Looking back now, do you think it was a mistake to attack Poland when you did? Do you think that you would be in a more competitive position compared to TheArchduke now if you had focused on infrastructure and expansion instead?
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Alhambram's 1001 nights (turns) stories as Persia.
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(January 29th, 2018, 11:36)Cornflakes Wrote: Looking back now, do you think it was a mistake to attack Poland when you did? Do you think that you would be in a more competitive position compared to TheArchduke now if you had focused on infrastructure and expansion instead? I don't know, there are many what if's. If I didn't attack Emperor K, there would be good chance that we are working together against TheArchduke after he has absorbed Suboptimal's lands. But then again, at moment that I did declare DoW, I didn't expect Suboptimal fall this quickly. I did lean too much on Suboptimal's ability to stop TheArchduke. In case that Suboptimal did succeed stalemating TheArchduke, I could send all of my units who are defending Yunan for Bastions instead. Eliminate Emperor K and have double empire size compared with remaining 2 players (same situation which TheArchduke is right now. The trigger for war was threat that his scout might pillage, but now I know that scout can't (see my failure to pillage Suboptimal's scout near Valletta), hilarious isn't it? A  move by me.But at other hand, I like to play with civilization's strengths as many if possible instead doing same thing with all civilizations. To use Persia strength I had to use immortals and 2 extra movement, also Persia can use conquered cities to work with, no worry about occupation penalty. So with every conquered city Persia becomes more competitive and I did successful complete Stonehenge in city that is de facto occupied by me. At moment of DoW, Emperor K was a sitting duck with low military score, that also partly did provoke me to attack with mind that other two in east are busy with each other and couldn't help Emperor K. Capture of Rose/Ahmed was a success, although to be honest a warrior/archer rush around turn 60 where swords and horse start to rule is a idiotic move, but it worked. After that I was unable to take Bastions due various reasons: no GG, choke point, Emperor K building horsemen, movement bonus run out, pesky encampment location, me not even attempting to try other ways for example over sea and then attack capital instead well defended Bastions (I hasn't finished shipbuilding even now ).Overall viewed I would say that attack was right move seeing at situation at that moment: Suboptimal and TheArchduke seemingly in a deadlock for ages, Emperor K not building military and I possessed movement bonus. It was the execution after capturing Rose/Ahmed that went wrong and war in east between TheArchduke and Suboptimal went in a way that I didn't expect. Turn 109: Just building in cities, purchased tile and chopped forest near Yunan, finished Encampment. Finished trader in Ali Baba and I relocated it to Yunan, next turn start 4th trade route and inspiration for Medieval Fairies. I wanted harvest crab near Jinni for gold stockpile, but presence of TheArchduke's galley prevented that plan. So need build galley's to secure sea. Heavy Chariots hunt down Polish scout that pillaged farm near Sinbad, also fogbust to check for some possible Macedonian units in tundra area.
Turn 110:
Polish scout is gone, must be in fog between 2 heavy chariots or did barb unit already take care of it? Further retreat from Bastions and trader start trade route from Yunan to Aladdin, inspiration for Medieval Fairies. Next turn enough faith to purchase missionary to convert Sinbad and Yunan for extra defense. TheArchduke's galley shall pillage fish tile next turn, hopefully city garrison can finish him off next turn, otherwise with my newly built galley's.
Turn 111:
My sentry heavy chariot in tundra area notices some suspicious movements: So, here he comes, taking the tundra route. Next turn possibly final policy swap, bastions and feudal contract (for last ditch crossbowman) shall be in place for sure. And that barb slinger probably killed red lined Polish scout. Wish me good luck! 
January 29th, 2018, 17:32
(This post was last modified: January 29th, 2018, 17:32 by Alhambram.)
Turn 112:
Medieval Faires finished and policy swap: Bastions for defense, Feudal Contract for producing crossbowman, professional army for further upgrades of my army and finally caravansaries is useful with 4 trade routes running now. Finished galley in Jinni, so I dare to try harvest crab again, turn 114 it shall happen. Missionary shall use first charge at Sinbad next turn, hopefully 2 charges enough so I can use final charge for Yunan. I make a desperate attempt for exploration for better government, also after 3 turns aqueduct at Ahmed finishes and I shall get Military Engineering. Hopefully there are some niters nearby, since I am desperately bee-lining for gunpowder (Aladdin shall start armory after crossbowman for eureka).
Turn 113-115:
Finished Shipbuilding, Mathematics and Military Engineering in those turns (which put me at same amount tech as TheArchduke despite his more than double science currently). Finishing Military Engineering allowed me to see niter resources, all of them are outside city borders, Jinni and Sinbad are going pick them up with next border expansion. Meanwhile TheArchduke who has yet unlocked Military Engineering (his yield on niter tiles are still 1  1 , however they are all inside borders next city, how nice for him...)TheArchduke's army is advancing through tundra, he shall likely attack Sinbad or Aladdin, I finished encampment in Sinbad on time. Harvested crab (193  ), used it to upgrade one archer in crossbowman and 2 heavy chariots in knights. One heavy chariot remain to be upgraded which I shall do next turn.I converted Sinbad with 2 charges and one remaining charge goes to Yunan, now I just wait till TheArchduke enters my borders and then fight him with DotF bonus. Six knights ready to engage and 2 crossbowman stay at Yunan for possible flanking attack of TheArchduke while my knights are busy with his incoming army from tundra. Aladdin and Sinbad produce crossbowman. Just finished aqueduct in Ahmed, now finishing battering ram, it won't be used against Poland. Instead I intend to use it when I attack Hattusa. I have little interest in envoy game with TheArchduke. TheArchduke suzerained Geneva (at least never 15% extra  bonus at this rate), Hattusa and Zanzibar (hey, that last one I didn't meet yet!, however request: train a pikeman  ), two science city states plus all that Australian campuses, well, well...I did keep sending Emperor K peace request and he always rejects it. Well I don't want deal with Poland for roughly 30/60 turns now, I did send this: with 30 gold I mean DoF (30 turns) since you can't propose DoF in peace treaty. Emperor K did reject this offer. I am not sure whether Emperor K did understand what I meant, or he did understood and rejected it regardless. The main reason that I want peace with Emperor K is because war weariness is crippling my empire, that also counts same for Emperor K since it was bloodbath around Bastions. To be clear, I am not angry at Emperor K at all. If I was in his shoes, I likely have done same. At this moment I just reap what I sowed by declaring war against Poland and failing to achieve decisive strike. 
