[Spoilers] Woden takes on the World (PBEM18)

[NobleZarkon]

Sorry I've not been about the last few days - a few PC problems, now sorted. Glad to see progress and excellent reporting as usual.

Having met Brazil last turn, I am expecting an classical horseman and swordsman rush and I will need to plan accordingly.

Oh, things about to get spicy!!

Turn 20For second city, the GP will give adjacency bonus to both Cothons. Any thoughts?

I think I would be looking for it to boost both Cothon's myself.

Turn 21
Founded my 2nd city. I think I need a naming convention, any suggestions?

What about names from Lord of the Rings?

https://www.infoplease.com/guide-middle-earth

[Woden]

Sorry I've not been about the last few days - a few PC problems, now sorted.  Glad to see progress and excellent reporting as usual.

No worries, not like we are flying through the turns here. 
 

What about names from Lord of the Rings?  

I like it and already placed some names (see screenshot below)! I have read both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit but not any of the other material and I was a huge fan growing up of the 1977 cartoon of the The Hobbit.
 

Turn 22
Monument done at the capital and start a slinger. I don't see Brazil's scout, so my builder will be fine this turn and warrior starts heading west. Slinger will be out in 4 turns, plenty of time if barbs show up. Mining finishes next turn and I will place the quarry, giving the 2nd city a better tile to work. I did buy the stone this turn and swapped the citizen to work it for a little more food. Southern warrior moves west and finds a barb camp. Spearman is injured, so I figure Hattusa has been working on him. Not sure if the injury is from the warrior I see or if there is another in the fog. Here is what it looked like at the end of the turn...



For some reason, the above screenshot would not attach to post and I had to link it instead.

I did rename my cities and added potential city names to my pins. I have the capital as Gondor but might change it to Minas Tirith, since Gondor is a region and Minad Tirith is the capital of Gondor. Plus, I named my second city Osgiliath, a city in Gondor, so would it make sense to have a city name Gondor and a city within Gondor a city name. Of coarse, I am totally overthinking it all. For my other cities, I have Rohan in the west by the 2 horses. Erebor by the "Lonely Mountain" just south of my capital. Rivendell where I have good adjacency for a campus and Moria east of the mountains where I figure I will have a bunch of plains mines. I could change Moria to Minas Ithil and figure the desert is Mordor and the city is keeping a look out for me. 

Back to the game. Moving my southern warrior did find something else interesting...
   

I can now see Brazil's loyalty. I did check Hattusa and it is Icabod who got the envoy. I think my hypothesis on his capital is correct. Looks to be just north of the boat, about where the double lines cross the vertical line. 

Internationally, Kaiser finished a civic and now has 3 to my 1. With the monument finishing and getting the boost to Craftsman which will earn an envoy into the cultural city state, I should catch up with him shortly. 

Oh, things about to get spicy!!

I think I would be looking for it to boost both Cothon's myself.

These two comments are kind of related. I have been pondering a classical era horseman rush myself. If I can spit out 4 or 5 cities and connect the 3 horses I can see, I could be have enough horses for a horseman even 3.3 turns. Might be worth considering a horseman rush. I am also pretty sure I have at least 1 iron close by. I am planning to build 5 or 6 warriors to take La Venta as soon as they build their Holy Site. Get 3 or 4 horseman plus some swordsman, it could be a good start down the war path. My only hag up right now is the timing might be a little late. We could be facing crossbowman by the time I collect enough iron and horses to do it. But, then again, I could add some chariots and time a second wave with knights. 

What does this have to do with where I place my Government Plaza? Well, if I go with the capital, I can chop out settlers. There is 4 forests and 1 stone I can use to speed expansion. Use one for the Ancestral Hall and then 4 for quick Settlers. I could expand quicker with it at the capital versus at 2nd city, then quickly move to war preparations. Something to think about. I still need to work out the numbers but I might be able to look at war somewhere around T80-T90. Not sure if Brazil or Egypt would be the first target, I will need to see what the approaching terrain looks like. I don't want to be slogged down by rough terrain and show up with obsolete units.

[Woden]

Turn 24
Mining is complete...
   

I start sailing and throw down a quarry, boost both Craftsmanship and Masonry and gain an envoy into Vilnius. I have tripled my culture in 2 turns and now am leading the cultural rankings. 

Didn't notice anything internationally. Foreign Trade finishes next turn and I am thinking about going for Craftsmanship. I was previously thinking about Mysticism. I want to get State Workforce done asap and don't think I can wait for the boost. Getting the Government Plaza sooner can let me promotion Pingala with the science per population and combined with the envoy in Bologna, it would boost my science quicker than just a single envoy from Mysticism. I can also research Mysticism after State Workforce for more science. Basically, do I want 2 science 10 turns earlier or 6 science 5 turns early, 30>20

[NobleZarkon]

What does this have to do with where I place my Government Plaza? Well, if I go with the capital, I can chop out settlers. There is 4 forests and 1 stone I can use to speed expansion. Use one for the Ancestral Hall and then 4 for quick Settlers. I could expand quicker with it at the capital versus at 2nd city, then quickly move to war preparations. Something to think about. I still need to work out the numbers but I might be able to look at war somewhere around T80-T90. Not sure if Brazil or Egypt would be the first target, I will need to see what the approaching terrain looks like. I don't want to be slogged down by rough terrain and show up with obsolete units.

