Gandhi of France II - Assuming Direct Control

[oledavy]

Did you by any chance see me and slowcheetah sandbox t32 oracle in PBEM29g? I think that's a strong opening move for Pyramids, and Gandhi is perfect for it.

No, I haven't read PBEM29g.

Gandhi really is the perfect leader for that opening. However, I'm afraid that in this game, with an Industrious leader present (being played by Yuri to boot), it was never going to have a high chance of success. Indeed, he beat my final projected Oracle finish date by a turn, so I'm glad I didn't go that route.

[Catwalk]

How do you plan on utilizing the Pyramids? Scientists everywhere for science or focusing them for better GP generation? We ran into the problem of not really having a very spedcific plan for actually using them, probably contributing to our loss.

[oledavy]

[SIZE="7"]Turn 70[/SIZE]

So, following the outbreak of peace with the Byzantines, I've opened borders with both of my neighbors. Commodore offered OB on his turn 69 (my t68), timed with him completing sailing.

I didn't have Sailing to get trade routes of my own at the time, however, I want to keep Commodore friendly for now; since my southern neighbor is still acting belligerent. I had been saving gold and plugging away at mathematics. However, in light of this, I switched research, turned up the slider, and one-turned fishing and then sailing (though I had to run a few citizens to get all the way through sailing). So, Commodore only got two more turns of trade routes than I. I had thought I needed to defog the coastline up to Commodore's city to get trade routes, but was gratified to see trade routes with Commodore in all my cities after I ended t69. By this time, however, I had already invested a turn of hammers into a work boat in Thessia. I went ahead and completed it to avoid hammer decay. However, I'm debating what to do with it - save it for the fish north of the future city of Kahje, or defog the coastline? I'm leaning towards the latter at the moment, perhaps bringing it back in time to net the fish.

At any rate, with peace with Mistabod secured, I went ahead and offered them Open Borders. The TR's do more for them at the moment, since they have more cities and currency. However, I would like to build stronger ties.

I now feel sure they were planning to invade me. Check this out:



Up until last turn, there was quite a horde stationed in Bravery.

I've confirmed six Horse Archers, in addition to a pair of chariots. If they were planning on attacking Yuri, I feel like they would have moved them over there already, or not even had them on our shared border to begin with. I mean, if they're not planning on warring with me, why keep them where I can see them? What's the point? By the same token, however, if they are planning on warring with me in ~8 turns, why show me what they have? Maybe a mistake that they rectified this turn by moving them off?

The more I think about it, the more their decision to accept peace with me leaves me puzzled. I assumed at the time that it was because they were planning on invading Yuri, or simply not ready. Yet, they have a pretty significant power edge. So, why not just remain at war and do some pillaging if they did not have sufficient forces positioned to take the city. If they truly were planning on invading Yuri, why mantain such a large force on our borders? On a related note, they have open borders with Yuri well, so they're going to have to pick who to take an economic hit with if they choose to go to war with the army they've amassed.

The more I think of it, the more it doesn't make sense. I just can't discern the rationale behind their actions. That being said, I'm content with the enforced peace. We'll see if we can't build up a repore. With all their cities, they're going to want as many foreign trade routes as they can get. With OB signed, there will be a economic impetus not to war with me. 6cpt, but it's still something. In the meantime, I get to run Dr. Karin Chakwas through their lands, get an idea of the military strength, and map out the locations of their cities.



Once I defog all their cities, I should be able to calculate exactly how much of their power is population/buildings and determine approximately how many units they have. Right now, I'm guessing they have about a dozen HAs.

--------

Other than the ongoing intrigue with the Byzantines, things have been fairly quiet on the international scene.



Commodore double revolted into OR and HR, Yuri settled a seventh city and birthed a GP, and NobleGas settled a couple more cities.



I now can trade with NobleGas, courtesy of Sailing. The only one I do not have trade relations with is Yuri.

Commodore still has his scout checking out my backline:



Meanwhile, Mistabod's warrior is lurking north of Tuchanka:



I'm keeping graphs with everyone, and putting my excess EP on the Byzantines - since I'll most likely to need EPs against them.



