[Spoilers] Whosit is playing for second

[Whosit]

Times, they stay interesting. Here we are on Turn 45.




Fet is retreating his Warrior. I am chasing. Thank fucking Goddess. I think I can cut him off with my scout coming up from the south--I'd love to kill this warrior if I can, just to make a point. I'm going to let my scout in the east heal for 1 or 2 more turns before making a move.

Japan's power has fallen to 24. CMF must be getting his teeth kicked in at home. It's entirely possible my scout would be in more danger from barbs or whoever else Japan might be fighting.

As long as Japan's warrior doesn't get in my way anymore, I should have TWO more cities on T50. 5 more turns until the next (and last for now) Settler is done at Bombay.

I really wonder if CMF expected me to fight him there, since he's not holding his ground.

Korea, though, I have REALLY been misreading things. I was never good at C&D in Civ 4, but some things were easier to divine. Like, military techs had a given military score associated, so you could often tell when a major military tech was researched. And you could see what other techs people had once you met them. Here in Civ 6, unless there's a better way, it seems to be just trying to count up science spent, and making educated guesses on what might have been researched.

Well, Korea has Archery! And the 180 gold last turn was for 3 Archers, and not a trader lol. I'm going to try to update my spreadsheet and figure out where I went wrong.

Korea finished (last turn) another military unit as well. I need to remember the power updates after turns. I can also confirm the 3 archers because I see that Korea's gpt is -3 compared to previous turns, reflecting that upkeep.

Oh, and greenline rejected my offer of friendship, as expected. If nothing else, though, this does tell me that he plans to hit me within 30 turns.

Anyway, when I saw Korea's power jump to 148 this turn, I was worried that a Chariot might be in the mix, but my best guess now is that Korea has:
3 warriors
3 archers
1 slinger

I remain not terrrribly worried. Bengal's settler finished, and I changed the queued Warrior to a slinger. I have 61 gold in the bank and should have another 60 in 5 turns. I can have a warrior and an Archer defending Bengal, which I think can hold off a greater number of enemy warriors and archers. At least long enough for me to train some more units.

Biggest thing I need to try to sus out is if Archery is what Korea finished last turn. That puts them only 86 science away from Horseback Riding. Which they can research in 8-9 turns at their current science levels. With that threat in mind, next turn I can leave Archery 1 turn from completion and go Mining > Bronze Working. Masonry could be an alternative, but I think that if Horsemen are a possible threat, better to have access to Spearmen than walls.

I can keep an eye on Korea's horse stockpile to see when they are getting built. They cost 80 production each (or 320 gold to rush buy). Unless greenline goes for an early Military Tradition (30 culture with boost), I'd estimate it would take his capital about 6 turns to complete one Horseman at maximum possible production for size 4. 5 turns to produce at size 5. Point being, I probably still have ohhh 20 turns before I have to worry about anything stronger than warriors and archers.

Ohh.... I JUST noticed a purple and yellow civ border west of Korea. They have another neighbor hemming them in. Interesting. I'm going to bet that it is the Khmer based on color. It would probably prove difficult for me to make contact with them now, as I would have to move through Korean territory, but my best options would be to either make a galley in my coastal city at first opportunity, or become suzerain of Venice which would probably give me contact.

Wish I could say hello sooner, as I could use an ally against Korea. Or maybe Archduke will come find me. Who knows!

Edit: Worked on my spreadsheet a bit more. As mentioned, there is a long period from Turn 28 to Turn 44 where Korea did not learn any new technologies, and spent about 116 science. If I were to place a bet, greenline was either trying to hide techs, or was putting some research into several while hoping to gain the boost for them. Archery must have been the tech researched last turn, and greenline upgraded the 3 slingers to archers immediately. I'm not sure if I have any way to tell if they had the boost for Archery or not.

I know Korea has the boost for Irrigation, Horseback Riding, and possibly Astrology and Bronze Working. And of course Machinery, but that shouldn't come into play for a while.

[Whosit]

Movement once again hampers me. I had WANTED to move that scout where the northernmost Zanzibaran warrior is. Now my scout will be stuck chasing Japan's warrior instead of running interference. I guess it's not the end of the world if he gets away, I'm just really pissed. Also, Japan's power collapsed even further. Feels like a unit died? I'm going to be very curious about CMF's opening. Did he make some crucial mistake? Or did like three barb camps spawn around him? Just seems like he's having a really bad game and I wonder what's up with that.




