Chevalier Takes the Reins

[Alhambram]

Turn 52:

Barb warrior attacked my slinger, barb warrior 1 HP left, so slinger finished it off and grabbing archery boost:
   
At same time levied units are marching westwards, I shall see what I can do with them.

Builder next Geelong improved cow pasture, causing culture bomb and one more culture per turn.
   
Library finished in Canberra, I considered to go for monument for extra culture boost for Pingala.
But Suboptimal worries me, so I want to collect GG points sooner than later.
When I get next promotion (ancrestal hall completed), I take grant instead extra science, so single encampment gives me 2 GG points already.
I can increase that with another 2 with completed barracks or stable in encampment.

At score board TheArchduke and Cornflakes seemingly founded 4th city according their empire points. When I finish Ancrestal Hall in Hobart, I shall start pump out settlers in Hobart and Geelong.

[Alhambram]

Turn 53:

A banner year moment: Pingala arrived in Canberra and with finished government plaza in Hobart I assign culture promotion for Pingala, result:
   
Now my science/culture per turn rivals that of my Hungarian game previous PBEM at same turn 53, next turn my science goes up even more thanks soon to be completed campus in Geelong.

Two bad news: firstly I thought that production from slinger would be transfered to archer but it seems that it got removed (probably since last patch which did remove overflow too), therefore 20 production wasted.  
Secondly a tornado family has appeared west of Hobart, in worst case it goes eastward alone and hitting both Hobart and Canberra hard, this is a PBEM with disaster silder turned on max after all...

Next turn start ancrestal hall in Hobart, chop out to shorten build time. Also go in Oligrachy government next turn.
   
Levied army keep marching, slinger attempts to grab barb camp.

[Alhambram]

Turn 54:

Finished Political Philosophy, went in Oligrachy government for dealing Suboptimal soon and Oligrachic Legacy when I finish Ancrestal Hall and swap to more economic government.
   
After 2 turns military tradition complete, so 2 turns in maritimes industries to complete 2nd galley in Geelong.
Urban Planning stays and Charismatic Leader because I has nothing else. Same for wild card spot, so Inspiration for faster Hypatia (5 GS per turn now).

Finished campus in Geelong for another science boost and galley scouted and met another city state: Cardiff.
   
Someone unmet has 2 envoys in Cardiff, does this mean that Cardiff is loacted at another continent? I, Suboptimal and Pindicator has met only each other, which likely means we are only three at this continent and other four players are over there.
Chopped out forest in Hobart, 1/3 of ancrestal hall is done. Builder shall mine iron soon while another builder shall mine copper next turn and grabbing wheel boost.
I attempt to build couple heavy chariots with maneveur policy which is unlocked with military tradition to get another envoy for brussels before era ends at turn 61.

In west army keep marching, out sight of Suboptimal's borders.
   
I intend to move one of warrior around volcano/mountain. River valley is a floodplain one, with penalties for units standing upon it, arrows from pitati archers are gonna hurt a lot.
Till that time, don't approach borders yet and take time for warrior to heal to max HP again.

[Alhambram]

Turn 55:

Mined copper and got wheel boost plus envoy in Fez. I might found religion later to make use of Fez's suzerain power: when city get converted to my religion, I get 20 per pop converted.
So I would gain roughly 160 to invest in a tech if I build holy shrines in both Canberra and Hobart and then found religion.
   
Next turn both wheel and military tradition finished, then swap out maritimes industries and swap in maneveur policy for producing heavy chariot in Geelong.
Maybe another one in Canberra when I finishes encampment, maybe I see better option afer 3 turns. I plan to use heavy chariots as settler escort and later upgrade in knights.

In west slinger killed spearman, but camp spawned barb scout, I shall see next turn whether I can capture camp.
   
I am starting to doubt whether I should intervene. 10 turns ago Pindicator seemed at verge of collapse and I had to act.
But now Pindicator seems to get his act together and made defensive line, resulting in status quo.
As long status quo stands, I don't need intervene, just let both waste production in attack and defense while I run away with science and culture. Only thing that I would lose here is 140 gold for levying units.

I might liberate city for Pindicator with future GG and horsemen (or more advanced units depending my science rate) to gain 100% production bonus, at this moment still a thought for future.
Short term: settler push when ancrestal hall is completed, settler build in Hobart and Canberra while Geelong produce builders or units or something else.

[Alhambram]

Turn 56:

Completed both wheel and military tradition, put in maneveur and start heavy chariot in Geelong.
   
4 turns after some tile rearrange, just in time before era change at turn 61. I decided to build water mill in Canberra after encampment, construction is next tech after horseback riding and I can build it in 4/5 turns.
After finish ancrestal hall and watermill, which is roughly around finishing time of Drama&Poetry, I swap in colonization and build settlers in Hobart and Geelong.

In west barb scout indeed moved in camp, hopefully I can get camp before era change so Auckland gives me new quest after turn 61.
   
Suboptimal moved his army one line back, no need for me anymore to have my warrior block that tile.
More interestingly Suboptimal settled new city there, it is strength of 10 and unguarded except warrior over there.
I might strike it when iron is hot, oligrachy powered warriors with strength of 24 would raze such city quickly.
But Suboptimal got 280 gold, he could buy rush warrior in Fondant, maybe just move closer it to give him a scare and causes him waste gold and I don't DoW him.
I don't DoW him because I don't want give him free boost for Defensive Tactics, and if Suboptimal loses it and DoW me, I gain boost and 100% production.

