[PB78] Dreylin boldly goes

[Dreylin]

T44 -

Checklist:
Religion in Spock = No 
Roaming Barbs in sight of borders = 0

I can bring the injured Quechua over to cover the Settler to Red; I'll also be able to get a look over the area before settling and can move back if needed.

This might be the last turn for Scouting though:

[Dreylin]

T45 & T46 -

Religion spreads = 0
Roaming Barbs in sight of borders = 0

McCoy was founded this turn:


It steals the Pigs and grows in 5t then whips the WB. Hands the Pigs back and regrows in 4t by which time the Worker from Kirk will have improved the Copper. That Worker will also Road the Pigs on the way over to better the connection between the two cities - I need to double-check the numbers whether it can also finish the road 1N of Kirk and still meet the timing to improve the Copper, but that is less urgent.

There's a low risk of barb activity from this direction since the island cities defog much of the separating peninsula.

Kirk rolls into a second Worker until the Pigs are returned to power growth. It also now has 1t stored in a second Chariot that can be whipped if needed. The existing Chariot has returned to a spot midway between Kirk and Spock now the Pigs have been improved and Superdeath should have seen it.

Superdeath remains at a lower Power level and without Copper, so I think we're secure on that front. Gavagai finished the Great Wall in Delhi, which might have an interesting effect of bouncing more barbs in our direction so we'll have to keep an eye out.

A slight change of plan at Spock; last turn I switched to an Archer intending to sink 1turn and then switch back to the Barracks and 1-pop whip, however the city will grow to size4 in 2t, so instead I will keep building the Archer and then 2-pop whip the Barracks. The overflow will finish the Archer and then pass through into the Terrace. The Gems Chop should finish that in short order and then start on a Settler for Yellow - to be whipped at size2.

Pottery research could probably be micro'd to finish in 3t (that's another 1beaker final tick), but I don't think I need to start a Granary or Cottage before then anyway - I'll keep an eye on it. I kind-of want to go Masonry->Monotheism next for both the second religion and Organised Religion, since we are now starting to build some buildings.

I'm also wavering on Blue dot and considering moving it back 1W; the main reason to do this is that the Terrace would then give the Corn fresh water and we'd get the +1food much earlier than otherwise. I think this is worth losing the potential to expand borders and work the grassland/FP tile.

[coldrain]

Not much to add, current plan is looking good to me. Maybe chop heavily around capital with the third worker?

[Dreylin]

Chopping is definitely in the plan, but right now we need some more tiles that we can work as we settle overlap spots. Tentative plan would be for the 3rd Worker to chop the riverside forest NE into the Terrace; then either build a first cottage, or Mine the riverside grass hill SE of Kirk before moving to the Blue Dot Pigs.

McCoy's Worker improves and connects the copper then probably moves to the forested grasshill between the two cities. That chop can go either way depending on priority and then Mined for either city to work.

Spock's Worker has ~5turns left on the Gems Mine, then depending on the timing for the Settler, either moves straight to road the Tundra/FP hill 2W of Spock to link the new city, or has a few turns to invest either by pre-chopping the hill 2S or mining the NE hill. We'll see how the timings line up and adjust accordingly.

Once Spock has popped the Settler for Yellow out will be when we look at maybe adding a Monument if religion hasn't spread.

(BTW, I am expecting McCoy to get an immediate spread while Spock continues to wait...)

[Dreylin]

T47 & T48 -

Religion spreads = 0 <sigh>
Roaming Barbs in sight of borders = 0

Not much going on at the moment with no Scout and no barbs moving around. Whipped the Barracks at Spock as planned, which did mean I couldn't easily finagle the extra Beaker to finish Pottery this turn - but that's fine and not needed. I am already top in Soldiers, so the back-to-back Barracks and Archer might give my neighbours conniptions.

Worker out of Kirk and I think I can take the extra turn to fully finish the road connection. I can also delay the regrow at McCoy if needed by switching to the Clams for the final turn of the initial growth.

