[spoilers]Commodore is Tokugawa of Zulu, or, playing for second place.

[Commodore]

So, by that way, anyone have a preference for the more story-style reports or the more standard-style?

[Mardoc]

So, by that way, anyone have a preference for the more story-style reports or the more standard-style?

Definitely prefer your stories; I assumed they were more work, though, so we'd only get them on special occasions.

[Commodore]

Definitely prefer your stories; I assumed they were more work, though, so we'd only get them on special occasions.

Cool, good to know. Not really sure which is more work, neither is all that difficult, I write these things for my enjoyment. When the muse strikes I'll make the story updates then.

[Commodore]

In normal update mode: Check it out! I'm Mr. Not Last In Anything Guy!



Also Mr. Oddly Behind Neighbors in Power Guy, so that's a touch worrisome. I'm sandbagging a bit, with two impi, two axes, and a galley all 1-turnable. Still, might want to finish that stuff, Pingo might be feeling hopelessly behind and thus homicidal. I think that's what this symbolizes:



Whatever, man, I'm secure for another...four...turns. Enough time to settle for IC-TRs and then be back in copper-threatening range. Man I wish I had that one more GG point.



I also wish you could get great generals from barbarian fighting, because I'd be in the money then. This really is kind of scary, I need to clear the borders post-haste to be back in a solid defensive stance before the Cyneheard peace enforcement expires.



What poor saps have worse land area, anyway?

[Commodore]

All right then! *cracks neck* Let's look at tech path, noting that the best laid plans of both mice and men are often set awry.

Right now, as you can see above, I'm two turns out from finishing Masonry. Protective still gets double-speed walls, which given the potential friskiness of the neighbors, might well be needed. Gaspar has managed to talk me out of chopping out the Great Wall, most likely, but I think in Gyre I'll have the free hammers (and okay, one single chop) to polish it off ten turns after starting it, so that would be good. Up in the icy and barb-filled north I have marble, so that will need to get hooked before the next tech comes in.

That next tech is Calendar, which comes with several benefits. First, Gyre and Gimble will own four riverside spices, which are lovely 3/0/4 or 2/1/4 commerce tiles once improved. Just for reference, more than 15% of my actual economy is being carried by those two silver mines. More commerce tiles will be huge, and the happy is a boost too. Without too much difficulty I can grab that desert incense for happy and gold as well. There are also six+ forests that have "MoM" written all over them.

After that, Currency and Code of Laws. Then spy Krill's tech or get killed by his modern armors.

[Commodore]

Photodump:

Lost a lot of HP.


That's annoying, Cyneheard.


Hi, Moai! Cold but nice food.


Wish I'd gone to Brilig before...

[Commodore]

So, not a lot more going on this turn, but managed to clear the worrying barbarian axe with my own shock axe, very nice. This of course enables the northern worker to start his long and weary road north to the Jaws Bite location.



I do love it when a plan comes together. Prior planning prevents piss-poor performance, in this case enabling me to slip in an impi finish in Mimsy with just enough overflow to finish the work boat simultaneously with growing to happy cap. Next up is the settler due for Jaws Bite.



I should probably shake lose an impi to cover that worker...

[Commodore]

Define "exposed" in exactly one thousand words:



Worth it? You tell me. Welcome Gimble into the world. Ain't she purty?



I only did it because I noticed a distinct and surprising lack in Ethiopia. Horses are good, guys. Why, are you guys short on workers for some reason? Either that, or short on horses.



Cyneheard can be annoying, but he's being covered for the nonce.



About to get an economic shot in the arm.



Next turn: Run away!

[Commodore]

When last we left the Zulu Empire, we had a ton of exposed workers next door to a potentially hostile neighbor, a crummy economy, and not much else. That's, um, still where we are, actually, just with the workers out of danger.



The economy got at least a small shot in the arm with this settlement. Having the work boat on hand immediately to net the fish is nice. Those IC-TRs certainly help, although Brilig itself here isn't going to ever amount to much. I'd make it the empire's GP farm, except nerfed whips bring that from "hard" to "impossible".



Finally netted the other crabs for Mimsy and In-the-Wabe, too. I'll be splitting off the fish for Jaws Bite up north, but with a lighthouse Mimsy won't mind too much. Yay for lighthousable lakes/seafood. Not working the silver is painful in the extreme here.



And with that, and Jaws Bite soon, I'm just about out of room. Cyneheard's newest city just popped borders. I'm debating between the two spots shown here...the desert hill is more defensible, but probably lacks a realistic shot at taking the corn this side of a military showdown.



That annoying barb axe ought to be killable, if not next turn, then the turn after. Really need to get the Great Wall online soon, if at all possible. Stealing techs from Krill might be the only shot of long-term relevance here.



Oh course, I could always whip in a billion axes and take on Cyneheard...

[spacetyrantxenu]

Has your whip anger subsided enough from the Great Zulu-MotherLovers War to make a run at a billion axes yet?