On that note, they just finished researching Currency, check out their GPT



Current City Counts:
Mistabod: 9
NobleGas: 9
Commodore: 7
Yuri: 7
Dave: 6

Still behind, unfortunately. Not going to sugarcoat it, my position is probably going the worst in the game at this point. Not going to dwell on it at this point though, save that for the postgame. I know what I have to do, and the game is far from over. My GNP will be in order in the next few turns, and I can start expanding again. Immediete priorities are getting to Currency, getting a religion, and expanding into my four remaining strong city locations as soon as possible.

I would love to make a pass at HG, however, it's too late to gurantee them at this point, and those hammers would be better invested elsewhere. The GW keeps calling to me however, with stone it's really cheap. Resisting the urge for now. The Parthenon and GL would still be nice, and I now have Marble to make them possible.

I'm still rather bummed that the timing for my Great Prophet bulbing theology plan didn't work out, or that I didn't get a GE at 80% odds Still, nothing to do but press on.

At any rate, now that I've knocked out my sailing, my planned tech path is as follows:

Mathematics
Currency
Meditation
Priesthood
Code of Laws
Alphabet
Bulb Philosophy w/ GS

I'm considering researching Alphabet before Currency to get the pre-req bonus. However, I think the Currency trade routes sooner will amount to a larger boost than the beakers saved. I need to knock out alphabet to bulb philosophy, plus, spies might be useful on the Byzantine border. Meditation is a pre-req for Philosophy, and the uber-cheap Priesthood will open up the double pre-req bonus on CoL. After I bulb the tech, I'll get Monotheism for OR and then head to Civil Service. After this point, with my population exploding from farms everywhere and my capital boosted by bureaucracy, I'll be ready to spam GS's down the Paper -> Education -> Liberalism line. I've basically determined that I will be skipping the upper half of the tree and the wonders there. This tech path also unfortunately leaves me without IW for the jungle north of Thessia, Calender for the Spices around the Citadel, and most cripplingly, Metal Casting for Forges. The irritating bit is that Mistabod may force me into taking an early Construction.

At any rate, we'll cross that bridge when we reach it (pun intended )

A peek into each of my cities. At this point, I'm not whipping them much and am trying to grow them as large as possible to run specialists and take advantage of my high happy cap.













I'm still paying obscene military costs. The sad thing is that my armed forces are decidedly average. Everyone other than the obvious exception of Mistabod has approximately the same power figure. Having fewer cities means fewer free units, and also translates into less power from population, which I'd guess is keep Yuri and GasNob's comprable with mine.

At this point, I really just want to be left alone so I can build in peace. An early Education and Oxford will do wonders for my economy, if I can get there without fighting a major war

From the graphs, Commodore and NobleGaspar seem to the ones doing quite well for themselves. Mistabod was looking really good, then he whipped his lead into horse archers. As for Yuri, It looks like the wonder heavy approach put him behind. I'm wondering why he hasn't landed the Colossus yet.





My Crop Yield and MFG drops are from running a lot of citizens last turn.



My GNP is looking better, however



Power is still dominated by the Byzantines, however, though it does appear they've stopped mobilizing troops for the time being.

It's hard to know how much land is left out there with so little of the map defogged. However, I suspect everyone has snapped up most of the available land, and that I'm the only one with significant expansion room still left in my backline. Hopefully this means blood A nice classical era war featuring China vs. HRE and Byzantium vs. Ottomans (seems appropriate, no?) would be really nice for the pacifist French.



End Turn.

[oledavy]

How do you plan on utilizing the Pyramids? Scientists everywhere for science or focusing them for better GP generation? We ran into the problem of not really having a very spedcific plan for actually using them, probably contributing to our loss.

Both. Right now I'm focusing on getting a library up in all of my cities, and farming enough of a food bonus that I can run a pair of scientists for 15 bpt while still maintaining decent growth. They'll be carrying my economy for quite some time. Longer-term, I'm going to use CS to spam out Great Scientists to push me down the liberalism line.

[oledavy]

[SIZE="7"]Turns 71-72[/SIZE]



Pretty big break-through with the Byzantines these last couple turns. Bottomline, I think I will no longer have to worry about being invaded; but let's start at the beginning.

Upon opening Turn 71, I was greeted with this.



