[spoilers] Commodore gets medieval

[Commodore]

I suppose I should back off from the narrative to talk a little bit about the general strategy here. Believe it or not, there is one. From the instant I saw the starting screenshot, it was clear exactly what this map would be in every finest detail. A traditional long game was never in the cards; the only units that lead to decisive game-ending conflict are knights and galleys (ideally 3-movers). The reason I keep mocking cottages isn't that they're a bad call for Medieval Starts in general, just for this Hyperrush Map. Long-term investment wins games of civilization, normally, but it's not in my interest to allow the game to develop that long. Thoth is doing his job to ensure that development on his half of the map is slow, so right now the chief "developer" is Pindicator, who's gotten a lot of time to himself and is already secure to take the lion's share of his border with the crippled Yuri. Ergo, punch time.

As an aside, this is why the banana/jungle island in the center is extra silly. The amount of investment required to make cities on there pay back is nuts, particularly given how vulnerable those are unless you've completely dominated the inner ring of the map (AKA, you've won the game). This applies on all the land acquisitions in the game. You're about to see me settle my sixth city in the fairly tight crab/silver/silks spot, rather than going wide. I'm doing that because that's a spot that gets up and going incredibly fast, unlike the more far-flung options. Speed, speed, speed.

My strategy has component #1 finished: Shwedegon Paya. (#0 is "don't get crippled"). Another revolt cycle in Theocracy nets me more mobile naval stuff, then I revolt into Caste/Pacifism for *six* turns to get *TWO* Great Merchants while sinking hammers into kesheiks...because that's what I need to bulb Civil Service and GUILDS. Get those 8-xp knights out, and I don't fear anyone in this game. That's something I get in eight turns from right now. This has been my strategy from the beginning, let's see if I can pull it off.

Exciting.

[Commodore]

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET COMMENTS FROM YOU PEOPLE?


IS IT TELEPORTATION?


IS IT BLOOD?


IS IT CAPTURING CITIES?


IS IT PRETTY PICTURES OF THE NEW 7-CITY TOP EMPIRE?


IS IT POWER GRAPHS?


IS IT COMMENTARY THAT HALF A DOZEN KESHIEKS AND WELLIES AND LONGBOWS STILL HAVE ME AT #2 POWER?

Just let me know, people.

[Jabah]

Amphibious elephant

[GT]

NEEEEEAT!! :D

[Dreylin]

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET COMMENTS FROM YOU PEOPLE?

If I knew the answer to that, I'd have more comments in my own threads, wouldn't I!?

[Dreylin]

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET COMMENTS FROM YOU PEOPLE?

If I knew the answer to that, I'd have more comments in my own threads, wouldn't I!?

Possibly rhetorical questions? 

[Qgqqqqq]

Have your comment, you've paid the blood price.

[T-hawk]

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET COMMENTS FROM YOU PEOPLE?

The way most other players are doing it is to complain loudly enough about something that someone has to jump in to disagree

[mackoti]

Amphibious elephants are superiour!!!

[Mousey]

I'm here for the all-caps. Such passion!

Congrats on the capture, are you planning further action or holding off for the knights?