GeneralKilCavalry is still around

[GeneralKilCavalry]

Encouraged by the fact TBW/Pindi are only just researching CS. I am not super behind in tech yet, and have 4 more city spots to settle in southern islands, 1 of which was settled this turn. TBW has forseen my attack, but forcing him to whip longbows while keeping up power (I could never whip out as much as he can produce, so i have to do so in advance), is a net gain. He does not have optics it seems. Working towards circumnavigation (very late, I know, but what can i do).

Tech path - feudalism next turn, 3 turns of gold saving, 4 turns of guilds, 2 of banking, pop golden age, swap to merc, herd rule, and bureau. That should give the economy a good old kick.

I don't think I can be a major player in this game, but I think I can climb my way up in score to a respectable position. It's really hard to do anything at this point - no matter where I look, there's someone bigger than me who can bully me into submission one way or another.

I should think about putting EP into AT eventually, to prevent any knowledge of my demos.

I do not think I have the productive capability to feign an assult on tbw while secretly invading AT.

Privateers are the next goal after banking. Then grab calendar which I am missing (I only have 1 plantation resource, so not really important). Liberalism is a foregone conclusion, but I will push fowards in the tech tree.

Arranged a bunch of open borders deals and resource trades this turn.

Too lazy for screenshots, but at least here's some text/thoughts for lurkers to read, and with TBW's reporting, you can probably fill in the rest.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

Screenshots. I won't give much commentary, but I'll give a preface. TBW is building up units, I've found a "hidden island" to settle maybe 2-3 cities on, and another one south of TBW. 

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He has knights "hidden" on a hill, and is putting EP into me. I have 2 spy specialists running (out of necessity to get a great person, rather than for EP). 44 points per turn should keep him at bay for a while, but there's just overwhelming courthouse advantage he can create.
Building walls/castle in the capital may actually not be a bad idea for the 25% ep boost? Kind of minor though, but a trade route cant hurt either, it's like 7 commerce.

Otherwise, I think my small militarization has provoked a non-proportional response from TBW at this point, he's gonna attack.
However, I don't think he realizes that I have twice-promoted crossbows and pikemen to sour his day. I'd almost welcome a full out attack, given that I can absolutely colltateral it to death, and then just go on offensive with a few ships and what's left of my stack and take a few border cities.

This reminds me of my experience in PB44, only now with, I presume, a comfortably less competent player than gavagai against me, a toddler who just got out of pitboss elementary school. (and even then, only because I bullied the kid sitting in front of me into doing all my homework, and the teacher didnt care).

Going to be making sure to keep good intel, have trade relations (I have enough happiness to whip whip whip), and have enough collateral to do some serious damage.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

Do not tempt me TBW! For I have:

Code:

<iHurryAngerModifier>-50</iHurryAngerModifier>

and am willing to use it.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

Golden age in 4 turns, then switch to civics the turn after.

My power is rapidly dwarfing adler/AT. Could an attack with privateers be worth it?
If they switch out of slavery, I will attack them and capture islands + what seems to be their northern continent.

I want to pretend like i am playing to win, and attacking someone else who has little chance to win may just be the trick?
Maybe I'm delusional, drunk on sacrificial altars, the taste of blood, and that lovely crossbow event from earlier.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

Krill would've invaded me by now.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

I am #1 in GNP!!! Don't believe me?



Miserably failing in eveything else, but those additional islands should push me up to 7th in CY, one would hope... It is 5 cities after all.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

TBW moved up his stack. He'd have to be a complete fool to invade, so I think he's just scared of my stack. I still don't like the tension between us, I'd rather be preparing for an invasion of AT.

Beelining for rifles, I should be able to research them in:
Printing Press - 4 turns - I only have 11 cottages, so this won't be very helpful, although I do plan to get 4 more on the southern island and 3 on the eastern one (even though its 3x the size, the land really sucks).
1 turn of GA gold saving - 550 gold
2 turns of post-GA saving - 750ish gold, for a total of 1300.
7 turns for replaceable parts, which will buffer our MFG.

then 2 turns of gold saving for gunpowder, then 3 turns for GP, after which a long grind to riflinf, which will probably take 11 turns and 6 turns of gold saving. However, over time, cities will grow out due to all the new happiness resources I've acquired and the new sugar plantation, and with the 5 new cities on those two islands, BPT should probably grow by another 120 beakers (plus like 20 or so from printing press?), so let's shave off 3 turns total. 28 turns till rifling? Can I even survive that long?

TBW should be focusing on his northern border. This is the problem with no diplo - we both have tot keep escalating, because if I remove troops, I'm not safe from that knight stack, and vice verse. However, I doubt diplo would work in this case, because that forbidden palace move SCREAMS aggression.

With privateers and caravels, I could capture 4-5 AT cities in a lightning strike and secure a semi-solid position.
Hopefully, TBW gets distracted in the north soon enough. I do not want an aggressive neighbor on my border with that nasty little forbidden palace.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

Now that I think about it, pindicator's power is tanking. Could this be an opportunity as well? Or should I just be happy that he will not be focusing on me to keep no naval presence in the north and focus on AT?

Adler/AT border "Dork" Savant. I'll need to think about offering some form of alliance.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

TBW is annoying to say the least, just has his army parked there. Probably waiting for redcoats to mass-upgrade and draft me out of existence. I think I am getting rifling in about 15-20 turns? Should definitely be able to survive until then, especially since TBW is detouring for representation+merc power-combo.

Adler is rapidly militarizing, so an invasion will more likely be futile than not.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

8 turns to rifling. AT is 4 away, so invading him is no longer an option. Pindi has astro so galleons are good to invade me, and I can no longer, much to my annoyance, see TBWs research. However, he does not have replaceable parts yet.

There is nothing I can do that would improve my position substantially.