[Spoilers] Commodore bakes a double entenada.

[Commodore]

Well, I think Gavagai is going to be nice and occupied. Plako's treaty ends next turn, mine the turn after. And Pindicator:

There's not much ten chucks won't really really mess up. Good man, Lewwyn, for waking up the beast.

Also, c'mon post in this thread guys. I know it's all easy in the lurker thread....

[Zed-F]

Assuming Pin does something with those galleys, what are your plans for your border with Gav? Just rattle some Sabres, or actually make a move?

[Cornflakes]

Eagerly awaiting your endeavors on the high seas. T129 is looks like you caravel moved 1S to remain in your culture. Any particular reason you didn't go 1SW into the open ocean since you already have an explorer on board? Do you have any other caravels out yet?

[Mardoc]

I've lost track...what is your Astro ETA, anyway? And have you found anything with your caravel or just noticed some coast tiles? Basically, how long do we have to comment on 'yep, you're a turn closer alright' instead of on things you find and claim?

What are your post-Astro goals? I assume I know your focus for your production and settlers, but what are you researching next? What are your foreign policy plans?

[scooter]

I've lost track...what is your Astro ETA, anyway?  

It's criminal that there isn't a "X Turns Until Astronomy" countdown at the end of every turn report.

[Mardoc]

What are your post-Astro goals?  I assume I know your focus for your production and settlers,

Oh, and when do we get maps with arrows on them? Are you going to be scouting first or sending loaded galleons into the fog?

[Commodore]

Awesome, questions. And I guess critique, but I'll take 'em both. Three primary question directions, I'll try and summarize:
“What are your local plans?”
My ideal ally in the region for conquest is Gavagai. He's completely incapable of doing what Plako and Pindicator have done, though, which is extending trust. So when Pindicator kicks this off (and those galleys have to be aimed south, TBS with galleons means galleys are useless going north), he's got my support. Thanks to Pindicator/Plako meeting through my open borders finally, Plako ought to be able to see a war and may jump in, but he's low-power. I can be third dog in a fight but right now I'd love to just continue the detente. Gavagai keeps begging for open borders, but that would screw my neighbors who trust me and let him deep scan their borders, no thanks. It's crappy but what are you going to do?

“What's with the boats?”
There's a reason I haven't been doing a countdown, I don't have assurance that the 91% odds shot will be successful for my second Great Scientist. If it is, the bulb puts me at roughly 3700 of 4300 beakers. So two 80% science turns. I want 440 gold for upgrades ASAP, too. This is all doable in the 5 turns to the great person, so I'm right now aiming to finish Astronomy at the end of turn after bulbing. 

The caravel position you saw last turn was because I upgraded a trireme. I've built and upgraded a total of three now, they go west, southwest, and south-southwest. Nothing but gold found thus far, but unless TBS ganks my explorer I should have better views next turn. I'm not sending out galleons blindly into the fog, I'll have six turns of caravel/explorer mapping to determine where I'm sending the settlers.
 
The vast scale of this continent is already evident. I'm willing to allow TBS some ground, but what remains to be seen is how something could be divided out. I'm banking on TBS being able to expand completely unopposed to the east; I'm going southwest. My first settler wave is going to be mostly southwest, although that horribly exposed flatland site due west that gets a fish tempts me. Basically...we'll see and Mardoc gets his arrows plan very soon.

“What gets researched after Astronomy?”
That's kind of harder to say. I'm pretty sure it'll be some combination of Construction, Horseback Riding, and Civil Service. Probably first Construction; half-priced Colossae give me two-promo land units, catapults, bridges, and soon war elephants. Horse archers don't go out of style until catapults do, particularly if I can promote them to Flanking II. Maces aren't amazingly better than praets but I really want chain irrigation. After that I think I'm going to be researching up to Feudalism; the aim is to get OR, HR, and Vassalage at the beginning of my golden age and flip to Theology and Mercantilism by the end. Screw Bureau, I'm getting 3-promo land units and 2-promo naval units base. 

After all that, it's the long road to Gunpowder, then Chemistry, then Military Science and Steel. It's the standard path for a good reason.

[Mardoc]

I can be third dog in a fight but right now I'd love to just continue the detente.

I interpret this as 'no blood, unless Pindi + plako provides you a golden opportunity for something easy from Gav'.  Accurate?

This is all doable in the 5 turns to the great person, so I'm right now aiming to finish Astronomy at the end of turn after bulbing. 

So five turns from now, or eighteen turns, depending on the dice?  Do you have a contingency plan for the 9% case?  Does that contingency plan involve blood? Should I be hoping for you to roll the 9% in order to get more blood?  

[Commodore]

I can be third dog in a fight but right now I'd love to just continue the detente.

I interpret this as 'no blood, unless Pindi + plako provides you a golden opportunity for something easy from Gav'.  Accurate?

This is all doable in the 5 turns to the great person, so I'm right now aiming to finish Astronomy at the end of turn after bulbing. 

So five turns from now, or eighteen turns, depending on the dice?  Do you have a contingency plan for the 9% case?  Does that contingency plan involve blood? Should I be hoping for you to roll the 9% in order to get more blood?  

-Or unless TBS proves greedy in Astroland. I'd rather use my dozen plus galleons to chain 1-2 settlers per turn to the New World, but if I gots to fleet it up, Imma fleet it up.
-5t or 11t, I can build wealth if I have to. It would suck. Maybe you should pull for it, because a little raze gold would help me...

[Commodore]

EXPLORATION IN THE AGE OF SAIL:

Oh hai Teebi Es. He offered a fish for fish, which I imagine means “lets be friendly”. I have my doubts about how friendly he'll be, but until I have galleons it's 100% smiles. He's landed at a decent enough spot for a city, but it's anyone's guess if he'll be shifting right a bit to grab gold. Spoiler alert: That's my gold. Fish working just gold/incense/copper/mine is a hell of a city, and it's a base for strikes into my port there. Why did I have to neighbor TBS?

There's enough to share out here, if I can manage security. I've outlined this continent here, it's freaking huge. I'm a little surprised to not encounter any barbarians, urban or wild, yet. I'm pretty sure the minimum size is way way smaller than this continent, and expected to find a large number of bushwacking axes by this point. Geez, I've built this whole big army, would be a shame if I didn't have to use it.

Mackoti, note how big this is here man, you probably want to beeline Astronomy too. And send knigs out of the blue at your chief rival TBS, I'll post an overview of his coast here before too long.

In any case, power is spiking all over the place. Looks like the Pinwyns are capping Gavagai's shrine. Declaring war this turn, they'll be facing one of the 3-5th ranked powers (higher than me, but lower than TBS who is not top power). As you can see, my own build-up has hit a good high mark for power and my manufacture is finally up to snuff for my teeny empire size. These demos say “expand or die”.

As always, of course, “expand AND die” is the most likely outcome.