[SPOILERS - PBEM17] Kyan Does Dallas. The Orange Sensation.

[oledavy]

Turn 101 Population Update

Darrell - 16 cities - 118 pop
Rego - 19 cities - ~134 pop
Shoot - 11 cities - 109 pop
Myself - 17 cities - 129 pop

The cessation of whipping has seen my population grow by 23 in a mere 6 turns, and it would be even higher were I not running 15 specialists. Rego founded a new city on t100: "Far Open." I believe it was founded as a filler city to redeem some crab tiles in the south of his continent. As you can tell by the numbers, Shoot is doing really poorly in number of cities. NoSpace's possession of Hostile Takeover effectively stunted his growth down his own tentacle. From studying his continent, he has at most two more cities he can found, which will bring his count up to 13 cities.

First an update on my infrastructure. (the number in parentheses indicates number built since five turns ago when I assessed Darrell and Rego)

Barracks: 5 (+1)
Granary: 16
Aqueduct: 1
Lighthouse: 14 (+1)
Harbor: 6
Forge: 15 (+3)
Monument: 4
Academy: 2 (+1)
Library: 14 (+1)
Theatre: 9 (+2)
Market: 4
Courthouse: 10 (+5)

Healthy growth all around As you can see I've been emphasizing building forges and courthouses in particular. Now the updated infrastructure count against Shoot's:



I'm ahead of him in everything except barracks, grocers and hammans. This is partly because I have six more cities than him. Nevertheless, my cities are much more developed than his overall - I have total of 101 city improvements to his 58 Of note, he has his first harbor and grocer up. He did not build a single monument, and instead relied on Buddhism to pop his borders. Shockingly, he does not have an academy in Istanbul. I'm by no means a great civ player, but I thought spending your first GS for an academy in the capital was an established 'best strategy' to improve your early tech rate.

[oledavy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Hey Shoot!

With this pause in the game, I've been working up hammer micro plans for my cities, and I noticed something interesting. I can have 4 East Indiamen (3 unpromoted, 1 2xp) built, moved the the tile 1 NE of Bursa, and gifted to you by turn 109. From this tile, they fork Trading Post and Cornered Market (The Shrine and Moai City) for an attack on turn 110.

My current estimate for NoSpace getting rifling is turn 111, so we would have a chance to pull an attack from the sea on one or perhaps both cities before the defenders get upgraded.

The drawback to this plan is that it opens up the war as NoSpace gets Rifling and has offensive capability against you. Additionally, it forgoes our planned massive attack from all sides for a dagger-like strike to inflict limited, but heavy, damage at the outset of war. However, I believe the advantages of taking their shrine/moai city out of the running early on outweigh the risks.

I am willing to loan these 4 east Indiamen to you for free for the duration of the conflict if you wish to go forward with this. They should keep you safe from any rifle led counter-attack, and in the meantime allow you to assemble troops to retake Hostile Takeover.

If we wish to go forward with this plan, you will need to cancel your NAP effective t103. What do you think?

Regards,
David[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Edit to my previous email - I miscounted the tiles. I can have THREE East Indiamen on the tile 1NE of Bursa on t109, FOUR on turn 110.

Dave[/COLOR]

It really does pay to micromanage the hell out of this game. I'll upload the micro plans in question later after I get a chance to review them a little more. In the meantime, a screenshot of the planned attack.

[oledavy]

Okay, here is the first part of my micro plan for the next 6 turns to churn out East Indiamen. I'm not revolting into slavery at the conclusion of this golden age and instead will hard build everything so I can grow my population.

First off, the tech schedule:

t101 - calendar
t102 - machinery
t103 - optics
t104 - astronomy

I am 90% sure that I will have enough beaker overflow to get astronomy on turn 104. If I'm incorrect, it pushes back all my estimates by one turn.

I confirmed in World Builder that if a galley is obsoleted by Astronomy while in production, the hammers will be converted into a galleon. My golden age will end on turn 107 and I will revolt into theocracy, all ships built in cities after that date will have the 2xp from theocracy.

