[SPOILERS] Will the Sun(rise) Ever Set on Washington, Mongolia?

[Whosit]

Aight. So at least I can say I contributed to the game. Assuming that Elum/Mack are updating their thread.... Oh wait, ha ha! I know Mack never updates his threads, but does that apply to anyone he's working with? Anyway, they took Bismark and Lexington, basically splitting Grimace's continental territory in half. I'm going to move my troops out next turn, but there's a really good chance the Elum will just take EVERYTHING. I really sat on my ass for way too long, but then again, I never really prepared for a long war of total conquest. I mobilized for a fast strike that would inspire fear and a quick peace. So yeah.

Might put pictures up tomorrow, might not, but basically Elum/Mack... Elack, Malum? Well, they are gonna get 2 civs worth of territory, and they got it almost for free, I'd bet. I'm the one who killed most of Grimace's army, and then the Persians just rolled in. CH is the other main contender at the moment, but if he doesn't swallow either Zulu or ME up soon, Malum is just gonna ride his gains to an easy victory. I wonder if Mack is still active there? He just has the golden touch

Sheesh. I messed up bad, I messed up REAL bad.

[Gavagai]

I logged in and to be frank I absolutely don't understaned your grief. You are in OK position and the game seems absolutely winnable from here. Yes, Elum is going to have advantage but he will have other competitors and other problems to solve. I would be much more worried about the fact that you are miles away from knights and CH already has them but he seems to be dustracted by another war. You will surely have your chance in future.

[Gavagai]

I will need to think about what can be appropriate strategy here but here are some random comments:

1) Did you consider attacking Elum? He seems to have a lot of vulnerable island cities and his army will now be distracted to a war with Grimace. Of course, I don't yet understand what tech he has and how strong is his fleet, it may be a bad idea.

2) You may consider researching Optics to get a decisive edge on the seas. Of course, it should be approached carefully. You are really behind in crucial techs (like, Guilds) and deviating from them worth it only if you have a good idea how to make Caravels pay back.

3) I would suggest dropping one of the mines in Wendy Corduroy and run a spy. It will accelerate your next GA by 4 turns.

4) In Pacifica you need to be whipping buildings into Moai. In particular, you need to whip Forge this way.

5) RobbieValentino wants a Library.

6) You don't need to grow Toby Determined, work workshops instead of farms and add more workshops.

7) In opposite, Lazy Susan has to be grown. I would also suggest a Library there.

8) Thompson needs a Library.

9) Tambry wants whipping.

10) This map appears to have a relatively poor land, Harbours (which are cheap for you) and then Free Market can be a pretty big deal here (value from trade routes doesn't depend on land quality, so with poor land trafe routes should become relatively stronger; same is true for specialists oriented civics).

I hope to come back with more thoughts later...

[Whosit]

Good thoughts. I'll reply later today. Did you spot one of CH's knights? I haven't seen any yet myself, but it's certainly not a stretch that he's had Guilds for a while....

[Gavagai]

CH is Caesar, right? His techs are visible on tech screen and he "can research" Gunpowder and Education. So, yes, he has Guilds.

[Whosit]

Oh, I forgot that the tech screen showed anything in no tech trading so I haven't been bothering to check it. Hmmm..... Well, I guess I'll just hope that he decides not to steam roll me right now? OK, and quick response to the list you made:

1) I have not thought about attacking Elum. I know little about his forces, and I don't see tangling with him as turning out well. I know he has at least some navy since he rapidly took a few of Grimace's island cities, and I think he has a large and mobile ground force since he usually takes multiple cities a turn. I doooon't really wanna mess with him right now, especially since CH could stab ME in the back.

2) I'd like to get to Optics (and I'd like to get Harbors), but figured getting to Guilds was most important. Not sure if stopping for Compass would pay beck before Guilds, though.

3) I'll be getting a GM out of Pacifica in a couple of turns. I was thinking of burning that along with the Great Artist I have to get a second Golden Age right now, unless you can think of better uses for those Great People. If I manage to take Grimaces GLH city or capital, I could artist bomb them, I suppose.

4) I wasn't sure the whip into Moai thing would work as well with nerfed whips, but yeah, I guess with a Forge it would work out better. I'll switch.

6) I was originally thinking of Toby as a whipping city, hence the farms (and lack of food resources). I think I actually meant to add on more workshops, but didn't put down signs and forgot about it, ooops.

