The Pen vs The Sword (Gandhi of NA)

[Lord Parkin]

Thanks for subbing Parkin! Though no avoid growth on the capital last turn, looking back my notation of AV is pretty unclear.

Ah, sorry about that... yeah, I completely missed the notation. Guess the brain saw a word that didn't make sense and marked it as a misspelling or something.

[The Black Sword]

Hope you weren't planning on taking my Confucianism oracle-builder!

I know, he probably had enough time to research Maths and take currency.

That makes things a lot easier for me anyway. I'm still going for Maths next, because I have a lot of forests and I want to turn my GNP advantage into some hammers. We have loads of nice targets for our beakers at least; monarchy, monotheism, alphabet, sailing.

Elensefar is a fine spot for the religion. I want to get a temple up there ASAP and begin working a priest. I don't plan to put other GPs on hold for my prophet, but I want to keep working the prophet pool. I guess this means Fort Tahn is likely to give me my next GP, probably a merchant during my next caste session. I need alphabet to do a trade mission, or bulbing currency wouldn't be too bad.

[The Black Sword]

Double nice. Now I can send the free missionary to this border city with Joey.

[The Black Sword]

Hashoosh settled this:


And offered to trade it for Fort Tahn and a clam swap. I sent back a clam swap. I'm a little bit sore here, both cities are slightly closer to my capital than his, but I guess we'll live with it. I was hoping to claim the clams, but that city would have been a lot weaker than my other options to be fair, and surely Hashoosh has better options than this plant which is pretty weak. He's sacrificed more than I was willing to to get extra land here. For the moment, peaceful borders suit me just fine as I settle elsewhere. Speaking of which:



This feels like a very tricky play to evaluate. I have sort of made my mind up to go with alphabet next after maths and run a trade mission if I don't go this route.

[The Black Sword]

I've got to say Commodore, I'm really enjoying this map. Opponents on every side and you have to prioritise where to expand, it's not a simple early game. I settled Fallenstar Lake, my 6th city:



My sentry peaked in Hastee Tastee and saw a spear. No monument though, I'm popping borders 2 turns after founding, better than Cre! I'll have to figure out some unit logistics to connect the wheat. We're doing the sheep and silver first though.

That takes me even in cities with Plako(who I just met and just built the GLH, nice job), Xenu, Dazed and Hashoosh, Joey has 1 more and HAK across the sea seems to be in trouble, still on 4.

The barbs aren't being so nice to me though:


This guy showed up last turn, and there was no way I could get a dog soldier in time to save the furs. So I decided to complete the archer in my build queue and let him suicide on that. Is there any way to know if barbs are on attack duty or pillaging duty? If he pillages those furs, it's going to hurt.



Fort Tahn popped borders and the pigs being improved. Couldn't figure out a good way to complete the granary at size 2 unfortunately, Maths doesn't come in time. I probably need to whip another worker in Elensefar.

Demos:


I'm not really worrying about that top food figure for the moment. Probably someone like dtay or Oxy with double early game traits. Looks like dtay landed that late oracle too, he must be doing very well.

[The Black Sword]

I'm gone again until Friday, here's some thoughts for the next few turns.



This Barb spear has really hurt me. I had chariots to deal with an axe but not a spear. Anyway, that worker can finish a chop next turn and complete a dog soldier. Then go fix up my furs again. Blackwater continues to build the settler, probably should 1-whip him to completion, we want to settle the city when we're back in caste in 5t.

Weldyn continues to slowbuild the worker due to unhappiness. I'd like to send that chariot west to explore.



Elensefar's worker can go help hook the furs. The worker by Dan Tonk completes the road to the new city and then hooks sheep. One of the Fort Tahn workers moves over there too to help. The other chops out the Granary in Tahn, the Temple in Elensefar and then stays to improve Tahn, 2t into a mine on the current tile.

Tahn wants to grow to size 6 in anticipation of running merchants during the next caste session.



Workers hook sheep, then one chops the forest, the other roads the silver and they both mine. Chariot there should go kill that barb protecting the hut. Then probably circle around the NW to determine if the land to land to the west is an island.

I'm unsure whether to go for Sailing or Alphabet next. Ideally Alphabet but that might take a while. Guess we can save gold on alphabet while I'm gone.

[Lord Parkin]

Turn 81

Followed instructions regarding Workers and Dog Soldier in the NW. Research is at 0% on Alphabet as requested. Opted not to send the Chariot to the Warrior guarding the hut as it's a 70% battle - pretty risky. You're far better off using a spare Dog Soldier later and avoiding the risk of death.

Chopped the Granary in Fort Tahn. Not sure if one of the forests near Elensefar is prechopped, you seemed to indicate it should chop a temple but don't have any signs to indicate where.

Demographics.

[Lord Parkin]

Turn 82

Killed the barb Spear with the new Dog Soldier. Finished the Settler in Dan Tonk, started a Granary since you didn't specify a particular build.

Finished the mine at Fort Tahn, 1 turn from chopping the forest for Elensefar. New city will be founded next turn.

Demographics.

[Lord Parkin]

Turn 83

Furs will be hooked up again in 2 turns.

Can't quite whip the Settler yet (49/50, 2 pop gives 50 hammers in RBmod). Could do next turn, but it will only shave 2 turns off the new city. Hopefully you'll be back tomorrow and can decide for yourself whether or not to whip.

Founded the new city on the river. Didn't see a suggestion for a name, so went with Carcyn (again from here).

Selected a Totem Pole as the first build. Not sure if you'd prefer that or a Granary, but it's only 1 hammer/turn and you'll be whipping anyway so it shouldn't matter too much.

Chopped the Temple in Elensefar, it'll be done next turn.

Worker on its way NE from Fort Tahn. Next turn it could either go onto the road 1NW of Carcyn in preparation for helping pasture the Sheep, or else it could move onto one of the forests west of Carcyn to chop. I'd lean towards chopping since it only speeds up the Sheep by 1 turn... up to you though.

Demographics.

[The Black Sword]

Thanks Parkin, looking good. Assuming this turn doesn't roll super early I'll be back near the end of then timer for the next turn.