REM goes on the Sudric Express [Pitboss 33 spoilers]

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

Quick text update - I decided to go unit heavy. I will soon be sandwiched by the 2 biggest world powers with a lot of cities and a lack of units. I also saw that DZ got cannons enabled last turn which might spur him into going for a shot at me. I set myself up for attacking Gaspar in 2 turns with the gren that builds this turn from James, 2-3 rifles and a cavalry. Hopefully should be enough to take one city if I go for it. Not 100% sure it is worth bringing him down quicker but I think it is a good idea to have the option to attack there.

BGN I do not know where he is moving but he wants somewhere in the middle of the island. Ready to settle the Ivory city EoT. Thomas will build the next settler in 3t at size 8. I may chop another out from James next turn if the mood strikes me.

Gnp wise I can get Steam Power by the end of the GA hopefully too!

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

So current state of affairs... It is all about this.

Gaspar didn't whip it this turn I believe (I think he whipped his taoism holy city as it is very small) so strong possibility that he is still going to have 1 rifle in there after turn roll. He might be able to move units in to help but it depends what he has storming around the other side of him with Drey4Es army (which is about double mine DESPITE me being third in soliders!) As we can also see my no xp gren gets odds on his rifle sat in the city - it helps he moved the one that had a fortify bonus a couple of turns ago. Even with 2 rifles in there I should not expect to loose more than 2 units taking it. I can easily spare the 3 rifles and the gren, plus I have a cavalry in James too (with Pind seemingly doing a galleon raze on Drey4E given the 1t war and the score decrease I don't particularly fancy leaving less than 2 units on coastal cities with him)

I was all ready to go for it until I got thinking do I really like that city? With that and the tao holy city and Gordon things are very cramped there. They also cover quite a lot of frankly marginal coastal tiles which at 2/0/2 are hardly worth using. I did a quick count and discarding the city tile, only 4 land tiles are brought into play that either Gordon or the taoist city cannot reach, grassland sheep, grasshill horses, 2 grassland and a plains. I really don't know whether it is worth even owning this city with the taoist city still live. Plus then if I get this and Drey4E get that then that is just annoying. Ideal world would be to resettle one city in the middle that can get access to both the sheep and corn and hopfully horses too. Probably 1 SW. However that is more hammer inefficient, unless it comes with no infrastructure. And it risks ceeding the ground to Drey4E. I do not mind loosing the holy city though.

Plus Drey4E are seemingly flying ahead. They have a decent GNP which I guess comes from the SP, and they are probably frontrunners currently so I really don't want to speed them up. It is rather hard to say who is winning yet actually.

I have a few hours before I have to decide when I can get back in.

Other news is this

Not terribly up to date, but BGN founded a city where my explorer was... Urgh. I can kinda see why, easy to protect etc rather than coastal but still. I was considering on the spices over the 2 separate cities myself, but that settle is just tearing up the OCD daemon inside me! He also put a second gren just outside my island cities borders which I will cover with putting my explorer under him. Should teleport him back a square if he does war dec. I have no units on the island save workers and the city was getting a frigate. It did just complete a chop this turn though. Decisions!

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

Eot image dump.

Mildly annoyed I didn't DoW on Gaspar now. Drey4E took his capital so I really doubt he will last more than a few turns. Now I think the smart thing to do here might be to hang back and then see what is left by the time they finish him off. Could I snipe the old Gaspar cap? Will Gaspar give me open borders to let me see what is going on and perhaps allow me to counter? I would probably just try and sit on the hill in Gaspars cap so as to not overstretch myself but this would be a nice play to gain something from their war... I also have my machine gun I can use to make any attacks rather unprofitable.

Overview shots

I completed the road anyway, so I have access to Gaspar should I think of something useful to do with it. I'm rather pushed for tile improvements. Pretty much every improved tile is being worked. I would really appreciate having steam power right now! The worker build in Emily will be for number 20, and is rather needed. SoL in 3 turns. I really want this, I'll be so annoyed if I lost it to RNG. I'm already quite annoyed I've been without it for 10-15 turns from the first GM.

