[Spoilers] PBEM 62 - Ichabod's Thread, feat. Mardoc and retep

[Ichabod]

So, looking at thr saves revealed that Commodore has had Calendar for two turns already. So, we are going to try to tech Calendar in 1t next turn (likely possible, if we micro things around and build some wealth), so we can finish the MoM on turn 70.

The MoM is pretty expensive, at 301 quick hammers. That's 150 hammers for Commodore, with marble. There's actually a big chance that he can beat us to it, since the map is full of forests to chop and I'm sure he has a plan for it. Well, the beauty of a GEng in a PBEM is that we don't lose any hammers if that happens.

So, Commodore has 2 turns to finish the MoM. Next save will decide if we go for Calendar or not. If the MoM is still avaiable, I'll find a way to 1t Calendar. If not, we go for CoL and we can, perhaps, rush HG. With a new city being settled soon, HG would be worth 12 pop points. Definetely not game breaking, but it helps.

[Mardoc]

Fortunately Calendar is still worth having even if we don't get the wonder.

I'm not quite as sure that HG would be worth rushing - isn't most of its cost the aqueduct? I know we have stone.

Course, I'm not sure what would be a better use. I guess I'll just cross my fingers that even fast workers can't find 150h in three turns, and worry about alternate engineer options later on.

[Ichabod]

Commodore got the MoM. Well played by him.

Well, we couldn't expect to get everything in the game. Hopefully we secure the TGLh, due next turn. Second island city will be settled soon.

Tech was set to CoL. Courthouses will be big, just by building them on the 4 more expensive cities (something like 20 gold saved per turn, every turn), which I will (chopping and whiping). And the faster we get to CS, the better.

The big question is: what do we do with the GEng? I considered a GA, but perhaps the HG turned into whipped infra is better. There's really no other interesting wonder that I'd like to get.

---

THH's power went up, while Dazed's power went down. Perhaps THH can resist the onslaught enough for us to slaughter him. let's hope.

[retep]

Temples are 16h. Rush the AP and later the UoS.

[Ichabod]

Temples are 16h. Rush the AP and later the UoS.

That's actually a good idea, considering we have religion everywhere. I was thinking of saving it for the Taj Mahal, because we don't actually need a GA right now and we can get HG for the cost of 4 forests.

And Theology is not wasted beakers, because we could use the XP for our units later.

Anyway, for now, we wait. Our TGLh timing is fortunate, because people will think we rushed it. We get CS first, then we reassess about what to do with the GEng.

[Mardoc]

Didn't take long to alter our plan. Although I think it's probably still worth going for Music and wonders and golden ages even without the MoM. Also, since you're building wealth anyway, it's probably worth putting at least a little effort into any wonder that's double-production for us. Either we get the wonder, or we get our Wealth effort doubled.

I like retep's suggestion for the GEng. Even Monasteries are probably worth building with the AP, but Spi temples are awesome with it.

At least the MoM fell before we researched Calendar, so now it can wait until after we've settled the spice filler city and researched Iron Working.

[Mardoc]

This is the most unpredictable pace for a game!

I looked at the newest save, and the Great Lighthouse should be ours Should ease the disappointment of the MoM a bit. And we definitely need that island city. A third would be nice, but the only candidate I see is taking Commodore's from him.

Dunno. Maybe open borders with him? With the GLH, it should be about even benefits for both of us.

[Ichabod]

This is the most unpredictable pace for a game!

I looked at the newest save, and the Great Lighthouse should be ours Should ease the disappointment of the MoM a bit. And we definitely need that island city. A third would be nice, but the only candidate I see is taking Commodore's from him.

Dunno. Maybe open borders with him? With the GLH, it should be about even benefits for both of us.

I'll try open borders with him this turn. Perhaps he'll have a good laugh at it. Yeah, I don't see him accepting, but, well, no harm trying.

We can settle the island on the water near IB and OT. OT is our main hammer city at the moment and I doubt Dazed can contest it, if we settled it first. I'll try getting a boat on those waters to scout them a bit more (if the only seafood is the fish already taken by Dazed, it's probably not worth it).

I'm considering a run for HG in Masala Chai. The city has tons of forests and I want to chop them for cottages. The aqueduct is a bad build, but the wonder is really cheap with stone and OR. It's anotehr case of a wonder that we can delay, because I don't see anyone else getting. I doubt Commodore wants it, without stone, the payoff isn't good that way.

[retep]

Temples are 16h. Rush the AP and later the UoS.

That's actually a good idea

You sound surprise

[Mardoc]

I've looked at the last couple saves. 12 cities to Commodore's 9, that's quite nice . And settling the island city was instantly profitable for the empire, also very encouraging.

THH has quite an impressive stack of archers. I guess you're right to stay out of that for now. I'll stop cheering for blood for the moment, we really aren't that far from medieval units, the tech rate is getting better, and there's still land to be had peacefully.