Japper leads the Imperium of Man to death or glory

[Japper007]

Turn 76:



'Bram started an Encampment at Seville, I think this indicates he's content to keep that as his outer border. He has no encampments up anywhere else, so I very much doubt he wants this one for anything other than defensive purposes, he'd need about 3 encampments to compete with Krill and Jester. From reading back his reports for Pbem 2 and his reports for 6, he seems a defensive minded player, he's content to wait until he has a substantial advantage over a neighbour (like Wodens skeleton defense vs his Cossacks in 2)

My Legion is also in position now to guard the spot where I want to plant my border city towards him, and the settler is on his way there as well. I'm confident I can grab that spot still (inb4 Alhambram Settler materialises...)

[Japper007]

Turn 80:



Finished my Trader in the capital, just look at that route to Kumasi due to my suzerainity 5 culture and 6 gold, gimme gimme! I decided to build a Barracks in my capital next, it satisfies both an economic and military purpose as it gives me an extra hammer, an extra housing and an experience bonus to all units recruited there. After that the capital is going to spit out Legions and Xbows, at least enough to satisfy the 8 units required for Mercenaries, probably more.

[Mikeforall]

only spotted it just now, but your minimap has hugely expanded south. Looking back, this seems to have happened when you took La Venta. 
This isn't due to scouting, because since I asked you about that around turn 70 nothing has changed mini-map wise. 
So what is down there that magically yanked your minimap south? Another city-state perhaps? Pindicators capital?

[Japper007]

Krill built the Pyramids (technically it said "unknown empire", but Krill is the only one with Wonder score). I am now completely lost on on his gameplan. First he builds a massive army and barely does anything with it (score wise he is only slightly ahead of me and behind pindicator, so he hasn't done more than kill a CS or two), then he builds a wonder? Well at least he's unpredictable

[Mikeforall]

In fact, I think the pyramids was a very predicable build for Krill. 
If our theory of him being at war with Jester turns out to have been true, that is. 
Seeing not much gain in the scores you gave, an attack by Krill (if the buildersteal theory holds water, which I deem likely) was less effective than he imagined, so he instead harassed China by stealing their most wanted wonder, which would set most China-players quite far back. 
It could also be that he conquered quite some cities (score updates are outdated after all) and thought it would be cheaper to just build the pyramids instead of an army of builders. 

Also, would be nice if you could respond to my post of two days ago ^

[Japper007]

Oh right! The map expansion was me meeting a city state in the fog (well technically it met me...) Valetta I think, one of the militarist ones. You can just see it on the far southern edge of the map, the black blob. Pindicator is its suz. At least I think that's what you mean?

I haven't scouted Pindicators lands yet, my military is stretched thin as it is, shadow-boxing with Pindicator in the no-mans river valley where I plan to settle my final two cities before growing vertically (first Settler done in 9 turns other says 10 right now, but will inflate due to Settler cost escalation once the 9 turn one finishes, I expect to have both cities down in about 20 turns, unless Pind pushes more units into the area).

I'll get some boats to scout once I finish my Harbors, but they are my second and third districts everywhere I zoned them, going to finish Campuses first of course.

[Japper007]

Turn 85: The Imperium moves forward!

I found the Eye of Terror right in Alhambrams face, that'll teach him to accept my DoF and not use it to forward settle!



That is one extreme extent of my territory secured, and with settlers only 7 and 8 turns away (again keep in mind that that latter number will inflate by some arcane formula once the first finishes) it looks like I'll be able to secure the river valley between me and Pindicator as well.

I'll do a score overview next turn, to give the interface a turn to process my empire score increase

[Cornflakes]

The arcane formula on the settler cost increase is +30 cost increase with each settler that is built

[Japper007]

The arcane formula on the settler cost increase is +30 cost increase with each settler that is built

  I confused it with the builder/trader/district scaling formula, which is rather opaque. Silver lining then, I will have all my cities down before turn 100!

[Japper007]

Turn 87:



Pindicator settled a city far to the south, it seems that my military presence at the border region stopped him from settling there. Nice, I'll get all my planned cities and a short defensible line with the river.

Finished Feudalism, I swapped out the Campus adjacency boost (which will be sorely missed!) for the 2 extra charges on Builders one, dropping research to 30 only 3 points behind the leader (pindicator) and tied with Alhambram. I'm finishing a Builder in Fenris soon, and I'll probably start one in the cap as well to get the most advantage out of the boost, and I'm finishing the one I dropped hammers into way back when in Macragge after the settler (4 turns). I'll be able to swap out of Colonization by the next policy swap as I'll have all my settlers on the map!

Next Civic target is beeline to Merchant Republic, that'll really kick me into high gear in terms of econ.

Finished Mathematics this turn as well on the Science side, going Stirrups next, I have the boost through discovery of Feudalism and Knights are nice to have on the backup. After that I'm going Apprenticeship (need the builder-wave I'm planning to at least get three mines down) --> Education. Then it's universities in all my Campuses, which should be done by about turn 120-ish.