No happy/health issues, and just about to hook silver and wine at some point. Should be good for a long time.

As you may also see, I birthed another GM! This one was 90/10 GE vs GM. Seriously the odds are annoying me now. I really should try and prioritise another GP before the GA is out, although I cannot decide where that should be from yet. Probably Gordon.

Also it is difficult to show but I am very pleased with how my borders have turned out. EW currently are in very favourable positions, more land than the 1/7th I should have got. N I have nabbed the deer and there is nothing to entice many settles out to me. S I will claim shortly hopefully, and pind has another ring of cities before he will think about going for that deer. The south island has nothing on currently. The only grievence is I didn't take the whole of the BGN shared island, but one cannot have everything.

Graphs

Although it is looking good - I am in Golden, and I am behind because unlike most people from what it seems I have not done any bulbs. Also - did DZ run the EP slider a couple of times?!

I think my courthouses were definitely worth it for their 48 hammers - each is saving 5-7gpt currently. Whilst this will be 2-3 in SP it still isn't bad, and the extra EP are definitely useful.

Demos

I think I will probably be ahead in MFG after the GA, and perhaps in GNP too. Definitely if I get the SoL.

I would like to play but I want to wait on BGN and see what he does as he played before me last turn. I will ship over a couple of rifles from Percy if he starts to move on me.

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

Update on the previous couple of turns. Managed to get a few pics before shooting off to work.

First time I have been really unsure this game. What civics to choose? 3 (now 2) more turns of golden age so no chance to swap again. I wanted to get SP with the new communism research obviously, but what in the second column? As I said before obviously FS or the top choice is not worth it. Plus nationhood I feel is not really best, given I am getting good tile values and I will start to run into happy issues fairly quickly. So beuro vs vassalage.

I worked out beuro is getting me 17 commerce, so about 25-30 extra beakers/gold after modifiers. Then it was giving me around 15 extra hammers in a GA currently. Both cost the same upkeep. However vassalge as well as giving the promos and the 'he's getting units' factor also gives me 7 odd less gold in unit costs. With this and the fact NT I was building 5 new units to completion I went for the civic swap for most of the game now - Rep/vas/caste/SP/FR. FR for me is a no brainer as I have a few religions all over the land and the extra happy and sci is definitely worth that.

Interestingly although I gained GNP my time to steam power dropped - because I cannot push out as much science per turn without those free specialists, however my costs are drastically reduced.

I moved out to see what Gaspar is up against when he granted me OB and it became clear why he lost his cap. He has 5 rifles left total, compared to the 8ish cav, couple of cats and 4 odd rifles/grens Drey4E has healing in there, with machine gun cover. So overall no wonder this is happening! This knowledge is useful though. After spotting this all Gaspar splitting plans have been put on hold and instead I just consilidated my position, moving my troops around to deter BGN who is making threatening moves around me. Unless something drastic changes I will hole up in my border city. They did also ask me for my only incense in exchange for gems. Whilst this is a net gain of 1 happy each, as I do not need this currently I declined. Maybe WW is altered on the later era starts to need less combat before unhappy issues? I can't imagine them having enough combat to be struggling otherwise.

Then I rolled the turn and saw this

SoL is mine! In a relatively easy to defend location too. Really, really useful. Basically gives me the power of mercantilism back, currently 11 free specialists. In caste and with the free buildings on settling always useful. Didn't take a demo shot but GNP has hit 500 in the GA, and my CY has improved nicely too.

I saw this to need the rejig from offensive to defensive.

BGN moving out a 5 move galleon. In range of oliver and emily only, but can drop units next to Douglas and Duck too. Douglas reenforced, and the frigate moved out to make him think twice. He has 2 grens under my explorer also. If needed I got a couple of cavalry this turn and I can move things around to protect assets all over the shop.

Need to be careful I don't leave too little in Percy (I have already uncovered an almost certainly DZ spy) or be too open to my south.

That barb city between me and Pind could cause violence. It has already caused issues for others. It isn't placed somewhere I would want a city, but could still be useful. It doesn't stop me going for my preferred defensive spot either. Be interesting to see whats what when I can log in when home later.