Now what have we here. What this indicates to me is that they, for the time being at least, are acquiescing to the city of Palaven and do not plan on warring with me. It looks like Mistabod want me to subsidize a push for the Hanging Gardens, possibly picking up the Great Wall along the way. In exchange, they're offering their source of marble, 5gpt and a surplus source of fish to sweeten the deal. Now, I'll have my own source of marble soon enough, so its inclusion is inconsequential. However, that wasn't enough for me to turn down the deal. Now, of course, I would prefer my nearest neighbors did not land the HG. However, the only other likely candidate to grab them was NobleGas with their stone, and I would prefer that not come to pass due to their already strong demographics. Mistabod's position is weaker, and HG would likely just bring them back up to demographic parity. Likewise, I would not like my neighbor to build the Great Wall and land a GSpy. However, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we reach it. They may not make a pass at it, and even if they do, the failgold will be nice. In the meantime, the 5gpt is a welcome boost to my lagging economy.

At any rate, between this deal and our OB, I've started building closer economic ties with my neighbors to the south.

Then, Yuri did the first of two favors for me:



First Yuri leveraged his Great Prophet into a shrine. Slightly curious considering he has barely spread Buddhism at all ( ??? Though Mistabod have been guilty of the same). At any rate, he did not bulb theology, meaning I still have that option open. And at the same time, he made himself a more attractive target. But we'll get back to that in a moment.

In the north, Commodore settled his 8th city, establishing a border with me:





Looks like I was wise to edit my dot-lap, under the presumption he would reach the dyes and sugar before me. Our second rings overlap, but I think I'll be able to maintain control of the marble. I'm sending Urdnot Wrex north to check out Commodore's lands and get an idea how much military he has in the city. I don't anticipate hostilities with Commodore anytime soon, but if they ever do commence, the war will start here. I have switched over my excess EPS to him. He's already begun stomping me in an EP hole with his early Rathauses.

On turn 72, Yuri did me another favor, settling his 8th city....



In the lion's jaws:



OH MAI

I haven't seen a pink dot like that since Palaven

A pink dot on t44 when nobody can do much about it is one thing. A pink dot on Turn 71, however, is a much more risky affair.

I expect Commodore, NobleGas, and Mistabod will all take umbrage with that city. In fact, from the banter thread, it sounds like Commodore already kicked off a war over it (unless he's just joking, should know in a few hours).

At any rate, I think the Byzantine Horse Archers will now be heading east, well, other than this one checking out my territory.



One can hope. That city on the flat-land is pretty indefensible. You don't want to make plants like that unless they're informed by power, and Yuri's has the lowest stat of the five of us. Furthermore, he plants in the face of the guy with twice his soldier count? Not sure what he was thinking, and perhaps I'm mistaken and the city is well defended. However, I just don't see this ending well for him.

Domestically, I finished my last couple libraries and started running scientists, while slow-building/chopping settlers.





Sur'Kesh will switch over to a settler next turn after it grows, having spent a turn on barracks.

Check out these maintainence costs in Palaven:



I need CoL and courthouses ASAP, especially since I'm about to expand again.

Now, in my shameless attempt to get lurker comments, a puzzler. Spot the oddity between these two screenshots:





Other than the fact I did not turn on resource icons

End Turn.

[Catwalk]

Answer:

The culture map has a hole in it 2S2W of Tuchanka, the standard map doesn't?

Which sites are you planning on settling?

[Shoot the Moon]

Answer: if your cities' culture controls all the tiles around a non-controlled tile, you are given cultural control over that tile.

(I'm not sure if it needs to be all 9 tiles around said tile or just 4 though)

[Nicolae Carpathia]

All 9. I had it happen in BTS35 as well.

Technically you don't have any culture on the tile, but you still get to improve and chop it

[oledavy]

MoM, Great Library, or Parthenon?

[Shoot the Moon]

MoM, Great Library, or Parthenon?

I'd say that order of priority sounds about right

Reasoning:

MoM will be awesome, as you'll already be producing a fair number of great people to pop GAs, and the extra boost to increased GPP production should let you chain GAs to a ridiculous extent.

Great Library is obviously good, although I don't think quite as strong as chained MoM GAs.

Parthenon is meh.