Yeah that makes sense, faster expansion is usually the right answer. 

Quiet few days, no turns or just not had the time to report?

[Woden]

Been a little busy these last few days and have played 2 turns. Here is the report.

Turn 25
Open the save and finished...



Northern warrior continues east but has not reached the fog yet. In the south...



The city state has weakened the barb camp enough for me to get some of that sweet barb good. I take the camp and get 2 more era points. I have not even built any of my unique stuff and already only 9 points from a golden age. A Bririme and Cothon will get me to a Golden Age.

Turn 26
An injured barb scout moves to where my western warrior wants to go, so I attack and find...



Two more barb scouts? One is injured and the other is at full strength. If we assume the one I killed was from the camp I killed by my capital earlier, one could be from the camp I killed last turn. So, there is at least one more camp in the west. Maybe 2, possibly 3. Not sure if I should kill them now or ignore them to find the 2nd science city state or another player to my direct west. I will have to see what they do next turn. 

Internationally, Kaiser got a bunch of era points and is now leading culture. Best bet is he discovered a natural wonder first or placed one of his sphinx.

[Woden]

Turn 27
Slinger finishes at capital, starts a trader. Western warrior was attacked by on e of the barb scouts and retaliates, killing the scout. That one was most likely from a camp that I killed. Warrior has vision on 1 red-lined scout and it will die if he attacks my warrior. In south, my warrior moves towards where I think Brazil is located and did find some red tiles on settler-vision. The slinger heads east to look for my eastern neighbor, most likely Egypt. Don't know how far the slinger will go because I want him to stay around for protection if an barbs show up. 

I thought I took screenshots but none took. Sailing finishes next turn and I didn't notice any big jump in score.

[Woden]

Turn 28
Open the save to Sailing finishing...
   

I start researching Astrology, due in 7. Craftsmanship finishes next turn. Brazil's scout shows up again...
   

I move the warrior towards the lake. In the south...
   

I have found Brazil's borders and pretty damn close to where I expected them. Warrior will probably stay out of site and explore around his city. No need to let him know I know where he is located.

Internationally, Ichabod now has 4 techs and 3 more population than me and now running 3rd (sub has dropped to 4th). I am still leading thanks to my 16 era points, I would be 3rd without them. 

Big question now, is do I go directly to State Workforce (12 turns, probably 8-9) and research it un-boosted to get the Government Plaza down or Mysticism (5 turns) to get the envoy for better science. I am leaning to Mysticism to speed up research. I have also decided to for go a boat for the time being. It looks like I will have plenty of points for a Golden Age and can save some points for the next era. It will also delay meeting people to save those points too and give me some time to build an army to take La Venta.

[NobleZarkon]

That envoy will make a huge boost to science (50% increase!) at this stage of the game so good choice I think.

[Woden]

That envoy will make a huge boost to science (50% increase!) at this stage of the game so good choice I think.

I ended up playing before your post today and end up going the other way (State Workforce). I explain below.


Turn 29
Open the save to Craftsmanship finishing and a change in policies. I put in Agoge and Ilkum. The next few builds at the capital will be builders and I will have my other city crank out warriors after the monument finishes. I end up starting State Workforce over Mysticism. The envoy would be nice but I think overall, it is better to get State Workforce done ASAP and head straight to Political Philosophy for a new government and the Ancestral Hall. I think the science is a wash, since I can get Pingala and the science promotion on-line earlier, basically it is +2 over 12 turns or +6 over 4 turns. Both are 24 but going State Workforce gets me closer to spamming settlers and that is my immediate goal. I also don't think I could get a Cothon built to boost State Workforce in any timely manner, so it will have to be researched un-boosted. Also, after Celestial Navigation, I am going to research all the techs down to 1 turn and try not to complete any before the turn of the Era. I won't need anything in the immediate future and when the Era changes, all the ancient stuff gets a 20% discount and will either complete or have so little left to complete it I can overflow a bunch of science into something in the Classical Era to 1-turn it. I can save a little science that way. 

Anyways, back to the turn. I did swap a citizen at the capital to work the jade and drop State Workforce down to 9 turns. When Osgiliath finishes its monument, that should shave a turn of as well. Both warrior head west...
   

Ichabod does have some improved spice. That explains his fast growth. Also looks to have some jungle at his capital.  Those tiles belong to Rio de Janeiro and I believe that is Brazil's capital in the game. Southern warrior will head between the mountains and continue west for a little bit before hooking around and defogging the area between us. Northern warrior will hook around the northern mountains and head north back towards La Venta.

[Woden]

Turn 30
Open the save to find Ichabod's scout next to Osgiliath. Decide to bring slinger back to capital since the trader is due next turn and I don't want any funny business. I am pretty sure he is just passing through but it makes me wonder if there is not much to my west. Anyways, trader will be shipped to Osgiliath to help speed the monument and warriors along. 

My northern warrior did find something interesting...
   

Must be a city state since no loyality. Pretty sure this is the 2nd science city state near Brazil, if not, the other one is most likely south of his capital. Southern warrior might have to take a detour south if it is something else. Will know next turn. Let's hope for an easy quest for a quick envoy.  

Internationally, Ichabod has 5 techs completed now (first to 5). I also notice suboptimal only has 1 civic and no tourists. Which means he hasn't boosted a lot of civics and not generating much culture.