[SPOILERS] naufragar, Charriu, and Zalson's Threepenny Opera

[Lewwyn]

didn't have Horseback Riding?  

maybe the end is nighish neigh

[naufragar]

didn't have Horseback Riding?  

maybe the end is nighish neigh

Oof. That joke spurred an update.

I've been respectfully probing Rusten/Hitru's borders with a caravel to see if a fleet was massing. This time, I noticed a bunch of galleons and decided to plunge right into his territory. He may declare to kick me back out, but I doubt it.


You can see him loading muskets onto galleons. The two frigates are sufficient to kill my galleons blocking him from making an amphibious invasion right into Cathedral. I've whipped a galleon there so hopefully I make him bring three frigates or risk a galleon against a galleon on the coast. (He definitely has spare frigates, though.) I've been playing five minute turns because there isn't much to do, but this time I did go through and make sure all the units on my East coast have spent their promotions. I still remember with embarrassment losing a stack of 5xp un-promoted knights in PB38.

Here's the power:



Here are the demos:



Very interesting that I'm not last in power. It's Gavagai or Mr. Cairo, and I would assume Gavagai since Cairo's higher on the scoreboard, but Gavagai had been fighting Donovan Zoi back in the day. Pretty much all my cities are slow building units. I've gotten observatories up broadly. (That Creative bonus is very nice.) Working on getting a courthouse or two in the Northwest. Those spots are at Commodore's mercy, since I can't reinforce them once an attack hits. The mainland defense will be mostly Classical era garbage, but I am making strides towards gunpowder. Again, though, Rusten has switched to his military civics, so I expect an attack sooner rather than later. And that would be something to report.

Globally, things have been quiet. Commodore keeps making fleet moves but then the boats vanish or return without anything happening. I've got some caravels exploring for fun, and I'm realizing the scope of Rusten's empire. No pic, sorry. Rusten and Cairo both have Paper, but I haven't put in the effort to figure out their techs. Wasn't there some game where Krill waited for a two era tech advantage before winning? Maybe we'll see that here. Rusten can research Military Science. I assume this is why he teched Music, so maybe we'll see Grenadiers against Maces soon.  

[naufragar]

We finally found Rusten's capital.



Turns out Pink Red Dot is closer to his cap than mine, just over water. Still should never have given up the South.

I still have no idea what's happening in the wider world.


Why has Commodore parked an armada in my borders? Why are Rusten's frigates circling like sharks?

Lastly, here's the tech trades screen.


I had been seeing Rusten's score decrease and assumed he was in slavery. Of course, he is not. Everyone but me is in Caste to work their workshops. Rusten/Hitru's decrease come from drafting. He has Nationalism. I perhaps expect him to land the Taj soon. Also, I misread this screen last time. He does not yet have Music, so no Cuirassiers just yet.

[naufragar]

WAR!



Rusten killed two of the galleons defending the water passage to Cathedral. Here's how our troops ended up.


Two of Rusten's frigates are wounded, and Commodore's frigate is nowhere to be seen. Make of that what you will. Notice that Rusten hasn't brought up any galleons yet. I strongly suspect that this attack was motivated by catching a big stack of Commodore's galleons with just a one frigate escort. Commodore's fleet is seeking safe harbor in Bonehoard. I'm reinforcing my Eastern cities, but I'll be annoyed if Commodore's fleet movements are what triggers a land invasion of me by Rusten. Commodore's galleons are trapped. If he doesn't send an escort down for them, they can't escape Rusten's frigates, and eventually Rusten can take the city and burn them at dock. I don't know what he was doing with them sailing around over to here. Seemed odd. (Of course, if it ever came to it, Comm could just cancel open borders and hope the teleport doesn't put him in a watery grave.)

Our last turn of caravel scouting, I guess:


Easy to run nothing garrisons when you control the seas. I've deleted that caravel, as I've deleted all but one. Because Rusten wasn't showing any mercy.



It's just a caravel, man. Doesn't warrant a frigate.  

Rusten has completed a canal.


Eat your heart out, Civ 5 & 6. Terraforming with 4 is where it's at.

