[SPOILERS] How do you make this thing work: Krill randomly mashes some buttons

[Krill]

Also, Pin has just finished Mercantilism. So he is up roughly 655 culture from that, plus Theo, DR and Reformed Church. So he is up roughly 700 culture. In the Ind era, that is about an inspiration and a half he is up.

If I get Theo in the next 5 turns (not unreasonable because if I have the Alliance with Pin then Diplomatic Service will finish eot129 at the latest, and maybe eot128 and I can't finish the Enlightenment until eot135), then I have 3 envoys to drop into either Kumasi (Alhambram has 5 envoys) or Zanzibar (Alhambram has 4 envoys) to break Suzerainity from Alhambram. I'm thinking that Zanzibar is better for the Amenities even for the short term. None of my trade routes go to city states, but I would get ivory from Kumasi, and then it is 4 culture or 8 gold?

Follow up point: Quest for Kumasi is a trade route, and two further Acropolis would give me 6 envoys into there. Something to ponder...oh, and getting Alhambram to capture both cities is also good because he would still lose the amenities and culture anyway. I don't see the downside.

[Krill]

Something I've continually underestimated in this game is culture output. It keeps on speeding up and the only two options I've had is to either wait on completing a civic by dumping culture into something I didn't need immediately, or to replan card swaps.

It does keep you on your toes.

With Humanism finishing eot125, and expecting Pin to accept the Alliance (he isn't giving anything he'll miss for 270 culture and he has to know that I can get the alliance with Alhambram which slows him down), I can expect to finish Diplomatic League eot129. Which means I can delay Limes and Land Surveyors until then.

I was expecting to revolt into Limes/Trade Confederation/Meritocracy/Charismatic Leader/Serfdom/Natural Philosophy/Conscription after Humanism completed, but without needing Limes I can stick with Veterancy (really helps with VV). Or does it? Craftsmen gives 8 production over 3 cities now. Veterancy gives 6.6 but all in one city. Probably Crafstmen: it gives hammers to two cities that are building Swords and if those extra hammers speeds up getting 2 more swords out it's definitely better than speeding up VV a few turns when I have DoF all round. So Conscription goes into the red slot and I run 5 yellow cards.

After I finish Diplomatic League, then I swap Serfdom for Land Surveyors and Craftsmen for Limes. When I don't need Land Surveyors, I use Theology to get another swap and the third envoy for Zanzibar, and The Enlightenment is locked in to finish eot135 at the earliest, and any spare culture is dropped into Mercantilism. And if I can wait on a few builders, I can complete Civil Engineering and build the next lot of builders with Public Works.

Edit: I expect to overflow a minimum of 10 culture from Humanism, 15 culture from Theology and 15 culture from Diplomatic League, plus 18 from killing a barb sword. Call it 60 culture, meaning that The Enlightenment is a 4 turn civic so I will have that turn to finish Theology between Diplomatic League and The Enlightenment.

[Krill]

If I get that iron from Pin then I don't need to buy that third ring iron tile at SS. That saves 150 gold. With Serfdom being out of use on T130 and CS claiming the wrong tile (ie not the forest) I need to buy a second builder now at CS so I still have 5. 3 built and 1 bought builder just aren't enough. I can delay buying a couple of tiles until T132 anyway so it shouldn't affect any monument buys but it does mean that I will have to send the SS builder straight over to the peninsula now, and rejig the other builder improvement paths. And CS will likely have to build the university the hard way and Limes chop out the bank.

[Krill]

Oh. So that is what an alliance does.

[Krill]

Picture dump. Likely to write the report tomorrow whilst sat in a hotel room with fuck all else to entertain me.

The tl;dr is straightforward though: we are all taking a step back and taking 30 turns to reposition, in full view of each other. And then fireworks happen. We're going to the late game.

[Krill]

Also: Any none diplomacy PBEMs (BtS) get to the Modern era before they were decided? I don't think, but just want to check.

[Thoth]

Also: Any none diplomacy PBEMs (BtS) get to the Modern era before they were decided? I don't think, but just want to check.

PBEM 76 got to late industrial/early modern era.

[Krill]

Was that the one were you had culture victory after that oracle play we worked out?

[Krill]

Alhambram offered an alliance. I'm not sure how that'd work long term with Jester. DoF between Pin and Alhambram and then the only potential war against is between Jester and Alhambram, and the only thing I couldn't is to surround Jesters cities so Alhambram couldn't attack them. New meaning to the 1000 warrior defence.

[Krill]

Been thinking about this today.

I think Pin has the decision to make, of accepting a DoF from Alhambram or not. If he does he gives free reign for Alhambram toattack Jester with no ability for anyone to intervene. I don't see an upside to this, because it would be an unexpected DoF so he could not expand with new settlers, and would lack the time to set them up. And as he has a strong army in a defensive position and DoF, should he fear an attack? Not like he is at risk from Alhambram either. So there is no reason to give him the opportunity to attack.

As an aside, even the theoretical situation where Alhambram does not make headway opens up opportunities for me, but not for himself. Even the "not too bad" outcome is bad.

I think Pin can actually sit back and build anyway, and just try to leave us both in the dust whilst building units to upgrade in 20-40 turns to attack either Alhambram or myself. He has perfect vision on me so he knows he is safe not just for the next 30 turns but even for the time taken to build and stage afterwards. But he has the pull the trigger. It's interesting position to be in.

Jester needs to be as spiky as possible.