[SPOILERS] Rusten prepares to face the music

[Rusten]

Short term:
1 turn left on Feudalism. Hoping to 2-turn Civil Service after, but it might be 3 turns. Once CS is in I will launch my GA and adopt caste+OR+HR+Bureau.
Continue teching guilds-banking (before end of GA) for grocer+bank in capital. Adopt Vassalage+merc at end of GA. Torn on Theocracy vs OR -- it's an option. Could even keep Bureau which would make theocracy a must have. Depends on the need for OR.

Long term it gets more interesting. After banking I could go
-Astronomy
-Gunpowder-Steel-MS etc
-Religious route (University of Sankore+the other one I never build and don't know what's called)

In my current position I don't think there's much to gain from early Astronomy, so my main decision lies between the religious route followed by military techs or military techs right away.

The big overarching plan is to simply have fun with super-promotions. I'm very lucky to have been able to set up such a HE city while still remaining competitive. A lot of people spend their entire game getting one (if they even succeed) whereas I have it available very early. 4 promotion knights into what should be 5 promotion cavalry sounds like fun. It's a fun and unique advantage.

The main target might be BGN (despite Boudica) as his lands seem good and he's acted hostile.

[superdeath]

How would you rank the competition?

[Rusten]

^Can try to do a rank a little later if I survive the next few turns.

Launched my GA, but decided to remain in slavery (and went vassalage) because I fear mackoti could attack this turn. He's been building a massive powergraph and whoever faces it head on is most likely done for given his dominant position. That whoever could be me.

I've rerouted most of my units west to prepare, but I haven't had time to make that many longbows yet.

[Rusten]

As feared it seems I have the pleasure of facing mackoti's knights and musketeers.

It was a good run.

[Krill]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[Rusten]

There will be a reload so you'll have to wait. But he attacked from out of the fog into a city with ~8-10 defenders and walls+cultural defense.

Safe to say musketeers played a role. Using only knights would be suspect vs the multiple spears.
Musketeers is a pretty sick UU if you're in a power position. Uncounterable (jack-of-all-trades unit) with 2 move speed -- pretty good.

[Rusten]

Nevermind, muskets not needed when you have 30 knights

Was a couple of turns away from engineering and guilds, but a couple of turns too late unfortunately. Close call but the timings didn't work out.
I can post some screens later, but I have to rush this a bit. World Cup final starting soon and I wanted to get my turn done first to not hold up the game too long.

The good news is that I'm surrounded by juggernauts which will most likely jump on the dogpile and thus make this a quick death.
In one way I am also relieved. Big games like these are a lose-lose situation. You either lose early or live long enough to have to spend 5 hours per turn in the industrial age. I prefer the smaller pitbosses (but this was all that was available at the time).

I'll defend to my best ability of course. Not much to be done about mackoti's current strength though.

[Rusten]

Glimpse into my troubles before I head off again. I ran some catapults into the stack to slow its advance, but it's futile.

14 knights and 10 HAs in that stack alone (he has plenty more).
Thought I had a screenshot of the power graph as well, but it seems it didn't take. In short it's completely vertical. Here's one from 250 AD (not long ago). You can compare it with the new one later.

Not surprised at all by this. But my only hope (IMHO) was to push the economy and pray he'd attack someone else. This is what happens when the biggest empire is left alone and can transition to workshop economy before the rest. Insane production advantage.

[Rusten]

Quick update:
Things have stabilised a bit, but I still have no reliable counter to knights as I had to stop my teching. Also lost my 2 most important cities.

TBS decided not to dogpile but rather he is sending a stack through my territory to help fight mackoti.
BGN seems to be taking the opposite approach and looks to DoW on me this turn and take a border city.
Naufragar is also at war with mackoti and sent me iron to show his peaceful intentions. He has a stack near me as well.

It seems people understand how far ahead mackoti is and that something has to be done about it. Too bad I had to be the sacrifice. Those promoted knights would've been nice right now.

I feel BGN is really digging his own grave by making me send defenders back to his front. He already has a border with mackoti too so I'm a little surprised by his move.
The ones I thought could dogpile me was dtay and/or TBS as they're further away and not near mackoti.

[vandale]

Well played, Rusten ! And sooorry... I love you none the less.

I got absorbed. In stuff. Some productive and some, not so much.
I doubt I could have helped your performance (being a die early kind of guy) but could have provided some moral support...

I read this thread in diagonals earlier today and it seemed fine. Cool.
Shrine, Oracle, Statue, lotsa cities... excellent setup for a space race...
... And you suffered from that timing attack (@ Starcraft reference). That's what MP is, I guess. And, in Civ, Medieval is where it's at.

City placement for city 3 is most interesting, with both seafoods in the 2nd ring and sharing the corn from the capital to pop borders. And building a Monument, wooh !
Maybe investing in Catapults was a wrong call in the first place (before sacrificing them, that is).



Sooo... I wasn't up to it, I guess. I got demotivated during the downtime before the game start, got distracted, started other things, music, and then did my best to forget about the thread.
Yeah....