Gonna peak over the hill next turn. I can't pillage a tile the same turn I move onto it anyway, so no reason not to play it cautious. Even at half health I think a stiff breeze could kill that scout.

No big notes on Korea. They lost a little power so must be mopping up barbarians? The mass archer upgrade has me confused though. I don't think they're terribly good on the offense, though they can def support a city capture this early. But Korea needs more melee units to take my cities. Maybe greenline is waiting for those horsemen? But then why spend the money now? They must want to ATTACK me or they'd have accepted the friendship. If greenline is afraid of me attacking Korea, no reason not to take the friendship. I think that I'm overthinking this lol.

I calculated that Korea will finish State Workforce in 4 more turns.

Oh, Japan did get a new tech that they put 32 science into. Probably Archery? Seems like they need it.

Khmer gained an Empire point. New population?

China got a new tech. I have absolutely no idea at this point without have science data.

I've been looking over my current and soon-to-be territory. Once I have Irrigation, I will have 5 types of luxuries in my own borders. Korea only has Truffles, and with the Khmer so close, it doesn't look like there's space to actually settle more.... Though greenline could go into the desert just to get silver. Point is, soon I will have way more cities, that can grow larger without penalties. And once I start putting plantations down, my wealth will grow greatly. At least, like, +6 gpt. And it looks like there's plenty of space for a couple more great cities in that eastern region. I will even be able to grab Salt for a 6th luxury, and when I take La Venta I will have SEVEN native luxuries. Woo-hoo!

All I have to do is not die.

[Whosit]

OK, so apparently I have too much time on my hands. I decided to go back and look at alllll the info I gathered on Korea, since they were my first contact (seriously, I went back and looked, turn 5??? Why were we so close?). Anyway, here's how I think it went down. Will be very curious to compare after the game is over!

So, Arirang began with a Worker which finished on T9. Greenline went right into a Settler, but swapped to a Slinger on T11. Slinger finished on T15, back into Settler. Settler finished T24, then another Worker. Worker > Warrior T30. Warrior > Seowon T34. I think the Seowon cost about 40 production there, so it was completed in 3 turns with overflow from the warrior. Seowon > Slinger T37. Slinger > Slinger T39 (somehow managed 2 turn slinger?). (As of T41, I believe that Korea is running Agoge and Urban Planning!) That 4th Slinger finished T42 and it was into a Warrior that finished T44. No idea what's currently being built.

When Scarborough Fair was founded on T27, it began with a Monument. That didn't finish until T42. I'm guessing that greenline is working on the Seowon but I can't be sure. If it's a unit, it should finish next turn.

I don't think I'm 100% right, but I spent like an hour puzzling this out and moving things around until they made sense. I'm very confident in this, and it matches up with all the data I have. I could even spot earlier in the game where Arirang was working sheep + horses because the gold per turn dropped from the unworked truffles.

So, greenline has been training nothing but military in their capital since Turn 37 (about 10 turns now). Korea is running Agoge. They have a bunch of invested science and I expect several techs will be finished in the next few turns. Definitely feels like war footing. Feels like stating the obvious lol. I have NO idea what the Khmer power score looks like, but since Korea refused my friendship offer, feels like greenline is either gunning for me, or just wants to keep their options open when it's time to strike.

Greenline is in a real awkward position and definitely got a bad spawn. I wonder how much room the Khmer have to the west, or if they are boxed in by Korea themselves? Anyway, I have no reason to believe that Korea will stop building units any time soon. How shall I respond?

My capital is tied up for a while. Must finish the Settler its begun, and then must finish the Government Plaza. This should happen right when Political Philosophy is finished, so I can swap into Early Republic and begin the Ancestral Hall ASAP.

So defense will fall on Bengal for a while. It will finish its current Slinger in a couple of turns, then needs to make a Builder to chop at the capital to get the Ancestral Hall done in a reasonable time frame. I have a Commercial Hub queued at Bengal, but I may need another unit. I can't really delay that Builder because it needs time to move to Bombay and do chops.

Once I'm in my Tier 1 government, let me think about what I want to run. I will have to run the +2 envoy diplo card (Charismatic Leader). I may actually make a dip from the straight path to Feudalism with a diversion to Military Tradition because I'd like to run Strategos for Great General Points.

