[Spoilers] Yaz of Persia

[Yazilliclick]

Quick message off to SL to ask him not to share info about my position.

Hey,

I forgot during our brief chat bring it up but I would appreciate when we do meet that you not share any information about my territory, units, resources etc... with Ruff or others. To not put you in an awkward position of having to chose sides I won't ask you for any information about Ruff. I think it's obvious why I don't want information about me somehow finding it's way to Ruff as it could be the end of me in the game.

Thanks,
Yaz of Persia

[Yazilliclick]

Turn played. I switched from masonry to sailing due to my indecisive nature. I'm thinking of a galley drop on ruff with a couple of axemen. At the very least I may be able to take out the clams he's working.

Graphs show his second city is up and going and that he's built a warrior or galley (can't remember if he has sailing yet).

My second immortal and first axeman are on the move now. My first immortal took the hill 2xSE of Persepolis, Ruff's warrior backed off to the SE.

Hey Yaz,

Can see your borders now.

No problem - I was wondering if I might declare war to get passed you next turn? My time in your lands will be minimal and I will not pass any details onto Ruff.

Otherwise I will have writing in 3t for open borders.

Cheers,
Sitting Bull

Hey SL,

If you're wanting to declare war to pass through then that's fine. Personally I'd suggest you wait for open borders though so you can use my capital to pass through to other side (you may want to ask darell to not move further north if you do). Reason being that to get to the other side of me there is a very very long thin stretch of useless land going north that would take you probably 20+ turns to get around. I'm fairly certain there is a passage between the ice up there to get through. But 20+ turns to see nothing is rather a waste, especially if you run into barb galleys.

-Yaz

[Yazilliclick]

Another turn and not much interesting. Ruff's warrior moves east, my units continue on their path Immortal -> Axeman -> Immortal -> Ruff's Warrior

He did send me this message though

Yaz,

I see that you have started moving military units to back up your claim to the city site that is to your capital's east. I would advise you to stop proceeding if you value that unit. As I have always said, I don't want to fight you, but I am not in a position where I can just cede you that city location.

Ruff

Dear Toku,

We were hoping when we saw your messenger arriving that it would be to ask for forgiveness for your past transgressions against our people and to negotiate for peace. Instead all we find is that the Japanese remain forever aggressive and violent by sending us threats and demands.

Neither myself nor my advisors can recall you ever saying you do not wish to fight or indicating as much, perhaps we missed the message though while busy cleaning up and burying the bodies of our scouting party? I can certainly understand the position at least: you'd much prefer we just let you take all of our territory without a struggle. Unfortunately that is not something I can bring to the people "Dear People of Persia, please abandon your homes, your fields, your farms and your smithies. The Japanese want them. That is all.".

No, I think I would soon find my place beside the scouting party if I were to suggest such a thing. So war it is and the only person who change this is you Toku by abandoning this path and your demands.

Sent that as a reply.

[Yazilliclick]

**BRAIN DUMP**

Still waiting on next turn but something Krill has brought up a few times in chat has had me thinking. Namely his mention that you don't have to kill him, just settle. I'd been thinking of rushing in, hopefully catching him off guard and killing him or hobbling him so bad that he's out of the picture or concedes to being my game long friend :P

Perhaps I'm getting greedy though and trying to rush things when I should be playing more for the long haul? He has his second city and if I assume there's copper there like mine and that he pre-roaded it like I did with my horses (or tried) and with my copper (by accident) then he's got copper in a couple turns. That means he should have a spear or two depending on whether his cap is connected. A single spear could basicaly ruin my party (sucks that my UU becomes obsolete so easily ).

So if moving in is basically a trap then maybe I should just try and hold up in the middle and get a settler out and claim it. I've convinced Darell to go south with his work boat instead of north and asked to trade screenshots of my north for his exploration of south, I may also do some scouting with an immortal. If I'm going to go this route I'm going to need axes and lots of them. Immortals are useless against axes on defense and useless against spears on attack.

I think I'll still go down the route of building galley though for a drop in his territory. This standing my ground in middle plan means that it should lure out his forces leaving his core rather undefended to a drop.

**END BRAIN DUMP**

[Yazilliclick]

Chat with Japan, interesting developments. No time to brain dump about it but here it is for you.

