[SPOILERS] The Subjuggulator's Mirthful Messiahs (Kuro, Gamzee of Balsegraphs!)

[Kuro]

For bonus points, that Bronze is on a river to our capital. So they can't pillage the roads to cut it off of our capital.

Though I feel we still want roads, so yes.

So, here's my question: BW -> Runes -> Exploration or BW -> Exploration -> Runes? On one hand, missing out Runes means we don't get the more money from the holy city + potential shrine, but on the other Exploration beforehand lets us set up our cities from attack...

I think I'd default to the first one and go for the second if we find a neighbor in that direction.

While obviously not right after or anything, I think Hunting shouldn't be delayed too much either. Hawks in nearly-AW are too useful to go without and parking a Hunter on a Jungled Hill gives an effective defensive outpost.

[Ellimist]

Who wants to bet Ichabod's post was saying I should of gone food?

I always go for food with that event. If it offered more than 1 commerce I could see doing differently.

[Kuro]

Shrug. +1 food didn't seem like much with 3 food resources, a commerce resource that gives food and a bunch of riverside tiles we'll farm anyway.

[Jkaen]

The thing is +1 food is half a specialist, how much commerce does 1/2 a specialist get you?

[Caustic Soda]

^Zero, because half-specialists don't produce anything /facetious.

@Runes vs. Exploration: How much work do our worker(s) have at the moment. If it/they already have plenty, we could go with delaying exploration a little, but should also make getting more workers a priority once we have our first settler out. In general, I agree with a 'wait and see' attitude to such judgments. In this case, however, I think we have to 'prepare for war if we desire peace', as it were. Since there is no diplomacy and the game isn't outright AW, projecting strength becomes quite important.

[Kuro]

Turn played. Nothing happened but moving my Scout towards those burnt forests to try and find someone. I didn't pop the dungeon over there solely to preserve said scout to see if I find someone.

Settler is done in 3, though.

Starting to wish I had gone Amurites. Govannon with all these mana nods would of been insane, not to mention the WS.

[Caustic Soda]

Ehh, Amurites have a much bigger "rush me" sign than the Balseraphs, because their benefits come rather late. Whereas we can push out freaks early, and skele-spam or whatever as soon as we build some adepts. This makes us harder to rush, as showcased in PBEM V, where Bob could have held off four str 8archmages in the early game if he hadn't been attacked by Iskender also. Besides, we at least have a "chance" at getting economic traits, Amurites get zilch.

[Kuro]

Yeah, that's true...shrug.

Either way, I'm still happy with my position. This map is so fucking lush. It makes me feel good.

[Caustic Soda]

^That it is.

PBEM IX spoilers:

Not quite as lush as PBEM IX, but that map was specifically altered to be ridiculously fertile. If it turns out that our lands are better than our rivals, no diplomacy may even become an advantage since they can't coordinate a dogpile. Not even one as half-hearted as the one in PBEM II.

edit: oops, my apologies, Ellimist.

[Ellimist]

FFHPBEM-IX spoiler:

Caustic, please use spoiler tags when talking about the map of another ongoing game. I've basically scouted the entire map, but I think Mist only sent out two explorers and they both died quickly. He may not know what we do about how ridiculously fertile the map is.

EDIT: Plus there are other players remaining unspoiled so that they can jump in if Hyborem/Basium is summoned.