[PB79] Giraflorens & Magic Science -- "Fear+Curiosity Gazpacho"

[giraflorens]

T141 - T143

   
Two turns more to get the GP, either a Scientist or an Engineer (hopefully).  The plan was to start another golden age and make a change of civics to Vassalage or Bureaucracy (I was thinking the first one) that would give us more XP for units and not spendind so much money into units.  We have to make a lot of units, because we are very delayed in Power related to other players. I am making some queues in some cities, but anyway it will take some turns to make units.  My idea now is to make at least 2 or 3 longbowmans in every border city.
Also some Walls (thanks Tarkeel!!)

Another curious thing:  Arrentium was conquered by Miró, but now in this turn it belongs to Xist10.  And I don't think there was a conflct between them.  So it is likely that Miro gave that city to Xist10?  and then that made a peace agreement?  Those are not very good news for us.  Ah, another thing:  2 players already have guilds.  Might be I should have research Engineering instead of Civil Service.  Probably some pikes and fast movement would be more interesting that macemen

       

[giraflorens]

T144 - T145

   
We got the GScientist  and I started a Golden Age, and change to Vassalage.  As you can see, Coldrain has Knights already.  So I am thinking about researching Pikesman after Civil Service.  I keep making units, mainly longbowman and Catapults.  Another possibility is making Horse Riding for making War Elephants....
I will have another GP in 9 turns (migh be more after end of Golden Age), and I put a Priest to make some points towards GPriest. 

Now in this moment of the game anything can happened.  I can be attacked by anybody (mainly Miró and Xist they have a lot of units from the last war, and Coldrain has a very easy land on the East to move units (Knights).  Xist can attack a couple of Islands, but the rest is complicated by the sea.The same with Miró.  In any case, they all are more or lest equal in the game situation and I am the weakest of all. So I am likely to be attacked soon.  And the problem (besides my weakness) is that the borders are very wide and I can be attacked from very different points.
Another possibility is they try to gain distance by tech advance, towards Riffles, but in this case I think I can manage to keep a good research pace.

       

[giraflorens]

T146 - T147

   
I keep making longbowman, catapults, maceman and walls.  Coldrain is researching Astronomy already.  And all other players have Compass already.    Now I realize that Astronomy allow us to make our special unit:  The Dutch East Indianman a powerful Galleon.
Among the GP that we can get in 7-9 turns, a GProphet would be ideal for the Religious building in Fairbanks.  But The points to this GP are not very much.

[Magic Science]

Giraflorens, sorry for abandoning you for a few days!

And goodbye Ricketyclik!

About Arretium: I do not understand what happened with Miro and Xist and Arretium. PBSPY is unclear. I will log in and look at the situation. What diplomacy happened between Miro and Xist is important to know.

For Bureaucracy, you can build a Palace somewhere else to change the capital so a different city gets the Bureaucracy bonus. You are correct that GPP + Bureaucracy is not a good combination. But you could put the capital is Juneau for a good bonus to all the Grassland Cottages.

Research Engineering next, I completely agree. Now that Coldrain and Xist have higher power too, I am worried. And Ricketyclik is dead now, so he is not a distraction to keep us safe.
Castles are strong buildings too. 100% defensive bonus and +2 or more Commerce in trade routes, for only 50 hammers with Stone.
How long for us to research Guilds?

You should send units to the other players to see if they bring troops nearby, and to see what borders they have with each other.
I am interested if Coldrain has access to islands across deep ocean. That could explain why he is researching Astronomy. That is not too bad for us though, because he is a land border with us.
Dutch East Indiamen could be a big boost vs. Xist and Miro on the islands. We could maybe blockade and capture the islands using our UU. It is worth thinking about.

