[spoilers] Commodore's 69 Techniques

[Commodore]

Trade: Missioned
   
Turning on tech now, I don't regret this at all. Math 2t, Currency 4t, and then I might be able to Wealth in a fast 3t Code of Laws. I was horribly stuck so this saved me from having to dig out of the hole with library scientists. And hey, I'm benefiting from Spiritual at last:
   

[Commodore]

Gamestate: AI Survivor Edition
With turn 113 rolling around here and Sullla restarting the AI Survivor series, made me think about the game here if everybody retired right now and the game wrapped up with our AI leaders. I think my bet is on me or Pin, actually.


PindicatorPacal is riding high beating up on GavagaiDuGaulle, definitely likely to reach catapults in time to conquer the lion’s share of Rome. He’s got good mutual military struggle happiness built up with meSaladin, his other main neighbor. AI is completely pants at overseas fighting but that’s fine, after consolidating Rome he’s got SuperdeathDarius looking weak, so there can be some gains made there if the peaks don’t completely screw up his pathing. Looks pretty solid, and an AI likes being high in city count.


CommodoreSaladin, on the other hand, gains not a ton of territory from GavagaiDuGaulle but loves having Pacal as a mutual military struggle buddy. Biggest risk to that relationship is that PindicatorPacal will go Hindu after capturing Rome if he’s not converted earlier, which Saladin hates. The game’s complete loon NauflgrowerMontezuma is actually kind of friendly thanks to shared religion and built-up hate with others. Smashing into BingVictoria is a little risky, but Vicky being Vicky I don’t think Saladin gets hurt too much. Biggest threat is the Peaky Peninsula, the cities there are a pathing nightmare for the AI so that’s not helpful. On the other hand, means Saladin definitely will last to the end of the game.


BingVictoria has done the Successful Vicky Thing by claiming decent land without getting into too many wars. CommodoreSaladin is a problem for her unless she manages to get a Buddhism spread ASAP, but if everything remains peaceful she probably has a chance at researching her way to rifles in enough time to be safe from anything outside of those grenadiers. GingerJoao is very occupied and SuperdeathDarius is weak, which is what Vicky must have. Mostly the issue is the usual Vicky issue which is that if a rival starts to snowball she won’t be able to snowball in turn.


NaogrowflowerMontezuma definitely does have a shot at winning, in the only way Monty ever does, which is having a safe friend on one side and a weakened victim on the other. Winning the GingerJoao split with Magic ScienceTokugawa is vital, to snowball to enough size to be able to conquer BingVictoria’s inert self and then just be top dog. The Buddhism spread being so powerful is great for Monty, and he’s just turns away from bulbing Theology (which for the human means the Apostolic Palace but for Monty means THEOCRACY). Good setup for a warmonger, but Monty being Monty I think he’d still screw it up.


Magic ScienceTokugawa has a shot at winning but true to AI form he’s managed to avoid signing a lot of OB and has a religion nobody else practices. Oops. Winning the GingerJoao split with NowfroglerMontezuma is vital, to snowball to enough size to be able to conquer BingVictoria’s inert self and then just be top dog. With his size and science flavor Tokugawa can definitely win this, particularly with that delicious SuperdeathDarius little empire to eat too. Still think Toku’d have economy and diplomacy issues, though, and if he warred with PindicatorPacal he’d have huge pathing issues.


Superdeath DariusSuperdeath DariusSuperdeath DariusSuperdarius is playing his AI personality perfectly. I have no idea what the inert, passive, and peaceful AI would do differently from the human here. Probably would have researched a little more intelligently? No clue.

GingerJoao and GavagaiDuGaulle just die slowly, sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Tarkeel]

Bravo.

[Commodore]

Before:
   
After:
   
We've got that cash money, woo. 25gpt more from just trade...
   
...and also I entirely forgot that Protective gets a market bonus. 
   
Code of Laws a two turn research.

[Tarkeel]

Yowza, 76 extra from Currency (and pop growth)? That's quite hefty.

[Commodore]

Yowza, 76 extra from Currency (and pop growth)? That's quite hefty.

Some of that is the tech; I believe two arrow bonuses on Code of Laws is a bigger modifier than three people's KTB. Growing onto the gold helps too, but I'm actually equipped with a decently respectable set of libraries now too.

[Commodore]

Well I think most of the map has officially been settled at this point. Bing is the new top dog. Ginger is top power (no graphs). I think we're in the calm before the storm:
   
I'm fine with things being fairly calm for a while longer. Currency's trade routes have me back in the black but I still need to do some economic work here. My easy access to +75% hammers on markets will definitely help...
   
With my twelve cities, stone, and a need for aqueduct health in the capital anyway, I think I'm going to take a swing at building the Hanging Gardens.

[Tarkeel]

Is this the game where the HG pop isn't immediately whipped away?

[Commodore]

Is this the game where the HG pop isn't immediately whipped away?

It depends on where. The empire is about 50/50 on "dry hilly lands that can barely grow" and "foody but zero hammers", so whip or not will really depend. I've got some core places that will have the happiness to actually just stay up as megacities:
   
Next turn I'm revolting to Caste for a brief stint. Mostly it's going to be border popping with artists, but Pilsner there is going to be running four Great Merchants to get close to the next GPerson. I think that'll be for a golden age in either case, but of course if it's a Great Merchant trade missions always has to be a consideration too. Bulbing up the line to Chemistry isn't that far away, really...
Monarchy
Construction
Metal Casing
Iron Working
Machinery
Engineering (bulb?)
Feudalism
Guilds (bulb?)
Gunpowder
Chemistry (bulb)
Grenadiers off of galleys? Maybe.

[Commodore]

I have no idea how real this war is, but it prevented Magic Science from double-playing. He's one of The Laggards, so I'm against this.
   
I'm finally annoyed with the unclaimed spot in our border triangle here. I'm not close to Calendar right now because it opens up GSci bulbs that I don't want to take, but claiming dyes long-term is worth something, and it'll be able to get up to +5fpt somehow. I'll settle and pop borders in 3t with an artist.
   
"With an artist?" you ask. Well yes, my incredulous friend, I'm able to run artists now. It's my first Caste stint, and it won't nearly be the last. I can pop a few key borders, and then I'll also have four turns of merchant building in Pilsner. It's fun.
   
I'm also at war myself. I kind feel like I was forgetting; this ridiculous number of axes should be nice for smacking around Gavagai, but if he does have enough to scramble and defend I'm content. He's been building horse archers, which frankly is a relief given how skewed to axes I am, if he's got a dozen chariots I'm screwed.
   
If I do raze, the gold will get me Monarchy next turn. If not, no worries, just a further delay.