[SPOILERS] Pindicator as Qin Shi of China - Boring Ol' Vanilla

[pindicator]

Turn 057

Due for an update here. I'm first in the 'hood to 4 cities:



Not the most aggressive position to place a city, but I'm looking for a spot that I can get going up to speed as fast as possible. I don't care as much about claiming more resources, otherwise I would have put it 2S to get the ivory first ring, or 1SE like the computer suggested. Willow Creek is going to take the corn from the capital, and Madrigal is going to stay at the happy cap and pump settlers and workers until we rush a neighbor.

It seems like I have to rush a neighbor, because it's looking more and more like somebody decided putting me in the middle of a 3-person island was a good idea. I really hope I'm wrong because I just calmed myself down about one mapmaker deciding that if I got screwed from the start it was okay; I don't know if I can stand a second so quickly.

But reasons I think I'm right... Barry put EP against me for a long time, and he never scouted farther west than my border. And all of his cities have been placed in my direction. So either he's on the other end of an island and expanding towards me out of smarts, or he's decided to push up against me first. I don't think he's going to rush me, though, because that spear backed off (and unlike another game I was able to get graphs and monitor power)

Guess it fits the theme too. Armies of the Dark on all sides. Just need to engineer a great and implausible victory. Anybody got an Eblis Stone I can borrow?

Out of an abundance of caution (or perhaps paranoia after recent events), I switched tech immediately to Archery and finished that last turn. We'll have a chariot coming online soon, and then we'll get archers and axes and spears.

I whipped my 5th worker out of Scales. Willow Creek gets the corn from the capital for a turn, and the next turn we'll have the sheep done and it will work that. Because of it's high production, this is where I'm going to make all my early defense.

I think I'm going to go for HBR next. Yes, I have China and yes Cho-Ko-Nus will be fun once i get them. But it's looking more and more like I have to be ruthless here, otherwise I'll just get squeezed on all sides.

[Thoth]

[pindicator]

Nothing wrong with taking advantage of a situation!

I switched my tech to Sailing. Borders pop in Tandem in 8 turns; there isn't enough time for both Writing & Sailing before then.

[pindicator]

Turn 060

Was sick all week and finally over it so let's take stock and see just how much my turns were.

First, I do not like Cyneheard's positioning:



The roads in the neutral area suggest his next city is coming towards me. Well of course it is; he's on the edge and I'm in the middle - where else would he rationally expand towards? Being in the middle is is so much fun! rolleye: He could also be rushing, but I've been watching power graphs well enough that I think he only has an axe as far as larger units go. Though the horse is hooked up....

I moved my scout under his warrior to prevent him from sniping it. I bet that axe was in the fog, and there's no reason to needlessly waste a scout. It's not like he's tipping his hand by attacking here; he's playing it the only way the map lets him: by being aggressive towards me.



See what I mean about positioning? He has two scouts flanking my sides - and they've been camped there a few turns too. He's watching where i go in each direction. It's like a duel - except I have two people to duel and he only has one.

I messed up and mined the plains hill this turn. That worker was supposed to go to the copper and get that hooked up. I'm going to need it soon, I think. I'm going to grab that gold spot and then take a break from expanding while I build up some military. Normally that'd be something I'd want to do at a minimum, but like I said earlier I really need to attack early. I know I said HBR earlier, but now I'm thinking that we try out the new and improved Swordsmen and tech Ironworking. It's cheaper than HBR, and I'll need Iron for CKNs anyway.

City roll-call:

The capital is going to slow build this settler, which is intended for the gold. As soon as Willow Creek grows to size 2, we'll give the Corn to that city, so whipping the settler is out of the question. The grass hill mine is a serviceable fill-in.



Finish chariot, grow, finish worker. Pretty straight forward here. This city will be a strong cottage city later on -- I just hope I'm the one who gets to reap the benefits.



As soon as those borders pop, Tandem will be the strongest city in my empire. We still need another work boat for the fish, and we'll want an archer or two here to protect against galleys from WilliamLP. I have not counted out the possibility of using galleys myself to go after William and leave my island. Probably not the smart play, it's better to eliminate an island neighbor since those are my immediate threats.



Willow Creek finishes the granary and starts building archers next turn. This city is nothing but military for the foreseeable future.

Graphs:

Cyneheard and Barry have never stopped putting points into me. I'm not sure they're going the full 4ep per turn, but it's annoying trying to juggle gaining graphs on new people and staying where I can keep graphs on them. Not a ton of worry yet - I'm ahead of the growth curve for both my neighbors and they haven't built much more than I've already spotted (axe for Cyneheard, spear for Barry).

I'm starting to like these demos:




I think the plan goes about like so:

1) settle the gold city
2) build a few axes & spears, and put archers in border cities while teching IW
3) have a settler ready for when IW finishes
4) whip lots more swords, axes, and spears

[Ceiliazul]

so. much. snowball!

...although missing that cow just west of city four makes me cry. i get the shared corn, but still.

keep up the good work, and may the spirit on conan drive your enemies before you!

[pindicator]

so. much. snowball!

...although missing that cow just west of city four makes me cry. i get the shared corn, but still.

keep up the good work, and may the spirit on conan drive your enemies before you!

Yeah, I thought a lot about that city spot. If we had more time then I absolutely would have put it elsewhere. But we're going to attack soon -- not really a rush at this point, but more of a timing attack to go with getting IW and swordsmen -- so I want to get my cities up to speed as soon as possible.

City #5 may not do much for a while - but it'll hook up the gold first ring, and i probably will need all the happy faces I can get

[Dantski]

A bit late but...

WTF?! SOMEONE STOLE OUR NAMING THEME!!!

May Rurik have mercy on your soul.

[pindicator]

WTF?! SOMEONE STOLE OUR NAMING THEME!!!

May Rurik have mercy on your soul.

But who will have mercy on Rurik's soul?



I knew someone did a Myth theme before but I couldn't remember who or where. You gotta admit, it's a pretty sweet naming theme.

And also: a Dantski sighting!


Turn 061

All quiet on the western front...



It's quiet out east too, but I'm more scared of war chariots than axes right now.

Our work boat is finished, and we have a few turns before borders pop. I'm going to scout that city WilliamLP settled and then head back to safety until borders pop.



A little bit of micro this turn - we gave the corn to Willow Creek and told it not to grow so the granary could get even bigger.



And that's about all the excitement for turn 61.

I decided to give up on trying to get EP on WilliamLP until this rush is over. More important to keep spending on my immediate neighbors and not miss any turns on their graphs.

[pindicator]

Started to play the turn but Barry was in the game already; he moved a spear to threaten my worker. So I ducked out and just decided to wait until after he played his part of the turn.

Also, I think I know who I have to attack now. As much as I want to take out Cyneheard first, if Barry's just going to harass my backlines then he's the better target.

[pindicator]

Turn 063

Oh Barry...




Did you not see the sign???





Keep yer animals on a leash, will ya?!


I wanted to mine that hill and use the production to build units, but I guess Scales will have to work cottages and whip units. I swapped it to an axe that i can whip in case Barry decides to attack.