The Quarterdeck - Turn Discussion Thread

[Cornflakes]

I'm still against breaking NAP, and especially against signing an NAP with the full intent to break it. What is at stake here in this game that would warrant such a breach of faith? The games is lost for us no matter how we look at things. By breaking out word and declaring we might succeed in knocking out the #1 team and prolonging the game for another 100 turns ... or we might not. I have nothing particularly against Trolls, and I have no special love for any other team. Why soil one's reputation in this situation?

What is the current turn #? I would rather just activate the cooldown period such that it times with (or slightly after) M3's NAP and have an agreement with M3 to declare together if either is attacked, or both take advantage offensively if Trolls get significant resistance from Gillette.

[thestick]

Why soil one's reputation? ...right, people who cooperate in the Prisoner's Dilemma get out ahead of those who defect. I think it's T195?

[thestick]

Time to activate the panic button. Exhibit 1: The Power Graph:


Exhibit 2: The Tech Screen:


Note that Gillette lacks Nationalism and Rifling Also note that Trolls are Steel and Military Tradition ahead of us.
Exhibit 3: The Rival Civics:


Note the lack of warring civics except from the Trolls.

I'm planning on swapping to warring civics:


(Universal Suffrage over Representation is questionable, not sure if the hammers overweigh the happy. Actually, I think Heredity Rule will be better... Free Market because it's strictly superior to Mercantilism.)

Though this will push us into unhappiness from swapping out of Rep:



So I plan to offer military assistance to Gillette:

Gillette:
We will fight with you. We will militarize immediately, though we're not sure that our strength is sufficient to declare T205. We haven't canceled our rolling NAP yet.

Can you loan us your spare source of Gems?
-The Pirates

And dial up M3 and TEAM:

The Trolls' final war of conquest is coming. Gillette's NAP with the Trolls expires T200, Gillette informed us that your NAPs expire T210 and T220, and Trolls offered us an NAP until T230.

We urge you to begin militarizing immediately and prepare for the worst.

Which one of you has an NAP until T210 and which one has the NAP until T220?
-The Pirates

I'm not sure whether to research Steel for Cannons or Drama (culture slider) -> Music -> Military Tradition to flank the Trolls' Cannons.

Now give me a minute to wait for the regret to kick in before sending...

[thestick]

Sent. Now to pray...

[Cornflakes]

The best we can hope for is to be a distraction; a little mosquito trying to suck a little blood if we can find a soft spot. There's no way that we can compete against Police State + Kremlin. I think that machine guns would serve us better than Cavalry. But Infantry would be best since they can be drafted.

Why abandon the last GP? Will we still be able to launch another GA?

Universal Suffrage is great in GA because it adds a base hammer +1 to all towns.

[thestick]

Dropping out of Caste System back into Slavery. We currently have 2 Great Scientists sitting around hoping Havana gets a Merchant. I decided on Astronomy so that Trolls don't Viking their way across our coast.

Swapped into Universal Suffrage, plan to swap into Heredity Rule in 5 turns when the happiness situation gets bad.

Reply from Q:

I'm until T210, and have been preparing for a war for then for a while (swap into NH soon, draft crap/whip cats for the rest of the game).
Where are they up to tech-wise? Marines, infantry or bombers?
I was kinda presuming this game would be over by T210...

To which I replied:

They are up to Cavs Cannons and Rifles. They have the Kremlin and are probably Kremwhipping a million Cavs.

Reply from THH:

Hello everyone,

Our team has the NAP until t210, at which point we intend to declare war on the Trolls. As of three turns ago, we adopted Nationhood and commenced drafting to the hilt, and have been coordinating with Gillette, the Trolls' evident initial target. We fully endorse this call to action; we urge everyone to likewise plan to attack the Trolls as soon as legal irregardless of national self-interest, for if the Trolls should be victorious over any one of us, we all will have lost the game. Consider crafting unit-gifting deals which will allow the troops you train to intervene earlier against the Trolls than if they remained under your command, their wrath be spurned. We further urge the Pirates to accept no NAP with the Trolls that might render their assistance too late. The coming world war will be difficult to win, but not impossible: not if we consider winning this game to mean the defeat of the Trolls and not national self-advancement, and act with all the unity shared need can inspire. To arms, brethren; let us plunge our swords as one into their scaly hides! We await further communication and look forward to seeing you at our side on the field of battle.

With vigour,

THH

Reply from Old Harry:

Thanks thestick that's brilliant news! Even initiating your cool-down with Trolls will make them attack us with fewer units so this is greatly appreciated!

Can you request the gems in-game to make sure c-h or I don't forget to send them?

When I get home I'll also try to remember to send you an image from last turn showing (we hope) all of Trolls troops...

Cheers!

Note to self, find a free online forum hosting to coordinate this. PMs are just a pain.

[thestick]

M3 built the Hagia Sofia

Alright, time to utterly fail at coordination...
http://demogame1.proboards.com/

Self-doubt and pessimism ho!

[thestick]

First order of business, Gillette has asked for a loan of 1000 Gold to upgrade their units to Grenadiers immediately. I offered to give them some.

I'm hitting Astronomy to get Ships of the Line out. Finally starting on sentry Caravels:



Popping a Great Non-Scientist out of Havana for the two-man Golden Age:



The Red Devils are coming!



Good news, we're third in power. Bad news is that Trolls have three times our power.

[thestick]

It's T200, but nothing much is going on. I'm currently up to 15 Rifles 7 Grenadiers. I still don't think my army will be large enough on T210 (if NAP canceled) to fend of the Trolls...

[thestick]

Current plan:
1. Scout with Caravels, find Trolls' navy.
2. Upgrade Triremes to Frigates.
3. Whip Ships of the Line.
4. Research Steel.
5. Use any remaining money to upgrade.
6. Cancel NAP.
7. Pray.
8. Wait for hell to freeze over.