[SPOILERS] I had first pick and all I got was this stupid combo

[Bobchillingworth]

Right now the plan is to ineptly butcher an otherwise promising start and then transition to whining about how bored I am with the game roughly T70

It's like I'm a mind-reader!



So, I'm pretty bored with the game. I've been consistently outperforming everyone except stick on the scoreboard, but that's probably just wonders and land tiles from culture talking.


Here's my dumb empire:










Should I talk about my cities on an individual basis? Does anybody ever actually enjoy reading that sort of thing? I've got eight of them right now, which is probably mediocre at best for T75, but three of my cities will be building / whipping settlers next turn, for my fourth wave of expansion.

I got the Colossus, which was neat. Might help make up for the fact that I've been terrible at building cottages. Going to try for the HG next, because why not. I should probably plan to adopt a religion sometime too, I've been reluctant to bite the turn of anarchy.


Regarding my neighbors, I guess I got the unluckiest possible draw since I've got stick on one side (who will win the game), and Mardoc on the other (who thinks he can win the game). Both passed recent "friendship tests" in the form of a single worker left vulnerable on the border. I have OB with stick which are worth quite a lot; he's current exploiting them to scout my cities from both ends. I'll send a scout his way to return the favor, but really I don't care much. Mardoc settled a couple cities semi-aggressively on my border- I've still got enough land left to settle that I can tolerate it, but one more and he'll be my first target if I decide to go to war.


Nobody has built the Great Lighthouse, even though like 90% of the cities on this map should be coastal. I think we're all scared about becoming targets.


I'm researching at breakeven the whole game because fuck efficiency. Actually I'm just too lazy to do simple math to figure out how many turns of gold I have to run to finish a tech once I switch to 100% science.




I have remembered why I don't like BTS. There aren't many unit options, everything counters everything else and I have absolutely no idea what techs to prioritize. I've actually just been following stick for my last couple, since I've got research visibility on him and he has both very similar land and a better grip on the game.




Here, demographics:







On the plus side, FFH PBEM XXXIII is having a blitz Sunday!

[Bobchillingworth]

Stick has like 20 cities and built the Hanging Gardens. On our border.


Whatever, just leave me alone in my sandbox. Or kill me after you finish teching HBR and turn all those free pop points into HA, whichever

[Bobchillingworth]

Does anyone want to see anything from my civ?


Right now I'm 2nd in GNP and production, but the former is just culture talking. I'm running a way-too-small military, going to start fixing that in a couple turns after Construction comes in and I finish a couple civil builds. I need more stuff everywhere, workers, infra, I need to spread religion, etc. etc. Hopefully this is the case for Mardoc and stick as well, both of whom are scouting me out and probably getting ideas about consuming my empire. Turn 80 and I haven't built a single axe, good lord.


The game moves really slowly (like, one turn every four days), and I'm finding it challenging to care much about it. Sian seems checked out, Jowy probably ruined both their games with Jowy Stuff (although he posts a lot, so maybe he's having fun), Mardoc hasn't gotten the memo the stick will win, and stick will win.

[Bobchillingworth]

look an updaaaate:





Ponder the lucky / good dichotomy.









Land, I've got space for two backfill coastal cities guaranteed, and two forward expansions planned for the near future.





I'm apparently running a variant where I don't build any axes. I can construct catapults now, so I'm going to start actually building some genuine military starting next turn.





I guess my demographics are okay considering that I haven't adopted my religion, have been running break-even all game, built a super-early Oracle and then didn't build any forges until like 30 turns later, and wasn't working a single cottage until like T50.



My happy cap is absurd. Most cities can 2 or 3-turn ball courts, not that I even need them right now. I need more workers and to adopt and spread my religion, and also Organized Religion.


I think I can secure all the land I would need to stay competitive in the game without ever having to fight anyone. There's still a lot of unclaimed territory. I think Mardoc is doing poorly, last I checked he didn't even have Calendar. Sian apparently got fucked over by someone, Jowy is Jowy, so I'm just going to try to project sunshine and happiness at stick so the two of us can build in peace.


Basically, I'm stuck in Sandcastle Mode, and intend to stay that way until someone attacks me, at which point I may switch to a "Exploit Ballcourts To Whip Huge Fuck-Off Armies" strategy.

[Bobchillingworth]

Man, it would be amazing if everyone in this game forgot that the Great Lighthouse wasn't banned.


I don't want it. Sure, it'd be really powerful, but I'm sandwiched between the best and third-best players and they could mess me up badly if they both attacked (or even just one of them probably could, to be honest).


I hope stick builds it. Sounds crazy, but here's why-


* He's already winning and pretty obviously better than the rest of us (not that we're setting a high bar here). The only change in the status quo if stick lands the GL is that he might piss off everyone else, if he hasn't already.

* I could keep my borders open with him- if everyone else closes, then I could make myself valuable enough as a trading partner that we could continue to keep our border relatively demilitarized, and I can continue working on my sandcastle- or have a free hand to eventually fight Mardoc.



It just now occurs to me that the only thing that really matters in this game is who lands the most/best corps. I should probably generate some great merchants.

[Bobchillingworth]

Oh, Mardoc built it. Well, okay. I'll close borders in a few turns.

[Bobchillingworth]

Closed borders, trapping a chariot. Will he declare or delete it (or, I guess, fortify it in place until my culture boots it in a few turns)? Who knows!


Apropos of nothing, I'd like to play in a PBEM following 1984 Rules, where wars are declared and ended by flipping a coin every 10 turns and core cities cannot be razed. Every player gets to declare (by naming) a certain number of cities as being "core", determined by the map size. Besides the starting civics, the only ones allowed are:

For Government: Police State

For Legal: Bureaucracy or Nationhood

For Labor: Slavery

For Economy: State Property

For Religion: Theocracy


Spies are allowed, but must obey the above rules in regards to civics switching. Golden Ages are forbidden. The Banter Thread must be named "Two Minutes of Hate".

[NobleHelium]

Hey now, it was "Two Minutes Hate."

[Bobchillingworth]

Hehe, Mardoc offered me 5 GPT for OB. I countered for 10, which is probably still fair better deal for him than me, but I could use the cash.

[Bobchillingworth]

Mardoc rejected the gold-for-OB trade by demanding all of my cities for 6 GPT; since 5 wasn't enough for me and he apparently wasn't willing to go higher, we've had closed borders for the last several turns.


Jowy met me, and last turn offered this trade:




Rejected, because I have a ludicrously high happy cap between my lucky silver pop and half-price ball courts. I do have OB with Jowy though. That he claimed most of the rare silk resources is impressive- he's doing a lot better in this game than most. He'll be a natural ally based on his position on the scoreboard and map.


I settled another city last turn:




I'm pretty happy to have secured this location- it means I can build boats from some of my best production cities, and then ship them from my personal sea into a position where they can threaten Mardoc's core. I'll have to remember to stick a few LB in here after Feudalism comes in.


Btw, anyone know how this is possible?:




Is circumnavigation only awarded after the turn flips or something?



Let me know if anyone wants to see anything about my game. I'm somehow running in a solid second place despite stuff like not having any courthouses on T95. I'm also close to being tied for most cities, despite stick at one point having like a 5 city lead on me. I'm going to send Mardoc some non-diplo diplo resource deals next turn, since I want him to know I'm happy for both of us to build in peace, and I want to project happy thoughts in his direction at least until Feudalism arrives in like 5 turns.