[SPOILERS - PBEM15] Ioan XIV of Byzantium

[Ioan76]

I don´t figure any good location for my second city yet - the map is really nasty ... especially on food resources ( which also have the bad habit to not appear after discover of any new techs ).

On other hand ... seems that there is at least a good news : between me and TT is no land-connection so I could stay calm for a while - there will be no "skirmisher-rush".
After exchanging censored maps I decided to send him an "improved version" of my map ( Minister of Truth was fired after receiving a medal ) and the next message :

Hi TT,

Two news : a good one and a bad one.

The good one first : after checking our ( censored ) maps I'm happy to discover that there aare no direct land connection between us - so it's no need to be worried of a quick "skirmisher-rush" ( which could be devastating - while I'd research the techs for Oracle ... to be attacked by 2-3 4HP archers ).
So I decided - as a sign of "good faith" ( don't know if this is the accurate English-expression, just translated the Romanian one word by word ) - to send a almost non-censored version of my map, but from an older save - both to not be visible my current research and also ... this is the last which I kept ( honestly ... I use to delete them from email-box ). Except from your border there is nothing else which I discovered anyway.
Of course ... I'll apreciate a similar "gift" from you.

The bad one now : I'm still commited to an Oracle-race. Actually ... after I saw your flood-plain river ... I'm even more decided to try to grab a tech with it ... my map + non-being a financial leader make me try to obtain gold by any means ...

But - beyond this conflict-issue ... if you are interested also to sign a NAP or another type of treaty ... I'm glad to hear your proposal(s).

Best regards,

Let's wait for his answer.

[Ioan76]

An update without any screenshot ...

Mining will be completed next turn ( meaning when I'll receive the new save ). Moved already the worker in to hill near the farm - lost 1 worker-turn there as mining it wasn't yet available but this is ...
I need to decide what to research next - considering also the replay which I received from TT, which include also a ( quite ) strange proposal :

Hey Ioan,

You wouldn't have had to worry about a Skirmisher rush anyway but I can understand your hesitancy! Good faith is probably the correc phrase & i do appreciate it, as I was a little underwhelmed by how censored and hard to view your first map was. I have decided to return the favour with a resource indicated map from the turn just gone. I have only blacked out my current research.

I see from your map that you are likely the person who landed Hinduism. If so, then congratulations on that! Hopefully I may have a religion of my own soon.

I understand your desire to pursue the Oracle and appreciate that you are honest enough to admit it and not try and mislead me. Do not read too much into my start - my original position wasn't attractive enough so I took a gamble & its just about worked out. If you are dead set on the Oracle, I would be prepared to concede it to you without a race for a gifting of workers/units etc.

As a tentative first suggestion, I would be looking for something along the lines of a 1:1 hammer exchange of 2 Workers & a Work Boat (100 hammers) for the Oracle (100 hammers + a free tech). This will give you more time to get something more expensive with the wonder as I would not be rushing it out.

I wouldn't ask you to build them ASAP and stall your growth significantly, I would accept them gifted over a period of time. I would build the Galley needed to exchange the workers. I would ask for the Work Boat first. I am prepared to negotiate on the timings to make it fair for you.

If this is along the right lines, then please let me know!

TT

So ... let's try to summarize several aspects :

1. Good news : after last border expansion I noticed on the West-side of my city a promising spot, with at least 2 sea-resources ( one of it being fish ! ). After I'll finish my second warrior ( 1-2 turn from now ) I'll explore there a little bit ... anyway this could put Fishing -> Sailing on the next tech-list.
2. My scout-warrior notice cows + sheeps on the East - and I'll get a better picture when he will climb on the hill ( this turn ). This could put Animal Husbandry on the next-tech list ( maybe with Hunting before ).
3. I started with The Wheel - so if AH will help me to found out at least a group of horses on the map ... I would be able to build chariots - which are excellent for the begining.
Additional reason for choosing AH - no ?
However - I didn't notice any fur, deer or ivory resource ... so Hunting isn't so important. But - again - it seems that I'm quite in north of the map so ... so knows ?
4. My worker will be busy mining the two not-forested hills for several turns from now on.
5. The map is scarce. I barely found some food-sources but happiness ones ...
This ( together with TT's email ) made me to change my mind at one aspect : I still want to go for Oracle but ... Metal Casting is no longer so appealing as usual. Monarchy seems to be a better choice - and it's faster also, as it require only Priesthood as pre-requisite ( and as long as TT started without Mysticism I'll clearly had much more chances than it to get the Oracle for this new alternative ).

