[spoiler]Pindicator's pb80 thread

[pindicator]

056

Disappointing, but Thoth is closer than I thought.




I think we might still try unloading Keshiks. If I can find a spot to unload out of his sight I'll still try it.

[pindicator]

058

Last turn I snuck two more keshiks onto Thoth's mainland, in the only spot that he didn't have sight on. This turn I couldn't think of any way to advance further without him likely spotting me, so I decided it was time to strike:




Promoted the 4xp Keshik to Combat 1, and then the C2 Shock one stumbled across Thoth's axe coming east:




With his units out of the way, I decided to move everything out of his sight and unload directly to where the archer used to sit:




I don't think I go for his city, but instead try to hold this area and bop anything that comes over. Or we strike to the southwest and try to hit his Ivory city. But to the northwest looks like his capital with how much culture is established there.

At the same time, I'm not sure I try to rush a settler over to claim territory on Thoth's mainland. That would be a big commitment when discovered and I'd rather not give him a target to hit. Also, having my sentry uncover another island to the northeast makes me want to plant by the cows and start working towards expanding borders up to there.

Though taking Thoth's core cities would be a big prize I doubt 6 keshiks (and 1 badly wounded) could do it. Thoth became the first of us to shrine his religion last turn.

I have decided against an early shrine, but I'm hoping that my markets will generate my next great person.




Did whip the capital last turn for overflow into the market. Mostly because of a lack of workable tiles in the area, but also to get a headstart on the market & because we're about to connect the Dyes. Meanwhile that will be our 9th city to the southwest.

In the east, city #10 will be a little slower, but I'm going to whip out another pair of workers (Poodle & Portie) as soon as possible.




Get the feeling I'm going to be relying on Wealth builds very shortly.

[pindicator]

061

Thoth moved up spears last turn! One from the northwest and another from the southwest. I had no way from keeping him off the forested hill and since it dominates the whole area I decided to let him have it, use the extra turn to heal up a bit more, and then next turn we'd make our break or retreat to boats. And like before, I did my best to hide as many keshiks as possible from his sight.

This turn he gave me a target: 




Those two workers seemed too good to pass up. Even if I would lose a Keshik to take them, that looked like attack to make.

So I sent in a shock Keshik - which died, as expected. And did ZERO hits.

Perhaps a little tilted, but I still decided to go for it. I sent in a combat 1 keshik, which also died, but at least got a few hits in. The next Keshik had odds - but it still didn't win, and only retreated - leaving the spear at 0.1/4! I had just enough keshiks in the area to finish off the chariot and spear, and my axe was able to cover from the spear on the hill:




The sentry Keshik then moved 2SW and confirmed nothing to the immediate southwest.

Even if I'm upset about losing an extra Keshik, I think it's still a good trade: 2 Keshiks for 1 spear, 1 chariot and capturing 2 workers. Plus I gain an extra 120h in workers, which I desperately need.

I think the is the end of the raid: I didn't get to raze a city (which I really wanted to do) but I did get to inflict more damage than I took, and I'll be able to bring 4 keshiks and 2 workers back home. The galley is moved forward, but it's only to pick up the workers next turn (and possibly scare Thoth into over-whipping). We'll pull the keshiks back unless the sentry sees everything is completely undefended to the southwest.

Back home, I hooked up the Dyes this turn and am growing my starting two cities to size 7. Then I whipped Labrador because I really want the market now, and I figure getting the market 6 turns earlier was worth the hammer loss from whipping off of two grass hill mines.

I settled city 9 on turn 60:




Really need worker support here, but they were assigned to the banana & dye first. Like I said earlier, getting those workers from Thoth is a real nice get.

I forgot to grab a pic of City #10 so you'll have to wait until next turn for that one.

[pindicator]

062

City #10 is Pit Bull




Unfortunately I moved the workers before figuring out granary micro - just figuring that improving the Pigs first was the best way to go. It does not appear to be! Best is to chop out the granary first and then improve the Pigs - so probably 1 worker chopping, the other roading the pig, and then both of them improving the pasture together then moving straight to the Corn. Even catching it a turn later, best is still to road the pig and then chop out the granary using the plains forest. Then back to improve the Pig, and finally the Corn. Or I might improve the Sugar first.

Borders at Poodle expanded at the end of the turn, as it grew to 3. Trying to decide on when the Sugar gets improved, but I think I want to get it up ASAP. Which means I think I chop out another worker to help get the Sugar up and running sooner. Even if its at the detriment of growing Pit Bull? Depends on how many towns are happy capped at that point.

After the granary finishes, I think Pit Bull is going to build a galley for investigating the island to the north, and then eventually whip out a settler for up there. Meanwhile Poodle will continue with either continue with Keshiks or start a Wealth build. Currently we're looking at 12-turn techs, which needs to improve.

Speaking of happiness, I discovered I have a connection with Yuri. So I sent him the following:




We'll hook up the 2nd gems if that goes through.

Up in Thothland, we began evacuations. The 2 wounded Keshiks moved onto one boat, and the workers onto another.




The healthy Keshiks moved into the desert to see what they could accomplish. I will see what I can uncover and then pull them out as well.

[pindicator]

064

Finally, an event!




+1c is quite welcome. It's better than +0c, which is what I've gotten the last 64 turns.

Also settled my 11th city on the upper right corner of the island. Was going to let this sit longer, but I want to pop borders there as soon as possible so my galleys can explore to the north and see what is on that island.

