[SPOILER] PB37 Dark Savant tries not to be a blatant MP n00b

[Dark Savant]

Turn 86 (725 BC) - Part 4 (C&D)

Score tally:

• Us: +5 points for +1 pop in each of Sorpigal and Garrote Gorge; -5 points for a -2 pop whip in Sorpigal (31 pop total).
  
• Cheater Hater: +3 points for planting city #4, Sitka (10 pop total).
  
• Coeurva: +3 points for +1 pop; +2 points for planting city #9, QRTHDSHT (39 pop total); +12 points for researching Alphabet.
  
• dtay: +2 points for +1 pop; +3 points for city #10 (33 pop total).
  
• Gavagai: +10 points for +4 pop (+1 in each of Istanbul, Edirne, and Bursa); +3 points for planting city #9, Izmir (37 pop total).
  
• GermanJoey: +8 points for +3 pop (+1 in Heavenly Star); t90 edit: no, this must have been the turn Seven Mysteries expanded borders, so that's +3 points for +1 pop in Heavenly Star and +5 points for 4 land tiles claimed by the second ring of Seven Mysteries for 20 turns; -5 points for a -2 pop whip in Heavenly Star (3331 pop total).
  
• JR4: +5 points for +2 pop; +3 points for planting city #9, Radnashiri (35 pop total).
  
• Krill: +5 points for +1 pop in each of Animal Farm and Room 101; -3 points for a -1 pop whip (26 pop total).
  
• yuris125: +5 points for +2 pop; -8 points for a -3 pop whip (19 pop total).  (He probably actually has less than 19 pop, but I'll correct that once I have better evidence.)
  

dtay is the first to 10 cities, not long after seemingly seriously behind at just 3 cities about 15 turns ago.

I still feel like we're falling significantly behind, even though city #8 plants next turn, we're finishing the settler for city #9 next turn as well, and the settler for city #10 is underway.  

We really, really need to push the happy cap higher, which is why I'm prepared to declare war on anyone claiming the eastern gold island.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 87 (700 BC) - Part 1

Okay, we finally have our first island city, embarassingly late, though it's a good one.



We can already see one of JR4's island cities off to the northwest.  You can also see the galley I have on the way to improve the rice.

Sorpigal's whipped galley loads up on military and departs:



It's on the way to the gold island at the edge of the fog.  If someone is there already (most likely GermanJoey), I'm declaring war on whomever it is if an axe and chariot can beat the defenders.  I think I'll be first, but who knows.

The settler will come later -- I don't have an extra handy and I want to be reasonably sure I can secure that island.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 87 (700 BC) - Part 2

Coeurva seems to have created some city ruins.



Cheater Hater/Domovan Zoi/Ventessel is actually now competing with GermanJoey for territory!



Sandro is going to be stuck there, but I might as well poke around GermanJoey's territory -- unless I declare war on him, that is.

[Dark Savant]

I just realized Krill's classical tech he finished on t85 must be Iron Working -- there was a KTB bump that turn and he's the only rival who could have finished a Classical technology. (He doesn't have Iron or Gems yet.)

We can now take a flyer on the Great Wall in, say, Castleview.  The whole thing will finish in like 8 turns, if you think that's reasonable for a mostly-useless wonder.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 87 (700 BC) - Part 3

I'll run 100% gold for one more turn, and I should then be able to run 100% science and finish Iron Working on t89.

Harmondale 2-pop-whips a settler (for settling gems).

Castleview will finish a spear next turn.  I can have it then start a worker (which we need more of) or the Great Wall.

Sorpigal, having just finished a galley, is going to put the overflow into Moai Statues before starting a worker.

Vertigo just hit size 3 and whips a granary.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 87 (700 BC) - Part 4 (C&D)

Score tally:

• Us: +10 points for +1 pop in each of Castleview, Sorpigal, Vertigo, and Fountain Head; +2 points for planting city #8, Mist; -5 points for a -2 pop whip in Harmondale; -2 points for a -1 pop whip in Vertigo (33 pop total).
  
• Coeurva: +3 points for +1 pop in Whitehall (40 pop total).
  
• dtay: +2 points for +1 pop.
  
• Gavagai: -8 points for a -3 pop whip (34 pop total) somewhere I can't see, probably in Konya.
  
• GermanJoey: +5 points for +1 pop in each of Heavenly Star and Yellow Maple; -5 points for a -2 pop whip in Masked Moon (33 pop total); +6 points for researching Writing.
  
• JR4: +2 points for +1 pop (36 pop total).
  
• Krill: +3 points for +1 pop in 12 Monkeys (27 pop total).
  

Apparently it's now our turn to do lots of stuff with gaining and losing population.

Nothing notable on the power graph this turn.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 88 (675 BC) - Part 1

I was the turn roll player -- everyone else played in about 5 hours, total.  Wow, I suppose everyone was in a rush to play after all those delays.    I haven't moved anything on t89 yet.

I have to cut food and hammers to squeeze out Iron Working on t89.

Our eastern galley dumps its troops on Gold Island, which is empty:



Garrote Gorge will 2-pop-whip the settler for it next turn.

The 2-pop-whipped settler from Harmondale emerges, heads east, and will plant on the east coast on t90.  Production overflows into a galley.

Castle Ironfist finished a worker; Castleview starts one (not going to bother with the Great Wall for now).

Vertigo now has a granary and starts on a stele.

The island city of Mist gets 2 workers delivered by galley; the workers start a farm there.  It's just dry rice, but hey; it'll get us a border pop that much sooner.  Harmondale will eventually produce some work boats for Mist, but that doesn't need to happen for several more turns.

In case it isn't clear, we're in full-blown peaceful expansion mode at the moment.  Well, okay, it wouldn't have been peaceful if someone were on Gold Island.  

[Dark Savant]

Turn 88 (675 BC) - Part 2

Our Sentry chariot arrives in Castleview, and finds -- a whole lot of nothing there, really.



I'm now not sure whether to keep it watching Gavagai, or move it back to watching Coeurva.

Speaking of Coeurva, he just signed Open Borders with JR4.



We need to get on that money train sooner or later, though I doubt Coeurva would sign a treaty with us.

[Dark Savant]

Incidentally, I'm wondering if the best plan to expand to the islands is to capture them.  2 swords or 1 sword + 1 axe may be enough.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 88 (675 BC) - Part 3 (C&D)

Score tally:

• dtay: unclear, but I think it's +3 points for +1 pop in Angle; -3 points for a -1 pop whip (34 pop total); +12 points for a Classical era technology that isn't Horseback Riding or Metal Casting.
  
• Gavagai: +10 points for +4 pop (+1 in each of Ankara and Samsum); -6 points for a -2 pop whip in Edirne (36 pop total); +10 points for 7 land tiles claimed by the first ring of Konya for 20 turns.
  
• GermanJoey: +2 points for +1 pop in Masked Moon (34 pop total).
  
• JR4: +8 points for +3 pop; -5 points for a -2 pop whip (37 pop total).
  
• Krill: +10 points for +1 pop in each of Room 101, Wigan Pier, 12 Monkeys, and Atlas Shrugged (31 pop total).
  

Coeurva's power has been leveling off; he's still #1 and we're #2.  I'd like to commit to building swords and attacking someone, though I really don't know whom -- taking someone else's island cities actually seems viable with swords and 3-move galleys.  Feel free to log in and take a look.