[giraflorens]

T148 - T149

       
I don't know where Miro has its troops, the boat is moving along his coast and I don't see anything.  I guess that now the situation is very delicate.  If any player attacks others he can leave some parts vulnerable, and the coast are the more secure land now, that's is likely the reason he has no troops on the coastal cities.  Anyways he is got 30 cities already!!!!  It is incredible but he still found land to make cities.
In Unalaska I put another specialist to make GP points (and to use the Golden Age boost!!).  In 4 turns there will be probably a GEngineer and we can get Guilds.  After Engineering I would go for Compass and Optics, right?  Our goal should be going to Astronomy right away.
In this turn I was doubting whether the Tech of Engineering would disablle Walls construction.  I had to enter in a single player game to chech it, and I saw that not.  Even with Engineering I can construct Walls and Castles afterwards.

Thanks Magic for your comments. I never thought about burocracy, but it is not a bad idea. Might be if I get a GScientist, I could make an akademy in Juneau and move the capital to this city with Burocracy.
I will try to move some unit to Miro's land, but I have very few galleys, and It is really difficult. There is a Mountains wall on the East that cut the land conection with Miró.

Here the situation in the East Border.  I already have a couple Longbowman and catas in every city.  Walls are done and in Fort Yukon I will make a Castle also.

   

[giraflorens]

T150 - T151

   
Nothing interesting new.  Coldrain has proposed 2 times to open borders and I rejected.  I don't want him to see all my territory.  Now a Chariot of Miro has arrived from the East, so they must have open borders btw them.
In the screen the tech of Coldrain can be seen.  He has several techs ahead of me.  Now I think, we have a Tech race.  I can't see the Techs of the others might be due to the lack of Alphabet.
Next turn I will have Compass and go for Optics.  And in 2 turns I will have a GP.  If it is a Scientist I can make an Akademy in Juneau. If he is a GProphet the religious building, and if he is an Engineer I can get Guilds.

[Tarkeel]

Nothing interesting new.  Coldrain has proposed 2 times to open borders and I rejected.  I don't want him to see all my territory.  Now a Chariot of Miro has arrived from the East, so they must have open borders btw them.

You can see this on the diplomacy screen btw.

[Magic Science]

Miro's coast towards us will only be safe until we have Astronomy. I see that Xist is researching Astronomy too. I agree that we should get Optics and Astronomy next. But be careful about delaying Guilds too long.

Bureaucracy + Academy is powerful, and Juneau is a good city for that combination.

The Great Person situation is good for us. .

MILITARY: Do we have a Catapult stack? In this era of enemy Knights and Catapults, our city defenders can be killed with collateral damage and bombardment to destroy the +% tile defense. We need to have a Catapult stack that can attack invader stacks. Catapults and collateral damage are powerful.
Fighting with Galleons across the ocean is different, because Galleons have limited space for units.

Nothing interesting new.  Coldrain has proposed 2 times to open borders and I rejected.  I don't want him to see all my territory.  Now a Chariot of Miro has arrived from the East, so they must have open borders btw them.

You can see this on the diplomacy screen btw.

And you can see resource deals between other players too. That is good to check sometimes.

[klops]

I would throw in my vote for more scouting, even if that means that others could also see your land.
I think it's important to get an idea about continents (islands) and borders

[giraflorens]

T152 - T154

   
Great Engineer we got.  I used into Guilds.  And this is the Tech Screen so far.  Coldrain already has Banking and Astronomy.  And I think that Xist also has Astronomy.  I am tempted to go for banking, but I think I will research Astronomy first.  Our Indian Eastman Galleon will help to keep all of our Islands provided.  Our power graph is getting better (doing lots of Catas and Trebuchets, Magic).  In 14 turns I will get another GP.  Unalaska is been a good factory of GP's.  Also I am changing the Capital to Juneau, where I will build more Economy buildings. 
Now I am trying to specialize cities. Tinglit will be another Units factory. and Utquiabik more economy city. See Screenshot below.

Also below is the Demographic Screen we are the last in everything.
And the last is the exploring of our Chariot in Miro's land. The only one we have open agreement.

           

And a picture of the situation on the west