[Mjmd #51 No Players] Mjmd Rambles - a civ story

[Mjmd]

Graphs as promised. Skipped demos as I did last turn. Things of note: I'm still #1 in GNP at 68 vs next best of 60. Also, top power changed. Probably won't do graphs too often so enjoy.

Power: You can see the spike of SD that scared me. I do believe he was top power for that time period. Now it looks like Vanrober is out for revenge. Assumed target Ramk whipped away 5 pop last turn from his 4 cities so assuming he is now aware. Unless Vanrober wipes the floor with him this make both of them easy prey later on. I hadn't planned a war at knights, but I may need to just so someone else doesn't eat Van before me. Mind if I don't get eaten first!

Food: SD has been impressive, but GKC is just dominant. There is a reason both of them are at 7 cities. I should be 2 pop whipping my next settler in 2 turns putting me at 6. Gira, Vanrober, Ramk all still at 4. I've vaguely been keeping an eye on the other 3 I can't see on pbspy and I believe them all to be even or ahead of me in cities.

Prod: always looks weird with whipping, but you can see SD whipping, my whipping in response, and then Vanrober whipping.

GNP

Lemmings at the beginning of its glory. I'm sure I was criticized far and wide when I moved my capital at the beginning. I'm hoping I live long enough to really show this city off. Grew this turn, which I timed with improving the elephant for extra happy. Started working 2nd scientist which dropped math by a turn which is nice as then sim city can go into an aqueduct right after its granary. Working 2 scientists will also give it time for some of the anger to ware off. I have to figure out which worker, but I want a worker over here in 3 turns to start cottaging the remaining river grasslands.

[Mjmd]

Turn rolled right after I posted, so I guess I could have waited until turn 80, but lurkers you get what you get when you get it   .

El Grillo got Oracle, which I thought was the next most likely person as I'm assuming he got the other religion. I'm assuming he also captured a 3 pop barb city this turn. With his extra room he probably has a few more of those around him.

Power graph actually shows SD spiked past Vanrober (again delayed); top power is now at 99K. He is definitely targeting someone right? I have no clue how close his next neighbor is. Thinking about it only 2 cities were settled towards me. Meaning the bulk of his empire and therefore his production is actually further away from me. I sent a spear out to scout for a few turns NW just to see what I find. I'll build a chariot somewhere next for scouting purposes and sentry.

Edit: spear is going NW not NE to scout. Will probably go until I find that neighbor. SD has to be plotting war against someone. There is no reason to have that much power otherwise. If he was after me he could have come and taken at least Sim City and pillaged a whole bunch. Hope its someone else and hope that person is ready. Just based on who has been whipping recently that I don't know maybe its El Grillo? That would be a tempting target for SD. He knows there is tons of free space that direction. Why go after hill forted Mjmd for little gain when he could gain big other direction.

[Mjmd]

Finished math. Turned off tech until academy in 3 turns. Power, food, production. SD is scary. His GNP did do a nice spike for a few turns so assuming he built some libraries and researched something quick. He did give me open borders and the 1 city I can see has a warrior. Have a scout going up the right side, so will see that city. I'm thinking he's after Plemo. Plemo has whipped 10 pop away in the last two turns. Or Plemo is building hanging gardens. As good as Plemo has been doing I can't imagine he just has 10 pop laying around he happens to whip in two turns. Or he is after Lazteuq. Who knows. My plan is to keep pursuing hanging gardens plans and do a bit a bit of a farmers gambit for the next 15 turns. I'm going to try to get out 4 settlers I think for it.

When does Hanging Gardens normally go? The one game I remember was PB4 where it went turn 86. But that was a feat and considered pretty early at the time. Was completed in one turn, but only had 7 cities. I'm going to try to do ETA turn 100 (pushed back due to stone city being delayed) with 10 cities out.

[AutomatedTeller]

I presume your next tech target is construction? When is that planned to finish? Cause with hwacha, you are pretty safe from SD.