Cities That Will Build East Indiamen * = Buddhism present in city

Edessa*
Hattin*
Cairo*
Jaffa*
Constantinople*
Beruit
Damietta
Tyre
Jericho*
Acre*
Damascus
Rhodes
Antioch

Not Constructing East Indiamen

Sidon - Constructing The Forbidden Palace
Alexandria - Still Working On Essential Infrastructure Builds
Jerusalem - Landlocked
Aleppo - Not Enough Production

Edessa Micro Plan (overflow in parentheses)

101 - Buddhist Missionary - 65/26 hammers (39) DONE
102 - Buddhist Missionary - 38/26 hammers (51) DONE
103 - Buddhist Missionary - 38/26 hammers (73) DONE
104 - Galley/East Indiamen - 38/53 hammers (58) DONE
105 - East Indiamen - 38/53 hammers (43) DONE
106 - East Indiamen - 38/53 hammers (28) DONE
107 - East Indiamen - 38/53 hammers (18) DONE

Missionary Targets
Beruit
Damietta
Tyre

Hattin Micro Plan (overflow in parentheses)

101 - Courthouse - 34/80
102 - Courthouse - 59/80
103 - Courthouse - 84/80 (4) (Switch To Max Growth) DONE
104 - Galley/East Indiamen - 11/53
105 - East Indiamen - 18/53
106 - East Indiamen - 25/53 (Grows To Size 8, Switch To Max Hammers)
107 - East Indiamen - 50/53

Cairo Micro Plan (overflow in parentheses)

101 - Buddhist Monastery - 16/40
102 - Buddhist Monastery - 33/40
103 - Buddhist Monastery - 50/40 (10) DONE
104 - Galley/East Indiamen - 27/53
105 - East Indiamen - 44/53 (Grow to Size 5)
106 - East Indiamen - 71/53 (18) DONE
107 - East Indiamen - 45/53

After completing 2nd East Indiamen, switch to producing Buddhist Missionaries.

Rhodes Micro Plan (overflow in parentheses)

101 - Lighthouse - 23/40
102 - Lighthouse - 44/40 (4) DONE
103 - Galley - 25/33
104 - Galley/East Indiamen 46/53
105 - Theatre - 122/33 (89) (+40*100% from two forest chops) DONE
106 - East Indiamen - 135/53 (82) DONE
107 - East Indiamen - 103/53 (50) DONE

East Indiamen Completed

104 - 1
105 - 1
106 - 2
107 - 3

Total: 7

I hope that jumble of numbers makes sense to anyone reading this thread

[oledavy]

Not much occurred this turn as I re-configured all my cities to match my new micro plan. I switched many of my city builds over to galleys, most due to complete turn 104. I haven't run a count yet, but by the end of the golden age I'll have about a dozen East Indiamen, now just to put them to use. Calendar finished and I began research into machinery, due to complete next turn. Krill gifted me the remaining 365 gold he owed me for the Liberalism loan.

[COLOR="Yellow"]update t102,

Dave 365-347=18[/COLOR]

Last turn Krill spent about 50 espionage points on me, causing me to lose his graphs.



I do not understand why he did this, that jump meant he ran at least 10% on the espionage slider for a turn. Does he want me to not have his graphs that badly? This does not bode well for out future relations. Neither he nor NoSpace researched a tech this last turn, but Rego teched Divine Right.



I expect we'll see the Spiral Minaret up shortly

I configured Jerusalem to produce a Great Person at the end of the turn. I pressed enter and got John Dalton, a Great Scientist. He will go to Acre to build an academy. The next GS will bulb education. Jerusalem can once again focus on running max cottages

[oledavy]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]I'm not sure what exactly we could put in the EIs to make it worthwhile. The best units I could put in would be Jans, and considering they would be going up against muskets that's pretty crummy odds due to the amphibious assault penalty. I would be almost certain to take heavy losses, which isn't something I'd want to do right before they get rifles (keep in mind that both my Maoi and Shrine cities are on my western coast, so I need to be safe in defense when we do go in). As such, doubt that the plan would be much better than waiting for a true sledgehammer. I think the attack could work if I didn't have an NAP with them so it was a good idea, but I doubt a cloak and dagger strike will be all that effective with 7t notice that it is coming when we're at tech parity.

Shoot[/COLOR]

Oh well, it was an overly ambitious idea now that I think about it further Would have loved to try it out though. I spoke to Shoot over chat later. His biggest concern was that there would be too many defenders for him to take out with his limited forces - a pretty valid concern. Provided he could scrounge up enough troops, he could win, but it would eviscerate his military.

