Archduke and Emperor K team thread

[Emperor K]

Turn 15

To start I swapped to a shrine, due in 12 turns, however this will change next turn. I can move tiles around and still grow in 2 turns to get some extra production. After I hit size 4 ill max production until builder is done then probably continue to grow. I got luxuries until size 7 here (after ivory) so best to grow I think.

I thought I grabbed a screenshot, but my move up north met a Granada warrior. So I first met a Military CS    . Would have preferred you to meat them but that was the gamble. Hopefully since it is early you got an easy quest. Mine is inspiration for craftsmanship so that should be easy enough. 

I do not need 3 improvements to get the inspiration so I can harvest the stone next to my larva to finish the shrine sooner. Let me know what you think. Saving it for possible wonders later is also an option.

Still only team earning great prophet points, I do think that china can beat us to the first religion that is why I suggested chopping the shrine. Faster pantheon and better chance of grabbing first religion so we have first choice.

Removed my dot, I think settling on that location will be fine. Also save us money.

[TheArchduke]

Hmm, harvesting the stone sounds like a great idea, coupled with the mil CS, we might consider switching back to the worker. (yeah damn that you met them)
I need a trader for an envoy, so a high priority now.

Sent you all my money, will do next turn as well, settler buy incoming.

   

If the scout stops near your warrior again, hit him, you need to clear a way for your settler.

[Emperor K]

Turn 16

Swapped to builder 5 turns. Animal Husbandry is in so see how much it helps you. Working on mining. Warrior attacked camp. Will move next to turn towards my base. Scout found my borders so be on a one way track to the barb camp. I am 2 short of a settler next turn. I am not a master of rollover. My capital is set to grow to size 4 in two turns (there is no way to speed that up) should I buy the settler on the turn in hits size 4 or just buy him next turn? Like I said I am not sure if I will still grow to size 3 the turn after or not. My scout is heading west to start scouting the coast would be nice if one of us finds a second continent.

I have 308 right now. I am making 10 so with 2 from you I can buy the settler on turn 17.

EDIT: added screenshot

[TheArchduke]

Whilst I still think that you should settle 5 SE first, I think your second city should go on Wine by the Lake Dot. It boast a 2nd +4 HS and has tundra tiles to work meaning +1 on that forested hill and +1 on the pearls in the lake.

Also I finally located a good 2nd city site north which is on a river and can do commercial+hansa overlaps with maybe a third city on the coast E of that city. More to follow.

Harvesting the stone into a shrine and then into a 2nd settler sounds like the play here.
I will build a 2nd city, establish a force and conquer 1-2 CS.

   

[Emperor K]

Quick update, warrior heads home, buying settler next turn when I grow to size 4, builder almost complete. Shrine next, I'll work out the math when the builder finishes but will most likely mine the stone, then get the camp then chop.

EDIT: added screenshot

[TheArchduke]

Apart from running away from a barb horseman, thank god for discipline, I put down an early dotmap coupled with Commercial and Hansa Districts.

I rather have a safe 3 city core. Right now I plan city 4 to be our Venetian Arsenal city.

   

Buying a settler next turn sounds splendid.

You plan to harvest the stone for the 2nd city and its Holy Site, no?

[Emperor K]

Sorry again for my reporting, work is crazy with the holidays and I still need to go shopping!

Bought settler heading to site 2. Going to harvest the stone at that site if the city grabs it when founded, if not I plan to harvest the stone in my capital towards a shrine. I want 2 larva's and two shrines so the fastest way I can. Warrior heading back for escort duty.

Are we ok giving me a little more gold if need be to buy the holy site tile? I am hoping the city grabs it when founded if not will need to purchase (should only be 55 or 60 )

Scout is still getting info on the northwest.

EDIT: I will most likely have enough gold to purchase the tile so just hold on to yours. There is nothing else that I need to buy except that tile, I will know the turn before I settle (can't view my screenshots right now but I think I can settler in 5-6 turns).

[TheArchduke]

Here is a quick analysis on religion which is not that far off for us to choose.

I will type out my thoughts on what I see as good choices on Pantheons and Religion.

There are the obvious strong choices, like +culture or city patron goddess, but as we go for full specialization, let´s have a look at religion first.

The crucial benefit here it the follower belief, as naturally my cities will have your religion and this benefit applies to us both.
Divine Inspiration is not something to take in a game in which China will be wonderwhoring protected by Rome, so it is out. Feed the World is rather useless imo as housing is the restriction on growth and not so much food.

Now, Jesuit Education, what a great belief, shown by Oledavy in PBEM #4. It would enable you to buy theater square buildings and me campus buildings. A bit of a mixed bag, because I would need faith as well by way of some pantheon like Stone Circles, Earth Goddess or Goddess of Harvest. Reliquaries will be the choice of the Khmer.

Religious Community is rather nice, but only a benefit to you. Work Ethic is nice and Zen Meditation but not game breaking. Choral Music is pretty much broken. Warrior Monks, to be honest I have not yet used them at all to my shame, but CS 35 is okayish and promotions are a difficult thing to come by against non-idiotic players, like humans.

