[Spoilers] Defining the phrase "€˜Hung Like a Horse"€™: Pb & the Kuriotates

[pocketbeetle]

Turn 43:

This turn brought an interesting event:



The Mutate spell is a level 2 Chaos spell, has the following effect:

• Randomly mutates all living, non-mutated units on the tile and applies the Mutated promotion
  
• 8% chance to receive each of the following promotions (meaning the unit could easily receive none, and could rarely receive all 27)
  • Amphibious, Blitz, Cannibalize, Combat 1, Mobility 1, Sentry, Resist Cold, Resist Fire, Immune to Disease, Resist Lightning, Resist Poison, Empower 1, Heroic Defense, Heroic Strength, Winterborn, Strong, Regeneration, Stoneskin, Heavy, Light, Vulnerable to Fire, Weak, Crazed, Diseased, Enraged, Withered
• Units with the Mutated promotion cannot be mutated again.

As a general rule of thumb, so long as the unit is not critical to a short term goal (eg escorting a settler/city defense) it’s worth gambling on Mutate.
There’s roughly 20 positive and 6 negative promotions, and also the possibility of getting 2 or more positives.

Since I could see the lion had suicided last turn, I went with it, receiving a free Amphibious for Clogz. So so.

Something to consider: fortify units deliberately near unclaimed mana resources to encourage Chaos Flare events in a Living World game?

The other good thing to see in that screenshot: there’s no mention of Vanilla Ice dying, hurrah!
Let’s see what he’s doing:



I think the combat odds give a good idea of why he’s running.
No idea where Lizzie is, probably on the hill 2N from where we started.

Not sure about what to do with Vanilla Ice at the moment.
Initial plan was to heal up around Cull and continue heading South to where it’s looking like Bob is.
But the thought of trying to head back West is starting to appeal, given that the second Lizardman clearly came from a S/SE direction.

Back to Kwythellar, Bob finished the gl farm for a 3f plot.
Working that means the city grows in 2 turns.

Beefy moved NW onto the hill, and Clogz, uninjured from the lion attack, moved NE.
Meanwhile the new warrior Boggy B sets out from the capital, heading for the forest tile 1N of the cows.
He’ll either fortify in the silk forest to the East, or sit on the hill to the North, both of which give visibility on that important desert passage between the peaks.

Next turn Beefy will move 1NE onto the forest, and if the coast is clear Clogz will move 1NE also, heading for the safety of those plains hills.
I’m taking a slight risk as a 2 moving Griffon/Lizardman/Tiger could potentially jump Clogz, but then it’s up to Beefy to avenge him.


Demographics:

• Score: Sareln and Archduke score increase of 5 points due to pop increases, sizes 5 and 3 respectively.
  Archduke has risen from size 1 too quickly for him not to have an improved food tile. So I would say his extended time at size 2 while building a worker has paid off.
  Sareln sure is getting all that food hooked up quickly.
  
• Mfg Goods: Rival Best 9.
  I think there’s a good chance that this isn’t Selrahc.
  Sareln’s clearly been focussing on warrior production in anticipation of Orthus appearing, and his production last turn reached 6. With the pop increase this turn, working a 3h forested ph could explain it.

Also checked that score increase for Selrahc.

I believe Selrahc’s score increase of 22 is due to the tiles claimed by his new city, but will check.

Close but no cigar.
Cultural ownership takes 20 turns to produce a score increase.
This happened on T42, which lines up nicely with the accelerated border expansion at Selrahc’s capital back on T22.

Did a quick beaker check on Selrahc:
Estimate he’s at around 243b towards a tech that has a prereq.
Philo is 323b, so if my fears are correct and he maintains the current research rate, we’ll see an 11 point score increase in around 5 turns.

.

[pocketbeetle]

Turn 44:

Useless event this turn, not entirely sure what it does, but it certainly doesn’t give +1 happy anywhere.

Vanilla Ice is still in dire straits.
His private investigations so far away, while helping to find our brothers in arms, have also resulted in a kind of Romeo and Juliet love affair.
The Lizardman’s too strong, and although Vanilla Ice is going to try and ride across the river, he’ll probably end up going boom like that.
But it is what it is, why worry?



Bob also got an event according to the combat log, witch execution.
I don’t recall the specifics, but it’s mainly just filler.


Over at Kwythellar, everyone moved as planned, city reached size 5 on ending the round.
Bob the worker finished the plains farm in one turn, next will move to the only other currently irrigible gl tile, the mana node, and start farming that.