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

PS with arguably one of the best wonders and some of the best expansion with enough military to hold it, feeling good about this game. Only tech I am a little behind in, mainly due to no bulbs. Hopefully I should catch up now!

[BRickAstley]

Enjoying your thread and game, keep it up!

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

Enjoying your thread and game, keep it up!

I told you pregame IMP is all shades and kinds of awesomeness. Plus org is giving me now circa 30gpt savings so it is becoming useful too; probably more economically powerful than if I were fin actually in this hammer economy, and will come into its own with the factories era soon.

My one gripe is I feel I have dithered a huge amount and just played a solid expansion game, rather than the cutthroat game of Drey4E which seems like extremely good fun...

[BRickAstley]

You just need to plan and execute an invasion of Drey4E to make up for it.

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

You just need to plan and execute an invasion of Drey4E to make up for it.

That would be fun. I should try not to war before there is no more land to settle peacefully as IMP I feel though, so that will likely be with another era or 2 behind me.

BGN is looking like a likely target with his pressing me though - a race of that island city and if possible his one city on that water mass would cement my control of there.

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

It's update time! Dance around for update time

Happy as I feel in a strong position. The golden age just ended and my GNP dropped from 650 odd to 550, or 500 break even. I am not making huge amounts of culture or EPs so I feel likely that I have the best tech rate currently, probably by virtue of the SoL. I am also leading MFG, and second (to Drey4E) in CY. I am also second in troop count, and generally have a pretty solid line of defence all around. The only thing is I need to watch the Khmer army once it is done sacking the Dutch.

GA demos

Post GA demos

I forgot. You can see them some other time.

So Gaspar has a decent last stand defence left here.

Still undecided on whether to try and take the last city. Drey4E I doubt would want it as it would be completely smothered by my culture (now 3rd ring in Gordon) but I don't want to provoke a big buildup of forces here. I need to leverage my Imp trait to stay ahead of the curve. Will try and spook them a little with my galleon too. Also keeping me from war with them is they are providing most of my TRs.

DZ

Seems like he wants a city where the cavalry is. Nice wide DMZ here to see attacks coming. I get third ring in Percy in 3 turns. Pretty secure overall. Also, I feel it is one of my best cities. Pretty much working all the good tiles (the coast is junk in rep) so once the hill is improved it will grow onto scientists, hence the sci buildings build.

The shared BGN island above looks like he may be trying to found a city where those grens are. If so, seriously?! Not a great spot (those islands are hard to dotmap with the perma dry rice) but it is needlessly hard to defend. He also declined OB. This is likely to be the first war target if he keeps this up! Also the galleon is keeping my defence relatively mobile for threats.

Mainland is doing pretty well.

No cottages yet still a high GNP! Just no point IMO with plus 0/4/0 tiles available instead of plus 0/0/5, especially as I don't want to run civics that would make the towns better and the hammers are much more flexible and instantaneous. Staying solid here, wanting at least 2 units in cities that can be boated from the black to need 2 galleons per city.

I'm ignoring this barb city Seen others that spawn 2 rifles, plus on a hill, has culture. Bah.

Not worth the agro. Gonna try and take all of this island instead.

2 settlers built in 3 turns will both go here. My city on the wine can wait, no settling pressure here. The third lower city by the silver might be a stretch but I will try for it. I have the frigate to go round and ward off pind, and a fair few rifles ready to pop there to defend. Still not convinced re the non coastal city, but it is really awkward to place a good city.


So I'm gonna press on. I jigged things to get Steam Power next turn, for the lovely levees and the coal that is in the cap BFC. Where to after? Assembly line without a doubt. More powerful units to hopefully be able to apply pressure to someone. Cheap factories and my UB with the extra hammers. With the free buildings including aqueducts and harbours, there is an abundance of health in every city currently which is usually the hangup with factories and coal plants. Cap has a few tiles to build up to, and I have a lot of GP brewing - please no more GMs!

Assuming I get the 2 island cities, I have space for the wine city, and then I will go for the Gaspar/Pind shared island after that. Space to settle up above between BGN and Pind too.