[PB79] Just one more Game

[xist10]

okay, I don't like it, that Coldrain expands in the islands.
Still, nothing I can do.




Writing last turn was even more GNP. 120 and the double of the second best.

[xist10]

The demo from T82 at 100% gold.
Still good.




And 41 GpT makes a research rate of 50%. Good for this part of the game.

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But in the end, we are still in the expansion phase.
I lost a big part of my pop last turn (-44 points).





I need a few more worker.





Food is not so good this turn.
But I lost ~15f. The best good +15, which is worse.
Still, ~4f per Pop is not bad.
I still can't really explain my good prod. Or more the fact, that the other seems to have no prod ? Do they all built farms ?

Anyway I have 2 decisions for the remaining 2 settlers.





Old plan saw the red dot.
But coldrain has settled his city on the crabs first.
So I'm thinking about changing the city 1 NW between copper and fish.





And I found stone here.
Idea 1 2 cities. The planned and direct on the stone.
Idea 2: 1 city on the desert.
I'm partial for Idea 1 and the next city on the stones. 100% for walls ?
Still, this means, I need to resist to spent (grow) production in Stonehenge.




okay, I'm spending prod on a barrack in Utica, so I have the prod for SH.
And the new city, which should be the starting point for the colonies in the NE.

[Fenn]

Red dot I don't like anymore either, it's never getting those Crabs without fighting and has no food at all before borders expand; 1NW at least has Fish in first ring, is more sheltered from boats out of the fog, and still brings in ICTR bonuses.
For the east cities: I can see the logic in planting a city on the Stone to save the time of popping borders quarrying it, and keeping the Plains Hill plant is nice. I guess it's fine? Might lead to some tightly packed cities depending on what's on the island past it. Also depends on how soon Walls or stone wonders are actually wanted.

[xist10]

Tightly packed cities are not really a problem for me.
I like it and at the moment, a significant part of my GNP are trade routes. Add cheap Castles (200% bonus) and the harbours and I profit from more cities.




The last contact.
"Only" 10 cities, but already currency.




Cathage grows to size 6. After that, I need more workers.
And more settlers.

I think, I could thinking about building the coloss here.




Utica will finish the Numid and then the worker.
After that ?




Hadrumentum needs a few more worker turns.
I'm thinking about growing to size 6 and then building with mines ?
Till I built cottages this could be more efficient than whipping, I fear.

A candidate for the Hanging Gardens.




Hippo lost the fish.
I'm building an explorations ship - no fear of surprising razes or barb galleys.




Kerkounne needs a culture expansion.
I think, next growth project could be a monument ? - I think I should change and use the overflow.




Leptis is the border city to Rick.
I don't plan to grow this city before the culture expansion over size 4.
After that ?
I could work a few more cottages.




Thapsus got the fish from Hippo.

A potential Moai city and Thapsus seems to be ideal to grow for 4c trade routes.
Other island city have worse food tiles.




Sicca is new.
Copper instead of crabs will delay the growth by 1 turn but finish the granary 1 turn faster (I chop a forest next turn).




Thanae is new too. I didn't settled on the red dot and found cows.
Workboat got finished in Carthage this turn and I have 2 workers on the island.






Tacape on the stones.
With a culture expansion, I get "access" to the island.
Not so gut planning on my part and the fastes way for a workboat is building it.




Last city at the moment is Sabratha.
I didn't found the city in the west because I missed an escort and coldrain had a unit there. Still a positive city by itself. - But the first negative city if you look at the whole empire.
Workboat is on the way from Sicca.




Kerkounne finished a galley to colonize the islands here.




Food remains a problem.




Next research goals are currency and monotheism.
Currency needs 4 turns with 336g at whole. I need to save 5 more turns, so I will get currency at T101. This is +33c at the moment.
After that, I need to save 4 turns to research monotheism in 3 turns.
I want to swap in Org reli in the golden age from the merchant.
If I get the time, after that I plan to research Code of Laws. Otherwise, I think I will need construction.

Interesting point: I think, I'm globally only behind on currency and iron working. And both players should be missing something else.

[Fenn]

Colossus will be very powerful on this map, so, I was too negative on it earlier, certainly worth building, and you'd have a head start with the early Metal Casting. I suppose Stonehenge is still available? Not that I suggest building it since you have a religion and Oracle already, but a little surprising if it hasn't been taken yet.

How is ricketyclick doing btw? If he continues to fall behind he could be the next avenue for expansion after we run out of unoccupied islands.

[xist10]

Rick is doing bad. Still 5 cities.
I'm thinking about settling "his" islands.
On other news, I got Miros gold rate.
+70 GpT. I need really more cottages.

[xist10]

I played a bit with the research rate this turn.
I think, Currency in 4 is possibly, I should be able to find the 17c some where.




I do like this demo. Food remains bad, but I have prod.




And I can exchange the prod to research.

A short calculation about food: I think (hope) coldrain is the 143f and I'm sure, Rick the 51f.
Anyway, both of them have 194f and the other two together need 234f for 107f average.
I'm 3rd with 118f (and the first has 143f), so the 2nd has between 119-143f - the 4th between 91-115f.
Prod remains close. 3rd is between 48-52p, 4th between 44-48p





I work nearly every coast I can find.
This allows currency in 3 - if I got no additional cost from units. I have a margin of 1 gold.




And I got the graphs from Gira.
Only the 3 in 1 view. - okay, with that I should be able to guess the current amount a lot better.
coldrains seems to have a commerce problem - even if the food remains top.

[xist10]

Currency is there, so we're back to ~50% research rate.
Research overflow goes to construction.
Nevertheless, I'd rather invest 2 turns in Judaism next. - As things stand, this would also be 2 more religions.

This is the western settlement area.

I really want to settle the Sheep-Silk-Fur chain.
Silver and Sheep are filler cities, the Silver city in particular has 2 "own" tiles and is somewhat under scrutiny, but there is actually no reason not to found a coastal city.




The south is settled for now, but I might expand to the Roman islands.
Rick remains a bad player. Better than his last showing, but he stopped expanding after 5 cities.




The eastern island world is still rather unexplored.

Nevertheless, 4 islands have already been uncovered.


Currently planned settlement sequence ? Western Sheep -> Copper/Wheat Island + Copper/Wild Island




Actual gold




Next turn
Only for the tech duration. Unfortunately, I actually have to wait 2 more rounds until I can turn up for mono. Maybe test how it looks with 90%.

Current plan as I said Mono->CoL->???

[Fenn]

Compass sometime soon doesn't sound bad - Cothons + PRO + TGL means huge money before tile yields - but with how pricey Cothons are Colossus might still be a better return on hammer investment since it only needs one high-production city, and Compass is otherwise a bit of a detour. Or just build more Settlers and cover all the islands in cities. As long as there's juicy islands to claim peacefully, Rome can be left for later.

[xist10]

Compass is a pretech for caravels not that uninteresting. Cothons aren't that bad either.
Still courthouse should give a bit more commerce and I need construction for catapults.
Monarchy and calendar are 2 techs where I'm not sure if I should take compass first.

Still, as long as I can settle coastal cities, I should build settlers.

I don't really plan to invade Rome in short time. I'm not sure how good Rick is at warfare (I suspect not that good), but Praetorians and catapults are able to win against rifles with a first strike.
When Ricks other neighbour starts something, I will divert few troops, but otherwise ?
Cannons and/or MG are needed to get an easy win against that.


On the wonder front I started HG in Hadrentum this turn. Best RoI for all wonders in reach.
I will still pursuit the colossus in Carthage, but HG gives 14-15 Pop for 280 prod (with bonus from stones).