[SPOILERS] Roland and Suboptimal Team Up

[roland of gilead]

i think certainly going after the islands yes.

[suboptimal]

What about Indonesia aggressively settling those the islands next, starting with the fox star one?

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus candidate.    

I'm trying to time city development so that I can swap into Colonization and build at least two, if not three, settlers around Turn 60, and settle fox star and the cocoa island.  Depending on what I find to the east in a few turns that might also be a priority. 

I'm still working on the path to 23 era score in 20 turns.  I'm at 16 and need 9 more.  This is what might be available.  Note that I don't think I can get Shipbuilding in the next 20 turns so building a Kampung for 4 points is out, as is the 1 era score for completing a tech in a new era.  

Splendid Holy Site @ Al (3 points)
Meet two opponents to the east (2 points)
Hope two camps spawn and I can clear them (2 points each). 

I have a feeling I'll be building settlers for the Classical, unfortunately, unless I send my next galley due west and attempt to get the circumnavigation bonus before anyone else (5 points) while disregarding all other things along the way.

[roland of gilead]

Turn 40

It's not good. Maybe.

Woden is on my borders and I don't know if I can survive.



I move my slinger back towards cap and warrior.

Set research to archery and start building a slinger. May need your gold Sub to but a warrior slinger? What do you think here.



Can i reload and take defender of the faith.

[suboptimal]

OK....if this was Japper (PBEM 7) who had a history of wandering around with longboats and just declaring war I'd say we have a problem. Woden tends to be a bit more considered in what he does. My guess is that he'll move on for the time being. He's going to want to locate where I am before doing anything, especially since I'm the bigger threat to him in terms of naval power. Granted, he could still decide to attack.

If he attacks it would take four turns to take the capital - you'd be taking a net damage of high 40's/low 50's per turn (high 60's then heal 20) and he'd be taking....11-13 per turn. That's not good at all, especially since loyalty won't be strong enough to take the city that way (it most certainly wouldn't once the city flips free).

A slinger in the capital is useless in this situation - it doesn't raise city defense and would do only 6-7 points of damage against a longship. Archers aren't much better as they'd only do 10 points of damage per shot. Remember, ranged land units are -50% damage vs. ships.

Between us we have 167 on hand. A warrior costs 160 and will raise the city's defense by 10. This makes it much more difficult for him to take the city, if he'd be able to do it at all with a single boat. I'll send you a deal for 120 as a gift. If he declares war and attacks, take the deal, buy the warrior and fortify it in the city. If he moves on, decline the deal and go back to your original plans. I would suggest, however, getting walls up in the capital after you've got the Pyramids set in motion as those make any sort of naval attack impossible at this point in the game.

[roland of gilead]

the slinger is really only because it's 3 turns. I know the damage is small. Slingers/archers on those cliffs can just shoot at him though right?

thanks for the gold let's hope it isn't needed. i did work out during today the only real move is a warrior to cut the strength deficit.

what do you mean by loyalty?

I need to get a couple of settlers out. then workers then as you say walls.

they aren't that far away from us obviously. not that long since he got that first boat.

[suboptimal]

Yup, the slingers and archers could shoot from the cliffs.

They're somewhere south of my galley. Remember, longships are +1 movement in coastal waters so he's got a bit more mobility.

By "loyalty" I'm referring to the loyalty mechanic that was introduced in Rise & Fall, city flips, etc. If he were to take your capital I don't think John Tavernier would have enough population pressure to flip the city from Norway and it certainly wouldn't have enough pressure to flip a free city back into your control since they get an inherent +10 to loyalty pressure.

[roland of gilead]

i assume he would raise it.

i could take it back with 2 slingers and 2 warriors. well perhaps wit another unit. certainly with a boat to help.

[suboptimal]

He couldn't raze the city - original capitals cannot be razed.

[roland of gilead]

good. maybe that will put him off he can hardly hope to hold it.

[suboptimal]

Turn 40

Settler at Al is out, it heads west. City starts the Holy Site. Warrior sits tight given the lack of danger around. Other warrior goes east to defog the coast, nothing of note except a coastal channel heading east. Slinger heads south and will give chase to the spearman once it’s in range. Northern galley heads east, finds more turtles:




Southern galley heads west, we meet Rapa Nui and find a new continent.




They would like me to earn the eureka for Wheel. Interestingly I’ve earned an envoy. We’re also the first to meet this civ, or at least the first to put any envoys into it. I immediately put the envoy into the city-state for the extra . I find it curious that Woden seems to have missed this city-state in his travels north. This has me wondering if the city-states are on the “perimeter” of the seas. I’m going to operate on this hunch and I continue southwest from the above position.

I find another island to the south:




I’ll follow this one south to see what’s down here. If I find another city-state I may loop north to find a third one (or send galley #3 down this way).

Both of my cities will grow from 2 pop to 3 pop next turn. That will speed things up quite a bit at both cities. Roland, once you have enough a missionary at Al and the soon-to-be-city would be greatly appreciated. Should take 1 charge at the latter, 2 at the former. Looking ahead a bit…

- Obvious Child has claimed the fish and will get the tea in 8 turns. It’s builder will complete the turn after Writing, at which point I’ll build the Campus.
- I’m going to go Mining → Wheel → Bronze Working → Shipbuilding. The Wheel eureka is a bit more important because it gets a free envoy. I should be able to complete that tech before the age ends.
- I’ll likely build the Campus at Al second, not third. I think the Government Plaza can wait – my first two governor promotions will go into Pingala with the promotion. Getting to 7 population could be a bit of a bear but I think it’s worth skipping.

Obvious Child has claimed the fish and will expand to the tea in 8 turns. It will finish its builder 1 turn after I finish Writing. I’ll build the Campus there while working on Mining, then buy the diamonds, mine them for Wheel (and an envoy at Rapa Nui) and go back for the push to Shipbuilding. I’ve also realized that if I harvest the marsh that’s in that direction that the tea and northern river forest become breathtaking and would give me .

I also think my second district build at the capital will be the Campus, not the Government Plaza. Getting the city up to 7 population will take a bit but the is worth more than the free builders from the Ancestral Hall. Yes, I pass up two governor promotions

Send the deal to Roland. See that there’s gossip available – Pheonicia has adopted God of the Open Sky this turn. His culture went up by 2 from last turn. Kaiser has settled his third city.

In looking at things I think we’re reasonably secure. I’d suggest going back and clearing that barbarian camp with your warrior.

Oh, I’ve located the southern edge of the map:




If I had to guess Woden & Ljubljana are to my east; otherwise they would have already hit Rapa Nui.