[SPOILERS] Athlete and Lewwyn are SHAKA OF THE VIKINGS

[athlete4life10]

The Reverend has founded a city close to where I wanted mine. Fortunately for me not close enough so I can still found mine. It will be a culture war but I'll come prepared. I completed Metal Casting at EOT 85, just played 86 and I'll have Writing at EOT 87. After that I'm undecided if I'll head for Math or Iron Working. I switched Charlottetown from a Missionary to a Workboat and boy am I glad I did. I got a free spread into Halifax and Uzbek (supposed to be Niagara Falls but I guess that name change will save after it comes out of resistance). I'll try and do a picture update tomorrow.

[athlete4life10]

So to start here's what I encountered when playing my turn 86:


Seven is just keeping that axe around, I don't like it. So I tried to hit him up for an NAP via chat and he wants concessions because he has longbows. I said well I won't settle further south and neither of us settles to the east of Uzbek for the duration of the NAP (until T100 inclusive). I had played T85 when I made the offer (current pic of T86). He said let me look at the map and I'll get back to you. Apparantly he thought I was crazy. There's nothing really outrageous about my offer nor is there much in the way of concessions but it's for an NAP that will last 10 - 15 turns depending on when it gets signed. Anyways he never made a counter offer so I have tried again and we'll just have to wait and see. I wasn't taking any chances though so here's what the area around there looked like when I finished playing my turn:



There are 2 axes in Uzbek, one at full strength, Combat III and Shock, the other at like 2.2 or something with 9/10 xp, Combat I and City Raider II. The city isn't in any real danger right now, but Seven could put a real hurt on it if he was so inclined.

[athlete4life10]

Here's a picture of the top third or so at EOT86:


There's a sign that says 1T Chop slightly west of Fredricton. There are 2 workers on there so they will complete that chop on T87. The 3 workers I've pointed out will chop that forest on T87 and that will go into a Trading Post at Montreal. I laboured on whether or not I should put that into a Forge or a Trading Post and have decided on the latter. I could either triple whip the forge at size 6, maybe size 7 if I want to maximize the overflow, or double whip the forge at size 6. With the triple whip I also have a Trading Post allowing me to stay at +4 food while working the gold whereas with the double whip all I have is the Forge.

[athlete4life10]

Here's Fredricton at EOT86:


I will complete the chop on T87 so the chariot will be able to move with the settler at the same time on the path marked out above. The overflow, combined with working the grass/hill/mine at size 5 will allow me to complete the Missionary on T88 so it's one turn behind the chariot and settler. I am not entirely certain as to what to do after that. I might slow build a worker and then chop/whip a forge. This is the most likely scenario but I need to review Fredricton in a couple of turns.

Here's Charlottetown at EOT86:


The Workboat will complete and immediately head to Halifax to work there. I will then finish completing the missionary in 2 turns and will then start on a forge and quad-ruple whip it. I think I will be at size 9 when I do so, which will allow me to grow from size 5 back up. After the whip I believe an Axeman is in order and then another settler, before building a library and military.

That's all for now. Halifax will have to come another time.

Athlete

[athlete4life10]

Seven to me:

OK, I got a slightly better look at your territory this turn so I can make a concrete offer. Of note, you are fairly overextended with that barb city you captured. As I mentioned, a city east of it on the coast would be 7 tiles from my capital! That city is also claiming "my" gold. (From what I can see so far, there's one for each of us.)


Here's my suggestion:


* NAP for up to, say, thirty turns (your choice). NAP meaning neither may declare war on the other party.
* You gift me 180g when one of us gets currency, as partial compensation for taking my barb city. (I will have Currency soon.)
* You gift me one of your two golds. (To prevent abuse, let's say that you must gift the gold resource within two turns of having one of your golds mined.) This requirement will be permanently ended if you lose control of one of the golds (i.e. through cultural battle) or I ever declare war on you afterwards.
* You do not settle any cities in the same row or farther south than your barb city during the duration of the NAP (i.e. while I can't defend my own territory).
* Open Borders (only required for 10 turns) (though I don't think either of us would want to cancel it)


If this seems unfair to you, please note:
- I had the ability to raze Montreal this turn, and chose not to. That's because I think this peaceful solution works better for both of us, and because I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
- If you don't agree, I can just take the barb city from you by force, given its proximity to me and the strength of my army.
- I'm still threatening to be quite a nuisance to your undefended home cities if it comes to war.


Any one of these situations would be worse for you than losing 180g and a duplicate resource, and instead all three are the case.


Additionally, the only things I'm asking for are things that you just got for free by killing some barb warriors. (Which btw, if I wasn't last in turn order I would have captured.) And you are still keeping the VAST majority of those spoils: a city, several free population points, and two workers. All of which dwarf the capture money and the dupe resource.


