[SPOILERS] scooter peruses RB's Greatest Hits

[Epoxy]

THE DAILY ROLL

TURN 230–233: THE ISTHMUS CAMPAIGN

The first decisive encounter of the Aztec project is in progress, but some outcomes already seem foreclosed. After Aztec plans for an offensive on the barricaded eastern isthmus were drawn up and prepared with a rapid levy of knights, Byzantium reinforced their forward post with more archers and auxiliaries, bringing their garrison to three longbow units and an explorer against the three knight cohorts and assorted artillery the Aztecs were bringing to bear. An attempt by the Aztecs to interdict any further reinforcement of the location with an archer situated in the Byzantine rear was for naught, as Byzantium, on cue, gutted the effort with a rearguard cataphract and pike. The go-ahead for assault has not been given, as it is clear the Aztecs would need to double, if not triple, their forces to remove the Byzantine presence and countervail any following advances on nascent territory. The Byzantines' foresight and readiness has resulted in their assured control of the juncture adjoining their continent with the Aztecs'. The Aztecs now have to contend with a complicated eastern perimeter of fewer convenient strongholds and little navy, against a capable opponent.

---

Not sure if this is accurate.

[scooter]

Turn 231-234

Some things have happened.



Here's the copper location we're going to settle next. Here's our version of it:



The reason we're going there next is we're quickly running out of good spots because we have neighbors who are actually expanding. Anyway, the gist of it is that Mackoti added a second longbow and explorer right before I was about to attack with 3 Knights. I delayed a couple turns because I felt the only way I was getting through that was by squeezing out a 2T catapult out of Pocketbeetle. I was concerned about more longbows appearing, so I rolled the dice in an attempt to hem him in by dropping a longbow on this tile:



The catapult was about 2T away from being in range, and if he would have added more units it would have been trouble. Unfortunately, it wasn't more longbows he was bringing.



Cataphract + Pike. I thought long and hard about this, and I decided I have no choice but to write this location off for the time being. It's ridiculous that this ended up being so important so close to our starting location, and due to the mistake on the west side of us (the imperfect mirroring - that spot is weaker to the west), we weren't even aware of how good this spot was until it was way too late. Reminder, here's what things looked like 8T into the game:

We were declared on before I was able to get past this tile.

Anyway, Plako also nabbed the western copper island:



So our settler is loading up for the east copper island now. The good news is it'll greatly increase our trade route income.



Mackoti picked up PP and Education in short order. We're about to do the same.

The main thing that's a little frustrating right now is once again the neighbor situation. Plako and Mackoti have both gotten off a wave of settlers giving us a dearth of options, but REM's neighbors (RMoG and Alhazard) are apparently allergic to settlers. Him having tons of free land + AP + SM is pretty difficult to compete with. We'll upgrade difficult to impossible if he captures Kremlin in 30T like I'm expecting.



As for good news, we did land a scientist out of Masterclass like we hoped. The 100% merchant will be next, and we'll scrape over the finish line with a high-odds scientist on the last turn of the golden age (without Pacifism that turn).

I'm debating on what religious civic to end in. I'm leaning very strongly towards Organized Religion, but there's a voice in the back of my head suggesting Theocracy since the borders are closing up very rapidly.

I've got a few more screenshots on some upcoming city plants. I'll split that into a separate post.

[scooter]

Oh sorry, I missed one screenshot.



He settled here. I offered him peace because there's no point in continuing this now, and I might as well free myself from the turn split. (We weren't really following one when this was a phony war, but we settled into a split when it heated up into something real.) Civstats suggests he's whipped some stuff before I've played this time (he's been playing second), so I think that means he accepted peace.

[scooter]

(Astro research is because I've researched up to the bulb threshold for Education and Printing Press and needed something to save gold on.)

Some dots. This is where I'm thinking the next wave of settlers ought to go.



This one's a little less exciting than other spots we've been planting, but we could really use a city on this water. I have this pipe dream involving us getting that gold down there, but at this point I fear it's too late. I will say that one major weakness of our dotmap has been that we didn't place an early city on this coast. Plako doing so rewarded him a great deal. Anyway, this is a decent spot regardless. The clam is a decent food, and we can farm up the grassland here and whip it to death while running specialists. Later on it's an ideal candidate for a big pile of workshops. I could be convinced to move it 1SW. The advantage of that is the ability to grow a couple cottages from Lurker Killer in between whips. On this spot, it could potentially share the rice in a pinch from Pilot. Both spots waste 1 grassland tile, but this spot waste one that's jungled.