(as an aside, I think my Wonder ambitions will have to be put on hold until I am very confident in my defenses.)

OK, so I think I will first run:

Economic: Urban Planning (+1 prod), Ilkum or Caravansaries
Diplomatic: Charismatic Leader (earn envoys faster)
Wild Card: Agoge (+50% prod to melee and ranged units)

I definitely want a couple more units out of Bengal, so I'll stick with Agoge. Urban Planning because I'll be working mostly on Districts and buildings for a while in my various cities. I definitely am in need of more workers, but my developed cities are tied up, so I'll probably take the extra gold until I plan to do a wave of Builders.

Once I've made the units I need, I'll research Military Tradition so I can start earning great General Points. As soon as Bronze Working is done, Bengal will construct an Encampment. Even before the Commercial Hub (sad). I want a Great General ASAP.

So yeah.... that's my intel report on Korea and my short term plans for my Empire. Crossing my fingers that I don't run into any more unexpected surprises trying to get my Settlers where they need to go.

[Whosit]

Got the save this morning before work, and big W! :3

Will have to wait until I'm home to share more.

[Whosit]

So imagine my shock to load up the turn and see this:




And having just denied my offer? I'm very curious about greenline's decision making. I accepted, of course. 

I think this is huuuuuge for me. I can scrap ALL my plans for additional military for the next 30 turns! Korea cannot declare war on me. The Khmer would have to go through Korea to get me. Japan is fucked:




I finally got a look at things. I wanted to pillage the pasture, but the barb would kill my scout for sure. I wonder why the Barb didn't pillage the pasture itself? I retreated my scout and hoped the horse archer wouldn't follow. Maybe I can find easier pickings elsewhere.

China is.... somewhere. Honestly, if Krill is isolated that makes China the biggest threat in the game. But for the time being... very unlikely they can threaten me.

SO. I get 30 turns to do whatever I want! I'm gonna build districts! I'm gonna build builders! I'm gonna build Wonders! Bengal is going to finish the Slinger it's on because it's just 1 more turn, and that Slinger can go try to contact the Khmer. Then it needs to do the Builder for Bombay. After that, commercial and military districts, but maybe I can squeeze a granary in first so that the city can grow a little. I could also give it another point of housing by putting a pasture down. So maybe if I go into Ilkum I'll train a Builder that can do that and then go make some other improvements. I just want to keep my cities growing as much as I can.

Lastly, overview.




I decided I'm going to just have the Trader wait for my coastal city to be founded, as it could really use the internal boost. Capital will offer +2f +2p as soon as the Gov Plaza finishes. At some point, I think I'd actually like to send Traders to Korea just to leach a little of their science lol.

Still wondering about Korea. They have to attack ONE of their neighbors to have any chance of growing. Khmer have a lower overall score than I do (I'm keeping pace with Korea), so maybe they are a softer target? idk If greenline thinks giving me more time is going to give THEM an advantage, I think that's unlikely.

[Whosit]

Well, I found out why greenline sent me the offer. Korea attacked Venice!

I was duped! 

That sucks. With both Venice and Zanzibar in play, each of my markets would have been worth +6 gold. Well, it's obnoxious, but if Korea gets 3 cities, then I'll just get 6. I started sending my slinger on the long, rocky trek south to meet the Khmer. I guess then he'll make his way east and block the route to Zanzibar, just in case Greenline decides to go after them next. With no roads in Korea, my slinger can probably make that trek before Korea can turn their army around.

Korea finished S. Fair's seowon, so now they are producing 15 science. I don't see myself building any campuses in the near future so I'm going to have to try to make up the difference purely in pop for now.

[Whosit]

Save came right before I was leaving for work.... So I was a little late to work lol.

I came to a realization last night: I think I will be ONE point from a Golden Age. I'm at 15/25 right now. Unless someone else has some crazy culture I'm not aware of, I should get 2 points for first civic of classical age, 3 points for first tier 1 gov, then 1 point for a desert city and 2 points for settling on a new continent, and 1 point for meeting Khmer in a few turns (unless Korea is able to block me). That's a total of 9 points.... I need just one more. (Who got a classical tech before me??)

