[SPOILER] Dark Savant graduates from blatant n00b to plain n00b

[Dark Savant]

I'm dead tired (I was traveling all day today), so I won't make a full report right now.  I probably won't have time until before I play t23; I do expect to have time to do both turns tomorrow.

Quick summary is that I declared war on Donovan Zoi, expecting to be able to disrupt his worker but not actually take his city, and that's probably what will end up happening ... I hope.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 23 is available; I'll still report turn 22 first.

Turn 22 - 3120 BC (Part 1)

Wandering Aengus can now promote, so I have him take Woodsman I (there being forest and jungle everywhere) and rest.

The situation near Antigonus is now:



Antigonus is once again being pursued by a bear. 

Donovan Zoi canceled his worker's pasture construction, which may be because he's anticipating being declared upon, which suggests he doesn't have the ability to drive a single warrior away, not that that was likely.  And really, if I built a warrior first instead of a worker first, I get the most value out of it by pressuring some neighbor's worker.  That's not normally worth doing in a game with more than 2 humans, but I happen to have it because of my religion play, so why not?

Okay, so I declare war on and move in.  Uh, the animals are still following me. 

Here's what I find.



Okay, so Donovan Zoi moved his capital, because it looks like he started on that plains hill incense, and moved to that flood plain, still planting on turn 0.

Since that move was in my direction, I'm that much more squeezed for land.  And that also made it more likely we would have made contact.  It's fortunate I did so with that early warrior, so that I could pressure him specifically.  (Well, I'm inclined to think it was fortunate, but I'm not actually sure.)

I'm not sure what reasons there are for moving to the flood plain aside from not wanting to waste incense commerce once Calendar rolls in, though?

Also, that warrior he has in his capital has a 10% fortify bonus, meaning he probably produced it on turn 20.  I don't think he has a second warrior, but he might very well be producing one as fast as he can now to drive me away.  I'll have to work that out after I see his reaction.

I'm presuming he won't attack with a single warrior out of his capital if he isn't producing a warrior next turn, since that's a coin flip that he's eliminated.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 22 - 3120 BC (Part 2 - C&D)

So, how did Donovan Zoi produce a warrior on exactly turn 20?

I don't see how he could have built two improvements on tiles out of sight, and still have reached that visible hill to start a pasture there on turn 20 (it had 3 turns to go on turn 21).

So I don't think he has more than one improvement I can't see.  Except I can't figure out anything that makes a whole lot of sense to me.

35000 soldiers appeared this turn.

2metraninja, The Black Sword, dtay, and spacetyrantxenu all showed up with technologies that took 14 turns and all after showing up with Mining on turn 8; those all are close to mortal locks to be Bronze Working.

2metraninja, GermanJoey and superdeath grew their capitals from size 2 to size 3.  AdrienIer finally grew his capital from size 1 to size 2.

That's 33000 soldiers, so one warrior was built this turn.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 23 - 3080 BC (Part 1)

Glaurung reaches size 3.  I swap it to a settler and set the two citizens not on the pig to 1f2h forested hill tiles; it's now producing 13 foodhammers/turn.

Wandering Aengus is only at 88 health, but with Woodsman I it's very probably safe to move to a forest or jungle tile, and I do want to get more scouting in.  I find:



That's a lot of food, but that's farther away from Glaurung than Donovan Zoi is, and a good bit farther away than that other 3-food spot I am still internally debating.

That's also a good bit of salt water.  I'm not sure there's anyone close to the west around here, or more to the point, eastward.

Antigonus is still alive.  Donovan Zoi ran away his worker and has his single warrior still chilling in his capital.  Since he apparently built that warrior on turn 20 and didn't have a chance to adjust production in reaction to me until turn 22, he could only produce maximum hammers starting this turn, and in fact is still working that pig so he isn't.  He probably won't produce a second warrior next turn, either, so I'm going to take a chance and skirt around his capital to its north.



There's the worker.

I think that's the last turn I want to stay next to that pig, as after that he very likely can produce that second warrior.  I'd like to get Antigonus busting fog to the northeast, actually.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 23 - 3080 BC (Part 2 - C&D)

43000 soldiers appeared this turn; most of that must be rivals getting Bronze Working.

This is the turn where Creative rivals get credit for expanding to second-ring on turn 3.  48 extra tiles were claimed that turn; there are 4 Creative rivals, so all of them have no water in their second ring.

