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I think you should think about offense sooner rather than later.
From what you describe, vanrober would be a tasty target, fairly easy to conquer. You can wait till knights, but that just lets Plemo get further ahead. Your civ is stronger than his and it's pretty easy to get access to via roads. a few hwachas, swords and spears and you might just walk right through.
Completed: PBEM 34g (W), 36 , 35 , 5o, 34s, 5p, 42, 48 and PB 9, 18, 27, 57
Current: PB 52. Boudicca of Maya
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You want the person last in soldier count with like 4 mines nationwide to build an army and invade his aggressive trait neighbor who also has cultural defenses I would need to bombard down, AND do all this at tech parity? Also, while having aggressive prats and one of the largest armies on the other side? By the time I could build a large enough army for that I would almost be at knights anyways.
Right now plan is to build cottages for my financial self. Leverage that I'm only one in organized religion and build libraries, markets, and use my first to courthouses and build those too. My capital also has 3 monasteries to build. I would like to go to literature instead of construction and leverage my philosophical side too. After that I'll get construction for safety, but then its a B-line to bureaucracy. THEN I can start thinking about war.
Even if I don't get that nice big island I have a few other cities to expand too. I kind of wonder if there is a central middle island, but I only have 1 port on the island sea anyways.
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Well, I said consider sooner rather than later. I didn't say go off and do it right now. 
You seem to be a builder at heart  which is fine - I am, too. Fundamentally, you need to run a builder game. But you also need to see where there are opportunities for aggression - I really don't have a lot of insight into Vanrober - from what you described, he is underdeveloped. This makes him vulnerable, no matter what his traits are. (I'm not even sure who is leader is - you guys don't have a prominent post that says who is who).
To win one of these games, you need more than just your land. SD is a tough nut to crack, with praets, plus he's done a good job expanding. Vanrober has not and you describe him as underdeveloped, particularly in tech.
What I'm saying is that there might be an opportunity to be aggressive pre-knights - you do have a combat edge in that you A) tech faster and B) have a pretty dominant UU, particularly against melee units.
You could, conceivably, attack him while beelining education and ignore knights for now. Or maybe not - I mean, I don't have any good insight into his tech situation. Has he built wonders? How many cities does he have? Does he has Horse Archers? Currency?
Completed: PBEM 34g (W), 36 , 35 , 5o, 34s, 5p, 42, 48 and PB 9, 18, 27, 57
Current: PB 52. Boudicca of Maya
Posts: 5,323
Threads: 22
Joined: Feb 2012
Wait - you chopped into Chichen Itza? At least you admit it's weed
It's not even an efficient way to get culture - Chichen Itza is 6 culture - a lib, a theater and a monastery is 7, for fewer hammers, even taking into account the stone boost.
I don't think that's a particularly good candidate for a culture city, though. It's got the rivers, but it's not great on food or hammers.
Some time ago, you asked a question that I didn't answer about silver. You can try to get something more out of it - it's hard to do in a non-diplomatic game, because you can't explain your reasoning to the other guy. If you are trading for a market lux, maybe its even. Dyes, maybe - theaters are cheap. Wine, incense or spices, I think you can ask for more, though I don't know that people do.
Completed: PBEM 34g (W), 36 , 35 , 5o, 34s, 5p, 42, 48 and PB 9, 18, 27, 57
Current: PB 52. Boudicca of Maya
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I mean factoring in a future great prophet or 2...... maybe since I'm philosophical it's not  maybe (it is I know) . I already have a library there, that got a prior chop. Those forests did need to go into something. Only other thing that would really have made sense was a courthouse and a great prophet can make up for that gold.
Ya it's clearly the #3 city for culture; another reason I want to get it going. It will probably build monasteries before a market (also cottages won't be that developed yet). I just don't have a non coastal better option.
What would be the gold per turn you would normally ask for it? After the current turns are up on the deal (bribe) with SD I was thinking about continuing doing for a slightly discounted gold rate. Keep friends with the big gorilla next door for a bit and get a non zero amount of gold.
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Didn't see your first post. Yes I am a builder at heart, as everyone can tell choosing Lizzy of Korea. I do need more land. BTW I have an excellent post page 2 with a spreadsheet of leaders, traits, starting techs, ect.
Vanrober very clearly is the direction to expand, but ya no real army to do it with now. Plan after literature is to go construction and just keep slowly building my UU catapults until macemen and knights. I'll check his city count, but it is the game low atm I believe. Unsure of his tech situation. I did not see horse archers when my chariot was scouting in there. He is currently scouting me pretty heavily......
I sometimes ignore knights in single player games, but I don't think I am in this one. I will B-line bureaucracy after construction (well might get IW along the way).
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El Grillo settled ON the marble. Who wants to bet he is going after mausoleum. Now I could raze it with the axe I have coming over, but maybe will just settle on the tundra hill and still get all the resources, but the marble. Maybe trade the marble off of him after he completes his wonder. That gold I gave him probably was for calendar. Speaking of he is still paying me 2g a turn and he could cancel by now...... Wonder when he will realize.
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well, it's your game, but I don't know that you are ever getting a prophet out of that, mainly because even with philo, it takes 50 turns for a wonder to pop the 2nd GP and since you want this to be a commerce city, it's not going to have any hammers to build it. I guess you can chop all the forests into it, but how are you building your uni there? Whip away the cottages?
it might be worth razing his city in any case, depending on what he has for a guard. There's a fair chance he'll get culture into it before you, thus keeping you from the fish and ivory. The fur is a big prize, right? I don't think you have any. If you just plant a city, bring along a missionary. Just bear in mind that you'll need an archer or a spear there to protect against a war chariot.
Completed: PBEM 34g (W), 36 , 35 , 5o, 34s, 5p, 42, 48 and PB 9, 18, 27, 57
Current: PB 52. Boudicca of Maya
Posts: 7,014
Threads: 45
Joined: Nov 2019
Eh maybe it will be good for a golden age down the line. Or I could work 1 priest at size 7, which seems worthwhile (also note hopefully have pantheon). There are 2 third ring forests that can be chopped for the university. Now my capital is trickier because I plan on planting that filler fish city soon which will take a 3rd ring forests (is there any way to give a 2nd ring tile from one city to 3rd ring city of another?). So it will just have 1 third ring forest. Probably stop teching 2 pop whip university, then put the chop into oxford. Regrow for a couple turns and turn back on tech. Best I can can come up with.
His galley could be bringing reinforcements, but right now its just a warrior. I'll probably just settle my city and reinforce with a spear soon. What is an archer??? I have a missionary being produced, but even still a grassland hill sheep and beaver (definitely a prize) are a fine city and can fight for the fish elephant with culture if I don't want to militarily take on the #2 player.
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yeah, I'm not going to push you into attacking him - putting a ton of resources into naval units kind of sucks now.
it's a good city, but immediately puts you guys into conflict - your city is stronger, with the 1st ring good and the hill, but he's got a closer support city.
Completed: PBEM 34g (W), 36 , 35 , 5o, 34s, 5p, 42, 48 and PB 9, 18, 27, 57
Current: PB 52. Boudicca of Maya
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