RB PBEM #1 - Mehmed (SPOILERS!)

[Dreylin]

I think someone is starting to grok the map design!

I am also starting to buy into Ruff's paranoia about a 3v2 alliance being formed against us(me). I had a boring meeting this afternoon and started to consider that mh, sooooo & athlete control or are researching the next set of military techs:

athlete: Feudalism
mh: MC
soooooo: Machinery

It's not a stretch to speculate that mh is now saving money for Engineering to release his Landsknechts, while sooooo might follow with Guilds to release athlete's Camel Archers. If they can execute a coordinated attack, I would be toast.

I suspect that I have been skillfully manipulated into committing myself to Music; meanwhile mh withholds MC from me and sooooo distracts Ruff with talk of a Paper-Machinery trade.

I need to sit and consider the game, but it seems like I have two choices at this point:

1) a hasty preemptive strike.

2) ensure I have counter-units on hand with plenty of Cats and rely on defense.

At this point, my best counter-unit is the Jannissary, but I don't think I'll be able to reach Gunpowder in time to protect myself. That leaves Macemen which would require me to follow them down the MC->Mach line, or potentially Longbows, again requiring a duplication of research on Feudalism.

I also need to re-consider my settling patterns to secure my Southwest approach - probably I should stop playing with the barb city, raze it and put down a defensive blocker city and the Stone spot I've been talking about.

I'll need to review the game itself, but I think that completing Music is the correct course to get the Artist but then I think MC is necessary if mh has still proven unwilling to trade. I also need to carefully see whether I can elicit Ruff's support for formalising the 3v2 with duplication of research & refusal of the Mach/Paper deal. Meanwhile Barracks are in order domestically, as is the beginnings of a mass-production of Cats & a mix of other units.

I hope they're not out to get me, but I'm starting to believe that I have to prepare for that eventuality.

[Dreylin]

Two very basic messages sent to mh & athlete:

Hey mh,

So what do you think; have you seen any way we could reach a trade agreement for MC?

Dreylin II.

Hey athlete,

I was wondering what you were researching now, and whether you'd be interested in arranging a trade?

Dreylin II.

But a more nuanced one for sooooo:

Hey there sooooo,

Haven't heard from you in a while; congrats on scoring your own religion, I guess you'll not be so interested in getting hold of one of mine now?

I was wondering what you were researching right now, and whether you were interested in lining up a trade? I'll be finishing Music in a couple of turns and am wondering what my best research options will be after that.

Cheers,

Dreylin II.

Of course I know what he's teching, and while he suspects that I know from Ruff, he can't be certain. Last we exchanged messages I implied that I would be taking Drama before Music to get the discount, so I'll be interested in his suggestion of where I should concentrate teching next.

[Dreylin]

A strange message back from sooooo:

Hiya, thanks. Yes, the religion looked good for my godless lands when I had a scientist sitting there. I don't need a religion any more but I could do with a great prophet for a shrine. Don't know how it happens, but these scientists keep turning up!

I am currently researching machinery. As wonderful as Notre Dame is in real life, I can't see much value in getting music from you after the scientist is gone.

I'm still quite a way from machinery (over 6 turns I think), so once you decide where you're going after music we can talk some more.

sooooo

sooooo,

Well apart from it being the Sistine Chapel (which is also wonderful in real life) and an Artist, I can see what you're saying about Music. However unless something happened without me noticing, I do still have Civil Service available to trade....

Dreylin II.

[Dreylin]

Hmmmmm, I definitely don't like this response:

Artist, scientist, is there any real difference? Aren't we all just trying to find the beauty in this cruel, cruel world?

I forgot you were teching civil service - that was quick! However, I don't want to commit to a deal for that tech quite yet. I'll reassess my teching and trading situation once I have more information about what you and others will research next.

Definitely a delaying response here; I don't believe for a second that he didn't know about me getting to CS, nor that he forgot it was available to trade. I'm going to sleep on this before I send a response, and intend to flag this to Ruff also.

[Dreylin]

t72 - Konya's Workboat completes and nets the Crabs, Granary next. I found my seventh city - Gaziantep - which immediately connects up Sugar for another Happiness. Daisy moves to start Plantationing the second Sugar. You can also see that there's an injured Barb coming towards Edirne. The Archer who defeated the previous Warrior has 1t left to heal, and then will attack this one. I've just about given up on building the Heroic Epic with barb-fighting alone. (BTW, I finally checked and note that mh has received Lit from sooooo).

