[SPOILERS] Roland and Suboptimal Team Up

[suboptimal]

Yes...I keep getting the two civics mixed up. Been running low on sleep the past week or so.

[suboptimal]

OK, we have a complication. Ljubljana also offered a 6-for-6 deal, which I accepted. I then went into the deal screen to offer DoF's and, well, stopped.




Ljubljana has a DoF with Red/White and I assume there's a similar offer on the table from Woden. Woden isn't in a DoF with Red/White, at least not yet. However, there's more news:




Archduke has also DoF'd Russia. Kaiser has DoF'd only Ljubljana.

So, as it stands right now there's the following diplo at work:

England: DoF's with Russia and Phoenicia
Phoenicia: DoF with England and Japan, at war with Russia/Australia
Norway: At war with Russia/Australia
Russia: At war with Phoenicia/Norway, DoF with England
Japan: No diplo
Australia: No diplo

It should be noted that Russia/Australia have been at war with Phoenicia/Norway since Turn 87, so that war could end the turn after next.

I'm going to play the remainder of the turn sans DoFs and then pause for discussion. I'll post in the tech thread that I'm holding the save.

[suboptimal]

Most of Turn 95

Open the save to a few notifications. A river down at Hod has flooded but I also spot something interesting:




That would be the Phoenician city of Oracle Bones. You can also see a diplomatic notification waiting for me...from Ljubljana. Before I get to that, though, I check the Aussie settler:




That might be where it was going. I’ll still go around the bend. Now for Ljubljana.




6-for-6. Indeed. I accept. However, when I go back in to offer the DoF I see that Ljubljana has already DoF’d Archduke and Kaiser. That changes things quite a bit (see my prior post). This is one of those instances in which I wishes that UI mods were allowed. Sukritact’s diplomacy UI mod would make this sooooo much easier to see. This is where I jumped out and made the previous post.

Time to set things in motion. Change civic to Mercenaries. Quad leaves Al, goes to the east where it picks up an embarking warrior. Warrior in Al links with the just-finished quad. Al starts walls.

Quadrireme at Chocolate Island finds that it has no connection to Shikishima:




Phoenicia has also settled the island NW of its capital:




They are up to ten cities. Down at Australia the galley goes around the corner and finds a Japanese galley:




I also reveal The Low-end Theory, a relatively new Australian city:

[suboptimal]

So...we've given Woden & Ljubljana what is effectively a "check back in 6 turns" notification. Under RB meta this is friendly. Of course, we could also break off and just attack though we'd lose trust for the rest of the game, at a minimum. Looking at the diplo ribbon I think we go after Russia/Australia - they're the biggest threat to everyone. Holding their territory is another matter, though, so we might be razing the homeland.

The DoFs that exist will also certainly run through the time that all parties get to Square Rigging, though Woden is the weakest in terms of science output. City counts are currently:

Phoenicia: 10
Norway: 6
Russia: 11
Australia: 6
England: 7
Japan: 6

My thinking is to DoF Phoenicia/Norway and be prepared to be declared on by them once it ends. We go after Russia/Australia, take Shikishima and the Big Island city off their hands and then perhaps start at Rodeo (which has been harvested to 3 population) and go from there. I don't know if I'd be able to hold cities based on loyalty alone but if I can get loyalty control I can faith buy walls about once every three turns which would slow down reconquest. Aussie cities are currently at a defense of 20 so a jong would make quick work of them (theoretically I could take two at a time). The city in the fog south of Rodeo is The College Dropout and has a population of 5 and a Campus. It might be possible to take those two first and then give Australia a going over. They've got at least 2-3 other cities on the coast and that settler is likely also a coastal plant. Based on what I can see it appears that Ilmatic was settled off the coast so isn't reachable by jong (won't know if we can shell it until we get there).

I think that if we can neuter or take out Australia that's one opponent out of the way. Whether or not we raze out and just hold the capital or try to keep everything is another matter.

Edited to Add

I've also checked the T94 save to see what treaty conditions we might have missed. Archduke's DoF with Russia is actually a bit old. That actually started on Turn 81. My read there is that Archduke likely wanted to secure his back line in the fact of Phoenician/Viking aggression. The DoF between Phoenicia and Archduke may also be securing a backline, though this time it'd be Phoenicia's (against us).

I also went in and looked as Australia's cities. They're all likely coastal, including the capital.

Also looks like I got everyone's attention by posting in the tech thread.

[roland of gilead]

i would offer DOF to wod/lub and kaiser/arch and see who bites.

gives us 30 turns to claim land and destroy russia and australia and be ready for the next phase with caravels and frigates.

[suboptimal]

How about a DoF with Woden/Ljubljana now and then offer Archduke and/or Kaiser on the turn before I declare (my T98)? Having the DoFs staggered, if only by a couple of turns, might also help us sort out diplomacy when they start ending.

As much as Woden/Ljubljana could use the end of our DoF to attack us, Archduke/Kaiser could also do the same with them.

[roland of gilead]

yeah go for it.

If norway refuse they are toast.

staggered makes a lot of sense.

[suboptimal]

Sounds good....let's see what happens...

[suboptimal]

Rest of Turn 95

I offer DoF’s to Ljubljana and Woden. Archduke & Kaiser will wait until my T98 and, provided Blue/Purple (who I think I shall now refer to as Team Bruise) take the DoF then Shikishima should be captured on T99. Roland, I’ve put pins where I think the fogged Australian cities are located.

Since the Russian swordsman south of Proof can no longer see the city I’ve moved the warrior down for upgrade next turn.

Update the prior diplo list to show Japan as having a DoF with Phoenicia.

Roland, I will need 240 and 10 iron given to me next turn for all upgrades. I’ll get everything but a quad upgraded next turn and the last quad will follow the main fleet and catch up while they attack Shikishima.

[roland of gilead]

I will get that all across to you.