[Spoiler] Master Auro Has A Living Army

[haphazard1]

Thanks for the thoughts -- it helps us lurkers keep up with what is happening and where things may go next.

[Aurorarcher]

Finally world proven round:



Notice Cairo's border also visible in the picture, I hope to connect him next turn.

Turned tech on, I might be able to squeeze it out in 2 turns. My tech is actually decent when at max science, I'm making 150+ bpt. My costs are high though, losing 88 gpt at the same time.

Dave's power is rising. It was 113k t92, now it was 127k. I'm lazy to go check unit/tech power amounts, and I haven't followed researched techs/score jumps much of at all in this game. My feeling is that he has Priesthood already or just did this turn. In any case cultists soon to come abroad. He is already in Slavery, probably going to whip bunch of them or then whipped temples? Lucky for me I don't have that many coastal cities (I did that on purpose, looking to the future). But I need a plan to counter. I don't think Dave will do any attack moves for next 10-20 turns if there's still room for cities.

[haphazard1]

Finally got that last row of tiles.

Since you mentioned religion in regards to Dave, do you have any plans for religion youself?

[Aurorarcher]

Good question. Currently I don't need it that much for hapiness (easier border pops could help though but my few hammers need to be spent elsewhere). Eventually I want a religion, sure, and looking at the map Cultist are going to be deadly. I am not going to bother considering religion too much before I have the techs I need to conquer the world (missing still: BW, HBR, KotE). Priesthood is an expensive tech. I only now found that actually it seems to be impossible to upgrade to Sons ...(EDIT: It is possible, the text just lies; worker -> Sons is impossible but Beastman -> Son is still there). I guess I was playing my test games in a wrong mod where it still was possible.

Also, Dave is up to 14 cities. I am 3 behind. We were even couple turns ago... Superjm is at 7 and Cairo has 4. It's amazing how well the traits have rolled in Dave's favour, EXP while expanding, it'll probably switch to something more useful when the map is full .

[Aurorarcher]

Bigger update time.

T97 Dave's traits changed to PHI/CRE/ORG... Well, that luck continues, now that he has settled tons of cities he gets free border pops! I hope CRE stays for a long time as it gets less useful later.

My techs is decent now that I get tons of TRs from superjm and Cairo. 17c from superjm and 14c from Cairo. I am going to get Warfare quick and try to get FoT. I have one very good production city.

Foreign relations:



Dave is also trading Cotton for Fine Clothes + Ale to Cairo. Friendly trading, Dave only has 1 Cotton but Cairo gets +10% commerce boost with Cotton.

Techs (Dave got Trade recently):



He does not have Priesthood. He's up on me: Drama, Festivals, OO, HBR, Trade, Writing, Philosophy ==> about 2200-2300 beakers more than me.

Going Trade is the usual play as Lanun, revolting to Foreign Trade. +100% growth for Pirate Coves etc. and getting more commerce from TRs. This is actually helping me some because I can now follow his plans better, watching when will he get Priesthood. He could potentially do something with Chariots but he'd still need Masonry + Construction... I don't think he will go there. At least not quite soon.

So now picks showing the land around me.

First in SE is the border area with superjm.



Not sure if I ever settle that X 1S of Sheep. It'd be very vulnerable to any attacks, but there's marble 1S of the tile so that'd be handy...

Then the land between me, Cairo and superjm (from west). Lots and lots of land to settle. This is part of the map where I'm hoping to get most of the land.



Then the land in north, this mostly belongs to Dave. I don't want to settle any further (not going to settle that x), the cities are going to be coastal and too easy to capture...



Then there's the danger zone, this is where I need scouting on sea.  I predict that Klein gets attacked from sea within 30 turns from here. Hard to defend. There are some nice islands but I don't think I will settle many if any of them, at least not high in priority list. 



Then there's land in NW, this is mostly land between Dave and Cairo. Notice the signs, Dave has pushed pretty far here. I need to settle this way also and also this area needs permanent sentry later. Otherwise I'll get boated from this side.



Graphs:









And of course I forgot Production.

Demos (while saving gold).

[Aurorarcher]

Bad news. Dave got Warfare, I know he is aiming for free Great General from Military Strategy. He could also build Command Posts if he can keep ORG for long enough. On the way there, he'll probably try to build FoT. If he does get it he can easily use Conquest (2xp) + FoT (2xp) + Command Post (2xp) to get his units start with 6xp. Hopefully, I can pressure him a bit with getting FoT (edit: not FoT but Warfare of course) next turn to not slowbuild it at least.

[haphazard1]

Thanks for the big update and lots of screenshots! Us readers and lurkers appreciate it!

[Aurorarcher]

Some of these pics are already couple turns old (just played T105) because I forgot to take enough pics.



So the plan is to get FoT out T107. That mine finished T105.  I have two forest to finish the building EoT107. Hopefully Dave doesn't build it before... Maybe he doesn't even have 6 level unit.  Anyway, Pythagoras is my best production city; potential to produce 28h/turn. Definitely my HE city later.

My galley found this:



Dave has Marble soon. He is going for Bone Palace, no question. This makes me feel a lot more safe about FoT. But, on the other hand, I don't want 3rd GA for Dave... That'd suck. He also has Priesthood already. Cultists are there. I tried to place my galley such that he can't see me. I have a semi serious plan to attack that Marble city out of fog with galleys and just raze the city. I have better vision of this area from T104:



Two c1 warrior on PiranhaBrothers. If I land where my sign says "Land here?" with 4 Sons + Haste Shaman I think the city is toast. On the other hand, I could also attack Election Night from fog. I try to keep my galley out of sight so Dave can't see me. Unfortunately he has a galley here already which could potentially find me if he decides to scout east. From the way the galley is pointing I'm not sure it has moved much, at least it didn't scout me T103 that's for sure.

All this is highly speculative, it'll take a while to get some units on galleys but it's tempting...

Other news:

• Dave's expansion has slowed down. Last city (PiranhaBrothers) was settled on T98.
  
• superjm has Aristofarms, so does Cairo. Cairo got AV and superjm has settled a lot of cities lately, now at 12 cities (I have 14).
  

Demos T105:



I am teching now. Ok GNP. But I'm most happy about my Production, now on a par with Dave (109). My production was 67 8 turns ago so decent growth here.

[Aurorarcher]

Well, T106 came quickly...

Dave isn't fooling around. Going to settle right on my face!



Well, that ruins all the plans of attacking PiranhaBrothers from fog... unless, I attack from south. But he is Cre so if he settles t107 he'll get 2nd ring t110 (with City States culture penalty).

But then my galley tries to run away from Griffon and...



 

I can survive still... do these even attack? I don't really remember... let's hope not, or if they do 30% to win .

[haphazard1]

Plots and plans!

I think the giant turtles can attack, but they are not especially aggressive about doing so. I have lost ships to them, but they do not seem to be an automatic attack like sea serpents or griffons usually are.