[SPOILERS] Roland and Suboptimal Team Up

[Bruindane]

Turn 174: Triggered some barbarians

A wounded ironclad corp is headed for my fishnets, and I'm going fight by claiming the zone of control. My caravel should survive a hit , and if not, I have a pair of bombard corps ready to fire back. I'm in range on their southern fleets, so it is a bit quixotic, but I'm feeling good about city defenses as this turns upgrades into line infantry and calvary upped the baseline city defenses.



I hope to settle Isaac Newton next turn, ending an embarrassing tenure of not producing . Super Scouts are valuable though, and a not so hidden feature for the Russian civ.

[suboptimal]

Turn 174

There’s been a shift in envoys at Valetta as we’re now at war with it. Roland has taken suzerainty with 13 envoys there. I’ve got two in my pocket, drop them in and we’re at peace with them (but I don’t have suzerainty). That gets me two era score, leaving me...19 short of a normal age. . That does prevent a builder capture by the city-state, though, as there was a musketman next to a three charge Chinese builder NE of Joe Aribo.

Things look to be static on land around Al, Graceland is also quiet. Confucius inches across the sea towards Graceland, finding no Russian ships along the way. The battle appears to be joined at sea:




Bruindane, you’re likely going to be down four traders shortly.

[Bruindane]

Turn 175: Out of ships

Thanks suboptimal, wasn't expecting Valetta to be a threat. Those traders will be safe until the dark age comes due to my golden age policy, Reform the Coinage. I read somewhere that the & costs drops on a new age, so not finishing research until then-- do you also get a civic change on a dark age?




My gamble that Russia couldn't afford to divert ships means I lost my last ship (and fish nets), and I expect some more pillaging from those pirateer fleets in the turns upcoming. They must be doing incredibly well, as Norway didn't do much of a dent in the visible ships.

[suboptimal]

I believe we get a civics change each time the age rolls over. & costs do go down as you lose the +20% penalty for research from a more advanced age. Note that if the loss of the penalty results in you having more research into a tech/civic than its new cost it will drop to a 1 turn completion time AND you'll keep all the excess as overflow, subject to usual overflow issues.

[suboptimal]

Two things of note on my turn. First, no Russian ships have been spotted west of Cove so the naval route from Graceland to the main land is clear. Second, I can call an emergency because Russia captured Yerevan. Oddly, I thought that happened a while ago.

[Bruindane]

Turn 176: No Time For Caution

[suboptimal]

Saw that there was a vote on an emergency. Decided to put three votes against in order to "assist" Team Bruise.

Bruindane, do you still have my token for PYDT? I'm going on vacation the week after next so will be civless during that time. Turns are quick...move Confucius, check builds, check if anything new can be seen, click next turn.

[Bruindane]

Saw that there was a vote on an emergency.  Decided to put three votes against in order to "assist" Team Bruise. 

Bruindane, do you still have my token for PYDT?  I'm going on vacation the week after next so will be civless during that time.  Turns are quick...move Confucius, check builds, check if anything new can be seen, click next turn.

I don't think I have your token, I tend to prune my emails, so you'll have to send it again.

On my next turn, for uhm China, I'm going to attack the troops around Al. With luck, I can then pillage the niter, but I am considering offering a peace treaty in exchange for the return of Ryan Kent on starfish island. It's ridiculous as of course they could choose to pummel us, but they are choosing not to for other priorities (their is spent elsewhere), so we have some small leverage.

[Bruindane]

Turn 177: Fighting a land war in Asia (on a naval map)

An attack months in the planning, and Chaucer arrives to chronicle it.



We take out the pike and shot corp and a promoted crossbow in our attack.



We can't get through those walls, but we will pillage. Taking out their ground troops to reduce future upgrades is a plus. Russia did buy a cossack for the counter-attack, but for the moment the day is ours.



I float a peace offer for the return of Ryan Kent. A betrayal of our aspirational goal to free You Can Call Me Al, but we need to get cannons, not bombards. Hopefully they won't realize that once the dark age arrives our traders can be pillaged, and China could collapse economically.

In other news, we resend a friendship to Woden, so we can renew our alliance.

[suboptimal]

We're now at peace with Russia/Australia as they've taken the offer. You've got Scott Brown back. My trader to Valetta also seems to have been reset before the peace offer as Roland/Australia took suzerainty prior to peace. I re-establish the trade route. I also start a builder in OC, 8 turns for that. I'd consider getting a settler onto the island north of Graceland but the barbarian musket could prove problematic. If you get get a unit or two over there to clean up the camp while Graceland gets a settler out (after the Harbor & trader) maybe getting some expansion in is a good thing?

It's been quite a while (early September, I think) since I've looked at scores. Took a look at the empire scores to see where things stand in the fog and where they might be headed....

Ljubljana: 253
Woden: 478
Russia: 496
Australia: 120