I voiced my concern that Rego was the bigger long-term threat to win the game (with his stats keeping even with mine while I'm in a friggin golden age!) and that we should attack him instead. He agreed, and said we should keep the option to attack either open and speak to Krill regarding the issue. This is where I told him about Krill's recent EP spending. I think he was more freaked out than I by it than I was. I must admit, Krill's decision to spend 50 EPs on me has sent my paranoia through the roof. I can't see a hardened Civ4 pro like Krill doing something like that without having a good reason.

[oledavy]

Another Day, Another Turn

I finished researching machinery, gaining the ability to train macemen. I switched to Optics, and after I pressed the end turn button, confirmed that I can get astronomy in one turn from all that beaker overflow. Depending on how many beakers I need to finish the tech, I may go into max gold on t104 to save for my next tech push.

Across the empire, I queued up more galley due after turn 104.



Sidon continued working on the Forbidden Palace.



John Dalton moved to Acre; the next GP is due out of Constantinople in two turns. Three down! Three to go Jerusalem switched off specialists and back over to max cottages.



Damascus finally finished the Globe Theatre at the end of the turn. As soon as I go into Nationalism at the conclusion of this golden age, I will be drafting from here nonstop for the rest of the game.



NoSpace researched Economics last turn and nabbed the free Great Merchant I believe he will bulb corporation if they use him thus, which I don't expect they will do since they have the Great Lighthouse. Unless they are working closely with Rego, they will have nowhere to spend this Great Merchant on a trading mission. They additionally got a Great Engineer the same turn. I'm very curious to see what they'll do with these Great People.



Krill seems to be about to found a new city



He spent 26 EP on me last turn, which I believe is his base rate. On re-examining things, I believe he ramped up spending EPs on me one turn before I actually noticed. The numbers (126/52) are consistent with him running 26 EPs on me for three turns. I tried to catch him in chat today but he was busy. I will have to wait to find out what he is playing at.

[oledavy]

I just realized, I made a rather weedy move last turn

As you can see from the screenshot, after Jerusalem finished its barracks, I queued up a maceman, mostly because I didn't see anything pressing to build while I waited for astronomy to throw up an observatory.

This was a bad move because I had the option of building a Hindu Monastery, something I should have built a lot earlier. Forgoing a monastery in a cottage cheese capital..... Even though it obsoletes soon, I will get at least a few hundred commerce out of it, well worth the 40 hammers.

[oledavy]

I thought I would take a minute to explain a couple of meta-gaming decisions to anyone who was wondering, through a couple questions I asked myself.

Why are you building East Indiamen now with no intent to use them for awhile? You'll just have to pay maintenance on them for that many turns.

I'm building East Indiamen now in accordance with a loose build plan I have in mind for the next 30 turns or so.

now: East Indiamen
soon: Infrastructure: Universities, Oxford University, Grocers, Observatories.
later: Riflemen, Military

Basically, I'm starting these ships sooner rather than later, pursuing a slow military build up while also throwing up important infrastructure. Starting now allows me to forego slavery - so I can run caste system and grow my population out in anticipation of dikes.

The fact that these ships will never go obsolete also encourages me to build a lot of them and having some on hand now allows for maximum flexibility in approaching Operation Sledgehammer. Basically at any point after turn 310 I will be ready to transport and invasion force.

Finally, call me paranoid...but I like having a fleet of invincible death machines that rape everything until frigates. With Krill's recent decision to spend EPs on me, Rego's rising power levels and NoSpace's chilly diplomacy - I would like to have a fleet and be able to scream: "COME AT ME BRO!"

Just what are you planning with all these Great Scientists your pumping out?

The decision to pump great people was originally just a way to capitalize on my golden age. Now it's more of a way to keep me competitive tech wise. My workshop-cottage hybrid economy is going to leave me weaker late game. Solution? ACADEMY SPAM!!! The third academy is going up in Acre this turn. If the random number gods don't screw me and give me three more Great Scientists, they will go for academies in Jaffa and Edessa, while the third bulbs education. This will give me five academies as I head into the industrial era. Hopefully, this will keep me competitive with Rego's priest economy. I don't think anyone in this game has been abusing Great People as much as me. What I wouldn't give to be Gandhi at this point, I love abusing spiritual and with philosophical I would be spamming GP like no one's business.

[oledavy]

You know what I love?

Finishing Astronomy in one turn from beaker overflow while running max gold

Domestic News

This turn finally saw the flip over to astronomy, and all the galley builds converted to East Indiamen. There are approximately a dozen in the works at the moment, and Jaffa and Edessa finished the first two at the end of the turn. Now to decide on a naming theme for them....