I also reviewed the Graphs & Demogs and am reasonably happy with what I'm seeing: I'm very close to top in all categories, and the trailers are mh & athlete. Yes, many of my cities are just starting to be developed, however all will soon be able to contribute to the empire. Bursa, Konya & Gaziantep are all likely to be military pumps in the short-term, while Samsun will probably move to support and ultimately take over from Ankara as Settler/Worker pump - with three resources, it's well placed to do so. Ankara should move to a more commerce-based city.

I'm wondering whether I should continue with Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, I decide to see how the next few turns play out before changing the build.

[Dreylin]

Oh, and a very generous friend has pointed out that my Landsknecht counter-unit discussion completely ignored Crossbows.

[Dreylin]

t73 - Ruff has offered me his spare Corn - very nice that! I will send him my spare Sugar once it's hooked up. Edirne finishes the Missionary for Ruff's Capital and starts on a Confucian Monastery, since it's about to be AP's up! Ankara completes an Archer and starts another Worker - due in 3t.

2xp HA kills another Barb who has shown up at Zapotec - only gets 1xp out of it. Archer kills injured Barb at Edirne to go to 5xp, and another shows up to the S ... maybe Archer on Warrior is how we'll reach 10xp for HE!!

Konya's Sheep are Pastured, and the Plantation is complete on the Dyes. Working the Dyes and a Lake at Istanbul and hiring two Scientists at Edirne will allow me to complete Music this turn.

Western Scout finds Ausburg completely empty on mh's West at what looks like the Western pass between mh & athlete. Should know next turn. I also note that Ruff has founded 2 more cities to bring him even with me, and mh received a Great Scientist on the inter-turn.

EDIT: post-turn, Joseph Conrad is born in Istanbul, and Confucianism spreads to Bursa - excellent new for my front-line city!

[Dreylin]

After the diplomatic highs and lows yesterday, I sent a quick message to Ruff this morning outlining how I saw the situation now:

Hey Ruff,

2v2 with athlete as the wild card.

mh has rebuffed or ignored my last few messages attempting to negotiate a trade deal for Metal Casting, meanwhile sooooo is giving me the run-around on trade opportunities - he even claimed that he "forgot" that I have CS in my pocket, which I find very hard to believe.

Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if mh has made you a trade offer for MC - in an Imperio/Banana/RB Gunpowder type deal.

I also had an interesting message from athlete, who appears to be well aware of the coming situation and views his PRO longbows ad a key to ensure a medium-term survival. Of course I have tried to sway him to our side.

Anyway, wanted to get you a heads-up of what I'm seeing.

Dreylin II.

mh is ignoring me too. He better hurry if he wants anything for MC ... I will be stealing it in about 6 or 7 turns.

Sooooo and I have set up a deal for Paper / Machinary - as soon as we both clear the pre-reqs.

Guess you talk NICE / NICE to Athlete and try and get him on our side.

Oh - and sent you my spare Corn.

[Dreylin]

I did eventually get a response from mh:

Hi Dreylin,

no, I don't see us coming to an agreement about MC at the moment.
It could be used as a fili in, once we trade more expensive techs, but I doubt you want to wait that long?

mh

I'm still working out how best to respond ... I think that waiting a while so I calm down a bit might be the best course.

[Dreylin]

Reply sent to Ruff:

Ruff,

Got a message from mh later this morning - he'd consider using MC as a fill-in tech on a later deal, but basically challenged me that I wouldn't be prepared to wait that long. He's right of course, so it's next on my list - should have it in 5-6t, so if your spy fails (or you'd rather use it to steal Philosophy) I'll have it for trade. As of the inter-turn I also have Music, so maybe we can start to talk about that Paper deal?

Are you trading Theology to sooooo? If not then he'll have to get CS from someone, and currently I'm the only source. That, and mh's flat refusal to trade MC makes me wonder if he's going for CS next himself ... doesn't make a whole lot of sense though. <shrug>

Thanks for the Corn; I should have a spare Pigs hooked up shortly which are yours if you need, and will have a second Sugar for trade later on as well.

Dreylin II.

I nearly write a paragraph about how I'm dealing with athlete, but eventually I decide against. I may mention it if I chat with him later though.