[SPOILERS] Cornflakes PB53

[Cornflakes]

Pyramids ETA EOT62 (9 turns from now). That is not particularly fast considering advanced start. AT has not been expanding well so I'm concerned that he may be slow-building for 25 turns and beat me. That would be a huge letdown considering all this food that is available. I have multiple cities that can work 2 scientists + engineer and still grow decently with a granary  Here's what I'm looking at after dedicating 6 food surplus supporting 3 specialists, without adding farms.

Utrecht +3
Rotterdam +6 
Nijmegen +4 (working the copper and oasis)
Mastricht +4
New western city +4 (+6 with sugar)

This map is a specialist paradise! Just need to secure the luxuries to keep them happy  Market will unlock 2 merchant slots while doubling furs. I'll probably be running a lower slider with all these specialists so the gold multiplier buildings will be more valuable than typical.

[superdeath]

2t away from mids? How are things looking?

[Cornflakes]

2t away from mids? How are things looking?

Unfortunately no and lurkers, I need a laugh so this is your queue to post fail memes. I wasn't paying close attention to city micro on vacation, and missed that the Amsterdam governor hired an engineer specialist with a newly grown pop. This caused the mixed GPP at Amsterdam to be born ahead of the pure GEngineer at Urtecht  and the 60/40 chance rolled me the GMercchant

   

   

This caused the mixed GPP at Amsterdam to be born ahead of the pure GEngineer at Urtecht  Amsterdam as the capital rolls the GPP first in turn order and with 2 GP from Colossus *2.5 there was no way I could birth the pure GEngineer at Utrecht first this turn. I keep the Engineer specialist this turn for slightly better than 60/40 chance ... and rolled the GMercchant I logged out after the turn roll to figure out how I'm going to use this guy.

So ... post your fail memes and cheer me up

[sunrise089]

Oh no, I am very sorry Cornflakes

[superdeath]

I can make more memes if you need them <3

[mackoti]

Do you have curency?

[Cornflakes]

Thanks for the laughs Superdeath! Those were great, especially the 2nd. I might not yet have a game where I build Pyramids

Do you have curency?

I do not have currency yet. I can get Math in 3 turn and have enough gold in the bank. Bulbing Currency was my default option. Other option would be a trade mission. I can get 1300 gold from a mission to Scooter's island city (verified with SHIFT+Click queued orders). That would fuel 26 turns of 100% research at the current -50 gpt burn rate. Trade mission seems like a clearly better option. I offered OB to Scooter which would allow my galley to escort the merchant directly inside the island city. If Scooter offers back a reasonable toll I'll accept.

   

GMerchant is en route already, heading to the border next turn covered by my Trireme, and then into Chemtrails for the mission on T64 (assuming I get OB). If I don't get OB then I have to decide whether I risk the merchant walking un-escorted over the hills. Actually I'm a bit concerned about Scooter declaring war in general. One rival researched HBR ahead of me. Scooter's power shut up around the same time so he is certainly massing a stack of Horse Archers. He peaced TBS this turn and declared war on AT. Signing peace with AT next turn would free him up with enforced treaties on his other borders in order to attempt capture of The Great Lighthouse. I whipped the spear at Rotterdam and moved one spear forward from Amsterdam. I will also have enough gold in the bank still to upgrade the warrior at Rotterdam into a spear. I don't see Stables in the one core Chinese city that I have vision on so I shouldn't be facing shock HA if he does attack.

Regarding Pyramids, I'm not going to wait the 14 turns required for a pure GEngineer pool. Instead I'm going to use the IND production bonus to build them the old-fashioned way at The Hague. Stone on the island will be connected in 2 turns (quarry completed this turn, just need the road). I can 3-whip a Library next turn for maximum overflow, plus 5 chops available. My 2 workers in the area can chop inside the borders T65 after Mathematics > move outside borders > chop T69 right as the border pops from the Library. The roaded hill west of Utrecht has already been pre-chopped so I can get a 3rd worker up there to chop that.

[Hitru]

Do you have any (peacefull) expansion plans?

[Cornflakes]

Do you have any (peacefull) expansion plans?

Not really, the other island on my inland sea is a low priority while the food is useful to the existing island (growing to whip Granary > Lighthouse > Library, then growing pop for specialists). Once I'm fully grown there I will stagnate it on the crabs + whale + 2 scientists + engineer and found the other island city to steal fish. If TBS wants to found that city for me he is welcome but that will cost him Thapsus.

The backlines island in the northwest corner of the map will get settled once I get a galley out of middleburg ... or fort the forest tile that is getting chopped. Given 'Mids and Representation specialists I value getting the existing cities up-and-running higher than founding a fishing village island (as much as the Colossus coast is nice, PHI + Rep specialists in food-rich cities are nicer). If the existing cities didn't have such absurd food capacity the calculus might be a bit different.'

Regarding non-peaceful expansion ... I have HBR already and will be slowly building up a mobile defensive force, plus Spears for the Chinese border. I'm toying with the idea of hitting Construction next with the Trade Mission gold. The turn TBS cancels that silver "tribute" I will be whipping the newly-unhappy rioters into military to claim Thapsus for the luxuries (each city already has an HA lined up for immediate 2-whip). If TBS cancels silver I'll whip as hard as necessary, down to size 0 happy cap if needed. That option/threat is why I want Construction in my back pocket, even ahead of Currency.

[Cornflakes]

For reference, I'm currently earning the following from wonders ... these have been roughly constant since completing them 9 turns ago:

Colossus: 8 cpt
Great Lighthouse: 13 cpt, plus culture on a border.