John Dalton constructed an Academy in Acre this turn. After I produce a Great Person out of there, it will go back to working cottages to take full advantage of the new improvement.

This made me very happy:



That's 80 hammers of overflow to play around with next turn I love creative - not the least for the ability to double the value of chops by running a super cheap theatre for one turn.

At the end of the turn, the RNG gods decided to screw me and gave me an Artist in Constantinople at 10% odds - Du Fu.

Du Fu was a poet and historian during the Tang Dynasty in 8th century China - which I did not know before today. Here's the wikipedia article on him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du_Fu

International News

Krill researched Machinery last turn, and also stopped spending EPs on me, ceasing at 126. I imagine it may have been to try to get research visibility on me? It looks like he re-allocated them to Rego, though I may be mistaken.

His attempt to spread Hinduism to Kenya for the culture boost needed to reclaim the ivory failed. He had a missionary there last turn and unless he moved it off into the fog, it did not suceed in spreading the religion. I imagine he's a little ticked off about that in his spoiler thread. For me, it means I get to keep the tile longer.



Speaking of EPs, I re-allocated them at the end of my turn to simultaneously regain Krill's graphs and get visibility on NoSpace's research next turn.



It revealed that NoSpace is researching Gunpowder at the moment and has three turns to go. My estimate is that they will have riflemen around t117 (14 turns from now).

They have about 5000 beakers between them and rifles, and I estimate their max research capacity is around 700 beakers. So: 5000/700 = 7.2, 7.2 x 2 (2 for each turn spent in max gold to fund a turn in max research) gives them about 14 turns to go, if I'm right.

The other interesting piece of news was this:



Rego has built several universities in the last few turns, including one in T-Hawk. But what's really fascinating is that Buddhism spread to that city and he's built a Buddhist Missionary. It seems as though he's planning to spread a second religion around. This begs the question, why? He's either planning on going for a cultural victory, just wants another monastery in his capital, or is planning on running free religion at some point in the near future.

I decided to check if he had a deal with Shoot to spread the religion around.

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Hey Shoot!

Haven't spoken to you in a couple days so I thought I would catch up.

Do you have a deal with Rego to spread Buddhism? He has the religion in T-Hawk now, and built a missionary last turn to spread it around further. I'm trying to discern his intent in doing so.

NoSpace researched Economics, and my ETA for them researching rifling has consequently been pushed back to t117.

Krill ceased spending EPs on me at 126 eps. For research visibility maybe?

Best Regards,
Dave[/COLOR]

As always, thoughts or critiques of what I'm doing will be appreciated

[oledavy]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]Hey,

I have no idea what Rego is doing spreading Buddhism. T-Hawk got it on a random spread from my shrine, and I haven't discussed with Rego him spreading it at all. I'm confused as to why he would want to spread it, but hey if he wants to give me extra shrine income I'm not going to stop him

I saw that NoSpace researched Econ. That is good news for us unless they are able to use the GM for a golden age (although even say a cash mission would probably speed up their teching time). If that t117 estimate turns out not to be sped up by their GM though, that is good as I could actually beat them to rifling it looks like because of my own GA, if I didn't need to first slot in Nationalism and Theocracy (before my GA ends so I can go into them). Either way I shouldn't be too terribly far behind.

That's still really weird about Krill. I suspect it was for research visibility (or perhaps just forgetfulness to change it?). Have you gotten a chance to talk with him yet? I have not.

In other news, NoSpace sent me an email essentially expressing concern about how high my power was and that I've been researching military techs. Ironically they sent the email after I had just researched Poly, Mono, Aesth, Lit, and CS which I did not hesitate to point out with them to attempt to ease their fears. Wonder what they will think once I go in Theocracy (although that won't be until the end of my GA I'm thinking as I can't be building rifles yet anyway).

Shoot[/COLOR]

Rego may be spreading the religion for another monastery in his capital, nothing more, but he has two other self-founded religions (Islam and Christianity in addition to Judaism) that he could spread as well. So that doesn't explain why he's built a Buddhist Missionary and gave Shoot more shrine income. Maybe he already spread them to his capital? I need to check next time I go in game and see what he has built in Plako. NoSpace's paranoia is troubling. My big debate right now is whether or not I should renew the NAP with Rego - it expires t105 and the 5t cool-down period lasts until t110.