5, 7, 8) Yeah, probably need libraries. I haven't been prioritizing them because I can't afford to turn up the science slider. Also, I hate Lazy Susan. I'm adding farms there, though. I was real late to Civil Service.

9) I think I just whipped Tambry's last build. Yeah, will probably whip again soon.

BTW, I also have a new Great General hanging out. Was probably going to settle in Soos unless there are better plans. Soos currently has....

Barracks (3), Ger (4*), SoZ (3), GG (2), so that's 12 XP for Mounted, 8 for Land, 5 for Sea. If I live long enough, I'd want to produce Commandos. I forget how many XP I need to get Commando on CHA units. I thiiiink it's 20? So harder to get to since I'm not AGG. However, I think I'll settle this GG, because if I can get West Point (doesn't that add 6?), I'll have the 20 XP for Commando mounted units, I think. Again, unless you think this GG is better used elsewhere. Settling now gives me 14 XP Mounted (4 promos), 10 XP Land (3 promos still), 7 XP Sea (2 promos). Will improve mounted, won't do much for land, makes water units 1 XP away from 3 promos, though. Drydocks will be good for sea units if I get there.

[Whosit]

Probably not enough time to ask, but the Great Merchant can bulb Paper (897 beakers). I don't think that's worthwhile. Shall I just burn it on another Golden Age right now, or save it? I'm not sure a trade mission would be worth all that much since I'll just burn right through that gold in a couple turns with my expenses.

[Whosit]

OK, so while I wait for yon response....

News:


Getting some more multi-way turn splits as the Vikings jump on the Romans. Oh, also looks like Elum went straight for Nationalism and snagged the Taj Mahal. I don't think it's a major thing, but even when building the Taj I thought the events still say "so-and-so's Golden Age has begun." Anyway, this can't be anything but good, right? Also, poor Johns has lost another city to the Romans. Damn fool. It's not like I've profited much from my little venture, but he really shot himself in the foot with this war. The Zulu seemed like top contenders until their war with Rome. I wonder if Johns was simply unprepared for the battle, or if he's not very good at MP warfare.



You said to whip, but... this is gonna hurt. I lost a lot of income from whipping off those coast tiles. Hopefully it'll be worth it in a few turns of regrowth.

Have some demos and charts.











My interpretation: My biggest strengths right now are a pretty good crop yield and a decent land area (at least, it seems I haven't fallen incredibly behind, yet). My manufacturing also isn't as bad as it looks. It's just that Elum is really, really good. I definitely feel like Mack must still be at the wheel, because wasn't a focus on production one of his trademarks? My biggest weakness is the economy, and unfortunately, that's probably what counts the most at this point. I know for fact that I've probably less than 66% the cottages of my top rivals. I've screwed the pooch on this war, so I don't be gaining much out of it, even if I do take Enterprise and Yamato (GLH would still be nice).

Speaking of, I've begun to move my troops out, starting the long, 5-6 turn trek to Yamato by land. I'll bring reinforcements in by Galley. I think I'll only beat Elum to these cities if he decides to LET me have them.

Also, I'll start a Golden Age next turn with the Merchant and Artist if I don't hear compelling advice to the contrary. I doubt it's the optimal move, but it seems like the "keep limping forward" move. Ah, Gavagai, I also took your advice on some of the cities and changed builds. I also hadn't noticed Susan wasn't actually working the farms I built, so thanks for catching that....

I'm going to shift over to more infrastructury builds in most cities, though after Soos finishes a Forge, I'll have it continue to pump out troops (haven't settled that GG yet, but I will also do that next turn if I don't hear anything to the contrary). I'll probably focus on Macemen and Catapults because that's probably my best bet at the moment for dealing with CH's stuff. HA's won't do jack against Knights.

[Commodore]

Unless you have a compelling reason for that line, GA > Paper bulb

[Whosit]

OK, I went ahead and burned my great peoples on another Golden Age. This one is all about getting infrastructure in, because I am confident I have the forces I need to take what little of Grimace's territory is still available to me. I really wish I could actually capture and hold his Ivory city, because I'd love to have an extra copy of that resource to trade, but the city is so close to Persian culture that I'll just have to burn it, if I can, to keep them from having it.

I took some pictures, might see if I remember to put them up later today. I saw Grimace popped a Pikeman, so yeah, Engineering is out there, no big surprise. Unfortunately for him, I have catapults, swordsmen, and axemen in my stack, and reinforcing Galleys are going to bring more catapults and a maceman. So yeah. Yamato first, then his capital of Enterprise, and then I'll see where I can go from there.