooking up. Alternatively, we could ask Portugal to move towards India/Aztec to meet up with Brute. Let's see if they can get a unit east, and how fast.

How does one remove all the information on the map to send a screenshot like Krill and A4 did?

[spacemanmf]

I suggest we go 100% golf for two turns, and then finish BW.

That made me chuckle. No time for leisure pursuits!

How does one remove all the information on the map to send a screenshot like Krill and A4 did?

I think one of the buttons above the mini map removes all the information and shows just the terrain (and evidently cultural borders).

[Ilios]

That made me chuckle. No time for leisure pursuits!

Erm, I don't quite follow you there...

I think one of the buttons above the mini map removes all the information and shows just the terrain (and evidently cultural borders).

Yes, but there should be a shortcut to completely remove the interface right? (no minimap, no current research shown, etc)

[meatbalz]

i think the good spacemanmf was referring to "golf" rather than "gold" which i also found hilarious at the time since it worked so well

perhaps they removed all indicators + then cropped the picture?

hmmm that's a tricky location for portugal. since toroidal wrap is pretty well established, we should be able to meet them by sending a scout E but that's not a direction we'd planned on prioritising anytime soon. warrior N/NW to meet rome and then SW from there to portugal anyone?

i'm not sure we should read rome's request to meet people as an indication they're in as far as the first round of tech trading is concerned

india's second city is a wonderful location. 4 FPs + pigs???