[Mjmd]

Next tech is organized religion, but that I think will be 2 turns with the academy. Whats the next expensive tech? That depends if I can get a bead on where SD army. I don't think he would have given me open borders if he was after me for this very reason. Therefore I don't think he's after me. Sometimes you have to take some risks. My plan is currently currency then sailing after organized. Have to afford going from 6 cities to 10 somehow.

[Mjmd]

6th city near the stone was founded. Age of Empires II - one of my first strategy games that I can recall. I remember playing this game A LOT both single and over lan. Other than the stone it also is going to be cottaging a lot.

If the settler hadn't literally been on the city site already I would have moved it to the rice copper city. I am pretty sure my Hanging Gardens bid is going to be just way to slow. Plemo has whipped away 15 pop and settled 5 cities over the last two turns. Can someone go check that Plemo didn't have 5 food resources, floodplains, two coppers, and a silver, gems, and gold at his capital. 15 pop is my empire practically right now and I just got up to 6 cities. Gira, Van, and Ramk are all still at 5. Hell even GKC and SD are only at 8. Is Plemo just an NBA player playing in a rec league here. I mean I had pegged him as pulling well above weight early, but this is just ridiculous. I'll still plod on as I mean to get out 4 settlers of my own, but man it ain't looking good for Hanging Gardens. I still think its my best chance back into this game which is another reason I went through with settling, but that much pop whip and cities settled is just too much coincidence. Maybe its just a natural expansion wave like I will be doing in 10-15 turns. I thought my tech at least was competitive and I just got math so maybe hope? If he lands Hanging Gardens I hope SD is next to him because its going to take a pile on to stop him. Hopefully like SD, El Grillo, and Lazteuq just all pile.

Updated map. I'm really confused why SD hasn't taken the NW city my axe is on. Even moving my capital its still closer to him than me. It breaks my rule about settling on hills towards him. I originally was going to settle 1S to be across a river, but I'm not giving up a fish. I am moving my units that way to very heavily insinuate I'm settling soon even though its probably 10 turns away.

 
End on good news. My great scientist is going to be born next turn. 2nd one in the game; I'm hoping the other one was Lazteuq and not Plemo. Plan for 4 settlers in next 10-15 turns: Oregon Trail, Space Invaders (yes avoid growth is turned on), and Leap Frog will all be starting workers in the next turn or two. 2 pop whip them, regrow to size 4, produce settlers, 2 pop whip. Leap Frog and Space Invaders both have forests that will be chopped to help and Oregon Trail will have its 2nd wheat by then. I'm also leaving the sheep with Space Invaders until it produces the settler. After I stop working the scientists capital will grow to size 7 and then produce a settler.

[Suite]

Well, you can read it up after the game, although Plemos story is unfortunately not nearly as detailed as is yours. But whatever is on his mind now, he snowballs properly.

Avoid Growth in Space Invaders? Please give the pasture to AoE then - it's wasted food otherwise and AoE needs it (f.e. chop monument, continue growing to Pop 2, chop another forest into the granary, whip granary (time it so the granary completes at at least roughly half the food bar), cottage grassland continuosly with one worker (three river tiles)).

[Mjmd]

I'm just impressed he is snowballing faster than India and an expansive leader who both are just bonkers in food compared to myself and the other 3 people I can see.

My understanding of using avoid growth is that if you have a granary finishing same turn it would grow you can turn on avoid growth for 1 turn and it will store the excess food. I've never actually used this trick before so feel free to let me know if my understanding is incorrect. Rest of that is the plan for Age of Empires.

[Fintourist]

Yeah, if you are finishing at 26/26 food in Space invaders, avoid growth is the optimal play. If you are finishing >26 food then it's getting more wasteful.

But maybe what Suite meant: If you can use the food elsewhere / have reasonable tiles available, giving the food away this turn, getting next turn to 26/26 with avoid growth and then growing might be stronger and get you closer to 13 stored food though.

[Mjmd]

Good to know for the future. Already played the turn so unsure. If I remember the math was really close though so probably ok. That city needs to regrow fast for a settler after a worker, which is why I was trying to get a lot of stored food for it.