Well, let me put it this way:
Kragroth has 4 cities
Old Lion has 5
I have 7 - soon to be 9 with the Barb city and the Settler due next turn
Q has something around 20
![yikes yikes](https://www.realmsbeyond.net/forums/images/smilies/yikes.gif)
(I was too depressed to do a full count)
Q has Trade so I know that we're behind on tech, and I expect that the other two are further back.
The fundamental problems with Kragroth's proposal to cooperate are that 1) it doesn't seem like the other two could field a meaningful force between them, let alone individually; but mostly 2) we are so far away from each other that any sort of timely help is impossible. If I was Q I'd be planning to eat the pair of them as snacks while accelerating further ahead in tech and then come for me as the main course.
Have I given up, no. Despite what I said in the immediate aftermath of Kragroth's idiotic attack, I am still enjoying this game and will continue to play as long as it goes.
Am I putting a lot of careful effort into the turns, also no. Losing the 2 Workers at Cheddar was sloppy, especially since I knew the Clan Galley was around.
I'd appreciate your thoughts on tech path. I haven't quite managed to convince myself that Animal Handling is the best tech for me to be researching, however I do think that the early warning Hawk network will be extremely valuable, and the side benefit of enabling the Spider Pen for the extra Happy is worthwhile now that Sanitation is in and there's room to grow. (Barb city will get me Wines, new plant will get Furs, which just leaves Pearls of the available Happies to grab)
As I see it, candidate techs are:
Trade: (Q has) Military/Econ tech - Chariots & extra trade routes
Smelting-IronWorking: Military tech - Forges, Champions & Iron
Consumption: Econ tech - Consumption & cheap Moneychangers
KotE: (Q has) Military tech - Repair for Trebs & Navy as well as Enchanted Blades
Priesthood: Military/Econ tech - Medics, pre-build Temples
Order/Veil: Military - choose your Religion
Couple of notes; I want to get Priesthood before switching Religions so I can get a couple of Stonewardens in hand, so probably Priesthood before choosing late Religion. Sadly Kilmorph is already getting me unhappiness for Religious fighting.
My current thinking is to go KotE after AH; should be a ~3t tech which will give me a chance to get a couple of Hawks out and see if there is an attack imminent. After that I can decide how urgent it will be to upgrade my Military or if Bronze War/Axe w/ Enchanted Blades, backed by Trebs will be enough for a while.
Getting the Dwarven Forges online ASAP could be the best plan, and then follow with the Religious grab.