[spoilers] Commodore takes Advanced Starting

[Commodore]

Well, looks like Scooter considers himself better off after this turn.


Ouch, I see why. My own stack was pretty healthy, but poor AT got wrecked. I don't know if he tilted and threw away what was left, but as messed up as those knights are, my wounded horse archers aren't taking them out. Gave it a good try, buddy, and at least that was all but one of his chucks.


So what happens now in Japan? Scooter isn't going to be able to push to Sack anytime, but AT is pretty much gassed. I counter-offered peace for 300 gold, or peace for Bigfoot, either lets Scooter kill AT's capital in <5t. With me helping AT, might be an eternal stalemate, certainly will be much more costly. Longbows do pretty well, who knew?


Unfortunately for my desire for Blefield, all the fighting spawned a great general right there, so he's not getting sniped this side of knights. Skirmishing possible but I don't see either of us making progress from now until the cows cometh home.


These golden ages are kind of confusing me with the civics. Only the technologically blossoming Cornflakes is in Caste, what the heck. TBS and Cairo do want to make great people, right? I mean, that's what golden ages are for on this map, you certainly aren't getting production. Scooter's got to be annoyed right now, by the way, he's converted that early lead into a definite small land edge but his tech lead is evaporated compared to his other neighbor Cornflakes.

[Commodore]

Well, Scooter took the offer. 30 pieces of silver works out to 300 gold, did you know? Thus we are left here:


I take no pleasure in this.

I sincerely hope you understand, and this is a mercy.

If there was a chance of you living, it would have been different. I'll keep your city names in remembrance.


Right, that's where we are. Contrary to Scooter's implied offer (if that was what he was implying), there is no-way, no-how to cheaply and easily conquer Mr. Cairo here. Ballin' Pants are not Chucklenaughts, but they are good solid units and when mixed with a stack of cats the clear message is "nope".

Maybe if TBS was willing to split Cairo? But TBS is grinding up his economy from behind still, plus he has the very real issue that right now nobody can stop Cornflakes from Libbing Rifling if he so chooses. He just bulbed Philosophy, he's managing to get All The Wonders...it's a lot. I do wonder if I should at least deny the monk wonders from him, should I be able to scrape up the hammers.

[Jabah]

Will you a chance to steal AT's capital from scooter?

[Commodore]

Will you a chance to steal AT's capital from scooter?

Zero. I offered AT peace just for PYFT reasons, but if he remains at war and Scooter attacks and comes up short I'll try and raze Sack, it's not defensible right now.

[Commodore]

Coolio. He didn't take the peace, which is sad for turnpace, but good for AT's self-worth. I approve and will do my best to ensure the turnpace doesn't suffer too badly.

I'm on the whole content with how this played out. I was behind Scooter in tech and military readiness when he kicked off his conquest of AT; AT was throwing everything at Scooter and the three cities down south that I took I would have been able to snipe easily enough. However, even though Scooter is cautious and generally likes equitable solutions, he would have been foolish to *not* just keep rolling forward with his huge chucklenaught stacks into my longbows and horse archers.This action slowed him down about seven turns, cost him almost all of his active chucks, and forced him to whip more in his golden age. Coupled with his 300 gold Danegeld, I think I'm better off this way.  

If I have an advantage here, it's that I've been extremely disciplined about my cottaging. I have *double* the cottages of Scooter, and more than anyone else, too. Financial (or Colossus, hi Cornflakes) coast is better than the hamlets, but I've got oodles of villages and even a few towns now, that counts for a lot.

[Commodore]

Scooter pushed in and wounded the defenders of Sack. I won this first fight...

...but lost a later coinflipish one.

I would have been happy to raze Sack, but I earned some XP and a great general, so I'm happy.

Raising cash for a bit, so my GNP is down, but if you'll note, my knights haven't even begun to roll off and yet I'm #1 power. How much did Scooter lose?

Lovely, he's now back in the pack. We're probably equal now...and I think now Cornflakes is a dawning threat?

[AutomatedTeller]

I don't have any problems with your actions. I will admit I had hoped that we could have done more damage to scooter, but theres only so much crappy ancient age stuff can do.

[Commodore]

I don't have any problems with your actions.  I will admit I had hoped that we could have done more damage to scooter, but theres only so much crappy ancient age stuff can do.

Hey, you gave it a good go. I applauded your courage moving forward without my units for sure joining you; that was brave.

[Commodore]

I don't know how spoiled you are, AT, but if you want a governorship:

[AutomatedTeller]

I don't have any problems with your actions.  I will admit I had hoped that we could have done more damage to scooter, but theres only so much crappy ancient age stuff can do.

Hey, you gave it a good go. I applauded your courage moving forward without my units for sure joining you; that was brave.

To be fair, it seemed obvious you would move in as well, as it was absolutely the best chance of hurting scooter.  I had hoped for a better outcome... if i had simmed it at all, I probably would have held back and defended the cap.

I presume, btw, that your copper/horse/stone offer was an offer essentially do that?