[SPOILERS] Dazedroyalty - Move along! Nothing to see here

[dazedroyalty]

Edit: I see now you're saying it's grown past happy. Whipping a Lighthouse or Barracks or something to bring it down a size might be a good idea. Actually no - a settler might be best.

Settler was my thought too because of the IMP bonus. I need to sneak in a WB first though. I might switch off the worker next turn. I need to figure out if it's better to build WB->Settler or the other way around. I'm thinking settler first. Put in 1T of building. Double whip it -> any overflow into a WB. Not sure how much overflow I'd get tho. Anyone know that off the top of the head?

[dazedroyalty]

OK, I think that we've worked this out. I can sink one more turn into the worker in Integer. Then start on a settler which I will double whip on the next turn and the overflow should let me complete the WB in one turn. That leaves 1 turn for the WB to move into place which coincides with Prime's border pop. Like this I think:

60 - one more turn into worker. Prime is 1/5 culture at EoT
61 - start settler. Prime is 2/5
62 - whip settler. Prime is 3/5
63 - WB finishes with overflow. Prime is 4/5
64 - WB moves towards clam, worker finishes. Prime is 5/5 borders expand EoT.
65 - Net those clams!

[dazedroyalty]

Woo hoo! Thanks to a screenshot from Catwalk, I know know there is sea food in the ONE unfogged tile near the incense! That makes the city considerably better! Thanks for the free info Catwalk!



(He sent me the screenshot in an effort to get me to settle one of the two marked sites to box Sian in)

Now that I know he's trying for it though, i am in the tough spot of whether I should tell Sian. Our agreement is so informal I can't say that I HAVE to, but I also haven't really done much to help him out.

[scooter]

How are you thinking of dividing up the cow, iron, crab, and incense?

[dazedroyalty]

Still planning on following the dotmap I made earlier:

[dazedroyalty]

Diplo update (warning! Text heavy):

WOW! This game is crazy! But as of right now, it's crazy in about the best way possible for me. I don't know where to start since so much is always happening in this game. Hopefully anyone really interested is reading Catwalk and Xenu's threads since they seem to update all the time. I wish Sian updated because I'd love to know what he was/is thinking when this game is over.

First of all, I learned that Xenu is a pushover when it comes to negotiations. I really like the guy! (When you read this Xenu, no offense is intended!) For example, he initiated a discussion with me regarding the jungle borders to negotiate our borders. I basically told him I was going to settle my purple dot (see post above) and he agreed while all I conceded was that I wouldn't "settle further west." Which is awesome because I wasn't planning to settle further west. I do need to settle that pink dot in the jungle ASAP because it claims Sian's pig. I'd also like to settle the Fish/banana on the Eastern coast which I might be able to do while Catwalk and Sian are busy with each other (see below).

Meanwhile, Xenu continues to push for a war against Sian--which he's finally got! But before going there, he also continues to think of him and I as the last place players. Catwalk and Xenu lately both continually remark on my terrible GNP. Which is true. But I don't think of myself quite out of the game like Xenu seems to think we are. Though I am hurting badly for currency. Anyways, he keeps coming up with crazy ideas for how to help each other. It's really fun, actually. But i do feel a bit bad becuase some of his ideas definitely help me more than him--but from an in game situation, it's awesome to have someone offer to help fund my research to currency! That was his latest plan: he would give me gold to fund my research and then I could give him gold to fund his as payback. Its not a terrible idea actually. Though with the war now upon the world, I'm guessing his attention will be elsewhere.

Overall, I've had one simple goal in all negotiation and diplomacy: DEFLECT. I want everyone focused on everyone besides me. The happier I can keep everyone while doing that the better. I only want to make an enemy if it is making an enemy that will be 1) upset with everyone and 2) unable to hurt me back. Xenu is a loose cannon and I've been trying to set him off on Sian since joining this game. Admittedly, the window of bowmen power is just about closed but I worked that angle as hard as possible. He didn't want to go to war with Sian without at least 1 friend, preferably 2, in it as well. Catwalk was never interested, nor was I, in truth. Though I have often engaged in discussions about how we would do it if we were to attack Sian.

The golden opportunity just presented itself though. Sian left three unprotected workers on his border with Catwalk on the turn that their NAP expired. Catwalk came asking me what I thought he shoudl do! I'm not sure what he expected me to say, besides "DO IT!!!"--which is exactly what I said. I mean, there's lots of good reasons for his attack. I mean, Sian did raze his silver city (that might have happened at my urging as well ) so now it's just payback. Despite Sian offering the settler for peace after the silver city razing (which was odd in my mind. I think Sian was trying to keep diplo relations good), there's still some "payback" justification.