I have only a few options. I'm sending every unit I can spare north in the hopes of finding China, a natural wonder, or a barb camp to kill. But I only have about 10-11 turns now.

My last option is to settle within 2 tiles of a volcano. This is doable but this would lead to a very suboptimal city placement and significantly delay getting that second eastern city, which I want because it's good and would secure my dominion in that region. However, it may still be worth it

I would take free inquiry, which grants science from commercial hubs. I can have two finished soon if I prioritize them. Those would give me 5 science, and would allow me to catch up with or even surpass Korea. Additionally, golden age pop pressure miiiight make it impossible for Korea to hold Venice. Especially when I get Bengal's entertainment district built and I might actually have a reason to run bread and circuses.

Unfortunately, I think the only place I could drop a volcano city in time would be west of Bombay. It would block the salt city I want (I'd have to settle it dry), but may still be worth it. Once I complete the Ancestral Hall (and maybe after getting ToA), I can push a couple Settlers out of the capital at 100% production and make up for lost time in the east.

Settler pops next turn so I don't really have time to wait and see. And it would hedge my bets in case I don't get quite as many era score as I'm expecting..... Not ideal, but I think a classical GA is worth it.

Edit: did some rough calculations, cannot finish Hall before era ends, so no free builder in crap city sadly. But I can try to spin gold from straw with a good com hub placement, boosting Bombay's to +4 and this new one would be +3.

[Whosit]

I'm pretty pleased with how this last turn has gone.... But first let me share some screens from the last turn that I didn't post.





 




Like I said, I think I'm pretty close to getting a golden age.

On to Turn 50!




3 Era Score right there! The city is Persian, not... that. One thing I dislike about Civ 6 is that you do not get the option to name cities when they are settled. Why did they change that?




Is that the same warrior from the last screenshot? I don't see a promotion indicator. Japan went from 21 power to 78, so... There's the wounded warrior that's fled my Settler escort... there's the Galley, and maybe a couple of Warriors here? Honestly, not sure what could account for all of that power boost aside from some promotion healing and maybe a new unit.

I'll offer a white peace next turn, see if I can get my scout out of there. No idea if CMF will go for it, but honestly it doesn't really matter.




I realized that this is China, not Khmer. Khmer still only have 2 civics (Code of Laws plus one other), but China has 4 civics, so has Early Empire. Hence the closed borders. Interesting.




Stromboli mountain!




This is just some ideas I had on how to settle this region.

I could have sworn that I took a full empire picture, but I guess it didn't take. I realized it's turn 50 and I had wanted to do a big post, but the day got away from me. But I do have some big things to say!

Operation: BOAT

I realized that I don't have to plunk down a shit city just to get a golden age! I was scrolling through the list of Historic Moments to see what I could possibly try to get, and I realized I had totally forgotten about the Era Score for building your first naval unit! But Whosit, you might say, you only just founded a coastal city, you don't even have sailing, and the era ends in 10 turns! Well.... I did some math.

Long story short, I changed my tech from Bronze Working to Sailing (3 turns), and if I swap into the 100% naval unit card, I can actually finish a galley a turn or two before the era ends! That's +2 era score (Japan got first boat, probably). Here's my work:

Can I get a boat.
Turn 50: Begin researching Sailing.
Turn 51: Bermese 2/15 food. Trade route +1 food per turn.
Turn 52: Bermese 5/15 food.
Turn 53: Bermese 8/15 food. Sailing completes, Political Philosophy completes. Gov Plaza Completes (+2 food, +2 prod). Can Slot in Maritime Industries. Bermese begins Galley. 0/65 at 12 prod turn
Turn 54: Bermese 12/15 food. Galley 12/65
Turn 55: Bermese size 2. Base prod 7>14 Galley 24/65
Turn 56: Galley 38/65
Turn 57: Galley 52/65
Turn 58: Galley 68/65!! +2 era points! (tech towards military tradition to swap out of prod card asap)
Turn 59
Turn 60 DEADLINE

Things work out a little better, actually. With both new cities, PP finishes in 2 turns instead of 3, but the Gov Plaza is still 3. So I can actually first swap into the card to give me a discount on buying tiles (I need to buy a tile in both Bombay and Bengal) THEN next turn swap into uhhh Maritime Industries when Sailing finishes.

