[SPOILERS - PBEM17] novice and spaceman - Suryavarman of India

[spacemanmf]

Yes to darrell and rego, no to Shoot and Dave.

Given this, we should go Philo->Lib after Edu, right? Don't want to lose out.

[novice]

Given this, we should go Philo->Lib after Edu, right? Don't want to lose out.

Agreed.

[spacemanmf]

Given this, we should go Philo->Lib after Edu, right? Don't want to lose out.

Heh, well it turns out that we're not even close to winning this race.

Chat with darrell:

19:37 Darrell: your GS?

you can answer, it won't change what I do next turn

me: heh

no

Darrell: hmm

Dave is my guess then

rego claims it was not his, although he is in a GA and does have tGL

he could have been lying I suppose

did you and shoot finalize terms yet?

19:38 me: you worried about missing out on lib?

yeah we've signed

Darrell: cool, did it pull in dave as well?

me: his was conditional on you and shoot signing

can't remember what yours was conditional on

Darrell: so basically indefinite NAP, 10t cooldown?

me: 7t for shoot, 10t for dave

shoot wanted shorter

Darrell: funny

I don't care either way, you can pick

19:39 was the 7t due to quick speed?

me: yes

Darrell: hmm

well its fine either way with me, what do you prefer?

me: well my initial proposal was 10t, so let's go with that

Darrell: okay

I like it that everyone is NPA'd with everone but rego

me: but you have to sign it in blood

Darrell: blood...yes, blood.

19:40 it crossed my mind that you might be sigining this to get us off guard for some stabback

but then I figured you wouldn't do that cause your not an ass

me: correct!

Darrell: so...you tell me your lib ETA and I'll tell you mine

me: i just want to stop building longbows

haha

i don't actually know

19:41 Darrell: with the banking detour, I figured you weren't even pushing for it

I'm 99% sure I will get liberalism

99.99%

me: blimey

so you have education already then huh

Darrell: I think rego is about 4t away

even with his GA

well I have philo

edu is best bulbed

me: and a GS lined up

Darrell: I will neither confirm nor deny these rumors

actually

I might as well just tel lyou

19:42 I will 1t tech it from overlfow next turn

don't share that around please

me: ok

Darrell: hmm

me: so you've not told that anyone else?

Darrell: I probably shuld have verified you had played before saying anything

no

well

that's not exactly true

I guess I can tell you the whole story, its kind of funny

19:43 so rego approaches with doom and gloom about you guys and getting liberalism and winning and all that

and we discuss a plan where I fund him, and he then pays me half the beaker cost of the free tech in gold

19:44 and rego being rego, finds out I can't really get it as fast as he cna, and someone has known the whole time via C&D smoke and mirrors, that yo uguys are not going full bore for it, and decides he can get it without my help

so I dial dave up and he's been funding me for it

I am so looking forward to talking to him next turn

19:45 me: heh

well banking made sense for us

Darrell: yeah

its obvious in hindsight, when I saw you adopt it I did some quick math and it was probably more profitable then getting liberalism, with none of the risks a race would entail

19:46 of course the funny thing (which I am not going to tell rego) is I'll be getting Oxford up, and then turning tech off for several turns to pay off my loans

Krill is enjoying that int he thread

19:47 me: things are all pretty even it seems

in overall game standing terms

Darrell: yes...it is a tight game right now

19:48 I'd be curious to space race honestly

krill is not really into that but I might win him over

19:50 how did you get so many cities?

I remember at one point you were around 14, now i think you have more than me

me: yeah we have 16

we trained settlers

Darrell: I think that is where I am

19:51 ooh, good strategy

me: yes

good innit

you are 15 maybe>

Darrell: something like that

I ahve a few spaces to settle that don't really claim new land, but can work tiles not worked by other cities

there is one icy island I am probably going to settle

that's about it

me: yeah any more are just fillers for us

19:52 wouldn't settle em normally

Darrell: well with merc and caste and mids its not a bad thing

me: yeah

Darrell: although expenses are crazy

me: they are

Darrell: I should probably build a few courthouses

me: we're having to build bloody courthouses

ha

so don't be surprised to see EPs rising against you

Darrell: sigh

I think I have mine on you now

19:53 someone...shoot I think, was complaining about me spending them on him

I honsetly didn't remember directing him that way

oh no, i am on rego now I think

me: ours have been spread ever since we got graphs

Darrell: I should do that

Of course, it could be subterfuge, but somehow I doubt it.

Chat with rego:

19:07 Dan: was that your gsci biadl?

19:08 me: no

Dan: hm

me: rene descartes?

Dan: not sure

i didn't check the name

19:09 me: someone got philo too

Dan: oh yeah?

you?

me: no

if it's not you then it must be shoot or darrell

you and darrell have a paper

-a

Dan: how do you know?

me: cos could trade maps

19:10 Dan: but don't you have paper?

me: we do now

Dan: gotcha

19:12 darrell had led me to believe that he was nto chasing liberalism

but it appears that he is

19:13 me: indeed

does that mean he was trying to discourage you then?

19:14 Dan: he had broached the idea of teaming up to deny it to you

but it kind of got lost in the details

it's hard to come up with a plan that is worth it for the non lib techer

in a NTT game

me: the delights of free speech & free religion?

