[No players] Big epic lurking - PB74

[Mjmd]

In two turns I'm landing a Blitzkrieg Great Artist, and I have a Great Merchant banked. Physics hands over a Great Scientist, so for the Final Fourth Golden Age I have the more difficult task of generating a Not Caste GP. War at Sea is going to bang out a pair of temples as the easy +2 priests, but that's still a long haul to 900GPP with just a base-13 rate. A cathedral might speed things up a little but I'll need more temples in that case. Tricky.

Could this perhaps be a use case for the Intelligence Agency? Having already researched Communism, 180h is cheaper than temples + cathedral, and are spies that much worse than priests?

Good call. I mean a 4th great person is a 4th great person doesn't matter if its a spy or priest.

[Mjmd]

Regardless of what Tarkeel does I think Pin should take splitting Metal with Mig.

Getting peace for a bit while Mig has rifles and Pin doesn't seems like 1 city is a small price to pay.

[Krill]

I love the communism play especially as it got him both Kremlin and 3rd GA. I just hate going military tradition and then upgrade units. He doesn't need a conquest right now. He needs to make his seas safe so sprinting to combustion vs slow roundabout delay for unit upgrades route to combustion. Destroyers will also make him safe from Plemo. Kremlin and existing ports are already more than enough to secure the seas vs Gav. Sure more ports are good, but only if he can still make it to combustion in time. His only saving grace is Gav being somewhat tied down with Piccadilly.

To be candid, I'm not defending the Mil Trad beeline post Communism.

What is the current tech situation on the route to DD? Gav up Steel and Rep Parts, but down SM? It looks like it may be a close race, but Commodore will have 30 DD within 5 turns of finishing Combustion. Gav needs longer to put his navy together (both need to position, that's a similar turn problem for each of them).

I figure Commodore is going to want Rifling and Mil Trad because he thinks he can clear out Plemo and then start pressuring Gav from the north if he can't break through to raze some coast. What's the cost going to be? 5 turns to DD? 8? I don't know. Capture gold might end up making up more than a few turns? So it's a complex situation.

I reckon Comm does need to expand more though to get a solid edge that he can win from. If that's the case, now seems like a better time to do it.

[Mjmd]

Thoughts on Gavs request?

[xist10]

I think a Oops rule was implemented ? This would cover this.
I know Diplo is notorious unreliable/unclear in MP, but this could fall under general risiko.

-> I would allow it, but I would use the Oops for Gav.

[Mjmd]

I think Pin is fine declaring after DZ. If he wanted before would have to have more of a discussion, but I lean no. In past split turn situations that have some up usually its which ever side units in theatre moved is what has mattered when its been approved at all. But after seems fine?

[Krill]

Yeah, he has to declare after DZ plays. Theoretically he might have gotten aware with it if he did move units where no one could see him, but down that path leads acrimony and arguments. That's why it's always best to document your turns, even if you document them privately in case of disputes. I suspect that it is wiser to delay one extra turn, or even not get involved, all he does is speed up the war with Civac and Ginger and he needs to get something to fight rifles with other than a stack of knights.

[Mjmd]

Gav remembered they voted for spies on.

Commodore upgrading units and delaying himself was probably easily offset with Gav upgraded his units. Mind you redcoats are more useful than cuirs long term so Commodore better make fast progress.

[Krill]

Oh yeah, if that war gets flubbed it's a total waste of resource. But if he wins it I think he has a clear path to win the game via absorbing Tarkeel and Civac.

[klops]

I don't really like the overall shape of his kingdom with Plemos far-away cities while bordering one of the 4 big players right at the backdoor of his core.

Still an interesting game.