[spoilers] Commodore and Dtay are Sitting Bull of Inca, somehow.

[dtay]

Though it occurs to me now if we do get a worker out of there, city should steal the horses so we can whip next turn.

[dtay]

Next med term plan is I think we should map out how to get colossus. That thing will be monstrous for an empire that looks like it's gonna be squarely centered around a bunch of coast. Deadman seems best location (I think you've said that previously as well).

Do we need ANYTHING not on the path to guilds? Code of laws maybe?

[Krill]

Leading questions ahead: how much is Currency a once right choice for Classical era tech research? What are the other options?

[dtay]

Off top of head:

-Alphabet for +3 routes, though so synergistic with currency you'd really want to get currency as well with this
-Code of laws + mids (rep) for specialist econ

[Commodore]

Code of Laws, a lot of cases:
-Need a religion
-Want a SE
-Organized
-Spiritual
-Aztecs or HRE

Monarchy in low commerce/low happy setups.

Metal Casing if Industrious (so early)

Math if you'd behind.

Basically, this is a nutty slingshot only enabled by Philosophical, Oracling Currency is rare...but there are still many good options even if Currency is available.

[Krill]

Code of Laws, a lot of cases:
-Need a religion

Good for 1/X players.

-Want a SE

SE doesn't exist. Stupid definition. Has been for a decade. You should know better Com.

-Organized
-Spiritual

So good for certain leaders. Getting somewhere.

-Aztecs or HRE

Good for 2/34 civs.

I ain't buying that CoL is a good general beeline target, not with those explanations.

Monarchy in low commerce/low happy setups.

Being specific: What game used settings or had such a low happy count where this was true? I can think of PB5 for me, but beyond that...?

Metal Casing if Industrious (so early)

So again niche target not normal beeline.

Math if you'd behind.

OK, this one I need an explanation for. Are you saying that the extra 10 hammers per chop is what makes Maths a good beeline target?

[dtay]

SE doesn't exist. Stupid definition. Has been for a decade. You should know better Com.

More precisely stated specialist econ unto hammer/specialist econ with RtR workshops. And still some cottages from the capital and like 1-2 other cities probably. But phi/mids/CoL def makes a deadly set, but obviously there's only 1 mids to go around. Phi/CoL on their own is still pretty good though for the bulbing.

Currencies big things is that the two major benefits (wealth builds and trade routes) require very little outside synergy to function, and can be layered on top of basically any other strategy. So you always want them sometime, and the magnitude of the effect is large enough you really want them soon. Best default target because low to zero risk, strong effect, and not very trait/civ dependent. Everything else is going to be more situational imo.

[Commodore]

Turn 77. So. We did it. Now we have about fifteen turns on the rest of the field, are -100gpp down the hole, and have a huge target on our backs. Good deal.

Now don't screw it up, kids.

Plan post(s) to follow later.

[Commodore]

Wow, I guess Gavagai was going to do what we did, just two turns late? That's a terrifyingly early Great Scientist for a non-Phi civ by the way...looks like he did bulb Math or Alphabet. Retep went splat against Mr. Tons o' Duns there, so the world is back to peace.

Grimace and Retep at -2 relations now though.

We might get a spot of bother ourselves soon; Elkad has a shock axe poking around, I'd be more worried were it not for the chariots I can respond with already loaded. Settle, terrace immediately chopped, work crab, get that stone up. Plan is smooth, so far.

East Indiamen may trouble us someday distant I guess?

Plan post(s) to follow later.

...but this ain't later enough. Talking victory conditions next!

[Commodore]

Easily one of my favorite books, just period. Great classic science fiction, with some interesting aliens and typical clever plotting.

Oh, the city in this game? Yeah, yeah, good city. Terrace insta-chopped, crabs hooked, so it'll be healthy. I think with the stone, a mine, and the five forests this place really would be the fastest possible Colossus...never can be sure we'd get it, though, because I'm sure quite a few people will be landing Metal Casing soon. The IC-TRs allow us to start teching now, and the really good stuff is still to come when we get a second overseas city. Need a couple pro archers in the kitty before going to Icarus Hunt, so maybe Angelmass next? Basically...we need a second galley.

Go ahead, deersum. Make my day.

So, a couple quick thoughts on victory conditions; the way we win this game is dominating our home continent->hurting/razing GermanJoey and Gavagai until surrender or space. This has a few implications.
-Islands can be helpful but don't think they're vital. A good way to loose it to over-focus on the islands and Elkad's backyard, that's insecure land.
-We're got to *dominate* our continent, that's not necessarily conquer the whole thing:
---Retep's got to die soonish, because he will keep up in land and eventually bounce back in GNP/tech.
---HAK needs to get beat, but he's not aggressive and currently has bad pink dot relations with Grimace. He will loose his backlines to Joey or Agent, meh.
---Grimace may be okay as a client state, he's a determined and spiteful defender but I don't think he's the sort to mind being peacefully and respectfully outplayed.
-Joey will have issues with DZAI, and Gav will have issues with Agent, I think we have some decent time buffers, but we cannot be too slow because they *will* win their hemispheres.