Current plan is 5t of Pigs which grows to Size2 with 3f overflow, whips back down to size 1 and then just 4t of Clams will regrow.

Alternative is 4t of Pigs and 1t Clams which only generates 1f oveflow, so 5t of Clams leaves 1f short to regrow. Kirk picking up the Pigs a turn earlier allows that city to grow a turn faster though so it may be a decent trade.

Tech-wise I've 2 ideas; Masonry -> Monotheism for Walls and then Missionaries, or going straight for Horseback Riding and be a bit proactive about dealing with some of these Barbs. I'll probably save gold on Masonry until I could go straight through either route and then make my mind up.

Oh, and thrawn declared on Magic Science, so I guess we've got our first turnsplit going on right now.

[Dreylin]

T50 - a confusing turn

Religion spreads = 0
Roaming Barbs in sight of borders = 0

So I opened the game to this and have no idea what to make of it:


thrawn's "war" with Magic Science ended a few turns ago and I have no idea what they want to convey here. Clearly adding my cities mean they don't want to declare now and we can't indicate turn timing because of lack of Currency, so how do we coordinate? Is this a warning maybe of an impending attack on me?

For some more confusion, someone has just researched Sailing:


It ... feels a bit early for that? Water is definitely important on this map, but no-one is ORG to cheapen the Lighthouse, or FIN for it to be really worth the investment!? Maybe one of the IND players is intending to lock down the Great Lighthouse, or maybe Superdeath is thinking of pitting Vultures against the Barb cities? It's not for coastal trade route connections surely?!?

On the other hand I think I worked out this little cultural discrepancy:



Noticed the globe map colour discrepancy a few turns ago, but couldn't figure it because he couldn't have taken the Barb city. It finally dawned on me this turn that he planted his 3rd city on the marked tile and the Sumeria culture had overwritten the Barb culture - but only on the global view. You can see the same effect at Delhi, where the 2 tiles of Barb city culture have been overwritten by Gavagai's.

RefSteel will probably be along in a minute to tell me it's a known bug, but I guess it's one I'd never come across / forgotten.

[Dreylin]

T51 -

Well last turn was a breezy 4hrs so we have another tonight.

No more cryptic messages this turn, but we did get the Gems connected at Spock:


Things are starting to look quite good down here.

I also took a good look around the map to confirm something I'd been suspecting - that Happiness is not exactly overflowing. Other than the Gems, there's the single Spices and Dyes in the NE ... and of course all the Gold at the Barb islands.

McCoy also grew this turn, but that was whipped straight into the Workboat. The city kept hold of the Pigs and the Worker finished the road connection this turn. Whip overflow into the Terrace and regrowth will match the improvement of the Copper.

Gavagai and Magic Science have settled their 3rd cities in the last couple of turns, and I suspect they'll get to 4 before me but maybe not 5.

[coldrain]

Has Gavagai already done something to annoy Superdeath? Nit sure what else that SD message would mean.

I agree, sailing is a bit strange tech choice so early. I think the only settleable island seen so far is the one tile plains hill north of Uruk. Barb island cities seem to have strong defenders, those need quite bit of investment into military to capture.

[Dreylin]

I agree, sailing is a bit strange tech choice so early. I think the only settleable island seen so far is the one tile plains hill north of Uruk.

Oooh, I'd totally forgotten about that spot! It has a tribal village on it as well IIRC. That would totally make sense for Superdeath to secure intercontinental trade routes.

[Dreylin]

T52 -

Bah.

Also, first thrawn now Superdeath wants me to go to war with Gavagai?


At least I understand that these guys have an existing beef from previous games, but I have nothing against either of them and I'm not sure which is in the stronger position so far - Gav has his wonders, but Superdeath has some very food-rich cities and is probably settling an island soon so...

Imma stay in my corner for now and make sure I can take advantage when the time comes.