To sum up, Rusten attacked a bit early because he saw a chance at burning 640 hammers worth of galleons that were drifting doing who knows what. That fleet is safe for the moment but will need to teleport or reinforce. Depending on if Rusten's galleons are filled, we have a lot or a little time. (Remember we saw them loading already.) I've blown gold on unit upgrades, so no more tech this pitboss, I guess.

Edit: Unfortunately, I'm going to have house guests over the weekend, so while I'll be able to play turns, I might just throw up bare pics with little commentary. Terrible timing for me to get attacked. Lurkers can complain to Rusten.

[naufragar]

I still have plenty to learn about civ. For example, did you know that other players' land units count as military police under Hereditary Rule?


7 of Commodore's 8 galleons are filled. He has 21 land units in Bonehoard. One the one hand, this makes Rusten's prize that much sweeter. On the other, if Commodore can sense when the marine invasion is coming, he can unload his troops to defend the city and save his galleons. I've seen, what, six Rusten galleons? So, we could be expecting an 18 unit landing force? I'll try not to get Bonehoard burned amphibiously.

Here's the blockade Rusten's set up:


I started two workers on a fort. That jungle tile as well as one of the dye plantations will get forts to cut travel time. Rusten noticed this and moved his frigates so Comm's galleons couldn't escape to that tile. I don't think teleportation saves him. The frigates are too fast. Defensive moves have been awful choices. Bafford's is a more important city, but Rusten's focusing on Bonehoard. I'm trying to reinforce both, which might mean that neither gets enough support.

Rusten's galleon's have disappeared into the fog. This is scary, but at least it means they weren't fully loaded yet.


I'm mousing over the tile 1E of WorldsCollide. Edit: 1W of WorldsCollide! Thanks, thestick!

I'm sending a small expeditionary force to try to pillage that fort. Last I checked, the garrison of PinkDot was mostly archers, so nothing too scary, but I can't commit much to this probe.


I think the peak tile gives him visibility on my knight. I have workers in place to road the tile 1N of the fort. (They just got done planting a windmill on a desert hill to make it a 1/1/1 tile.    I know from the last time Rusten and I danced this tune that when he rips up my fishing nets, Cathedral starves, so any food helps.) I can get a knight to the fort next turn. I have to decide if I want to move in next turn or wait for the one mace + one knight to join. I don't want to lose a knight, but I also want to delay Rusten moving fleets around to my (even more) vulnerable western shore. We'll see.

[naufragar]

Forgot some screens. Didn't feel like editing.

Here are the demos. We're now 4th in power.



This means Gav and Cairo are really light on soldiers. Because here are the top 4 militaries:


Lurkers need to get Rusten/Hitru and Comm/Pin to update. This is their game now.

[Charriu]

I still have plenty to learn about civ. For example, did you know that other players' land units count as military police under Hereditary Rule?

I totally didn't know that, but I bet even some veterans don't know that.
The prospect of Commodore possibly defending one of your cities is equally amazing. What a game.

[Mardoc]

Lurkers need to get Rusten/Hitru and Comm/Pin to update.

That's something about Civ I don't know how to do...

[thestick]

Is the 4 frigate 1 galleon stack 1E or 1W of WorldsCollide?

[naufragar]

Is the 4 frigate 1 galleon stack 1E or 1W of WorldsCollide?

Ack! 1W! Edited post. I always make that mistake. I assume the galleons have moved East (the real east) to pick up troops. Note the fort 1N of Rusten's YadaYadaYada. That too acts like a canal to speed travel time from his outer islands to his capital bay.

The prospect of Commodore possibly defending one of your cities is equally amazing.

Yeah, he seems in a bind. I assume I have been kept alive as a buffer between the two powers. I assumed that if one or the other tried to eat me, his rival would start chewing on me from the other side, but at least for the time being, if Commodore doesn't want to lose a ton of material, he has to stay friendly for a bit longer. (Again, I don't think teleporting saves him.) The interesting global picture that I don't have is what if anything Rusten and Commodore are doing to each other on the other side of the world where their empires touch. And I still have no idea what that fleet was doing between Rusten and me.

That's something about Civ I don't know how to do...

Well, let's have lurkers keep posting here and make them jealous!  

Edit: While I'm at a computer and remembering, Rusten spawned a Great Engineer in some distant city. Taj or MoM or something soon?