[SPOILERS] Molach is adept at this game

[Molach]

Attack/harassment called off - Holy Peño had 2 warriors ready along with the adept. Well, at least he ain't fogbusting.

My scout is still scouting - still not been et by barb animals, and he's now moving outside floating eye-range. No other people found yet.

I've decided to tech towards education. I pondered festivals, for a quick FIN market and a way to pop borders in new city, but then realized I couldn't possibly find the hammers to do all that yet. New city will instead be founded so that I need no border pop for a while. First-ring food + grassland + 2-3 cottagable tiles is all that I need. Also apprenticeship will be helpful against the barb menace.

After education I'll grab explore for roads, then probably mining before festivals. Hopefully I'll have a solid commercial base by then.

[Molach]

All is well. Got a nice trait change a few turns ago



Also in shot: Founded my second city. Helped by expansive bonus to settler. As will be shown, I wasn't too happy about where to settle. But since I lost creative, I settled right next to incense. -4 maintenance, but soon +7 commerce.

Capital:


Decided that +2 commerce beat +1 hammer, as due time was equal

aaand demos:

[Molach]

Update.
Barbs are entering lands now. My new city has 2 warriors.


The 'standard' gambit - attack a goblin in forest with warrior? 73 % odds. Well, I attacked, and if I had failed I would have been set far behind - would have had to change my horrible monument build to a even more horrible replacement warrior. As it is, he barely won, and gained 5 xp. Took combat 1 for now. Worker will finish plantation next turn.

At capital less trouble.


Barb warrior entered lands. I seized the high ground, which according to SW-3 makes me invincible. Anyway, barb walked onto flatlands, I sent a puppet from my adept and then had 96 % odds. Got 3 xp on this warrior. This will help my new city, to be settled NE-wards.

But where?


I'm thinking about the plains hill here. Grassland hill is good, but boatable. With lanun up north, settling towards me, I think I'll go for non-coastal here.

Demos:



Master plan:
...
Finishing exploration, obviously. Gives capital +1 citizen. Then I'll grab festivals, make some freaks for a show in capital and new city for border pop. Might keep any really awesome ones. But beyond this? I think I'll use chariots for my eventual attack, if I'm still alive by then. I won't be, lanun is off to a great start and will win.

[Molach]

Barbs are rougher than I remembered...been playing too much Civ BtS I guess.

Have lost my scout as usual, but also a warrior to a polar bear. Been running minimal defense, but luckily won my 80-95% battles. Starting adept has also seen combat, and his puppet summons have been helpful in reducing enemies so I can clean up with real units.

Got 3 cities now, building a freak to pop borders in new town, but really starting to fall behind in demos. I think the lanun, with their sring-oasis start have gotten a good leg up this game.

Currently researching towards mining, will be a lot of turns till I get some decent production. And, happiness. My empire is not happy and will not be for a while yet.

[Molach]

Lands:


Yeah I stiched two images together. Next time I need more overlap so I don't get the UI overlay contamination. But you get the idea. Maybe.

Current situation:
I have 3 cities and soon 4 workers.
I've done okay vs the barbs - lost one warrior to a bear, but others have all been successful, and have gained a fair bit of exp. Best warrior has 14 xp. My adept has 34 xp, had to step in and help out vs barbs - puppets helped too.

I got me festivals, crafting and just finished mining. One market just done, and I used a freak to pop borders in newest city. Building another freak, if he is meh he will go to capital and build a freak show there, so city can grow and get a GP faster.

I am still expansive, so I think I should pump out a few more settlers. Only problem is commerce - this map is pretty poor in good tiles, and my happiness cap isn't too great either.

Likely next tech....is....hm.

Cartography..city states. This tech takes something like 7 turns at breakeven. I think my next wave of settlers will take a little longer to finish. However might be good to get the tech done as I am still spiritual, free revolt. I will use city states and cottages for economy in this game - have done the aristofarms too much already.

Bronze working? I have bronze just outside my lands, so can wait a bit for this. But it is probably next tech.

AH? There are actually a few animals on my map. I won't delay too long, but not something to rush right for.

So yeah. Probably Cart - BW - AH, then think of how I want to try to win this. Probably some quick way to chariots and hammer someone. And fail. Lanun - Holy Peno will take this home, he's getting big. And I'm next door.

[Molach]

Oh and + for jalapeno's naming scheme. I read a lot of those Master & Commander books. Recommended to anyone who likes to read good books.

[Molach]

Jalapeno is running away with this, no doubt about it. Was it the water mana? Hard to imagine it gave that much advantage. Perhaps coupled with those early pirate coves - anyway, he has double food & MBD compared to anyone. I think I'm still performing in the middle of the pack...but being next to the Holy Peno means I'm screwed. And when mr. Peno takes over my cities the game will probably be quickly conceded.

City states was an awesome civic on this map...I've put cottages everywhere & then some, I'm going for Bronze working and building some freaks here and there. I'm settling a bronze city which will give me bronzed everythings when the research is done. But if he strikes with his forces now I won't be able to do much at all.

[Molach]

Whats up?

Soul patrol!
I am researching Horseback riding! Yes, extra movement on units is good. Also leads to trade. I'll then grab construction and make a chariot-pump city.

Here's the lay of the land.
Northern front:


Pretty established with captain jack here. I need to settle the small peninsula quickly, early warning/sacrificial city. Jack has 1-2 warriors in border cities. So either he is relaxed about this border or planning something.

The South:


I need to hustle here as well, wanna grab the gold to the east here, but that damn captain is swarming all over. Due east of here is the Horror Rancher.

Go West:


New city with pig and copper. Haven't seen any units west of here, will expand here next. Need a scout unit to die/soften up animals/spot spiders/griffons. Much wildlife out here.

Here's what my cities are doing:


Markets in new cities, to help keep the research in capital artificially high.

My capital:


Just finished library using max hammers. No it shall make settlers and workers, claim more land.

And that concludes my report.
I've been playing pretty casually, which shows in score...but I'll do my best to not be a pushover when the Jack seeks to take my lands.

[Molach]

I am ready to concede to Captain Jack, anytime the coalisation wants to.