So I have 18 era score this turn with the 3 points I just earned. I should get 5 more with a Classical civic and new government. That puts me at 23. +2 from naval unit gets me RIGHT on the money! With only 10 turns to go, I expect I will be the only player in a Golden Age. I guess I already explained my plans in the last post, but with commercial hubs coming online soon, Free Inquiry for the science boost seems ideal, and if I'm VERY lucky, I'll have enough loyalty pressure on Venice to make it difficult for Korea to hold. That would be a bonus though I'm not counting on it.

So yeah, I think I'm in a very good position.

Sadly, it's late and I'm very sleepy, so I'll do a belated State of the Empire in the morning. You can see, though, on the score ribbons how much more culture I have than anyone else I've met, and my science isn't terribly far behind Korea, either. I will definitely overtake them with the Golden Age boost. >:3 I do need BW after Sailing to find Iron, but then I should finally get Irrigation to start hooking up Plantation luxuries. I need to start getting cities Happy for the 10% yield bonus. I'm going to have to see if I can manage to finish the Ancestral Hall before my 5th city is planted... but more on that tomorrow!

[Whosit]

History of the Roman Peoples

by Felinious Rex

The city of Bombay, Capital




Bombay is the seat of Roman power and the home of its Civilization. Rich with resources, the industrious people of Bombay have grown the first Roman settlement into a city they can be proud to call home. Vast herds of quadrupedal beasts roam the plains to the north-west, and recent advances in animal husbandry techniques have allowed the people of Bombay to tame these horses and put them to use. Fragrant flower fields further west are home to great hives of honey bees that are carefully tended. The rich honey produced here is a favorite sweetener for Roman deserts. The fried honey doughnuts, made with high-quality local wheat, must be tasted! And of course, we must not forget the variety of spices that locals still forage by hand. There is discussion of formalizing methods of irrigation to increase output, but so far there has been no governmental funding into this research.

Although Bombay is the capital of Rome, and a great city in its own right, the Roman people are an adventurous lot, and at this current date, three bands of intrepid settlers have set out over the years. These brave souls are what have turned Rome from a solitary settlement into an Empire.

The people of Bombay were also the first to tame the local wildcats, most famous for their sleek, black coats. The Bombay black cat is a cunning and mischievous companion for many, and is greatly favored through the entire Empire.

The city of Bengal




The second city of the Roman Empire, the people who founded Bengal were drawn by the familiar fragrances of spices and honey fields. Giving thanks to the Goddess of the Hunt, food is abundant and plenty here. While local culture in Bengal is very similar to that in Bombay, there are some unique local flavors. The warmer climate results in the people adapting with lighter clothing, that the prudish in Bombay find to be obscene. Wild herds of cattle to the south-west have allowed the people of Bengal to add more fresh milk and meat into their diets, with some claiming that this has allowed them to become hardier than those in the capital. Already, some of the finest soldiers come from Bengal, and local captains want to formalize this training.

Some of these hardy folk recently struck out on their own, heading further to the west. We will discuss what became of them shortly.

Locals discovered a new type of wildcat in the jungles--ones with a striking golden coat adorned with black spots and stripes. These feline friend is known for being energetic and affectionate, as likely to pounce on a mouse as it is to purr in your lap. It's exotic looking coat has seen its popularity grow in the capital.

The city of Persian




Although this desert city has only just been founded, its history is long. Although the people who would found this city set out many, many years ago, their journey has been long and winding. When initial reports of the rich, unclaimed lands to the east filtered back to Bombay, many enterprising citizens decided to set out to seek a new life and new fortune for themselves. Unfortunately, treacherous Japanese warriors blocked their way at every turn, until brave Roman soldiers chased the bandits away.

Persian sits in a hot, arid climate, but the land is rich with silver. Already, local miners are sending shipments of the precious metals back home. In addition to silver, there are rich troves of truffles in the outlying forests. Once the local citizens have begun to tame those wilds, there are already plans to set up permanent camps to harvest these truffles, which will fetch a high price among the nobles of Bombay. The new mayor of the city has already ordered the construction of a district to organize trade, anticipating the Persian will become the commercial hub of the Empire!