[Alhambram]

Turn 57:

Completed Horseback Riding and start construction, I shall finish at 50% and wait till water mill in Canberra is completed (4 turns after finishing encampment).
   
Canberra grew to size 7, I put pop in campus for 1 turn before switching to more productive tiles for 4 turn water mill. Also next turn improve iron tile with mine.

In east galley noticed Russian borders but no contact with TheArchduke yet.
   
Galley is going northwards and maybe TheArchduke did plant city closer at sea in north.

In west I moved my units closer Fondant, I shall see how Suboptimal reacts.
   
Slinger razed barb camp, gaining 50 gold and envoy in Auckland.

Also when Ancrestal Hall is completed, I swap to other governemt, classical republic or autocracy for better economical management.
If I somehow go war with Suboptimal anyways, I can place oligrachic legacy in wild card spot to regain +4 strength for melee units.

Since I plan to build wonders, I should grab autocracy, also 2 military slots mean I can slot in conscription permantely to save up gold.
Also I did good at earning envoys, so I don't really need diplomatic policy slot, with current culture per turn it is just matter of time before I grabs some civics that grant free envoys.
And classical republic lacks military slot, so I have sacrifice inspiration policy. Yeah more +'s for autocracy at this moment.

[Alhambram]

Turn 58:

Put more pressure upon Suboptimal around Fondant, at least it draws some Nubian units away from frontline against Pindicator.
   
Next turn I won't attack, that is when Suboptimal should realize that it is a bluff from me.

Encampment finished in Canberra, start watermill there.
   
I could finish watermill in 4 turns while keeping pop in campus, so I did it.

I wonder what others are thinking next turn when they notice me gaining GG points. And for Hypatia race:
   
I am leading with 5 GS per turn, The Black Sword 2nd with 3 GS per turn and then TheArchduke with 3.4 GS per turn (classical republic).
When Ancrestal Hall is completed, I shall promote Pingala with grant to shave down 1 turn, at turn 64 I shall claim Hypatia if others don't buy her with gold or faith.
Pingala's grant also speeden up GG for me too, that is also reason why I shall pick grant over science boost. I already have too many sicence for this game when you are in Ancient era.
With completion of Recorded History (after Drama&Poetry) I shall pick science bonus for Pingala after all, combined with Natural Philosophy policy card, my science per turn shall be over 50 when I finishes Recorded History.

[Rowain]

Thanks for your Reports.   They are really enlightening

[Jabah]

Is there such a thing as "too many science " in this game, really

[Alhambram]

Is there such a thing as "too many science " in this game, really  

Ah yes, interesting question!

Normally you would say no, more science means better techs and earlier better military units than others, a sure win situation.
But civilization 6 has some inbuillt mechanics that creates a situation where completly out of control science might backfire at several areas.

Firstly: tech boosts. If science is very high, you might finish it faster then with boost, just look at my current turn: 5 turns to complete construction while water mill boost comes after 4 turns, unboosted tech rate almost caught up with boosted tech rate.
Which means I have to swap away construction when it is 50% and research other techs instead. If you just go 100% research instead using boost, you gives others with lower science rate possibility to catch up because they likely are using boost to finish techs.
This is sort of rubber band mechanic embedded in civ 6 to allow others to keep up if someone's science went such out control that he/she rather research tech for 100% instead boosts.
By doing boosted tech with fairly high tech rate I can deny others catching up (at least both Pindicator and Suboptimal).
Generally it is better to go for boosts and only research 100% if you think that you don't get boost or is unable to do or you desperately needs that tech now.

Secondly: Districts and traders scale up in production cost when more techs and civics are completed. This might create problem if you tech too fast and most of your cities are fairly new and lacks apprenticeship boosted mines or lumbermills.
Such cities with low production takes forever to build a new district when you needs them. Same with traders. Altough problem with districts can be lowered a bit if you use district discount mechanic.
But to use district discount mechanic properly, you need to avoid researching too many certain techs or civics. But if you tech too fast, you ends up researching curial techs/civic anyways in need for other techs later in tech tree.
As result 40% district production discount is bascially not possible if you grab all techs/civics which unlock districts, till you build many many more districts, roughly 9 cities with each city 1-2 districts.

Third: Military units: Same problem as with districts/traders. Although units got fixed production cost, medevial era units for example now cost much more production that building them takes forever (10 turns or more), even with policy cards in place if you lacks lumber mill or apprenticeship mines.
I can beeline for crossbowmen or kinghts but I lacks production to mass produce them properly, wasting time where I could build builders who improve tiles to get more production.
Also keep in mind that later era units costs a lot more to maintain, too fast teching might result in units that are too expensive for your economy to support, also you can't build older units anymore!
To keep gold income intact, you need build commerical hubs and harbors, which are affected by distict scaling costs!

In short, if you tech rate is very strong, make sure that your economy (gold and production) keeps up, otherwise your empire start lagging. Therefore it is better to control science per turn then have science per turn completly out control.
Of course more science is always better, especially if it is much higher than your opponents, but take care of economy or you are in for nasty suprises regarding districts/units costs.