RB PBEM #1 - Mehmed (SPOILERS!)

[Sullla]

I was wondering when someone would reach that little island. The land terrain is awful, but there's enough seafood present to make cities worthwhile. Maybe we'll even see some naval action!

[Dreylin]

I was wondering when someone would reach that little island. The land terrain is awful, but there's enough seafood present to make cities worthwhile. Maybe we'll even see some naval action!

The key thing for me/DeTOG is that the island contains the second source of Coal in the Northern Hemisphere, and so denying that to sooooo will mean he cannot build Ironclads (not vital) or Coal Plants - and thussetting his production back significantly. We'll see over the next few turns whether I've been fast enough to claim the whole of the Island or if sooooo/mh has a settling party ready to go now they have Astro.

I suspect that naval action is likely - I certainly intend to lead some when I nextgo to war, and am producing units accordingly.

[darrelljs]

Or railroads...at least until Combustion. That's a huge disadvantage.

Darrell

[Dreylin]

t154 - onwards!

Ankara starts Wall Street - due in 6t

Bursa: Infantry - Infantry (1t)

Konya: Privateer - Harbour (1t)

Samsun: Settler - Hammam (1t)

Diyarbakir: Grocer - Mt. Rushmore (8t)

Sarmatian: Galleon - Privateer (1t)

Izmir: MG - Grocer (2t)

Kufah: Library - Factory (2t)

New Damascus: Lighthouse - Forge (4t)

Mecca: Factory - Coal Plant (4t)


Whee, my Privateer promotes Flanking I, Navigation I and runs out to kill one of sooooo's Caravels lurking near mh's Island. Succeeds without taking damage!

Settling party for Island reaches Malatya, and I think guaantees that mh cannot beat me to the West of the Island. Infantry ship follows.

Settler for SW corner heads off from Samsun past Kufah. Barb city falls to 3Cav attacks; first withdraws, then two wins. 38g and it burns.

mh is showing Combustion in 3t!? That could make maritime activity a scary prospectif he gets that significantly before me. A hurred conversation with Ruff later and he can manipulate his civ to speed up Combustion to 3t himself at the cost of 3-400g. I have the gold right now, and if I dial back to break-even research, will still get Physics in 3t. sooooo is showing Physics in 10t, so there shouldn't be any way he can reach the target before me. I do so, and offer Ruff 200g to start with. As a bonus, since his city of Tamil Nadu is founded on Oil, he will have an immediate supply which he will trade to me while I build my own Well. mh & sooooo may have to wait a turn while buildig their own Wells.

Istanbul is due a Great Person next turn, so I wait over the turnroll and discover I have a Great Prophet. Hmmmm, probably will just save for a GA.

[Dreylin]

t155 - Poor sooooo, what a thing to have happen... (Hehehehe)

Edirne: Grocer - Infantry
Bursa: Inf - Inf
Konya: Harbour - Frigate
Samsun: Hammam - Infantry
Gaziantep: Grocer - Infantry
Sarmatian: Privateer - Frigate
(noticed a pattern yet?)
Baghdad: Factory - Infantry
Najran: Factory - Infantry

It seemed to me that mh has become a little complascent, and that a military build-up might shake him out of tech-mode.

OK, let's have a look at the maritime situation: the Caravel guarding Strassburg's Fish has run into the city to hide, and 2 Ironclad are slowly moving across to replace it. Guess I'll just pillage with my Privateer. He then rendezvous with the new one from Sarmatian to set up shop off the East coast of Strassburg and Blockade the city. The Ironclads will take 3t to arrive, and the Caravel can't be upgraded until next turn, so that will block mh's intercontinental routes for a short time at least.

Further North at Lubeck, mh has upgraded both a Galley to Galleon & Caravel to Frigate. I'm guessing that he's intending to send them off to the Island with a Settling party ... too bad that mine have already arrived then, isn't it?



St. Peter (GP) heads for storage in Ankara. I could pop him for either the Hindu Shrine (in Istanbul) or Jewish (also in Ankara), however there are only 2 Jewish cities & maybe a half-dozen Hindu, so right now that's not worth it. Better to hold him for now for a later 3-person Golden Age I think.

City visibility on mh is slipping away a bit; I probably want to run some more EPs against him when the opportunity arises.

[Dreylin]

A trade proposal from sooooo that is worth considering:

Paul: hello

me: Hi there

Paul: be aware of pirates! That ocean is full of them.

me: uh-oh!

Paul: can I make you an offer on the understanding that if you refuse you keep the offer private?

me: private = not tell Ruff, or private = not tell lurkers?

Paul: you can tell the lurkers, just no mh or ruff. don't worry, it's not a big deal, just a little one

me: OK, my lips are sealed

Paul: ok. you recently got a prophet. if you don't want that prophet, do you want to trade it for my next GP? I have a merchant at 88% odds next turn.
it would build a shrine. i doubt ruff would even mind since he probably gets the shrine eventually

me: heh
the Pirates & closed borders would be a problem....

Paul: an obstacle yes
we have closed borders?

me: yes
It was an attempt to shut off athlete's Iron supply

Paul: ok
i'd try to think of a way around those obstacles, but there's no point in doing so if you don't want to make the trade, sooooo ...

me: I'm thinking ... can take a while sometimes!

Paul: you can just email me with an answer if you want
take your time to decide

me: I probably want to see the game before deciding
Do you need to know before next turn?

Paul: hmm
probably not my next turn, but by the turn after would be good.

me: (I should have it in 10-15mins)
OK, I will certainly let you know by then
Do you know of a way around us not having Open Borders?
(because I don't think i'm willing to open them)

Paul: i'd suggest a caravel but i don't have one any more
i'm in mercantilism so i get no benefit from open borders
we could agree 10t open borders but no right of passage etc
anyway, i'll wait for your email

OK, so lets see what the game says.....

[sunrise089]

You can gift the prophet to MH and he can gift to Soooo right?

[Dreylin]

t156 - starts with Ruff requesting the remaining gold he needs to complete Combustion.

Konya completes Conf. Missionary!?!? Hmmmm, I could have sworn I set it to Frigate. Ah well, I guess I'll need them eventually; set to Frigate. Wait a second, that's a brand-new Frigate sitting in the Docks ... I must be going mad! I'll build another anyway.

Istanbul: Coal Plant - Hammam
Sarmatian: Frigate - Lighthouse
Izmir: Grocer - Infantry
Kufah: Factory - Infantry
Kayseri: Factory - Barracks

Privateer plunders 3g from Strassburg. mh's Frigate is on its way so they'll have to move. Hmmmm, I wonder if I can blockade his cities from within my borders? Seems a bit cheesy and I can try it next turn, but for now I can position my Privateers ESE of Strassburg and be out of range of any but mh's Caravel.

Marsin in founded on the West of the Island; it pays for itself immediately with intercontinental Trade Routes. Will found final Island haven next turn.

I can finish Physics with 40% Science, and since I've gradually been losing visibility on mh's cities now is as good a time as any to run some more EPs against him. 30% EPs on top of that will net me an additional 140EPs and -42g for the turn.

Staying after ending turn shows me Uranium ... 2SW of Istanbul. Looks like everyone has one, though some are better-placed than others - athlete's in the extreme SW corner is rather inconvenient, but I guess I forestalled any complaints...

[Dreylin]

You can gift the prophet to MH and he can gift to Soooo right?

Not without Open Borders....

[darrelljs]

For some reason I thought trading with the bad guys was verboten.

Darrell