Warriors moved as planned, and Beefy stumbled on a wheat resource.
I’m not exactly jumping for joy, it’s on a plains tile and not irrigated, but hey it’s an improvement.

Two dotmaps I’m looking at, neither are amazing.



Yellow gets two food resources in a weak rice and sheep, too many peaks.

Purple, preferred, only gets the wheat and an oasis, but has a quite cute defensible location (shame it’s not a hill tile).
The mana tile of course would be the better place, picking up the cows, but you can’t settle on mana nodes.


Demographics:

• Score increase for Selrahc: +1 pop.
  His capital is still size 4, so that’s (EDIT: Lapland!) going up to size 2.
  He planted it on T38, so that’s 6 turns to grow at +2 food surplus? About right.
  Note his GNP seems to have decreased -1 again, gogo toroidal maintenance costs.
  
  
• Score increase for Archduke: Tech finally.
  His GNP now appears to be 11 according to rival worst. Give it a turn to stabilise.
  
  
• Sareln now Mfg Goods rival best.
  He’s kicking out the warriors!
  
  
• Rival best Crop Yield: Selrahc working another 2 food tile at Lapland.
  
  

Archduke:
Last turn that he researched a tech: T23 -> Assigned Exploration or Ancient Chants.
Next turn he researched a tech: T44

Therefore gap = 21 turns
GNP during period: ~12 ie research ~10.
21 turns x 10 = 210b

Slight complication with this one, as 210b is close to both Mysticism (215b) and AH (193b).
I’ve got him down for 3 possible paths:

Archduke had 11 GNP while researching Exploration or Ancient Chants. He's now researching something with a pre-req, hence the small increase to 12.
Three likely routes he's going:

• Exploration -> Calendar
  
• Exploration -> AH
  
• Ancient Chants -> Mysticism
  

Won't know more until later.

However, because we know that when he researched the first tech he carried over a 5b overflow (10 turns of 9 research = 90 – 85 = 5) it’s Mysticism.

So Archduke: Anc Chants -> Mysticism.
Expecting the next tech to be Calendar, AH or Exploration, in order of likelihood, with a couple of outside possibilities such as Education (cottages).


And for those who picked it up, yes I am sorry. So very, very, sorry.


[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[Square Leg]

Looks like Vanilla ice is heading down telegraph road. It's just the walk of life though. Lets hope there aren't any sultans of swing lurking in the jungle...

[Kyan]

Hey PB

I got that witch notification thing once and it's quite a big'ish event. He can choose to burn the witch for some happiness or let her live, which gives him unhappiness temporarily but it also gives him a free great bard (great artist).

Personally, i think the bard is the much stronger choice so might need to be wary of that with future caluclations.

[Rowain]

And for those who picked it up, yes I am sorry. So very, very, sorry.

I was just listening to them

[pocketbeetle]

Diplo:

Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:04:37 AM
Subject: Re: Dwarves: Quick correction

Okay noted on the horses. Don't get so ratty.. Oh wait, that's where the scouts come from.

Looks to be ten or eleven tiles between archdukes northern border and my southern one after two border pops from each of us. Certainly some breathing room.

The scout will indeed eventually be heading in your direction, but for the moment he is going to be mapping out some locations closer to home. I'll notify you when I start my journey west seriously.

More good news is that Selrahc will not be visiting just yet.
I sincerely wish his scout a happy life…all ten seconds of it.

Looks like in terms of distance from the Illians, it’s Kurio > Hippus > Svartalfar, with Sareln being easily closest.
Note his fishing for info(/telling me he knows where I am?) in the last line.

Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 2:10:19 AM
Subject: RE: Hippus‏

Hey Selrahc,

Lol, don't get me started on the ratmen, cheesy jokes are my speciality! ><

Thanks for the info on the Hippus, I'll definitely head over there at some point.
My current priority however, is defogging and trying to fogbust around my cap.

Not so sure about sending the scout due West, you'll have to angle it a touch I think.
We'll talk more when it becomes relevant, not a lot happening now apart from the damn barbs.

On the positive side, at least the game's moving smoothly.

Kind Regards,
Pb, Stand-up Comedian Boy-King

Me with more bad jokes.
I think I’ve reached my quota for the year.

