[Spoilers] darrelljs (FDR)

[darrelljs]

My question of "did you trade for copper?" could definitely be seen as leading. Let me explain on that - I didn't ask until Yaz had already posted a screenshot of his unit dropoff. So you'd know of the attack as soon as the game got back to you.

Heh-heh...yeah, I realized that when I got the save back .

Darrell

[darrelljs]

My my my, interesting times . I held a few cards up my sleeves from the last post. I convinced SL to loan me his Horse, and Ruff would be able to loan me his Copper as well. Yaz sniffed it out however, and declared war on both of them . I actually didn't think that would stop the resource trade, based on a civfanatics thread and some world builder testing. That and I swear that in the poly demogame we saw resource trades even with parties at war. Water under the bridge now, I'm going to have to come up with some alternative plan. Its crossed my mind that he can't hold Washington, so I could probably make it worth his while to make peace.

The DoW on Ruff was a bit dicey, I'm curious to see how he'll justify it. I suspect Ruff's Copper will be pillaged this turn, since Yaz put an Immortal on it.

Darrell

[T-hawk]

Yaz sniffed it out however, and declared war on both of them . I actually didn't think that would stop the resource trade, based on a civfanatics thread and some world builder testing. That and I swear that in the poly demogame we saw resource trades even with parties at war.

Yaz being at war with you and with SL blocks the resource trade as long as your only defogged path goes through Yaz's water territory.

Both war declarations were necessary, and that's the difference between this and the Poly game. Resource trading is possible if either civ can see a trading path to the other that does not go through hostile territory. In the Poly game, Banana was never at war with Imperio, so Banana could always see a trade path to RB, so could always trade us resources. For a middleman to block a resource trade, he must be at war with both parties.

[darrelljs]

Well, in diplo news Krill gave me his Copper. I won't launch a war of aggression against him this game, just won't do it. If he attacks, I will of course be free to respond but he's earned my gratitude. I'm giving him an island between me and Yaz, looks pretty decent (Gold already) while he will give me something to his west later in the game.

Battle of Washington was finally engaged, here was the setup:



With enough cash for two Warrior upgrades I could afford to take some risks. First Chariot moves across the river than attacks south, but barely hurts Yaz's Immortal . The second one has pretty much even odds, and fortunately for me prevails. I don't want to think what would have happened if I had lost that battle. My third Chariot kills an Axe at 90% odds. I then decide to burn my cash to upgrade both Warriors to Axes.

Odds are Yaz will kill my two Chariots then promote to either Shock or Combat 2. I'll have to look at the combat odds before deciding to attack across the river or building more Chariots. I have one that just completed in Washington, if I have good odds to clean up both Axes with my Chariot/Axe pair that's what I'll do, otherwise I'll have to build yet more Chariots .

Darrell

[BobRoberts]

Seat of the pants thrilling stuff! Cheers.

That naval battling was particularly impressive!

[darrelljs]

Thanks Bob . I'll give another "large" update in about four turns when I have something interesting to say. For now I just wanted to discuss an interesting tech situation. I have Mathematics due in about 5-6 turns. I owe it to everyone. I get Code of Laws from Dreylin for it plus Monotheism. Everyone else has already paid me their tech.

Now if you guys remember my plan was to bulb Civil Service with my Great Merchant. That requires Code of Laws, Currency and Monarchy. Square Leg is teching Currency now, I am sure I can find a way to pry it off of him. Yaz and I had a Monarchy for Mathematics trade lined up, but that ain't happening. He might or might not trade it to Square Leg, and will almost certainly trade it to Krill (netting Iron Working which I'm less than thrilled about) and Dreylin (for Code of Laws). That does me no good as they have a no brokering policy. With three, maybe four, civs knowing the tech it will be quite cheap for me to research myself.

Interestingly, Dreylin was going for Civil Service and I talked him out of it. We have a trade setup for it where I get "fair value". Krill now appears to be coming around to my Maceman plan; he will have about a one in three chance of bulbing Machinery which I would exchange it for. Ruff and SL I'm sure I can get good value for it, in fact I think I'll try and get Currency fronted as part of SL's payment when I can corner him in an IM.

Now, the next round of techs I'm looking for are:

Code of Laws (enable CS, half cost Courthouses) - Getting it from Dreylin
Currency (Markets, trade routes) - Need to setup a trade with SL for it
Calendar (Sugar and Incense) - Plan is to self research
Monarchy (enable CS, maybe HR) - Plan is to self research
Drama (The Globe in Washington) - Possible Dreylin tech due to his UB
Compass (Harbors!!!) - Dreylin has expressed interest here as well
Construction (War Elephants and Catapults) - Ruff is leaning towards this after Literature
Literature (Heroic Epic in Washington) - Ruff is teching now and will give it to me
Civil Service (Bureaucracy) - The Great Lighthouse ftw
Machinery - With any luck from Krill for Civil Service

I'm pretty much self researching one tech at a discount and another full price, and using my Great Merchant. I should get all these techs PLUS some beaker credits with Ruff and SL. Of course, most everyone else will be doing something similar, except Yaz of course . If all this comes together I'll be saving cash for an Optics run to try and land Magellan's expedition!

