[SPOILERS] The Peaceful Centaur: a Study in Possibility

[Azoth]

It definitely killed a warrior in Deinos.

Oh no! How did this even happen? Were we the first to build our second city, and the Mistform switched targets because Deinos is now the only city in the world without cultural defenses?
Or is this yet another Mistform some mischievous player has spawned?

For the moment, I continued course, but, well, we're going to need to do something here. Maybe it's time to swap from Writing directly to Hunting? Pile up a Hawk and enough warriors at once and we might have a chance to take it down now.

We gotta do what we gotta do: Hunting, full speed ahead! Podagros should probably put its Tailor on hold and start building that stack of warriors.

We're definitely not going to be able to improve Deinos, though, and we might have even an invasion of Podagros.

I'm more worried about losing Deinos outright. Add one wandering barbarian Warrior, and the city will be captured. If that happens before it grows to size 2, Deinos could be razed! Maybe we should partial build a Warrior there? Once the stack from Podagros arrives, we could fire the Worldspell for the extra defense. Or, you know, the Mistform might stick around just long enough to ruin our early game plans and pick another target after 10 turns.

[Mardoc]

Oh no! How did this even happen? Were we the first to build our second city, and the Mistform switched targets because Deinos is now the only city in the world without cultural defenses?
Or is this yet another Mistform some mischievous player has spawned?

No, definitely not, several people had cities built first. My guess is that Jkaen didn't build military for a while, long enough for the Mistform to get bored and go look for someone else to torment.

We gotta do what we gotta do: Hunting, full speed ahead! Podagros should probably put its Tailor on hold and start building that stack of warriors.

I'm more worried about losing Deinos outright. Add one wandering barbarian Warrior, and the city will be captured. If that happens before it grows to size 2, Deinos could be razed! Maybe we should partial build a Warrior there? Once the stack from Podagros arrives, we could fire the Worldspell for the extra defense. Or, you know, the Mistform might stick around just long enough to ruin our early game plans and pick another target after 10 turns.

In retrospect, this is the obvious answer, and I really should have swapped research and production last turn already.

Probably we don't need the worldspell, but we do need a Hawk ASAP, along with a big stack of Warriors.

[Irgy]

You should run the remaining warrior out of Deinos. The mistform can't capture cities, and the map seems to be generating no barbarians anyway. From what I understand of the AI, it often seems to chase units around the map. So, why not run the warrior towards Dantski...

[Mardoc]

You should run the remaining warrior out of Deinos. The mistform can't capture cities, and the map seems to be generating no barbarians anyway. From what I understand of the AI, it often seems to chase units around the map. So, why not run the warrior towards Dantski...

Alright, he's running. I actually think toward Selrahc is a better idea, I'm more afraid of him, he's closer to Deinos, and it leaves Jkaen as a secondary target if the warrior dies too early. I wish there were an easy way to know if the Mistform is following or not.



And, we've swapped to Exploration -> Hunting . May not have a chance for Philosophical libraries after all.

The other possibility that occurs to me is the faint chance someone's captured a spider and is harassing with it, but if that's true, then Hunting's the right path anyway.

[Azoth]

The other possibility that occurs to me is the faint chance someone's captured a spider and is harassing with it, but if that's true, then Hunting's the right path anyway.

I can't imagine anyone could have managed that with a Scout. Nor do I think anyone planned for an early Hunting. (The only reason we were going there so soon was to take care of Jkaen's Mistform!) Come to think of it, Giant Spiders probably spawn in forests and jungles; just how many of those are out there? More to the point, Spiders take -25% city attack; so if someone has captured a spider, they are more likely to snipe workers than attack fortified warriors in hilltop cities. It must be a Mistform.

[Mardoc]

Ok, the Mistform was following - warrior2 is dead, one step outside Deinos. Now we find out what the Mistform does next. Hoping hoping hoping he goes away, but probably we just get to huddle in Podagros/Deinos for the next 10 turns til Hunting. And then until Hunting Lodge/Hawk/strikeforce are trained. This is going to be very annoying.

Maybe it'll all get over during the halfway confirmed blitz tomorrow.

[Mardoc]

Not only was there no blitz, but the game has really slowed down. Nothing to be done about that, of course, but whine to the lurkers.

Exploration came in this turn, 10 turns remaining until Hunting. No sign of the Mistform this turn, but of course that doesn't mean anything. There is, however, a Goblin coming from the northwest, a clear sign that the Mistform could indirectly kill us if we're not careful.

And, Jkaen has had a Power increase that's lasted for a couple turns now, so yep, the Mistform left him and came to us. Maybe we'll be lucky and it's going back thataway, at least long enough to build a Hawk.

[Mardoc]

Guess who just lost the second warrior trained at Deinos to a Barbarian Mistform?

See what the consequence will be!



If the Goblin doesn't beeline, and the Mistform goes to bother someone else, then maybe perhaps I'll have a chance here. Otherwise, looks like I'll be replacing this locale.

[Azoth]

Guess who just lost the second warrior trained at Deinos to a Barbarian Mistform?

Ugh! That's why I suggested we partial build a warrior at Deinos, completing it just as a barbarian (or the stack from Podagros) arrived. Ah, well, at least we're Expansive for cheap Settlers.

[Mardoc]

Ugh! That's why I suggested we partial build a warrior at Deinos, completing it just as a barbarian (or the stack from Podagros) arrived. Ah, well, at least we're Expansive for cheap Settlers.

I was afraid that if I didn't keep its attention, it would go have fun at Podagros. It still might .