[spoilers] Commodore's RNG Report

[Commodore]

I would have preferred to expand over the Amica Isles, yes.

[Hitru]

Did you know that there was room to expand through islands at time or is that in hindsight?

[Commodore]

I think so? Definitely wasn't preferring to hit the nasty Greek north.

[RefSteel]

Did you know that there was room to expand through islands at time or is that in hindsight?

Not just hindsight; he'd already started his overseas expansion.  Nine turns before Ginger's crossbows went in, he was already settling the big island nearby, discovering the ones he and Amica would later claim, and posting this:

So many islands just here for the taking. My farmer's gambit really should be called, but until it is...

[Commodore]

Yup.

I'm not complaining, in the end I had a great time and I did prove I think that calling my Farmer's Gambit is a ultimately painful and game ruining choice for whoever calls me on it. Very content with this outcome.

[Ginger*]

If you did want to expand into Amica's islands, why launch that followup invasion? (the one where Civac was dedlurking)

That was the turning point for me because it convinced me that you were out for blood, and I couldn't let you be.
And when I received the offer that *I pay you* to go and attack Superdeath's pyramids instead, I laughed because it seemed really ridiculous to me that the choice of phrase to tell me to go hit someone else was to demand a bribe.
I also note that you had a fixation on recouping the tribute I had initially exacted. While I can respect the eye-for-eye revenge style, it doesn't leave you open for a pragmatic detente. And you seem to have wanted both. Can't have the cake and eat it.

Also, would your invasion have gone differently if I had Knights instead of Cats? At the end of the golden age I could've teched Guilds but instead I chose Music and Math-Construction, which in hindsight was an epic blunder because it delayed Guilds some >10-15 turns. Music in particular was dumb because I ended up generating equal beakers from GP by bulbing Optics much later.
But I had it in my mind that collateral was necessary (but never accrued the mass of catapults required for collateral), you're much more experienced with Civ combat than I am so I'd love to hear your thoughts on the viability of leaving Wellies and Cats for Knights instead and how that would've fared against you.

Also, you say I had multiple cracks at winning but came a little short everytime, maybe if slaving, things would've been different
But I only had multiple shots because I chose to preserve some economic core. Which in hindsight was probably hubris and maybe not the way to play against a capable and determined foe. I decided very early on that the only way I would utilize my incredibly dry land was serfdom and windmills. The food surplus and regrowth rate was super slow and a full slave would've provided a burst but slaughtered my MFG and GNP for at least 25 turns after
My defense of no-whip being said, the outcome of the game speaks for itself