January 31st, 2018, 13:14
(This post was last modified: January 31st, 2018, 13:18 by Alhambram.)
Turn 116 and 117:
First turn 116: I notice increased activity by TheArchduke at tundra south of Sinbad. My knight in encampment was able to move 2 tiles and then back to check (in PBEM 2 I used this way to scout with Cossack, 7 tiles into enemy area and then 7 tiles back at same place, knight merely 2 forth and 2 back, heh): There are 2 GG according bonus for crossbowman (another +5 is at next list with support bonus of +2 which indicates that there is a military unit next it). My knight loses if I attack him, but with DotF I win battle with 58 strength. So all I can do is wait. Then turn 117: Hello knight there! I set up this defense line, might made mistake with letting my knight (that one who is 3 tiles above TheArchduke's knight) sit on hill without support bonus or nearby units. (I still need to learn many about tactics, and I happen to battle against a master tactician now). Battering ram indicates that TheArchduke do plan to take out encampment first, I did position my knight there to give encampment 60 defense with walls. However that crossbowman list shows THREE GG nearby. Also it shows 6 support bonus, so 3 units around it (checking with knight again show one Hypaspist), knight shows 4 support bonus, so 2 units next it and also 1 GG nearby knight. So that encampment shall be tested by triple GG crossbowman and knights, I grit my teeth for next turn. By the way, TheArchduke's niter location also shows 2 2 now indicating that his latest finished tech (he is now 1 tech ahead me) is military engineering.
Turn 118:
Opened save with expectation that I got attacked by TheArchduke, but his units disappeared. My knight investigates and found it: Hm, he is marching further to west, Sinbad isn't target after all. Aladdin maybe or further to west, Maruf is very vulnerable and TheArchduke got visibility of it thanks suzeraining Hattusa. I can't intercept because when my knights just leaves borders, they aren't affected by DotF and without DotF my knights would be wiped out in instant. In Maruf there isn't walls, just double promoted immortal who was farming experience points by killing Hattusa's units from distance. I can upgrade him into musketman when gunpowder is complete. Aladdin starts armory for eureka of gunpowder. There is another thing that I am starting concerned about: TheArchduke isn't far of claiming Great Admiral and he did prove in PBEM 4 that he knows how to handle GA. So when harbor in Ali Baba is finished, I shall build encampment 3 tiles north of Ali Baba (and one tile south of chocolate tile), that spot is next narrow sea strait and it is surrounded by cliffs which protects it against melee attacks. That is one of reasons why I did settle Ali Baba and Jinni at that locations, they can be protected against some shenanigans from sea this way. But I need to build encampment first. But I need purchase that tile with 170 gold (3rd ring of Ali Baba, so I start builder in Ahmed with purpose to harvest crabs, maybe it is already too late when I harvest crab? Ahmed itself can also to be attacked by sea, extra problem might raise here if Emperor K decides to join attack on Ahmed.
Turn 120-123 (yes, we are blitzing through turns today):
TheArchduke got GA, suzerained Granada (likely used wonder Apdana) and his army ignores Aladdin and marches further west, yeah his aim is Maruf. Maruf is a mistake from me, I should have used that settler to found front line in tundra area south of Yunan. Now I need to watch out for two sides, not ideal situation. I can't save Maruf, it lacks DotF, although I just purchased missionary at turn 123, it is likely too late, also too late to preform attack on Hattusa, TheArchduke's army likely is nearby to intervene. In my empire, my builder mined niter, eureka for rifling. And I finished Exploration at turn 123 and adopted merchant republic. Interesting that I am first to reach medieval/renaissance government before TheArchduke, a little moral victory in PBEM that basically already has been decided. I do what I still can do. And this boosted my GPT and enable me to create more trade routes, I shall see what I can do. After 7 turns civil service complete, I shall swap serfdom away and put colonization in for settler spam. Next turn swap away gunpowder and start castles (got eureka for it by adopting 6 card government), it shall be completed in 5 turns. With medieval walls I can only hope digging in my hole more, the problem: I can't get out. If there is a heavy criticism of my play, that I got a one very bad habit: often delaying building campus too much, this affects all PBEM's that I did participate. I need to review my play-style and fix that shortcoming. I got away with that in PBEM 2 due feed of the world belief that boosted my population greatly resulting in more science and also courtesy of having a science runaway neighbor in form of Woden, who I did throw all trade routes towards to make use of Grand Embassy ability combined with trade confederation policy card (this also did create network of roads that I could use when attacking with Cossacks). |