[spoilers] Pax Commodorica: Pharaoh of Rome

[Commodore]

'Diplomatic victory' goes both ways: Gaspar and thoth are nice quiet borders, right?

Hrm? Well, yes, but they're quiet because TBS reasonably assumes if he invades they will, you know, defend.

[retep]

Why not AP victory? Oh right I'm not playing here.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Why not AP victory? Oh right I'm not playing here.

Because

[novice]

...but this reads like reasons for building the AP!

Because you're toast if you don't build the AP.

Because the AP is the bread and butter of civ development.

Because the AP is the best invention since sliced bread.

Because the AP is a great way of cutting corners.

[Commodore]

So I wrote this up last Thursday, then left on my work machine over the weekend:

Turn 163: Shall We Just Acknowledge This One?
I think we're just waiting for this to be called, now, as Ox has voted solidly for The Black Sword. One guy really can force a concession if he's willing to be a jerk about it.

Anyway, life continues apace here in Rome. Minervia finally landed the National Epic; we're looking at a +16 surplus here in growth mode. That's about right for the ideal 100gppt rate you want in a late great person farm like this, I'll make it officially above that even out of a golden age with a forum. By the way? Forums are a worthless UB.


I'm feeling like we're on the whimper-not-a-bang phase of ending here, so let's look at the Legion as a whole. Here's the homeland, in all its too-small glory. I'm tickled by how relatively productive I was able to make the tundra hinterland there, thanks to the Colossus. You can see how light I've been running cottages, mostly...a few dot the river valleys here and there and Legio's got a decent set, but mostly my commerce is coming from Colossus coast. Farms are getting spammed now in the end as I anticipate Representation, but the economy is largely fishy yet. Good land, this, but I did a poor job in the beginning grabbing this little of it.


What was Mali is now mostly wearing the red of Rome. These two shots next to each other should show how much of my relevance now is due my very successful knight campaign. I'm sure the ignorant may have complained that I was “gifted” this ground like TBS is currently being gifted Maya, but the reason Dtay didn't stop me earlier is because he was in the middle of a hot war with Thoth when I invaded, and had the much more essential GLH/Pyramids under direct assault. Plus, well, his culture and road situation out here was awful; I think I had better mobility than he did! He's certainly taxed both Thoth and I in the end here though. He saved the free gifting for those two northeastern Turkish cities.

There aren't any huge rivers out here in the ERE, but Colossus-holding me has absolutely loved all this lake land. I've planted nary a cottage over here; the few you see here are all Dtay plants. The proper middle between us is somewhere in Minervia, I should probably note, that's a bad statement on me. Beautiful land over-all here, I must say. I love my temperate and long empire.

It's still no Ottawa, but Legio's been an awesome capital. I just freaking drool over the prospect of a levee in here; I could probably even knock out the Statue of Liberty in a short time once I get that all online. I don't know, might be I should have built more wonders here actually, but it's been such a productive workhorse building “all the things” it's hard not to just let it carry on. My steadfast ignoring of Education and Astronomy mean that even with the Academy, interestingly enough Legio has better gold-saving modifiers than beaker-spending (100% vs. 75%). Eventually, Oxford would see to that changing but I've had a lot of other competing priorities and universities are pretty bad builds elsewhere in the empire.


Now let's sit around, twiddle thumbs, and watch TBS get casually handed another brace of cities while Ox sits his stack of doom in the farthest corner away.

Now, on to the current turn.

Turn 165: The Legion Never Revolts
So I've been dumping spare EP into the World Hegemony, Mongolia. As you do, you know. I've located two of his great people; his fourth and final golden age is probably neigh unless he needs that artist down in Maya.



…ahahah no. Ox's vast stack of if-not-death-then-at-least-wounds remains seated in Gurton Buster. His remaining garrisons seem to be mostly warriors, chariots, and “Welcome TBS!” signs. I'm sure he's got a pitance on the actual front, but given his power...yeah. Xenu, I see your grilled cheese and raise you OX CHEESE. Let's end this farce, folks, Ox has thrown the already 95% foregone game completely to TBS.

I hereby concede to The Black Sword, who, let me be perfectly clear, deserves this win by dint of playing the best of anyone here.