Also: I did offer you a NAP when we met. I'd rather have played it out completely peacefully, but the situation is as it is and I'm most definitely a pragmatist. If you decline a NAP, forcing me to invest in military for defense, and then don't get military of your own, I think that's a mistake.


Please let me know what you think before my next turn.


Still in peace, Seven

Now...how do you say GO FUCK YOURSELF! nicely?

My reply:

Hi Seven,

Your proprosal is unacceptable in it's current version to me. I've played my turn prepared but I'd still like to discuss this and come to a solution. I will have time to write you a counter this evening (est) on the chance you won't be playing your turn until later or decide to hold off on aggression for the moment.

Athlete
Shaka Of The Vikings

[athlete4life10]

duplicate

[Rowain]

Does he really mean Montreal or the other barbcity (Uzbek?) ?

[athlete4life10]

He's got a galley 2 off the coast of Montreal, so yes he does mean Montreal. I've no idea if there's actually anything in it. I'll get some pics up tonight. His Woody III axe is also within distance of getting inside Montreal's borders this turn. However, my chariot that is escorting the settler can hit either square that his Woody III axe can get to and he doesn't know about my chariot so I'm not in complete danger. The question mark is if there's anything inside that galley which I don't believe there is.

He is starting to road towards Uzbek though an attack on there is atleast 2-3 turns off.

[athlete4life10]

Sorry for the lack of pics/updates recently. I really just couldn't be arsed. I needed a break for a bit while I focused on some other things. Tomorrow it really shouldn't be an issue to get some pics up.

OK. I played T90.

Charlottetown started a forge this turn with 10 hammers going into it and growing to size 9. Its unhappy at size 8 but I will probably sink another 10 hammers into it on T91 and then quadruple whip it on T92. Follow that up with a Spear.

Halifax is now size 6 I believe (or 1 turn away). It is in the midst of a forge which has roughly 20 hammers invested. There's a plains/hill/forest 1SE of it that I am 2 turns away from completing a mine on. Research will have to go to 0% for T91 and maybe T92 so that I can complete Mathematics. The worker will perform 1 more turn of mining and then road for 1 or 2 turns as needed so that when the worker completes the mine it will get 30H (due to math) instead of the regular 20H. Then I shall triple whip with close to max overflow which should finish the Trading Post that it had started a long time ago. After that it might be some galley's/triremes or Maoi Statues. I plan to hire an engineer asap here so that I can bulb machinery with my first GP.

Fredricton is now at size 5 (size 6 next turn I think) and building an Axe due in 2. It will then start on a forge with a math helped chop and will triple whip that. Not sure where to go after that at this point.

Montreal is currently building a Trading Post and will be size 4 on T92. I plan to finish that Trading Post which should be at size 5 and immediately start on a forge which will get whipped at it's earliest possible chance. I should have it's gold hooked up by T95 at the latest which will be a hooge boost for me.

Niagara Falls is building a granary at size 4. It should complete the granary right about when it reaches it's 1/2 way point so that when it grows to size 5 it will already be in effect. It will then start on a forge which will get whippped. After that I'm not sure but I'm considering making a run at The Hanging Gardens here as I'll have stone hooked up soon and there are a ton of forests. If I do I will want to have atleast 2 more cities founded (maybe 3) to try and maximize it's worth. I shall re-evaluate after the Forge.

Ottawa was founded on T90 (my gems site). The babylonian city just popped it's 2nd border ring so it's already pressured but I expected this. Buddhism has been spread in it immediately. I've started a granary and while working a grass/sugar/river tile and will probably immediately start a library after the granary.

Tech wise I should complete Math at EOT93, no later than EOT94 though. After that it's saving gold for currency, then saving gold for SevenSpirits and then onto Iron Working.

The deal with Seven is something like this:

NAP until T130.
Open Borders.
I give him 150 gold upon obtaining currency myself.
I gift the gold from Niagara Falls when I get it hooked up.
Open Borders must be cancelled 10 turns prior to any hostilities.
Some land arrangements which I believe I get the better deal out of.

The deal was made when Seven was threatening my cities with a galley which I believe had only a chariot on it. He had his Woody III axe nearby as well but I could have taken him out with a chariot as he woudl have had to move to flat ground to be a threat. So had I known it was only a chariot I probably could have gotten that gold amount down even further but I'm not displeased with the outcome. A bit with how Seven handled himself (a bit more bullyish than I would have liked) only because I want this to develop into a longer term friendship and behaving like that isn't conducive to that. Anyways what's done is done now and I believe I should be OK going forward.

Math-->Currency-->Gold for Seven -->Iron Working-->Construction-->Code of Laws-->Civil Service is my approximate tech path. I should have an engineer around the time I need it to bulb Machinery and that should allow me to get on the war path against Babylon.

Hope you enjoyed the read!

Athlete

[Rowain]

Thanks
So the road to war is already planned and the target(Babylon) named.