So, the result was that Slowwalk did snipe the workers--over slowcheetah's apparent disdain for the plan. They offered peace right away with a request to be allowed to build the colossus (which they had foolishly traded rights to a long time ago). Sian rejected -- from what I can tell mostly out of anger and a sense that his empire has better potential to go into war mode. In fact, he told me he offered peace back in exchange for the city with the Pyramids! Which is PERFECT for me because I like nothing more than Sian and Catwalk in war and the way this is shaping up there seems to be more emotional involvement than merely sitting down and thinking through "what's best for my civ." I, meanwhile, have been telling catwalk to build triremes and pillage Sian as much as possible.

Catwalk offered me a free worker for a short NAP to ensure that I didn't take advantage of him right now. Then, slowcheetah got online and nixed the deal. I did agree to a 3T nap. I debated rejected it since it might have made them more willing to give the worker anyway. But then I decided that the diplo bonus of giving the NAP is worth more since I probably will not join a dogpile.

Which is the current situation. Catwalk really wants me into a dogpile on Sian--funny how that's changed now that they're already at war! Xenu will be in. I think I might gift some units but I don't think I'll jump into the war. Mostly becasue I don't think I have the units on hand to actually gain enough from said war to make it worthwhile. Obviously Catwalk is in it. Xenu has been so excited about it for so long I can't see him not joining. So, let's see... 3 of 3 rivals in war mode? Should I join or not join?

Sian and I hardly chat but we did today. He's not on line as often as the other teams and he's DEFINITELY the least communicative. While we had talked previously and even unofficially agreed to an alliance, at this point I consider that non-existent. I was feeling conflicted about that until Sian asked me today to re-new our NAP, which tells me he doesn't consider the alliance all that active either. Honestly, there's very little that it has meant. I've shared with him occasional pieces of information and he "adjusted" his dot map in the tundra to allow me to settle the silver. (I am skeptical on how much he really changed his plans. He said he had a settler ready to go but after razing Catwalk's silver city, it took him quite a while to resettle it--not nearly as quick as I'd expect for having another settler on hand).

The main reason, though, that I am not planning to pursue the alliance any further is because Sian has been a bit of an enigma to me and I don't want to have an ally with someone who 1) isn't very communicative and 2) I don't have a great read on. Sometimes I think he's super sly and devious and other times he just seems oddly naive (e.g. by telling me that currency isn't important to him because he has the GLH. How is more trade routes ever not a good thing?)

As is stands now, I asked Sian his plans and he's shooting for HBR next and seems committed to a serious war with Slowwalk. I put Catwalk off by telling him that I'd like to have a 3-way conversation with all the potential dogpile parties before committing. I am 95% sure I'm not gonna join. I'm 50-50 on whether I'll gift any units. Sian seems to watch graphs enough that it would be noticed. BUT i could easily gift them on the same turn that I build a new one. That should hide the graph. I assume I'd gift them on teh turn that the new unit would complete EoT (that is gifting happens right before units build rather than the turn after). I'm not sure when the game checks power for the graphs. EoT makes more sense to me than beginning of turn.

I've been meaning to do a state of the empire for a few days too but I played the last two turns in a hurry (late at night before bed and early morning before work) and with Sian being sick this weekend, no turns have come around. The save is with Xenu now so if it arrives tonight, maybe it'll happen!

[dazedroyalty]

Alright, here goes a proper update on the state of the empire. First, let me show you the exciting things.



Slowwalk's spear and the three workers that he sniped are on top of the Fur in the middle of the tundra. Sian's city, Hannibal, is on the silver 2N of there and Slowwalk says it only had 1 chariot in it last turn. We'll see what happens up here. I'm building the library mostly because I want to either win or at least keep up in any cultural battles that take place.

There is also some potential conflict in the jungle:



There's also an Axe and spear (?) in Too Much Civ. Xenu told me there is a vulture somewhere abotu 6 tiles East of Too Much Civ. Presumably, it's coming up the coast. Let the good times roll!

So back to my world. Here's my core:



Settler is enroute to the site marked (bronze and Corn). I really would like to push onto the northern big island and the jungle but I wanted to settler there becuase I get a lot of good immediately cottagable land which is key for me to keep growing. I didn't plan my worker micro well for this city unfortunately. Don't hurt me, Krill!

The two settlers completing will then pushing onto the big island to my north and the jungle. The galley SW of Trig is taking workers to Subtraction.

Here's the south:



I'm basically not whipping cities here at all to work as many cottages as possible, especially while actually turning science on like I am this turn--which I am doing thanks to 60 gold that xenu gifted me! :D

Here's the complete center area.



My next city here will be where my warrior currently is claiming two pigs ("mine" and "sian's") as well as Rice and Sugar.

Here's the southern big island:



My stupid archer has to go all the way back around! sigh. I need to settle the site marked to claim the wheat and clam and then fight for the spice. I don't know if I can settle the marble island without 1) pissing off Sian and 2) it being undefensable. If sian founds it, my ships will easily be able to fork the two cities!

