[SPOILERS] Emissaries from the blighted lands; Mardoc and Jkaen take on the world!

[Mardoc]

Just a heads up, I'll be travelling from Oct 22nd-29th. Can I assume you're fine with playing my turns, Jkaen? If there's an issue, Gaspar - you interested? My password is Blood.

Basically I think Body should keep growing/building Governor's Manor, stop its growth at size 3 for now. Yang should finish its Governor's Manor, knock out a pair of workers, a pair of Bloodpets, and then if turns are really flying, a settler for the 'city3' site.

[Jkaen]

Ok, np, I can cover

[Gaspar]

If you need me to pick a turn up while Mardoc's away just let know.

[Mardoc]

Played last night but didn't have time to report. So...Governor's Manor #1 is done, and I'm already a bit confused about its effect . I'm 95% sure that I'm getting 7 hammers/turn from it, but the interface says only 1/turn. It's a known bug, but it still makes me itchy. In any case, a worker is now a 2 turn build from Yang, so I'm running out of excuses for working unimproved tiles. Planning to knock out a few workers (debating between 2 and 3), to turn all those forest hills into mined hills, farm all over the place, etc. Then back to REX!

Mining is now to the point where Jkaen will finish it on his turn; fingers crossed for copper! I'm set to Fishing next, 7 turns for me makes it probably 4 for us working together.

After that, assuming decent copper location, probably Bronze Working? If we have copper, I plan to put a few copper Bloodpets on defensive terrain in the wilderness to soak up barbs (like your Hunter did, only cheaper). I don't plan to build any Moroi, but perhaps if I get some experienced Bloodpets they can be upgraded.

[Jkaen]

Well, founded Mind this turn and started a warrior

Mining did indeed come in end of turn, and we have copper on the map



Looks like mist decided to make copper fun to go for.

Thinking my next city spot goes east of the horses

[Mardoc]

Thinking my next city spot goes east of the horses

Yes, that makes sense to me. Any idea on an ETA? Not much point in going to Bronze Working until we can actually have copper, connected to our empire. It looks like Bronze Working is about a 10 turn tech at the moment, so we might be able to slip something else in between Fishing and BW, depending.

[Jkaen]

think I will finish this hunter (3), then go worker (?) then settler (?)

[Mardoc]

Not going to slip in a work boat in there? Why are we going for Fishing again ?

In any case, Hunter (3), Worker's probably the same, (3), settler I'd guess at (9), then some travel time (3?), then time to pop the borders, create a road, and mine the coppers (3?). Total of about 20 turns until copper exists on I think an optimistic schedule[SIZE="1"](the question for Brian, if he's reading along, is how long until pork exists?)[/SIZE], with only 14ish planned for tech. I don't think that schedule can be sped up much, either. So I'd definitely think we ought to slip in something cheap right after Fishing, either Mysticism or Calendar. Maybe we can even manage both.

I don't think we'd use anything at Mysticism right away, Elder Councils aren't possible for me and should wait for you until REXing is further along. God King - well, not worth bothering for me; I suppose you might consider it, but I think Aristo's probably better. So mostly it'd be a stepping stone toward religions. Calendar - well, agrarianism is an interesting question at the moment, but Calendar resources are a definite plus.

I'll give you half my calendar resources once they're improved, if it helps . I'd like to go Calendar next, once we're ready to fish.

[Mardoc]

I'm back, and things look pretty good

But first, an oddity:


Yep, that's a Hell terrain New Forest. Mist wasn't kidding when he said Hell terrain preplaced acts totally differently than hell terrain created by Hyborem. I wonder if we might see a Burning Sands New Forest?

Worker #3 is nearly done, and I think I ought to consider naming them. First thought is some common negative ions: Chloride, Fluoride, Nitrate, etc. Malakim workers could be positive ions under this scheme.

Yang will then knock out a quick Scout (there's at least two huts need grabbing), then a pair of Bloodpets and a Settler. With current production of 17 hammers/turn in Yang, I think I may need to put a turn into the Settler in between each unit, to not lose any overflow hammers (I think I read that you can only overflow as much as the finished item costs, and bloodpets/scouts are only 16 hammers) Governor's Manor hammers definitely work, Yang is silly-good at production :D

In empire news, Fishing came in last turn, and I couldn't resist starting on Calendar. That unhappy face at Yang just bugs me! Well, ok, it's more the prospect of all my new cities at size 3 that bugs. Mysticism into either Bronze Working or Way of the Forests next, though. Depending on how fast the copper grab goes.

Here's what the other teams have been busy with:


And, finally, demos. Which are pretty painful at the moment, although I have to remind myself that we chose a pair of strong tech civs, not a strong one and a weak one. Still, we need a lot more REX than we have right now!

And...darrell's GNP sucks, without Ilios being enough better. Those two are probably not a long term threat at this rate:

First guess is that either they missed choking someone, or it's Thoth and goblin archers couldn't pillage Pirate Ports. Or worse, they missed choking Thoth.

Any questions? T50 is coming up soon, what do I need to cover?

[Gaspar]

Any questions? T50 is coming up soon, what do I need to cover?

You guys are still alive?

Its been pretty tough to follow what's going on here between the slow turn pace and erm, let's say infrequent updates. So I apologize that I probably haven't been much help as a dedlurker. In fairness, I think I've learned that I'm probably just not a very good dedlurker.

If I'd look for anything its a plan. As in, we'd like to be at X by Y. Then lay out how you intend to get there. That way I can obnoxiously poke holes in it and hopefully we all learn something. I don't get the sense here at the moment that the plan is much beyond "At some later date we will have Vampires and pwn everyone." Fortunately, that's got a decent chance of working. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a huge chance of working if someone else manages to find you before then and kill you dead.

I do appreciate the pictureful update last turn, though.