A pretty good location that's only been delayed because we aren't racing for it. I think this spot may be the best available location but the lowest priority.



I don't love that western "x" because it's really not that great unless we can get a ton of culture into it and steal the banana from Plako. Which, actually, with the Statue we might just be able to do.

One other note: I think I'm going to go ahead and put Moai into Underwater Barb. My main concern with doing was that it's a tad exposed, but given that it can borrow the fish from flush-with-food Masterclass, it seems like the best place for it. Plus we can get it built very quickly there. We'll just have to stick more defenders into that city, but that shouldn't be a problem.


So this is the next wave of locations. I missed a screenshot of it, but there's also room for an okay spot south of Masterclass that is low on food, but it can still support itself with spices + grassland farms. There's also a spot up in the tundra that claims stone with an ice floodplains. I may have to settle that one more quickly than some of these because the stone is an important doubler for us.

[Epoxy]

THE DAILY ROLL

TURN 234: THE PLOT THICKENS

In the final operation of the war, Byzantium implanted a city in the centre of the eastern isthmus, sealing their claim to the territory and the fate of that stubborn campaign. Recourse has been found for the Aztecs' destined settler: the island north of the isthmus has a monopoly of copper, and a hill to protect itself. This might be the Aztecs' only chance at acquiring additional intercontinental income and speeding up the future Statue of Liberty, for England has settled the same island to the west and the gold island to the east is firmly in Byzantium's court. The golden age, the accelerator that was supposed to establish, not restrain, Aztec territory, has weighed its first great scientist. Their prowess will be needed for the Aztecs' science to reach the level of the other powers that be. Feeling too close for comfort with neighbouring England and Byzantium, they keep a nervous eye on the Khmer Empire, who still have many opportunities for their own expansion at the expense of the Ottomans and the Dutch. And so, with regret, the Aztecs offer the Byzantines peace, the taking of which will end the First Aztec-Byzantine War.

[Brian Shanahan]

Is it considered acceptable to make strategic decisions using information posted in the Tech Issues thread?

As far as I know from the last time I've played, no. The Tech Issues thread is a public thread, and if players post something they shouldn't in it, well that's their own look out.

[scooter]

Is it considered acceptable to make strategic decisions using information posted in the Tech Issues thread?

As far as I know from the last time I've played, no. The Tech Issues thread is a public thread, and if players post something they shouldn't in it, well that's their own look out.

I missed this question. Anyway, with accidental spoilers, you can't unring a bell. If I see a player accidentally post his tech thread plans to snipe a city of mine or something, I'm definitely going to reinforce it.

What is this question referring to? I don't know the context.

[Tohron]

Is it considered acceptable to make strategic decisions using information posted in the Tech Issues thread?

As far as I know from the last time I've played, no. The Tech Issues thread is a public thread, and if players post something they shouldn't in it, well that's their own look out.

I missed this question. Anyway, with accidental spoilers, you can't unring a bell. If I see a player accidentally post his tech thread plans to snipe a city of mine or something, I'm definitely going to reinforce it.

What is this question referring to? I don't know the context.

Just plako's mention that he was delayed in his ability to play, and would be okay with losing a turn if people aren't willing to wait.  That would suggest he's at least slightly checked-out, which would support a plan to attack him once you manage to get SoL.

[scooter]

Just plako's mention that he was delayed in his ability to play, and would be okay with losing a turn if people aren't willing to wait.  That would suggest he's at least slightly checked-out, which would support a plan to attack him once you manage to get SoL.

Wouldn't really read too much into something like that. I'm still firmly checked-in, and I barely completed a turn on time recently. It happens. More importantly, I've never seen Plako roll over in a war. Betting this will be the time seems like a bad idea.

[scooter]

Welp, I likely made a game-ending mistake. WHAT'S NEW RIGHT.

The Merchant came out of Pilot this turn as expected. That part is fine.

A couple turns ago we got our Scientist out of Masterclass. I had a little problem - I had teched every bit of Education, Printing Press, and Constitution that I could without "wasting" beakers on techs I planned to bulb. So I had a spur-of-the-moment thought. Why don't I just bulb Education now. I can get started on Universities a couple turns sooner, and more importantly, I'm pretty sure nobody is going for the Economics Merchant. I have tech visibilty on just about everyone along with good guesses as to what the other two players are doing. I can afford the detour based on what I see of REM's tech situation.



There's one glaring problem here. The list.

Great Merchant:
Currency
Banking
Economics
Corporation
Metal Casting
Code of Laws
Mining
Constitution

I knew this too. I just forgot. Now I get to pick up the pieces somehow. Wish me luck.