And here's the whole empire at once:



Now, let's go city by city. Capital first:



As many cottages as possible! I really wish I had inherited a city from Kuro that had cottages or something. Xenu got his first town in his capital 3-4 turns ago. Mine are still 15 turns away. I've been saving forests to chop into a wonder but at this point, that's not gonna happen. So I'll probably chop these forests into the Market or another settler. I need to hook up the jungle gems so I can grow one bigger.



Next turn, I have to stop working the scientists becuase Krill is adamant that getting a GS first is a bad play. So, that's sad. There's another mine on the grass hill that should finish. Then I need to cottage a plains. wouldn't mind more grassland here.

Integer:


I was working a scientist here but since I'm running 100% here I took it off to speed up the settler by 1 turn. I'll regret it if I'm just a few beakers short of being able to finish currency next turn!

Base 10:


Sending a WB down to the new city whose borders will expand in 2Ts. I switched to work the cottage even tho this is a hammer city. I want to get as many beakers as I can while I'm running 100% science. I need to finish currency next turn and it's gonna be close.

Calculus:



This city is terrible, actually. It's gonna get the fish next turn finally. I could have been borrowing the crab from Base 10 but I really didn't want to slow Base 10 down. That was probably the wrong decision looking back. I really only built this city to connect the Gold.

Geometry:


This is gonna be a big commerce city one day. In the meantime, it's just growing slowly while i don't whip it. The dry rice as the only food is painful but oh well--hammers here are painful too!

Prime:


Again, just working as many cottages as possible. I was working the PH to speed up construction but I need the gold more than the hammers. (I realize the cottage is the same gold now, but I need it to grow)

Square root:


Three turns till the borders pop. WB will be en route from Base 10. I'll have to farm somewhere for this city to grow all the way. For now, tho, it's still just cottage cottage cottage.

Subtraction:


There is a WB enroute here too. Stupid Ocean is gonna make it take 4 turns to arrive instead of 2! Considered making this Moai instead of trig but after discussing with Krill, decided to stay with the original plan.

TI-83 Plus


Trig:


I'll build the Lighthouse then Chop out Moai!

Demos:



Not really pretty in any area, but you'll see the drastic change when I turn on science in the graphs:



And for kicks, the Top 5 cities:

[scooter]

Random thoughts, questions, or comments:

Prime - Whip the granary I'm thinking?

Square Root - I'm sure you're headed toward this, but yeah mine that iron and max-hammer out a WB since the borders are about to pop. That crab will help a lot.

Currency will be a really big deal IMO given that you'll be adding overseas trade routes in every city.

What's with the Sian GNP spike?

I think we talked about this previously and I probably forgot your answer, but what are the chances you could land Colossus? That seems like it'd be big on this map (sure would make that "terrible gold city" pretty solid for instance). I know Sian has the "rights" to it from Slowalk (obviously doesn't affect you), but I'm curious if anyone has MC and if not, how quickly you can get it. I'm guessing "not very" but if you pause the scientists as planned, you could always squeeze out a merchant real quick for a MC bulb if no one has MC yet.

Demos don't necessarily look pretty quite yet, but with everyone else looking to fight each other and you now being #1 in land, I'm sure things will look much nicer in 30T. Nice diplo update by the way.

[dazedroyalty]

Random thoughts, questions, or comments:

Prime - Whip the granary I'm thinking?

After i get currency, I'll whip it.

Square Root - I'm sure you're headed toward this, but yeah mine that iron and max-hammer out a WB since the borders are about to pop. That crab will help a lot.

WB is already gonna be enroute from Base 10. Thought I mentioned that but maybe not. Should arrive right after borders pop.

Currency will be a really big deal IMO given that you'll be adding overseas trade routes in every city.

All my trade routes currently are with Catwalk so I think that if I get another one, my second set of trade routes will all be with Xenu. Our "sustained peace" multiplier is still rebuilding but I imagine they'll still be worth as much as domestic routes.

What's with the Sian GNP spike?

He just turned research on too. Had been saving gold.

I think we talked about this previously and I probably forgot your answer, but what are the chances you could land Colossus? That seems like it'd be big on this map (sure would make that "terrible gold city" pretty solid for instance). I know Sian has the "rights" to it from Slowalk (obviously doesn't affect you), but I'm curious if anyone has MC and if not, how quickly you can get it. I'm guessing "not very" but if you pause the scientists as planned, you could always squeeze out a merchant real quick for a MC bulb if no one has MC yet.

I don't have MC and honestly I'm not sure that's my next move either. Though I'd really like the forges, I have cities with 10-11 GPT (and rising as I plan cities) of maintenance so CoL might be next.

Demos don't necessarily look pretty quite yet, but with everyone else looking to fight each other and you now being #1 in land, I'm sure things will look much nicer in 30T. Nice diplo update by the way.

It'll start turning around. We'll see!

[dazedroyalty]

Reminder to self: change jungle dotmap to settle 21 and 88 of warrior instead.