Along with people came animals, especially cats. The feline friends brought by the settlers have developed into their own unique breed over the course of the journey: They have become stocky, with a distinctly flat face, and a wonderfully fluffy coat. Perhaps it is due to the long journey, but these so-called Persian cats are known for being particularly lethargic, preferring to stretch out in their favorite nap spots rather than chase critters or bugs.

The city of Burmese




Founded the same year as Persian, but requiring a considerably shorter journey, is the coastal city of Burmese. While not as resource-rich as other Roman cities, the shores of the city are teeming with fish, and high-quality stone can be found in the nearby hills. Rumor has it that the people of this settlement are an adventurous lot, having already convinced the ministers in Bombay to fund development of water-going vessels! They assure the Grand Chief that they can have a proof of concept completed shortly thereafter.

Perhaps like the people who founded this coastal town, the cats who accompanied them are equally adventurous, energetic, and intelligent. A short-haired breed like those from the homeland, these felines have coats that come in many colors: from brown, to cream, to a silver with a blue-ish sheen. Some visitors claim that these cats are unusually clever. Many have been trained to perform tricks that delight local children.

The Greater Empire




Seen here is a mapping of all Roman settlements in known lands. The empire has spread wide, and although there are cities more populous than those in Rome, no one can say that Rome is not the greatest empire in the world. Already, a band of settlers strikes out to the east, ready to claim those untamed, but rich wilds.

((This was fun, but took up a little more time than I planned, so actual game-play plans will be shared later.))

Oh, and happy International Cat Day!! :3c

[Whosit]

Turn 51....

Every time I think it's going to be a quiet turn, something happens.  




Korea finished Early Empire (a turn after I expected), and bought that forest hill tile (they spent 60 gold), so I can no longer meet China by land route. I still have good info by seeing that Korea produced a new builder, and I am happy to see that Venice has an archer camped out in the city center. I hope the AI keeps it there. While I do think that Venice will fall eventually, I now hope that they will hold out long enough to cause Korea some grief.

I also couldn't help but notice the TWO points of science on that mine.




Indeed, Korea just finished another tech, and it's Bronze Working. Not a shocker tbh. I won't be too far behind, but I need Sailing first. Now I am very glad I am going for the boat, because otherwise losing access to the 1 era score from meeting China would be devastating. I did kind of forget the extra science Korea gets from mines next to seowons (greenline really did try to skew the map in their favor, huh?), so they will likely keep the science lead after all, but science from my Commercial Hubs should still keep me in the race until I can plunk down some Campuses later.

I must keep in mind that now Korea can go for either boosted Horseback Riding or Iron Working and make sure that my defenses will be up to snuff.

Oh, and Japan is down to 1 turtle. Are they trading? I forget if I can see if someone is receiving a resource in trade in this screen.




Trade route from Burmese to Bombay begins. It will becomes 2/2/1 in a couple turns when the Plaza finishes. I will definitely want a route between Burmese and Bengal as soon as I have extra routes just for the road.

You can also see I have a bit more of a barb problem up north. I'm going to have to use these turns of enforce peace with Korea to finally find and clear out that camp. I'm now pretty certain that the north is empty of other civilizations, so I can expand there at a later date. So far, the terrain isn't terribly appealing, but definitely usable.


 

This poor, brave scout is dead. Seems Fet was able to do a better job of cutting off my unit than I was able to do to his. Not the end of the world, but unfortunate nonetheless. I can't even offer peace for 3 more turns, though I expect that he would decline until the scout is dead. Worst thing is I wasn't able to pillage anything.

Still, the piper will pay his due in time. Japan continues to lag behind and as I expand east, I should have ample opportunity for conquest.

So, I already went over the BOAT plan. Plus for having the galley is I can still make contact with China. I came up with a detailed plan for the capital. Which.... I just realized.... is wrong.... lol.

Ugh, it was late last night and I was tired and I kind of skipped the part where I need the Plaza before I can start the Ancestral Hall. XD Well.... I'm going to tweak it I guess, when I have a chance. Even adding in a couple turns delay.... the timing will be close to when my 5th city is ready to be settled, so it may be worth delaying a couple of turns just to get the free builder. oof.

But, the general build order is as follows: Government Plaza > Ancestral Hall (with chop) > Commercial Hub > Builder > Temple of Artemis (with 1 chop) > Hopefully Pyramids. I think I can do all that right when the friendship with Korea expires, but like I said, I have to go redo the math now.