So - I'm elaborating an plan like this :

1. Grow capital to 3.
2. Finnish the current warrior in it and start a settler.
3. Research Priesthood next and (Hunting +) AH after it if the scout-warrior reveal a good position for second city. Otherwise ... don't know yet.
4. Start Oracle in the capital after settler is completed and hope for the best.
5. ( Or actually first thing to do ) Reject TT proposal ... as long as on the new plan to not research Pottery + BW before starting The Oracle I have very good chances to get it anyway. But I need to gather all my diplomatical + linguistical skills to elaborate a good declining-message.

That's all for now ... I'll keep you informed if something significant occurs !

[Ioan76]

Just a short update ...

I elaborate the following answer for TT to inform that I'm not willing to such "Oracle-compensation" treaty ... and it true that I don't have experience with such sort of deals ...

Hello TT,

Sorry about this late reply - I was busy with my "earth-life" ( didn't know the exact English expression for it ) and also I examined the options a little bit.

So - here are my replies :

>I see from your map that you are likely the person who landed Hinduism.
Yes - that's correct. Didn't convert to Hindu yet anyway.

Regarding The Oracle race :

I should admit that I'm not very experienced on multiplayer games with more than 2 players. So ... I'm not really comfortable or accustomed with this kind of "compensatory deals" - I played the most simple version until now : both player race for one/several wonders in a game and if one get it the other lost it - and both should live with this.
If there was an agreement it was most on the ideea to inform each other ... but I should admit that I have no ideea how to fit such kind of "compensatory exchange" in to my plans.
Hope to not take it personally because it is not the case - probably after several games with Realms Beyond players I'll get used with it and will be able to sign this kind of deals.

What about my NAP proposal - let's be more precise : what about an 30-40 turns of peace from now on ?

Best regards,

Ioan

and I received the following response from him :

Hey Ioan,

The deal with the 'compensatory agreement' is basically to stop the race and make things easier for both of us. Basically I don't waste any hammers & time and you get the chance to get something more valuable with the Oracle as you don't have to rush it. The plan would basically be that over the next 40~ turns you fit in those units I want then trade them to me. It wouldn't be an instant swap so I don't disrupt your plan too much.

My offer was simply to make things simpler and try and avoid a race. Its not something I always do but I thought it might be worth a try.

On with the race I guess!

NAP-wise, I don't see the need for one right now while we are separated by sea and Sailing is a way off. For now lets just keep it as it is - an early rush would be stupid so you have nothing to worry about!

TT

Quite fair exchange of information I'd say.

[Ioan76]

First mine was completed - and my production boosted up a little bit => as a result the settler will be completed in 5 turns from now on.

Also the east-part, explored by my initial warrior, started to look promising ... 2 AH-based sources of food + 1 fur on the hill = not bad at all for the second city !

[Ioan76]

Ok - the map clearly starts to "improve" ... and few really decent location for next cities was spotted.

Enjoy !

[Ioan76]

I planned to start to build Oracle right after the settler - but, after checking the power-graph of TT and me - I had a second thought and started a second worker in the capital.

The idea is : his graph show that he didn't researched BW yet and, from my deduction, his last researched technology is either Hunting or Animal Husbandry ...

Also this made me to change the possible location for next first city.

[Ioan76]

A quick ( and without picture ) update - before the Easter's Vacation begin for me ...

A completed the second worker on capital - started Oracle ( 10 turns from now on - not so good, I'll say later why ).
Second city was formed - and I set it to produce another worker. This "intermediate" city is planned to be the pumping city for ~3 workers and 2 settlers while the capital is building something else.

On bad side ... TT discovered BW previous turn ( judging by his massive increase in power ). Let's hope he don't have yet Priesthood, which is likely, otherwise he has the better chance in our Oracle race.

[Ioan76]

Didn't get yet a new save - but I received a "contact-email" from v8mark.

Dear Ioan,

Well met from the other side of the world -- our warrior made contact with your intrepid scout this turn in PBEM15. Welcome to the Holy Roman part of the world.
Best regards,
v8mark/Terror

It's always nice to have a new civilization in contact ... but it's also quite disturbing that his scout somehow claimed location which is quite resource-rich.

[Ioan76]

I checked the production-graph and it seems that TT didn't start Oracle yet ... that's ... interesting ( even that there could be a pre-chop already ) !!

[Ioan76]

Another interesting point - the map seems to be more crowded than I estimated initially : I've already met 3 other players and actually v8mark's borders are quite close to "red-dot" !!