[SPOILERS] Serdoa as DeGaulle of Maya

[Serdoa]

I'll post the power graphs in a few turns but there actually weren't (m)any "unit exchange effects" up to now. We had one exchange at the start in which he killed several Axes and lost a few HAs. That was the only real unit exchange and I deliberately put those units there because they had more defence than sitting in a city (though they did have two turns less fortify-bonus so 5% less defence overall), it was a chokepoint, meaning he either had to destruct them or move around onto New Fish, opening him up to a counter attack. My only fault was not cutting a road that space had built over to Terrapin, BRicks Iron-city. No clue why he did that in the first place, it opened up New Fish to all sorts of nonsense from BRick but anyhow. I had a Axe moved there and the next turn... moved it back without cutting the road. I somehow had forgotten why I moved him there in the first place and after I did move him back I thought "Fuck, hopefully he'll not attack next turn". BRick attacked next turn...

But yeah, that one exchange was basically the only unit exchange. Since then he is moving his units around till this turn when I started to kill them.

Btw: As prediction: BRick won't take peace nor re-offer peace (on reasonable turns) but will instead raze my Iron-city, somehow believing he hurts me with that. If I am "lucky" he instead takes it, that would mean I have to retake it which probably takes 2 turns longer than rebuilding it (will need 3 catapults to bomb his GG-axe out). It would only be size 1 and probably has lost the Granary at that point so all I would really gain is getting my culture back and not having to spread Buddishm again. Well, the religion spreads on its own mostly, so 2 cats or 1 settler, both are 100 hammers, what are the real investments.

Next turn BRick loses New Fish. Thats not a prediction, I am certain IF he isn't moving several HAs into that city.

[Serdoa]

Can you... spot it? Not sure if I should be happy or annoyed.

[Gavagai]

Iron pop is funny, game is really trolling you. How is war going?

[Serdoa]

Oh, right I didn't tell. BRick killed my 4 damaged units I had sitting around (2 Archers, 2 Holkans) after I had killed his GG-Medic and then offered peace, giving me back New Fish in the process. I accepted that, despite having asked for 100 gold on top on the turn before, because - well, not losing a city is worth more than 100 gold.

So, effect of this war for me: Many defensive units lieing around. Wasted a GA. Still 3rd/4th overall in the game right now. But probably now back enough that I am out of chances to win it. But that depends a little bit on Commodore / Bigger, Lewwyn. If they leave me alone and don't start a war, I might have still 1% chance to have an impact on the game. I do assume that Lewwyn will leave me alone tbh, I think they know that Azza could always attack if they start a hassle with me. And I am in front tech-wise against them as well.

Commodore is a different thing. He should keep to himself, he has enough place to expand as is and he is already pretty close to my capital. I took a barb-city which is just 8-10 tiles from my capital and stuffed it with defenders. I intend to hold that city, probably putting several more LBs in there. We would have a perfect border at that line imo, as there is only ocean between us and the only land-bridge we do have has 3-4 rows of desert, so it makes perfect sense for neither of us to settle there. But knowing Commodore... he will attack sooner than later. If he does, my Knights will go downwards and say hello to him.

Speaking of my Knights. I do have 6 turns left to Guilds. Enough money saved to go 100% all the time. While I get there, I will plant some more cities, as I said, I have a few defenders lieing around anyway. 2 cities will be settled in 2 turns. Tbh I could easily instead just expand, expand, expand. I wouldn't mind building 10 more workers, 5 more settlers and just colonizing the places that still aren't. But unfortunately it seems none of my neighbours are actually interested in keeping peace for some time. I mean wtf BRick. Why do you not attack Merohoc. I still don't get it. I am the strongest opponent by far in range and have been peaceful all the time. And you just attack me for NO gain at all? *sigh* Anyhow, I planted a city on our borders so that I have a better defense next time. It will get walls, 5 LBs, 4 Holkans, 2 Axes, 3 Catapults and as much culture as possible to get its first ring (right now Terrapin is holding those tiles). And I get Ivory in the process, thank you very much. Didn't settle for it before because I didn't want to annoy him...

[flugauto]

What is your Great Engineer to do?

[zakalwe]

You might have a 1% chance to influence the game?

Quite the optimist.

[Serdoa]

GE bulbed Machinery. I shortly thought about keeping him instead - probably would be better. But Machinery would have been 6-7 turns on break-even, which would have delayed Knights by the same amount. I'd rather not do that.

[Serdoa]

Ok, so now Commodore declared war on me. Appearantly to attack me because I took a barb city that is fucking 8 tiles from my capital while it is 16 (all diagonal) tiles from his. Yeah, I don't need to understand that logic... honestly, is there any kind of logic or even thought going into those decisions or is that just screwing around for the sake of it? And it is not even that the city is lighly defended. He has a Ballista Ele, 1 Catapult and 2 Axes against 3 Axes, 1 LB - should be two but the fucking gfame updated my archer in the queue to a X-Bow instead of either finishing the Archer or making it a LB for a reason beyond my understanding. Probably because I finished Machinery last.

Anyhow, does that make any kind of sense? He even got fucking lucky because next turn I could have chopped the X-Bow and would have expanded borders. 20% more defense + another unit? Yeah, he wouldn't take the city. As it is, he still won't, at least not next turn. He can use his catapult, probably afterwards kill my LB with his Ele, and than his 2 Axes need to win against mine (what he might depending on cat-damage). Still one unit left + the X-Bow. Basically if the catapult does not withdraw and if he lose one Axe (which is not impossible), he will not take it with those forces.

I on the other hand will have Guilds in 3 turns and go wreck his game. And I will have fun with it not doing the logical thing but just wreck his game in every possible way. Hey, appearantly doing something because it ups your chances to win is not how to play this game - destroying your own chances for no reason at all is.

Anyone wanna take over for me? Because I surely have no fun anymore with this shit.

[Serdoa]

Question: Does specialist-production (like culture from an artist) happen before food? So if I have 2 artist-specialists producing culture, will they produce the culture before one of them dies?

[Serdoa]

And now I have two Maceman and a LB in there + my axe (no need to upgrade it, won see a fight anyway).