That accounts for B4ndit, The Black Sword, and Commodore all gaining 4 points.  spacetyrantxenu instead gained 5 points, so he grew to size 3 too.

Boldly Going Nowhere, Dreylin, mackoti, pindicator, and Shallow Old Human Tourist all got 14- or 15-turn techs that must be Bronze Working.

Rusten grew his capital from size 3 to size 4, gaining 1 point.

That's 41000 soldiers, so one warrior was produced this turn.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 24 - 3040 BC (Part 1)

Donovan Zoi moved a scout into Thought Control.

It's increasingly likely that he will produce a warrior to guard his worker or outright push me out, and I'd rather have Antigonus continue to scout and hold territory so I can plant a city somewhere to Glaurung's southeast; it's not like I have a lot of units to spare.  So I move Antigonus northeast and let up the pressure.



My other as-yet unnamed warrior presses into the trees east of Glaurung



Sheesh, that's a lot of bears.  At least the bears are going to start evaporating in a few turns.

Wandering Aengus is going to wander at least more turn before a little rest.



Okay, so that's not too small a sea.  I don't seem to have a close neighbor to my west, and my guess is that there's no one close to my east, either.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 24 - 3040 BC (Part 2)

Mining came in this turn.  With no compelling reason to research Agriculture, Bronze Working is the next target.  It's due rather slowly in 15 turns, but that's because I'm working max hammers for the next few turns.

Both my warriors are heading southeast.  I think I'll plant ~8 tiles away from Glaurung on a 3-food site.  I realize that's far, but it's the most compelling city site I can see and I hope no one attacks in earnest until I can get something resembling a road network together.

From turn 6:



I mean to plant on the grassland hill that claims sheep, fish, clams, marble, and eventually dyes.

I realize this is a nontrivial reach, but this is a 25-player game and I need to take at least moderate risks in order to claim a strong position.  Also, I'm guessing that other players will be planting similarly distant cities.  Donovan Zoi doesn't have an obvious plant I can see, either.

I don't believe there's anyone nearby in that direction (my only close neighbors would be the two shades of teal I've already met), though of course that's no more than an educated guess.

I can complete another warrior in Glaurung in one turn if the need arises, so I can have my entire warrior force look around the area and suppress animals/barbs.  I do want to improve my scouting of that region, in case there's more seafood lurking just out of sight.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 24 - 3040 BC (Part 3 - C&D)

26000 soldiers appeared this turn.

Elkad got a technology, in 9 turns, so probably either Hunting or The Wheel, which becomes increasingly likely with Bronze Working, as he has -- I need to figure out a way to get a scout his way.  (Maybe I should have Wandering Aengus swing around to take a look.)

Mr. Cairo similarly got either Agriculture or The Wheel.

plako got a technology, in only 6 turns, so that's likely Fishing.  Someone's going for a coastal plant like me, perhaps?

Commodore took 14 turns for his technology, so that's Bronze Working.

OT4E and chumchu got a 15-turn technology that must be Bronze Working, and also grew their capital from 3 to 4 in 3 turns.

WilliamLP also grew from size 3 to size 4 in 3 turns.

spacetyrantxenu whips the first population point of the game, dropping his capital from 3 to 2.

That's 16000 soldiers worth of Bronze Working plus another 2000 from growths to size 4, with another 8000 unclear.

[Dark Savant]

Ack, I just realized I played before Donovan Zoi this turn.  

I don't think it's important because I didn't take advantage of anything, but if there is a problem the lurkers should let me know.

(also sent him a PM)

[Dark Savant]

Turn 25 - 3000 BC (Part 1)

Donovan Zoi and I agreed that we'd swap turn split halves, although I don't think it will make much of a difference either way now.

I move Antigonus east, out of Donovan Zoi's territory:



I considered moving southeast to press scouting, but that's actually far enough away from me that he wouldn't be able to support my coming settler, and making sure planting my second city goes smoothly is more important than scouting or choking.

Since I'm no longer in Donovan Zoi's hair, I offer him a peace treaty.  I do kind of hope that he thinks I'm just scouting through, which I'm not.

My other units aren't up to much.  I'm still building that cow pasture; Antigonus spends a turn resting so he can get up to 98 health, since barbarian warriors will be on the loose soon; and my nameless warrior continues to move towards my planned city site.