19:15 Dan: still the non lib techer wouldn't get that

me: sorry, i thought you meant the one not getting it first

Dan: i meant let's say you and i team up to get liberalism

to deny it to darrell

you fund me gold

and i get liberalism first

19:16 what's in it for you?

me: i get a return on my cash

Dan: yeah

me: half the equivalent cost of the free tech on top of the repayments

Dan: right

twas what darrell said

but we couldn't agree on the details

19:17 me: what did he offer?

19:18 Dan: what you said

half the beaker cost of the free tech in gold

19:19 knowing krill he's got something crazy cooked up

19:20 me: yeah

so did you not agree on the gold <-> beaker conversion rate?

Dan: they have at least one sci, right?

yeah

me: not sure if they have a GS or not

i've lost track

19:21 Dan: yeah

19:23 me: woah, look at your GNP

Dan: well i am in a GA

me: uh huh

but it's leapt up twice

Dan: probably leapt when i got U oS

19:24 me: you're starting to get yourself in a good position, eh

i think this game is pretty even

Dan: start the dogpile

19:25 i was surprised that darrell has leapt up in score

me: he's got a lot of cities

Dan: yeah?

me: well 15

Dan: how many do you have?

me: but he settled them a while ago

so they're growing a lot presumably

19:26 heh, we have 16

you have 15

Dan: yes i think between the 3 of us we're in good shape

so it seems like you and i have a vested interest in making sure we're on the same side

me: indeed

Dan: rathre than one of us teaming up with darrell

19:27 were you the one who was saying htat darrell and shoot had a mdp?

me: yes

darrelll warning us off

after the initial enforced peace treaty

or during

19:28 i don't know whether it's still in operation

but it wouldn't surprise me

19:30 Dan: so what do we do?

19:31 me: dunno - any ideas?

19:32 Dan: well it's hard when none of hte three of us really want to talk frankly about our thoughts on liberalism

me: haha

trust levels in this game aren't at their highest

19:33 Dan: it would seem that two powers working together should be able to beat the 3rd to lib

for all i know you and darrell are working together

me: we're note

*not

and for all i know, any information i share with you could be shared with others

19:34 Dan: yup

and likewise

me: if asked not to, i won't share anything

we were told by at least two parties that they were going for the HG

we shared not a thing

granted, that was in a different world

19:35 but we are still the straight talkers

Dan: that's true

19:36 me: but you know we have paper, and that we got a GS a few turns ago

19:37 Dan: right

19:38 i would assume that you are a few turns from liberalism

19:40 would you be interested in my funding you?

me: it's certainly a consideration

Dan: (this part should probably be kept under wraps)

me: yes indeed - not to be shared from either party

Dan: agree







5 minutes


19:46 Dan: sorry - dropped off

me: no worries

Dan: novice: yes indeed - not to be shared from either party


that's teh last i got

me: that's the last i said

19:47 Dan: lol

ok

19:48 me: we're a bit away from lib

edu completed this turn, the med (!), philo, lib

19:49 might be 8 turns

Dan: if you had full funding

how fast could you do it?

19:50 me: maybe 5t

maybe 4t

Dan: hmm

darrell plays before you?

19:51 me: yes

Dan: shoot

(oh wait, he plays last :-D )

me: heh

19:52 i take it from that you don't think it sounds good

19:53 Dan: well ehre's what i know

he had like 1000 gold a few turns ago

me: yeah i saw that

Dan: krill has a history of doing crazy things like that

so it sure seems like he saved up for all the gold to do lib

19:54 and is now burning

it

he has a sci

or maybe edu by now







5 minutes


19:59 me: it's not looking good basically, is it

well, someone's got to get it, i suppose

how quickly can you get it?

[spacemanmf]

Anyway, I played the turn, noting this ominously from the start...



Shots of the cities. Top.



Middle.



Bottom.



And rego's GNP has exploded.

[novice]

Interesting chats. Better that Darrell gets Lib than Rego.

This means we can continue our Rifling beeline.

Lets go courthouse in Tipping Point, max tax, and get OU.

[spacemanmf]

Interesting chats. Better that Darrell gets Lib than Rego.

This means we can continue our Rifling beeline.

Lets go courthouse in Tipping Point, max tax, and get OU.

Yeah, they seem to not mind sharing information with me, but I guess darrell has been like that for the most part.

[novice]

This means we can continue our Rifling beeline.

The other option is Biology.

[spacemanmf]

OK, so what's our tech path now?

[novice]

OK, so what's our tech path now?

Not sure. How about:

Alphabet, Printing Press, Gunpowder. Then Replaceable Parts -> Rifling or Engineering, Chemistry, Sci Meth, Biology. And use Alphabet to make sure we land the Economics merchant.

[spacemanmf]

Not sure. How about:

Alphabet, Printing Press, Gunpowder. Then Replaceable Parts -> Rifling or Engineering, Chemistry, Sci Meth, Biology. And use Alphabet to make sure we land the Economics merchant.

As good as anything.

I'm going to keep research on while the groceries complete (which will be in 3-4 turns), then switch to max tax while building universities. In actual fact, there's not a lot of difference between our max tax and research on at the moment.