While I wait for other people to be willing to concede, I'll still try my hand at playing my best. Massive revolt this turn to Representation/Nationhood/Pacifism.
BEFORE:

AFTER:


My GNP isn't actually all that bad; going 100% I actually am #1 over full-tilt TBS. Sadly, he's got a big beaker lead that's only going to get worse with State Property. Like I said, well played indeed sir. But I'll still crow about my tiny Crop Yield lead!

[Rowain]

It would be nice if you could keep your dissatisfaction with Oxy to this thread and not post it in other players threads in a different game.

[Commodore]

It would be nice if you could keep your dissatisfaction with Oxy to this thread and not post it in other players threads in a different game.

Mmphf. I did a gut check, and no, [other player] is worse and I'd be pretty disgusted no matter what.

Turn 166: Well That is Something
So Ox did earn a great general. His first, while TBS earns his third, meaning TBS has gained six times the experience Ox has in this war (Imperialistic cancels out fighting in Mayan lands)


I think next turn I might just burn this guy anyway to settle my peninsula. I did move the settler back, though, to wait for a missionary. Twiddling thumbs until Thoth opts to throw in the towel.

[Old Harry]

It would be nice if you could keep your dissatisfaction with Oxy to this thread and not post it in other players threads in a different game.

Mmphf. I did a gut check, and no, [other player] is worse and I'd be pretty disgusted no matter what.

Eh?

[Commodore]

Turn 167: One More Turn

Carnifex the grimly named spear at long last has found the Mongolian stack; camped outside of the Mayan capital. Things look pretty doomed for the Empire of Gus.
   
I'm about to roll dem bones here in sunny Flavia Felix! If it's:
-Prophet/Artist? Save for golden age.
-Engineer? Fish for loans, try to beat TBS to the Statue of Liberty
-Scientist? Bulb Chemistry
-Merchant? Trade Mission or else golden age.
   
I'm actually looking at 20-30% odds for a GE from the next few great people, too, I might still try sniping the wonder if it is doable. Twilight Rome: Pretty ballin'.
   
We move in on Mali next turn, let's at least get this down to a quick four-man affair.

[Commodore]

Why not AP victory? Oh right I'm not playing here.

Because

You know what, the vote came up, and I voted for me.

Gotta be worth at least some TBS consternation, right?

It would trouble my conscience if I won that way, though. Fortunately, that's unlikely, don't think the on-their-way-out guys will monkey with it. Although the rapidly falling Maya did get a Hindu conversion as Gaspar joins the ROFLstomp. Heh, which means TBS is a little more Hindu, I guess...
   
Not at all worried about Ox's Diplomatic Victory vote shifting from TBS to me here, because I decided to hell with it; I wanna settle my contiguous territory. The whipped, chariot-defended, sad little nubbin Die Harder has to go. I'd tell you some dramatic tale of careful odds-calculation and everything, but, um...City Raider II Praetorian vs. chariot. Yeah.
   
The resultant haul from the city's capture is a little sad, as she was size 9 just a couple turns ago. Still, it'll pay for a couple more turns of what I'm doing below, I can't complain too much. The two workers squatting sadly in the east were liberated by the musket on the galley. Then, I sent a diplo offer to Ox: Peace for Gurton Buster. I'd say there is not much chance of him accepting, but it may goad him into making an assault southeast with that massive garrison; then either Gaspar or I can raze the nasty thing and I'll get a second settlement out of the deal. Not worried about it.
   
Lacking my handy Latin list, I named the newest member of the Legion something a bit more modern. Tempting fate? Perhaps, but this is definitely the twilight hour, time to risk it all on one pitch and toss. For destiny is clear, the Fates sing of Mongol Domination of us all. Why not try the slim chances? You can see highlighted our last lost chance, unwelcome Mr. Ramakrishna.
   

You know what's long overdue, and not a slim chance at all?
   
Oh yeah, baby. That's 47 units in the forest tile now (shuffled an extra draftee in), and next turn on the hill near Master Hand they'll be joined by more than twenty knights. Sims have me taking Master Hand 10 out of 10 times; only question is how much is costs and how convincingly I can push for Donkey Kong afterwards for the Great Lighthouse. Thoth is easily the lowest power of the Three Bridesmaids, but he might try to make something happen anyway.