Dave Fires Up The Epstein Drive [Japan]

[oledavy]

Turn 138

Relatively quiet turn. Singaboy's allegiance still remains a bit in doubt, but considering how he handled a similar situation in PBEM2, I feel fairly sure I can count on him. 

The biggest happenings this turn were domestic. I finally was able to reroute a couple TRs for gold generation. All these conquests in the south, regardless of the quality of the individual cities, they're a net positive for me because each city has a harbor. This is in turn allowing me to cram traders out of landlocked Callisto and get more TR's going. I have a capacity of 10 at the moment, and I'm pretty sure Cordoba has a harbor too. Combined with a harbor about to be completed in Ganymede, I'll be up to 12 TRs in the next bunch of turns. Throw in triangular trade, and I have one way to fund my swollen navy, support ironclad and sub upgrades, and lend aid to Singaboy. 

I have two other sources of gold coming down the pipes. The first is Church Property, due in about ~13 turns after I am able to get an apostle out. 

The other is what I have begun to lovingly call the late game crab economy. At a certain point in the game, when there is less time left that the additional yield generation on harvestable tiles can possible supply, it becomes very worthwhile to just start harvesting everything. In this case, it means harvesting much of my stone into navy, and harvesting about 6 crabs to fund naval upgrades. I will additionally be making some of my crustacean bounty available to Singaboy to support his war effort. However, I really need every penny I can get for the expensive sub upgrades, especially when the opposition is making this much GPT. 



Jeez, that's almost quadruple my current GPT. 

However, thanks to Woden I will have enough gold (660), to upgrade all my ironclads here in three turns.

At this point, I plan on making aggressive use of them to mitigate losses when battling Archduke, and intend to shove them at the head of my naval column. Unlike my frigates, they can survive two shots each facing Archduke's souped up navy. This makes them prime candidates to lead off with in an engagement to ensure as much of my firepower survives to round two as possible. 

Singaboy nicely gave me vision of Archduke's fleet this turn. 



He's still idling north of that strait. That could actually be a major problem. On the one hand, if he sits behind the strait and just defends, focusing his efforts on Kiel and Zitronheim and nothing else, he gives up his vaunted first strike capability. On the flip side, if he positions wisely, he can create a kill box where he is able to fire more shots every turn than me, and negate my numerical advantage. Great care must be taken, but I am hoping he commits south of the strait and opens himself up to a full engagement. 

I will begin heading over when I have all my ironclads upgraded and healed up, with a few frigates trailing behind. They should arrive before a full battle is joined. I anticipate some initial turns skirmishing and me taking: "Who Wants to Live Forever" to establish a base of operations in the region first. 

I'm really curious to see what Archduke does when my fleet begins heading east. Will he meet me in a full on battle and get the first strike, or sit in the north sea and bide his time?

Meanwhile, Woden is giving him full vision of me. 



I think just sitting out would be more beneficial for his chances to win, but whatev. At least he made that hamfisted post about "an alliance until it's only me and you." If that doesn't push Singaboy into my corner, I don't know what will. He has to realize at best he's an afterthought for them. 

In Spain, I peeked over the hill, and got snagged by Zone of Control 



There is his capital at least! It's not coastal, but it still can be bombarded. That's a long ways off though. I went ahead and moved everyone up to make this a recon in force. We'll see how he responds. I shouldn't lose anything unless he has a crossbow in the fog. Hopefully I can pillage that IZ for some gold.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Under worst-case assumptions, what should the tactical plan be if Archduke refuses battle? I really think that's his best move, here - he's going to get much stronger in the medium-term than the, er, Axis powers (what else to call the alliance of Germany and Japan?), with Woden and the MG fleet I presume he is building (unless he needs *just one more* district over there) ready to come calling. Defending that strait seems like a good move for him.

The best contingencies I can think of would be using the fleet to support either raids along the Norwegian coast, or, if resources allow, a full-scale invasion (I don't think you'll have the troops to cope with the ~8 swords/muskets roaming around there, though). That harms Archduke and could provoke him to action.