Running Wealth in Golden Retriever and Chihuahua to get to Metal Casting in a decent timeframe. Should be there in 4 more turns, then I probably consider a hard revolt into religion just so I can start building forges.

[pindicator]

Sorry, I owe an update. I'm increasing upset at myself as I continue to mix up the ruleset between Medieval Starts and Classical Starts. (Great Lighthouse was built by Commodore, and there's no reason I should not have been going for it. But on several occasions I remembered thinking "Dang, I wish I could build Moai or Great Lighthouse - this map would be great for it.") Nevermind I kept seeing notifications for other ancient era wonders, it just got stuck in my head that I couldn't build those.

Anyway, short version is I successfully retreated from Thoth's shores. He built a bunch of triremes and is trying to extort me 15gpt for peace. I'm building a fleet of triremes to push him back. I feel like I'm letting Commodore develop away, but I'm sure if I fought Commodore then I'd be kicking myself for letting Thoth develop peacefully.

EDIT: I can't build Moai!?? Why can you build Great Lighthouse but not Moai???

[klops]

One wonder is many small stones and one is one giant stone. I guess the latter is more difficult to handle.

sorry, not very helpful

[pindicator]

073 & 074

Took a lot of screenshots last turn and then forgot again to post, so this time I'm going to try to catch us all up on what's going on.  First, in the east:




Wealth builds are popping up in more cities as I try to get myself to Construction.  Someone is there ahead of me and I don't want to be caught flat-footed, as it probably is one of Commodore or Thoth.  But once that is done we'll try to get forges going in our hammer producers, starting with Poodle.  Pit Bull has whipped out a trireme and is halfway through a galley to explore the island to the north, but for now it's switched over to a settler - which will be double whipped because the city has now started worked unimproved forests. It's grown faster than my workers can make improvements.

That settler will not go to the northern island ... yet. Instead it is going to head southeast to grab the banana location south of Poodle.

Next, in the west, Mutt has finally popped borders and can start working some real tiles:




Commodore has been poking around the barbarian city of Phrygian with a City Raider Quechua and a Spear, and so I'm going to try to land units on the north end of the island and take it before he realizes I am able. To that end I'm chopping out a galley from Mutt, and will shuttle over 2 axes and 2 horse archers to land in the jungles right about where that barbarian warrior is now.

Wealth builds for most cities here, but we are trying to grow Chihuahua, Weinaramer, and Labrador to happy cap - or at least to as many improvements as there are ready for them to work. When the city has no improvements for the next turn then we switch over to a few turns on a settler. Eventually that will be two more settlers - both heading east. One will grab the southeast to fill in the rice & flood plain location east of Golden Retriever and solidifying my "starting area", and the other will go to the northeast and land on that island. If I can capture Phrygian and land all my planned cities then I'm hoping to be at 15 cities within 10 turns. And I can see another 5 that I should easily grab as well. Might need Code of Laws next.

Then in the north, my navies have been moved into place and we are ready to strike against Thoth's blockade of the Basset Island:




It's been nothing but triremes here, but we need to keep Thoth off of this island, and the first way to safeguard that is to drive him from my shores. If I can control the waters between Doberman and Lagotto then I won't have to worry about landings - and possibly can enable a few landings of my own. The first landing I'm looking to do is to shuttle those workers back to the mainland. The two I took from Thoth have been building lumbermills on this island because there hasn't been much else for them to do.

Well, on t74 Thoth only retreated his galley back toward Lagotto from Basset. He also moved up the new trireme from the mainland to be just outside Black Road's borders, as if they are to meet up with the other triremes off my north coast. So we struck: the first trireme scored a 33% victory against Thoth's defender. The second one went down, but we were able to mop up with the third. The fresh trireme out of Basset covered the wounded, as well as the galley.




Meanwhile the southern group moved up to threaten the new trireme, and another fresh boat out of Lagotto moved to the ocean tiles where Thoth can't touch it. If Thoth retreats then we will start exploring northward.

I need to consider when to offer Thoth peace, because we can't just continue this forever. But at the same time, I dont' think I'll be able to harass Commodore, because I'm going to have to keep forces on this island at all times. The time of Keshiks may just about be over; the time for elephants and catapults is at hand.

[pindicator]

075

As if reading my mind, Thoth offered peace. I accepted.

There's always a reason why someone offers peace. What is Thoth's reason?




Ah, that makes sense. He has a new city on the island and it is undefended. He'll have defenses set in 10 turns, I'm sure.

Still, I'm quite happy with our situation here. It looks like Basset Island is quite the strategy thorn in Thoth's position and we'll be able to pick several points to launch attacks from in the future, if we choose to.

Then I went and did something that lurkers might find controversial, but I'm of the opinion people underestimate:




I ate a turn of anarchy to revolt into Confucianism.

Here's my reasoning: before I was limiting myself to only buildings where I had a strong modifier from my traits. But now i want to be building Forges, Lighthouses, and possibly a wonder. The Org Rel boost is going to count for more and it's time to get that set. In addition, I have core cities pushing up against the happy cap again, and I'd like to grow them a little more. So I lose about 25 commerce (making 25gpt at 0%) and the growth for the turn. I will make up the hammer gains in 4 or 5 turns - and because I don't see a golden age in my future for at least 20 turns, I think it's a good choice.

So what do my demos look like without any wealth builds?




Not great.

[scooter]

I ate a turn of anarchy to revolt into Confucianism.

I like to think in 76 I started a trend of making it more acceptable to eat the occasional turn of Anarchy when there's value to be had. This is probably not even a little bit true, but I like to think it.