Ruff.Hi: E v W - probably
Ruff.Hi: new you had a promo due - didn't think it would jump the odds that much
Ruff.Hi: oh well
Yaz: 4v4.1 to 4.4v4.1 I think it was
Ruff.Hi: yeah - I spent some time on the maths and thought that was the best I could do
Ruff.Hi: you could hit him anywhere he went anyway
Ruff.Hi: at least he slowed you down by a turn
Yaz: How so? Doesnt' slow me at all. Might want to move that other warrior :D
Ruff.Hi: well - maybe half a turn
Ruff.Hi: that immortal could have been 1 tile closer to my land
Yaz: oh right i could have gone to the grassland instead of the hill
Ruff.Hi: what other warrior - check next time you see the game
Yaz: hmm already making use of that copper?
Yaz:
Ruff.Hi: what copper <really big grin>
Ruff.Hi: well - it appears that you currently have the upper hand in our land dispute
Yaz: might be temporary, I guess time will tell
Yaz: I see you do have *some* land to your south
Ruff.Hi: is there any resolution possible or is this little land tiff turning into a full blow war of extinction?
Ruff.Hi: I haven't visited down South
Yaz: I would have been in a better position to answer that if my scout new what was south of you
Ruff.Hi: are you diverting one of your units down south to review - then we could swap maps and draw up something fair
Yaz: I'm no opposed to peace as it's certainly putting us a LONG way behind the other civs.
Yaz: But I'm not going to negotiate blindly
Yaz: And I'll be honest that I don't trust you :P
Ruff.Hi: any rule in this game about swapping maps?
Yaz: nope
Ruff.Hi: want to swap maps - then we can chat
Yaz: You share your completely map then I'll share mine. you first though. Only fair since you struck the first blow in this conflict I think.
Ruff.Hi: ok
Ruff.Hi: will have to be tonight
Ruff.Hi: and let me just fess up a little bit
Ruff.Hi: if you read back on our contacts, you will see that I say that I have not visited the south
Yaz: Think you just said it 5 lines ago
Ruff.Hi: however, I do know what is down there because I popped a map from a hut
Yaz: I see, so there is a south
Ruff.Hi: so - technically, I have not visited down south, but I do know what is there
Ruff.Hi: not technically lying but very careful selections of wording
Yaz: Indeed it was Krill...er Ruff
Ruff.Hi: yeah - good call
Ruff.Hi: btw - I have a little game with Krill ... every time we chat, I look to find the piece of bullshit that he is trying to sell me ... because it is there in every conversation
Ruff.Hi: anyway - I will send you some screenshots and then we can talk ... ok?
Yaz: haha indeed. He's been working me for info on this war. I know he's lied to me early on but haven't caught him lately. Though I've been trying to feed him info hoping he gives you bad info
Yaz: k
Yaz: talk to you later
Ruff.Hi: hey - where are you based
Ruff.Hi: just got the game and I would like to resolve this if I can before I play my set
Yaz: PEI, Canada (atlantic coast)
Ruff.Hi: I will be looking at the game in about 8.5 hrs from now
Ruff.Hi: about 7pm NY time
Yaz: 8PM my time, I'll be around.
Ruff.Hi: ok
Yaz: cya then

[T-hawk]

Yaz removed Pitboss 3 spoilers from his chat log.

[Yazilliclick]

Yeah removed.

[Yazilliclick]

**BRAIN DUMP**

Ok my thoughts from that chat with Ruff...

- He has copper which he basically comfirmed and apparently I'll see his spear next turn. So no chance really of forcing my way in the front door unless he only builds a couple spears and then thinks he's safe.
- He does have land to his south so was being rather dishonest before by trying to make it out like he needs the central lands as he has nowhere else to go.
- Not sure if he's spotted that I have copper and an axeman out behind my immortal (can't remember if he'd have been able to see it)
- Why does he want to talk all of a sudden? Because I got to middle first? Just ruse to make me waste so much time on a military for no reason?
- If I make a deal is it only signing up to die later? I'd require a long NAP I think in any deal.
- In any deal I'd want most of the center and whatever land is to my south. I don't think he's really able to take it from me with my troops stationed there now on forested hills for defense.
- My north is useless to me really so I've got practically no more room to expand in that direction.

**END BRAIN DUMP**

[T-hawk]

I'm reading along with everything in this game. Afraid I really can't comment on any of your points without treading into spoiler territory though. We know what Ruff's plans and motivations are.

[Yazilliclick]

Yeah brain dump is mostly questions to myself. I don't expect you to reply with answers. That's what private messages are for