It's the end of the world, and Dave feels fine

[DaveV]

Aurorarcher completed the road and the trade route. I need another road segment for the trade connection, and I hate to send out unescorted workers.




jalepeno built the Pact, which means I get a little failgold. The top power number went up by a large amount, so I think he is the guy with the big power.

Those skeletons can reach Aurorarcher's border city, so I'd be a little nervous in his shoes. I'm hoping these trade offers will reassure him a little:







In the first trade screen, I'm trying to tell him that I'll share any map knowledge I gain with Floating Eyes.

Both trades probably favor me a little; his mana is a bit better than mine, and I'm offering +20% commerce in one of his cities for +1 happy in all of mine. I really hope he accepts the mana trade, or at least counteroffers. I'd be willing to give up a happy resource for the mana if he gives me the Ale. But I'd rather get an extra happy and be able to put another citizen to work in my capital.

[DaveV]

I was reviewing my post, and noticed barb city borders in the upper right. A free city would be very nice.

Also, I realized upon reflection that Aurorarcher could interpret my skeletons and trade offers as extortion: "That's a nice city you have there. It would be a shame if anything happened to it."

[DaveV]

Aurorarcher accepted both trades. Best buddies for life!

Religion event = free money.




I received the max amount. That never happens, but cha-ching!

I was able to take a Metamagic promotion on one of my adepts, and flew an eye out to the west. I found some of Mardoc's warriors farming XP from the barbs, and a griffon with a jade torc.




In the east, there's a new griffon out in the ocean that probably belongs to jalepeno, since I suddenly have contact with him (meaning I don't need to send a skeleton through Aurorarcher's lands to make contact).




New contact calls for an info dump.

[DaveV]

Aurorarcher refused the map trade I offered last turn and I forgot to re-offer this turn. He's missing out on a lot of map info, because I have three floating eyes deployed.




I spy a scouting pirate boat.




I found Molach. It looks like he has the inside track for taking the barb city.

He has the same number of cities as Aurorarcher and me:



Mardoc has seven cities; jalepeno has a bazillion.

Molach has the same civics as the other cool kids:

[DaveV]

I softened up the elephant with a couple skeletons, and finally killed him:




I finished my first planar gate at the end of last turn, and have several more that will finish soon. Now it's just a matter of waiting for this:



Floating Eyes show decent food and hammer sites, but not much commerce:







Note jalepeno's griffon hovering inside my borders. Just wait till I have a couple fireball witches, pal!

[DaveV]

Turn 91: apparently the lurking griffon was killed by a giant tortoise. Ha! serves him right.




Aurorarcher accepted one of my map trade offers, revealing more of jalepeno's territory and showing that Aurorarcher has a new city positioned to work his second dyes. I offered a trade for dyes:




This favors him once he gets the new dyes hooked. I'm hoping we can establish a long term friendship.

The big news for turn 92, though: my first gate unit (in War)!




Air mana is not one of my top choices, but gift horse, mouth, etc.

[DaveV]

Air mana is not one of my top choices...

So what are your top choices?

So glad you asked, Mr. Lurker! I'd say my top three right now are Spirit (border pops), Water (spring), and Enchantment (enchanted blade).

News of the turn:




Border pop in White Horse. This will be somewhat annoying for Aurorarcher, but he has a monument in Enaillellion and we'll get a fair split eventually. A city 1S of the corn is looking pretty good, leaving room for a city 1S of the pigs (for Aurorarcher if he's still building settlers; otherwise I may settle there eventually).

Molach has Trade, which means it's time for a tech check:




He seems to have done a beeline to Trade, and is lacking a lot of other techs.

[Miguelito]

Actually I wanted to ask how access to maelstrom was a bad thing

[DaveV]

Actually I wanted to ask how access to maelstrom was a bad thing

The problem is that I felt obliged to take Metamagic I as her first promotion, since I may lose access to metamagic mana in 4 turns. This means she's many turns away from being able to cast Maelstrom, since her second promotion will almost certainly be Metamagic II. Because this may end up being my only Dispel mage, I probably won't want to risk her out in the field. In the big picture, pretty much any magic sphere will have at least some use (possible exceptions: Nature and Shadow), but some are very useful right now and others are potentially useful in the future.

[DaveV]

Turn 94:




That's jalepeno with the golden age (someone popped a Great Commander last turn. Coincidence? I think not). He's converted to the very popular OO religion.

My cursor is on the stack at the top of the screen, NE of the elephant and NW of the barb warrior. Next turn I settle a city there.

I finished my fifth planar gate; no more mobius witches. If When I lose this game, I can at least blame it on luck.