More importantly, me telling him I’m not due West. (ahem)

Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 12:49:07 PM
Subject: T43‏
‏
Hi Cull,

Vanilla Ice still survives.
He's moved 2SW, and I'd really appreciate if you could keep me updated next turn to see if they follow him.

Are you okay dealing with those Lizardmen if they don't chase?
Is 2 lizardmen showing up at the same time unusual for you?

Thanks!
Pb, Runningforhislife Boy-King

Still denying all knowledge.

Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 4:23:19 PM
Subject: RE:Scout

While it is unusual, two lizard men I can handle.

Sent: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:09:54 -0400
Subject: Re: T43

Bottom lizard man moved 1 SW.

Means the other Lizardman seems to be following me also now.

Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 2:55:03 PM
Subject: T44

Hey Cull,

Looks like one of the Lizardmen is definitely following Vanilla Ice.
Not sure if the second (Southern one) is too.

As a last heroic gesture, Vanilla Ice will try and drag them far away from you!

Regards,
Pb, WeWereSoldiers Boy-King

What a hero!

Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 2:23:09 AM
Subject: RE: Dwarves^2

He answers my mail, but not much comes out of him. He planted his
second city in my general direction (more or less unavoidable given
our proximity) and has stated he wants ice to be Illian only. I'll be
honest, I'm much relieved that I accidentally stepped onto, and
triggered, letum fridgus, because an aggressive Illian would be
absolutely terrifying to me right about now.

How've your relationships been with the others? This reminds me that I
should go talk to Cull again, if only to commiserate about Barbarians.

-Sareln-

I was a bit slow in answering this one.
Hope I don’t get –diplo for that, although not entirely sure it matters if Selrahc has definitely planted towards him.

Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 6:01:15 PM
Subject: RE:Dwarves^2

Greetings Sareln,

My apologies for the late reply to your message, all my couriers were tied up (literally) and being used as pawns in a giant game of chess in Kuriotate Palace courtyard.

That's huge news that Selrahc is already on his second city! I guess it makes sense, but even so, yikes!
How close is it to you?
I have visibility on the pig and marble tiles NW of your capital, but know little else to the direct West of you.

Agree that having a close Aggressive + Charismatic Illian neighbour would have been rather fearsome.
Do you think his city plant is in retaliation for that? Or is he just trying to secure Letum Frigus?

My relations with the Winter King have been cordial so far, although I'm deliberately keeping quiet about my capital location for as long as possible to avoid any of these border issues.

Similarly Cull has been helpful, although I've only just met him a couple of turns ago, so nothing to be concluded yet.
My scout has just left his borders, dragging with it 2 lizardmen away from his capital, likely to die soon.

Noticed you ramping up on the production to get ready for Orthus.
Fingers crossed he spawns far away from both of us (or I'm in serious trouble).

Kind Regards,
Pb, Grand Master Boy-King.

[pocketbeetle]

Whoa fast replies, clearly I need to stick in more band references!

Looks like Vanilla ice is heading down telegraph road. It's just the walk of life though. Lets hope there aren't any sultans of swing lurking in the jungle...

I was just listening to them

Hope you got all nine!
And I was trying to think how to fit in Sultans of Swing SL.

Hey PB

I got that witch notification thing once and it's quite a big'ish event. He can choose to burn the witch for some happiness or let her live, which gives him unhappiness temporarily but it also gives him a free great bard (great artist).

Personally, i think the bard is the much stronger choice so might need to be wary of that with future caluclations.

Thanks for the correction Kyan. =)

I think I knew in the back of my head about the temporary happiness, but I certainly did not know about the free GP!

Which race and religion were you playing at the time?
Did the GArt appear straight away, or after time?

Just checking, you're not getting confused with the Harpy event are you?

[Jabah]

The great bard event (afair it is not the witch event but the Harpy ) comes with 5 angry (same effect as 5 individual whips in regular game).

Except on low level, I think early it is far too pricy (as a FFH beginner, I am playing in emperor, and that means no working citizens for 10t - starving back to size1-, then only 1 for the next 10t etc...)

(cross-posted)

[darrelljs]

Looks like Vanilla ice is heading down telegraph road. It's just the walk of life though. Lets hope there aren't any sultans of swing lurking in the jungle...

I'm obtuse and require an explanation .

Darrell

[darrelljs]

The great bard event (afair it is not the witch event but the harpy ?) comes with 5 angry (same effect as 5 individual whips in regular game).

Yeah, that's right. I think the witch event gives 30t of +1 happy (since he executed her).

Darrell