Darrell

[darrelljs]

Yaz has a nasty looking CR3/Morale/Tactics Great General Axe in his capital. He can get to Ruff in three turns. Ruff seems to be taking a beating from the reports I'm getting, he lost his Spear last turn although it took down three Immortals.

If Yaz was willing to make peace with Ruff I'd make peace with Yaz, but there is some serious bad blood there. I've got my leftover units from taking out Yaz's invasion force, but I'm not sure what, if anything, I can do with them. They are enough to annoy Yaz but not much else. By the time they sailed to Kyoto, that issue will have been decided. I can't build a credible invasion force for probably 15-20 turns. Yaz seems to think he's doing poorly but from where I'm standing he's acquitted himself well.

Still plan on updating my domestic situation in about 3-5 turns, after my cities look less sucky .

Darrell

[darrelljs]

Okay, just formalized a trade with Dreylin:

He provides: Compass, Drama, peace time OB, and at least half the game out of Mercantilism
I provide: Civil Service

All techs provided as soon as available, and he has to research Compass before Drama.

Ruff offerred to supply with with cash if I teched Construction next instead of Calendar, which seems like a pretty good deal so I took it. It would be quite the coup if I could talk Krill into Calendar next, and offer CS for it plus "fair value". I'm also going to try and get SL to give me Currency/Monarchy for Civil Service and throw in an Elephant loan . That would leave just Yaz and Ruff without CS trades lined up but getting 3 for 1 with the large known civs discount would be pretty good value.

The Great Lighthouse continues to shine big time.

Darrell

[darrelljs]

Just concluded several agreements with Krill IM'ing on my phone 8)!

1. I will not chase The Great Library, Krill will not chase The Hanging Gardens.

2. Machinery for Civil Service (straight up) and Gems for Corn.

3. If Krill gets a GE next, he will bulb Machinery and trade #2 will go through instantly. If he gets a GP he will gift it to me for the Temple of Solomon and I will front him Civil Service and Construction while he slow techs Machinery. We will enter into a revenue sharing agreement. The first 20 gold we will split 50/50. Thereafter we will split it 75/25.

Last to do is confirm with SL that we have a Currency/Monarchy for Civil Service trade. The only gap tech is then Calendar. It will have to wait since I need to go hard for Optics once Machinery comes in. That makes the Gems trade pretty important for me, to make up for the delayed happiness.

Darrell

[darrelljs]

First, off I really wish Yaz would get out of me head :



I had a handful of units lying around after my successful defense of Washington, and decided to bite the bullet on unit supply cost and see if they could accomplish anything. I'd have made peace with Yaz, and even signed a medium length NAP, if he had been willing to make peace with Ruff. That, however, was a no go. I knew I didn't have enough to be a real threat, but I thought I could tie down some units by taking a central position between his two cites. My real hope was he would think I was going for Persepolis, and turtle in there while I landed on a forest tile in between. Unfortunately, he parked the perfect two troops there to stop me from making a landing. It turns out his capital had only one Spear and three Workers in it (!), but I couldn't reach it this turn and the Immortal could re-inforce it next turn, along with that nasty Morale Great General Axe and maybe some other troops from Ruff's theater. So...denied . I've been paying a lot in unit upkeep on those troops as well, now I have to come up with an alternative plan. Its either sail to his second city or land on some flat terrain and risk getting pulverized.

Now, my cities really really stunk on t60, when I finally killed the last of his units. To be honest they still stink, now on t70, but less so. My biggest problem is a lack of Workers, I only have 3, and they are all busy connecting resources and building roads. As a result some of these screenshots are not for the faint of heart, as I'm working some really nasty tiles. Viewer discretion advised .

Washington
Washington is doing fine . All the critical buildings...err. Hmm. I cropped the buildings. Nuts. Washington has Granary/Lighthouse/Forge, and Judiasm via a Missionary from New York. I'm finally getting a sixth city out (Krill is up to seven)...any guesses where its going? After that I'll grow to work the Mine, then probably hire an Engineer specialist until I can get some Worker turns to lay down a cottage or two. Oh, and look...roads .



New York
New York also has Granary/Forge/Lighthouse. She's building a Missionary for the new city. I don't really like working the Copper tile, I only have two food surplus now, but I'm unfortunately at the health cap. Once I connect the Corn, I can swap to coast and grow faster.



Boston
Look ma, no roads . I have a Market queued since this is the Jewish Holy city. Boston already has Granary/Lighthouse/Forge, but badly needs worker turns for roads and a Farm on that floodplains. I also need to road and connect the Iron. I'm likely to whip a Worker here when current anger wears off.



Philadelphia
Umm...yeah. Philly has a Granary and will whip a Forge next turn, then onto a Worker I think. Lighthouse would be nice, but its pretty sad my river commerce city has exactly one cottage. Love working that grassland tile, but without a Lighthouse its better than coast. A sad, sad city.



Atlanta
Atlanta will actually slow build that Forge, then whip a Settler with the overflow going into a Missionary -> Workboat to finally settle the second city on this small island.



Economics
Pulling in 66 commerce. And with no multiplier buildings, you get the idea. Dang it. Expenses are 28/turn, about 25% of which are my stupid useless invasion .

Next update on turn 80 .

Darrell