So it is a tossup between Choral Music and Jesuit Education, but I like Choral Music more, especially as I do not want to waste energy with Germany to produce faith.
Religious Buildings, there is a lot of useless stuff running around there. Strange as it may be with our focus on theatre squares and lavras on your end, Cathedrals may not be too crazy. I like Stupas for the amenity, Mosques if we want to go for a religious victory, not much else to see here if you ask me.

Founder Beliefs, Lay Ministry makes a lot of sense with our setup, being +1 faith and +1 culture for every city of yours. Funnily enough I find all other bonuses a bit underwhelming.
Enhancer beliefs is where things get interesting.

Defender of the Faith is a big and nasty bonus to defense which imo stay strong throughout the game. +10 CS is a lot. Anything else is rather meh and mediocre. Crusade could be nasty, but in a MP environment people will defend against this as a strategy. Missionary Zeal once again is a religious victory thing.

So as I am not seeing us winning via religion, PBEM #2 was a freak accident there if you ask me. We will have serious competition in the form of Khmer, nothing really spring out with Enhance beliefs.

So.
Follower:
Choral Music > Jesuit Education > We really shouldn´t be 3rd to a religion, maybe Zen Meditation or Warrior Monks for the lulz.
Worship:
Stupa>Cathedral
Tossup imo.
Founder:
Lay Ministry
Enhancer:
Defender of the Faith>Missionary Zeal or Holy Order
Pantheons:

Russia:
Funnily enough there is a case to be made for Lady of the Reeds with +1 production for the swamps. There is serious swampage in your next 2 cities. We want something to augment your faith production though or get more Great Persons.
I think we are still best of with Divine Spark ensuring first dibs on religion if we harvest the stone into your 2nd city for a Lavra, making us +6 Great Prophet points. Yikes.
With Divine Spark there is a serious case to be made for us to go Jesuit Education though! We could let you build campuses as well, hmm, still I like our distribution of
Germany. Campus, Commercial, Industrial, Harbor
And
Russia. Holy, Theatre, Commercial/Harbor

My pantheon will be a culture enhancer if I can or something else good.
So it all comes down to a serious analysis in my eyes at least, do we stay with our love for Choral Music or do we entertain notions of Jesuit Education, Divine Spark is a strong support for that. Argh. Maybe we get lucky and that choice is taken away, but shrines come so early and provide as much culture as a monument. Too good really.

[TheArchduke]

Also we need a good naming sheme for both our civs and religion and pronto. Will type up what I think here soon.

[Emperor K]

For follower beliefs I am leaning towards Zen Meditation or work ethic if we would like one that benefits both of us. You will not be getting any faith (any useful amount any ways) and I plan to try and save my faith to purchase units later in faith buy government.

Choral Music would be awesome, but you would not get any benefit from it. Jesuit Education I would only really be benefiting from half of the belief. (I will at most have 2-3 campuses depending on how long the game goes) more likely 1-2 for the foreseeable future.

For Worship I was really leaning towards Meeting houses, I love production and will not get very much of it. This would also make work ethic even better if we want that. The Stupa is also very good and would work well if We don't get Zen Meditation. I don't think you will build a single holy site? So this building will most likely never be built by you.

Lay Ministry is just the only one that will benefit me. So I agree with you here, an argument could be made for state property, but I think extra culture / faith will in the end be better.

Holy Order goes very well with work ethic, I should be able to easily keep all cities at max religion. May come in handy in religious war.
Crusade could be insane when we attack. This is a very risky choice but could prove to be the deciding factor in a war.

So In my opinion the risky choices would be
Follower
-Work Ethic
Worship:
-Meeting House / Mosque
Founder:
-Lay Ministry
Enhancer
-Crusade

The safe options
Follower
-Choral Music / Zen Meditaion
Worship
-Stupa
Founder
-Lay Ministry
Enhancer
-Defenders of the Faith

Divine Spark I really think I should get. I am trying to beat the possibility of China building stonehenge for first religion.

These are just my thoughts, every thing you said is good and we won't know what is available until I hit the 25 . I am leaning towards the risky side because that will well just be more exciting. I love can't ever get enough and with this being one of the longer games (I am thinking, I could very well be wrong here) +% adds up over time. You being Germany and having a hanza in every city the boost may actually become really powerful. Crusade if done properly completely nullify's DotF, as long as I can convert the city so that would really put a hurting to our enemies moral. This plan would also allow me to take Lay Ministry and Work ethic to start since I doubt there will be much contention for Meeting houses and Crusade.

Like I said Just an Idea I have never used Work Ethic (I think it goes very well with Germany but in SP it is almost impossible to get a religion as Germany). Choral Music or Jesuit Education are also safe choices, but with me only building a handful of campuses and I mean how many theater's will I really need, 5 or 6 I would think would suffice, Every one of my cities is getting a Larva though. I see no reason not to run a Heavy faith economy.

Last note Divine right will help with culture as well, I should land writers, musicians and artists. Maybe not all of them but I will get some so those in there own right provide as ton of culture.

Let me know what you think, I am not heart set on anything at the moment. Just consider the first option of "mass production Germany supported by faith economy Russia", has a nice ring to it.