[Spoilers] BRickAstley views the status and determines that it is not quo.

[Lewwyn]

Sian and Catwalk aka Bert and Ernie: Yes, Bert and Ernie, their personalities are so fitting. Almost for sure the favorites to win this competition

Only if Catwalk doesn't actually play turns.

[Gaspar]

Pavillions do mean you'll be able to win any culture war you fight.

Unless your neighbor is trying for a cultural victory.

[BRickAstley]

I like your pick BrickAstley.

Well thanks! And please, call me BRick.

Your starting techs and traits are where its at. Financial needs little introduction, and creative the third strongest trait in the game - though that may depend on who you ask. Cheap libraries mean you can get leverage that +1 commerce on cottages into beakers more effectively, and put you on the fast-track to getting an academy up.

With Pacal off the table, Willem was the best leader available. I'm frankly stunned he lasted long enough for you to get him in the snake pick.

You have the best leader and best starting techs, now go kick some ass

Will do! Gonna unleash some Chinese Dutch combo whoopass on these Felines and Musicians and...... whatever the heck an azza is.

Only if Catwalk doesn't actually play turns.

True. I wonder if there's a way we can convince them to let Catwalk play all of the turns and mess up whatever Sian has planned..... sowing some in-team issues anyone?

[Commodore]

Mardoc, I'm a physicist working as an engineer and married to a chemist. We really can all get along. And Gaspar, that hurts.

Soooo, the opposition. Nothing burningly awful, actually all pretty solid. Let's examine who stands in between Willem and glory this time around.


Azza (rushed, doomed) as Huayca Cupac (Fin, Ind) of Maya (Mysticism, Mining)

Azza is a newcomer to the boards, having the unfortunate luck to start next to Mackoti/Seven with their butts in a crack in PB7. As I dedlurk Yuri in that game I don't know the details, but in general it seems like he did okay as a mini-builder until a million axes showed up at his doorstep. His selection of Maya is probably for two things, a Mining/Mysticism start giving his Ind self a leg up on Stonehenge and/or Oracle, and the resourceless holkan able to protect him from a (war) chariot rush.



Ernie (daft, whipped) and Bert (caustic, micromanagy) as Hatshepsut (Spi, Cre) of India (Mining, Mysticism)

And we're already off to the races! India's fast workers are worth about an Ind amount of extra time when racing for wonders. The selection of Hatty pretty much screams "Specialist Economy" and given that Ernie and Bert have tried for the Pyramids in every game they've played, I suspect it is once again a lynchpin of their plans. I'm willing to bet if Azza had picked, say, Bismark they would have gone for Ramesses or Louis to compete, but as it is they get first shot. As Lew said, a lot of this team's success depends on how much Ernie is driving vs. Bert. Expect them to certainly do well, and militarily they will always remain a threat with 3-move combat workers.



Slowcheeta (blurred, competent) as Isabella (Exp, Spi) of the Ottomen (Agriculture, Wheel)

Slowcheeta here is a bit of a cypher. In 28 he picked the bad-luck Rammer, aiming for a specialist economy. In 29, he's the brains behind the Slowernie team's Pyramids run. So it's no shock to see him pick as solid a SE leader as there is, Izzy, to back up his tendency. Unless Ernie really takes over, though, I suspect Bert will steal the 'mids, nerfing Slowcheeta's SE pretty badly in comparison. Still, as sole Exp I expect him to expand well, and he certainly is a threat to win this greens field. Ottomans are pretty bland, but solid.



MusicMan (GREEN, adorable) as Elizabeth (Fin, Phi) of Egypt (Agriculture, Wheel)

For a self-declared newer than newbie, MusicMan here has made a very solid choice, pairing Lizzie's Fin strength with Obelisk-powered Phi. I expect an early religion push here, which might trample the others a bit. Beyond that he's really quite a void, we'll just have to see. If he's another Sulla smurf, we need to strangle him quickly before he kills us all.

[BRickAstley]

Also, I'm seeing a very large amount of activity in the Lurker thread already. Is everything I've done being torn to pieces already, or am I just experiencing normal harmless paranoia?

[Krill]

Pfffh, like we'd tell you.

[Mardoc]

Mardoc, I'm a physicist working as an engineer and married to a chemist. We really can all get along. And Gaspar, that hurts.

Huh, I had you pegged as a programmer. There's a reason it's Gaspar with the reputation, not me, though

I suppose you're not too far off from my career, then, as a ChemE. And of course I was mostly being facetious - except for not being able to talk chemistry with him, that roommate I referenced is one of my best friends and was my best man.

Also, I'm seeing a very large amount of activity in the Lurker thread already. Is everything I've done being torn to pieces already, or am I just experiencing normal harmless paranoia?

Can't it be both? :neenernee

Actually - normally when lurkers get verbose, it's only tangential to the players anyway. Arguing about how the game works, in some form or another.

[Commodore]

Actually - normally when lurkers get verbose, it's only tangential to the players anyway. Arguing about how the game works, in some form or another.

Heh, or they could be talking about how it's kind of weird that events conspired here, Brick, to gift you Willem/China, easily the two best picks available given the restrictions. I dunno, we'll see. I'm kind of curious how the map turns out, has Serdoa made anything before?

[BRickAstley]

Looking through previous PBEMs I don't think he has. So that means we don't have any prior experience to make a good guess. Oh well, that just means we'll have to have good scouting and a good head on our shoulders in order to figure out what we'll be dealing with here.

And I agree, it could be the fact that I have a rather nice leader/civ combo. Let's just hope that that doesn't cause any nasty coalitions against us to prevent me from making the most of this situation, because if I have the ability to build it up believe me I will.

So one big issue I can *kinda* work on at the moment is how I'm going to be handling diplomacy. Now, all of the diplomacy is going to be in the one player thread, so I can't magically pull a pocketbeetle and make everyone dance to my whistling in our own nice cute private conversations. Rather, I have to figure out how to communicate with everyone else in a way to build my position up without making me look like too big of a target or like I'm trying to build up resentment against somebody else. (RE: Ernie and Bert). Does anyone have any general suggestions based on diplo similar to this in past PBEMs, or examples in other games I can go read through to get some more ideas?

[Commodore]

Mr. Serdoa, may we please see our start?