[SPOILERS] The Reverend Suryavarman II of Babylon

[The Reverend Doctor]

Ran a bit of a test of praetorian vs. bowman in a city just in case Jowy decides it's me he'd like to come after.

A Combat I/City Raider I praetorian (which Jowy can get easily, maybe even another promo) has better than 60% odds on a bowman fully fortified in a city with 40% cultural defenses.

If that same city is on a hill the odds got down to 31%, a huge shift.

Lessons to be learned from this:
1. Hope if Jowy attacks, he attacks by a city on a hill.
2. I really should get some horse archers/catapults whether or not I'm Jowy's target.
3. Praetorians really eat archers for lunch.

[The Reverend Doctor]

Not a whole lot this turn.

GSci created an academy in the capital adding a nice boost to my research. Whipped the library in Diligence because it was working 5 unimproved tiles anyway. I don't think I'll want for happiness in this city as it will be on the front lines and have a sizable garrison keeping the populace happy through HR. This plus plenty of food means plenty of whips on the horizon.

What happened to that barb worker?


Unfortunately he's not an idiot and is running from my axeman. Oh well, I'll probably be tailing him a bit as I'm exploring the area he's headed.

[The Reverend Doctor]

Some big civic swaps around the world this turn.


Jowy and Seven beat me to HR by 2 turns, and Seven adopts vassalage.

Remember a couple turns ago when I commented that Seven didn't seem to be worried about being sandwiched between aggressive praetorians and beserkers? I guess I see why now.... he oracled Fuedalism for longbows. Good move Seven.

Founded Kindness this turn by the stone and fish at the northern tip of the center continent.

Here's the demos for the turn. #1 in power and #2 (and right behind the leader) in GNP, I'll take it for now.

[The Reverend Doctor]

You all know what it looks like.... but I'm compelled to take a picture after not posting for a week:


I, of course, immediately adopted Hereditary Rule.

And I'm still sort of busy, so the master plan style posting (did I ever do any of that?) will have to wait a few more days still.

In brief: I'm sort of formulating a plan, waiting to see where the diplo goes the next 10 turns or so before I commit to anything.

[The Reverend Doctor]

Since you were clamoring for a turn update!



Now everybody but Athlete is running Hereditary Rule.

The main continent I'll be sharing with the rest of the players for now:


Chastity has a tonnn of food and just whipped that settler. As long as I can keep some MP units in there its growth will be off the charts. Next turn settler will move to that pink dot. The turn after the city will be settled, scoring some rice, gems, and two spices once I get iron working.

Diligence should also have good growth, even moreso with calendar. It's got the requisite granary/library so it's pumping some units for the moment too.

Kindness needs some improvements. These photos really show my lack of workers, I should probably whip a couple out. (there are two workers 2E of Chastity, so I have one more than the picture would show.)

Back to our home island:


VII, which is awesomely named at 7 population, is completing a 1 turn workboat for Kindness' fish.

Humility just finished a lighthouse so has plenty of food and is still running 2 scientists. It'll probably switch over to a settler for the horse island after it grows to size 7. Which will be whipped of course.

[Rowain]

Thanks and yes those workers look very lonely in the big picture

[The Reverend Doctor]

A barb axeman gettin' all in my business!



That axeman was one tile south last turn. My (only nearby) extra bowman moved onto the forested hill hoping to be attacked at good odds (for the bowman). Hopefully that's still what the axe does.... I really don't want to whip Chastity again but it might have to be done if the axe moves onto the pigs next turn, can't risk a city going down to a bad dice roll.

In better news, 6th city was founded at the aforementioned spot. Praise to the mapmaker for un-jungled gems!

those workers look very lonely in the big picture

Capital is pumping a couple 2 turn workers to give them some company. Definitely a flaw in my early game so far is lack of worker labor to keep up with cities being planted.

I think having so many seafood resources lulled me into a false sense of having enough workers because 6(!) tiles were improved by boat. Hopefully I can overcome this mistake.

[The Reverend Doctor]

Barb axeman update:



Good news and bad news.

Good: He didn't advance toward the city. So at least I won't have to emergency whip that bowman in the queue.
Bad: That jerk pillaged my marble quarry. It's like the barbs know I don't have enough workers to go around already!

Still hoping he'll attack my fortified bowman on a forested hill.

A worked completed at the capital and is chopping the last forest/building a cottage there. It'll pump out a unit to grow the happy cap by 1 as it grows and then slide into another worker.

The worker 1W of the new city, which I should remind myself to rename, moved onto the rice and has begun farming it.

[The Reverend Doctor]

That barb axeman finally attacked my bowman and lost. That bowman will start setting up a sentry net to the south to intercept barbs (or Praetorians I guess.)

Let's look at what Athlete is up to this turn:


Umm.... aggressive city settling much? (Ignore my research in that screen shot. That was 20% to finish construction last turn and I shortly after moved it to 0% science to be run for two turns, then HBR in four)

My culture will win some tiles away from that city, but he should probably get his first ring. Which includes both gems!

In other Athlete news... he and Seven signed a long-ish NAP. Which is bad news for me, he probably hopes to tech to beserkers and have one flank secure to attack me.

Right now his power is abysmal and hopefully even the barbs can give him trouble. He's probably trying to expand to catch up until he reaches the right techs to go on the offensive.

So... where does that leave me? I have an opponent next door who probably plans to run a slight farmers gambit while he techs toward a linchpin tech/unit to go on a rampage with. I think my researching HBR is a clue... build/whip a mini assault force of horse archers (and maybe a small stack of catapults/foot soldiers to make a feint at a different city). If in that time Athlete improves his power rating I can justify my builds in that I'd need them for defense anyway. If not.... maybe go for a preemptive strike at Athlete's cities on the center continent.

Wouldn't it be great if in a game with aggressive Rome and Vikings I was the first to declare war?

[The Reverend Doctor]

Wow. 150 years have passed without even a footnote in the history books.

I'll probably do a big plan, detailed pictures type post to coincide with turn 100, until then here's an overview pic of my civ and a few things that are happening.

The islands:

Why did I make that terrible arrow for where the workboat was going? Because I could.

Just founded Patience this turn. It will probably build the requisite granary/library first. Worker to be loaded on the galley and shipped over there ASAP. I'm the last to found a city there, or at last to have horses hooked up.

Humility is still running a pair of scientists, and unless a wonder gets built elsewhere that produces GPP, will probably continue to do so indefinitely. It has the food surplus.

Ignore research into Metal Casting. I mean, I'll want it soon enough anyway, but I had less than 1 turn of research left on HBR and didn't want to telegraph exactly what I was researching to those that may be reading the demogs closely. Not ready for stables/HAs this turn anyway.

The mainland:


In stark contrast to the horse situation, I'm the only one with stone connected. Hence the 2 turn walls in Diligence. Just built an aqueduct in the city in preparation for chops into the HG. (timing dependent on whether Jowy offers something good in trade for my stone, he said he's building the pyramids but I don't know how far along he is)

Although the Western gems will probably be lost to Athlete eventually, I delayed that a bit when Diligence popped its 3rd ring last turn, meaning it and Charity are pouring culture into the tile now.

I probably shouldn't have named two cities right next to each other Charity and Chastity. I can barely read those even with fairly big pics... and I know no one wants me to leave these pictures 1920 pixels wide.

Everyone keep your fingers crossed I get another random spread of Judaism so it'll be worthwhile to adopt and my naming scheme can really come into its own!