First item of business: I'm still having trouble with flash so my screenshots will be attached at the end as a zip file. Sorry. Anybody know a picture hosting site I can use without flash applets on the site?
Second order of businesss: I managed the first three steps but it seems the other civs are exclusively employing
Devils in Skirts for their soldiers, no opportunity to carry out step 4
Ok to the game:
turn 160
I whip many cities, seeing as they could be. Have to reorder tile improvements but get back to breakeven at 30%.
At Streets of Rage a chariot crosses the river and wins flawlessly against an archer.
turn 161
Only excitement this turn was an axe beating a sword outside landstalker
turn 162
Julius declares war on Musa
<insert pic here>
Axe beats warrior near Sonic the Hog
turn 163
Calender finishes
Set research to Civil Service, and kill science to build gold.
I spot some praetorians in a Roman city down south
<insert next pic here>
And I spot an opportunity, Macchu Pichu is showing black borders, as a barb axe wandered in and captured it fairly recently. Scramble a few units to take it (
beware the revolt risk, we may need to take some archers over there).
Chariot barely beats an axe over by Cholo, at 97% odds no less.
Buddhism spreads to Flimbo's Quest (was thinking on this one, Flimbo's could be a great missionary centre down the line, build up the monasteries here).
turn 164
Mali wants an alliance. Sorry but no, Musa. I'm not sticking my neck out against a civ with Strength 8 city busters and catapults. Your Skirmishers should keep you safe enough if you concentrate your forces.
J Edgar Hoover (G Spy) is born in Sumeria, so no chance to spy on them for the foreseeable future (of course they've got super duper early courthouses too).
Silk comes online
turn 165
Golden Axe whips it's granary
turn 166
Super Mario builds a Buddhist temple
turn 167
Take Macchu Pichu with sacrifice axe and chariot. Rename it Inca Gold and start building a monument.
<insert nother picture here>
turn 168
Nothing to see here
turn 169
A big turn
First Mansa offers Masonry and 310g for Code of Laws. I take it, it's a backwards tech, but from keeping an eye on our science rate the 310 gold and our c350 gold saved is enough to get Civil service. It's now due in four turns.
Found Gauntlet
<insert picture here>
On reflection I probably could have settled 1 east of the actual spot. Less overlap.
I also lose my first unit in any of my sets. A chariot at Streets of Rage loses at 98% odds to a barb axe. Luckily I've another axe floating around who kills the redlined barb.
turn 170
Huayna demands we close borders with Musa. Since Huayna's pathetic I say no.
I go on a whipping spree. At Contra my idea is to whip the queued Market into the Mausoleum next turn and keep chopping the wonder.
Sonic's Settler is meant for X (it'll complete next turn) near Mali. Flimbo's Settler in the queue hasn't a destination set.
I've included a few empire wide shots, and demographics.
And I also included a shot of the five greatest cities. Huayna has the Mahabodhi, which with all the spreading being done should be pretty valuable. And he's pathetic being hammered pretty badly by barbs I think. What say we research Machinery, and show him the way of the blade?
Other thoughts, we should get Literature soon for the HE and NE. Both of those will be useful. Apart from that we're in good shape, at least 30% on science, 66gpt or thereabouts at 0% and strong research at 100% (Civil Service in 4 turns at 2nd civ prices). We could burst out this game in a couple of ways if we wanted to.
On micro,
watch my tile assignments, I just did a whipping spree and also look at the espionage situation (we're currently not focusing on anybody)
Travelling on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.