Alternatively, if subs arrive soon, they may be a worthwhile vanguard force. I'm not clear on the targeting of subs by anything prior to destroyers/other submarines, though, so that might be a foolish waste of expensive units. I dunno. Just trying to spitball ideas here. "Plans are useless, but planning is essential" and all that.

[oledavy]

It's a problem I've been mulling over since last night. I have a few ideas, none of which I like very much. It does increasingly look like he's just going to defend. And that narrow strait negates much of my advantage. Indeed, it would likely be unfavorable for me to push through. It does work both ways to an extent though, meaning I can similarly pin him in to protect Germany's western cities, and use some of my fleet to do other things. 

I don't know if I can spare enough to really do something meaningful though. I'm debating splitting my force and using half my fleet to hold the strait (combined with the German fleet), and the other to attack his east coast. Alternatively, I could go back to one of the cake and eat it options - holding him with some of my fleet and using other fleet elements to raid Norwegian cities and finish off Spain.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Is it possible for a sufficient force to hold the straits long enough for you to digest Spain? If so, I think that would equalize things a long way - Singaboy roughly counterbalancing Woden, you balanced with Archduke. He has GAs, you have the VA.

If that could happen, I think you might have the edge, since your new production could raid western Norway, while Archduke's admirals can only be in one place at a time.

[oledavy]

Is it possible for a sufficient force to hold the straits long enough for you to digest Spain? If so, I think that would equalize things a long way - Singaboy roughly counterbalancing Woden, you balanced with Archduke. He has GAs, you have the VA. 

If that could happen, I think you might have the edge, since your new production could raid western Norway, while Archduke's admirals can only be in one place at a time.

Well, I just wrote up what I saw as my four options....and the computer ate them. But basically, I feel like trying to force a conclusion with Archduke is in my best interests here, before this fleet is obsolete. We shall see though, I'm going to take a long hard look at my situation for t140. 

In the meantime though....

Turn 139



Oye....

Why didn't he just keep this caravel in the south where it could do some good? He didn't even heal it before sending it north to be unceremoniously dumpstered by two of my frigates. 

CFCJesterfool is just suiciding units into me at this point. It's pretty sad. 

His counter-attack on land though was more successful. 



I have no choice but to pull back a tad, with that crossbow in the area. God, it would be so easy to finish off Spain. Maybe I will detail off just 5 ships to make it happen. 

In the east, I found a natural wonder behind Cordoba, and began bombarding the city. 



It will fall next turn. It does not have a harbor though. 

A sampling of my trade route situation. 



I can't wait to see what my GPT looks like after I get a few more traders out and about 

[oledavy]

Does anyone know what you get when you harvest sheep?

[Commodore]

Does anyone know what you get when you harvest sheep?

Wood?



 


Catan/Scotsman joke there.

By the way, my wife and I just started The Expanse last week; we're halfway through season two now, so yep, we'll be reading them. Good theme is good, mate. Expanse is nice hard-ish SciFi, about as hard as you can get without going full Peter Watts-level bleak (read Blindsight ever?)

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Ugh, I didn't care for Blindsight at all. I found it much too preachy - he was more interested in his message than in the actual, er, plot of the work.

It does have some intriguing ideas, though.

[Commodore]

Ugh, I didn't care for Blindsight at all. I found it much too preachy - he was more interested in his message than in the actual, er, plot of the work.

It does have some intriguing ideas, though.

Oh, given I'm alive and unsuicided, clearly I ignore his preachin'. Dat-gum it has some atmospherics, though.

[Japper007]

By the way, my wife and I just started The Expanse last week; we're halfway through season two now, so yep, we'll be reading them. Good theme is good, mate. Expanse is nice hard-ish SciFi, about as hard as you can get without going full Peter Watts-level bleak (read Blindsight ever?)

I too started watching and reading the Expanse after I read back through your thread Davey, and then I got my friends hooked on the show as well. I guess we all have you to thank for introducing us to it!