DP101 prepares to lose (adventure 4 report in-progress) COMPLETE

[Dp101]

I'm trying this scenario out purely because I took one look at the start and realised I had no idea where I was going to put the capital, and therefore in the interest of getting better at civ I should probably attempt it. So, thinking out loud for a while, the settling options:

Settle 1W

pros:3 2-production hexes in range

cons:
Takes up a critical hill
Awkward placement with regards to resources

Settling where the warrior is just feels very suboptimal to me. It has 3 resources just outside the initial radius of the city by 1 hex, and also takes up one of those incredibly valuable hill tiles. On the other hand, in terms of getting a fast start, having a 2/2 tile to work is incredible, and being able to go on to either a 3/1 or a 1/2 afterwards is great. It's just so hard to put a city there when there are multiple good hexes that would be just missed out by 1 hex, alongside not having any culture bonuses to grab them fast enough (i.e. not rome). Furthermore, losing the one hill tile from placing the city there also weakens the optimal industrial zone location 1W of the warrior, although on the whole I'm not sure how much the 1 production/turn lost will matter.

Settle in place

Pros: No wasted turns from movement
Good district placements

Cons: Eats the best possible tile for the city to work early-game.
Takes out a decent second city location

Settling in place feels like the wrong decision. After the bananas and plains forest there aren't that many good tiles to work, and the resources again annoyingly one tile out of range, although are of slightly higher quality. In addition, the 1W plan leads into a great second city location 1E of the floodplains, and settling in place blocks that, with no clear location to move the city site to.

1SW

Pros: Keeps best tile
Allows for best industrial zone placement
Directly upgrades the resource (citrus > banana always)

Cons: Eats a forest
Blocks currently planned second city
Difficult to acquire future luxury resources
Uncertain positioning for campus

This might be the best option. It has 1 fewer 1/2 tile that the 1W option, but allows for more mines, a better industrial zone, and an earlier luxury. I can always reposition the eastern city. However, I'm less than thrilled at having to waste a forest, and I have to hope for more rivers if I am to use some of the luxuries far off from it any time soon. Every location is a compromise, and this one could well be weaker than I think, as I could be overvaluing having a luxury in the first ring.  

2W

Pros: Access to quick stone for a 2/2 tile and masonry boost
Allows for a stronger western city that will work more luxuries

Cons: Doesn't actually improve on resource access (still 3 in second ring)
Lots of turns of movement
Eats best industrial zone placement completely
Probably will lead to wasted hexes to the east

Not too happy with this location, but it's important to consider all possible starts. This one leaves the east wide open, and has a whole pile of early potential production. The cost comes in the additional turns to move there (which essentially decreases the production/food total as fewer turns are spent working the tiles), and the loss of the optimal industrial zone location. The transit time seems like it will be the biggest issue here, with the tiles surrounding it being passable.

Overall, I think that I will go with either 1SW or 1 W. Currently I have severe reservations about going 1W due to not getting the optimal industrial zone, but on the other hand my biggest weakness both as a player and in life is an inability to compromise and accept suboptimal results (which is why this start is hard for me), so my feelings are probably unfounded. If this was a PBEM or Pitboss or something, I would probably ask lurkers to help me decide, but alas, while they may watch, I don't think that they can give commentary for adventures, so my only course of action is to sleep on it. Maybe in the future, an adventure based around pairs of people competing together, either as a mini succession game or with one person only being allowed to give advice from the thread might be interesting. So ends my initial report of zero turns played and a whopping sum of zero GP generated :P

[RefSteel]

If this was a PBEM or Pitboss or something, I would probably ask lurkers to help me decide, but alas, while they may watch, I don't think that they can give commentary for adventures, so my only course of action is to sleep on it. Maybe in the future, an adventure based around pairs of people competing together, either as a mini succession game or with one person only being allowed to give advice from the thread might be interesting.

I'm pretty sure in a PbeM or Pitboss, the unwritten lurker code of conduct would preclude any actual decision-making assistance from lurkers - unless they're dedicated lurkers reading only your thread. Of course, for the time being this is the only thread going, so anyone who hasn't spoiled themselves on the map could probably be a "dedicated lurker" if we're going with that model. (Maybe ask Sullla in the adventure announcement thread?) Certainly "non-playing lurkers are welcome" implies we can comment, but I dunno what the final word was on teammates or soliciting lurker advice. It should be fun to read along either way though! Thanks for reporting!

[Dp101]

T1, I move the warrior to the west and find nothing, and decide on settling to the SW.
T2 I found the capital:




Working the 2/2 tile, going for a warrior first, then probably a builder. Research set to Mining so I can start getting the hills online, with plans for pottery-irrigation next for the resources.
T3 my exploring warrior finds a whole pile of rice, as well as a second continent, boosting foreign trade. Might loop him round south next in case of barbarians.
IBT 4 and 5 I meet 2 city states, stockholm and yerevan.




Interestingly enough, I was not first to either of them, so no free envoys for me. Stockholm is critical for this game, and wants a trade route, whereas Yerevan is kind of garbage as Kongo and wants a boost for Military Tradition. I think I know which one I am giving my envoys to. Warrior heads north again
T6 a spear in an encampment is discovered to the north east, but I think I will ignore it for now given its distance.
Spain shows up next to the encampment on T7.




Really hope this isn't another setup that forces an early attack if the player wants any kind of breathing room.
T8 I find a tribal village, pop it on T9 for a scout. I am then first to meet Mohenjo-Daro:




The culture doubles my total output, even if the interface refuses to update. On the other hand, its existence orphans a chocolate, and also heavily constrains my northern expansion. Scout heads south.
T10 I meet a Norwegian scout from the south, most likely the reason why I didn't get any initial envoys with either of the southern CSs. Warrior finishes, capital goes on to a builder, warrior starts shifting towards the barbarian encampment.
T11 mining finishes, pottery next. Scout finally finds a way though the endless southern jungle.
T12 I finish code of laws, take discipline and urban planning. No reason to take god king when you can't found a religion, and I have never found scout XP useful. Foreign trade next since I can't get the craftsmanship bonus otherwise. All the AIs hate me.
T13 I find Norway's capital:




About where I expected. Up near the encampment I discover both the spear and spain's warrior are damaged, the warrior more so, but spain has retreated for the time so I don't think they can snipe it.
T15 I take out the encampment. I doubt I'll use the benefits from the civic much, but the mil trad boost will be nice, mostly because it gives me an envoy from Yerevan.
T17 the builder finishes, and is sent to mine the plains hill 1W of the city for a lack of better options until irrigation comes in. Capital on to a settler due in 11, but growth in 3 will probably drop that. Plan is to send it either west or north.
T18 I get both foreign trade and pottery, on to irrigation and... hmm. There are no good ways to get the craftsmanship boost. 14 turns to irrigation and worthwhile tile improvements, or I can farm a random flatland plains tile in order to get the boost earlier. Overall, I feel the boost is better, I can always build another builder using the mines. Craftsmanship it is, due in 10. A barbarian scout shows up to my east the next turn, so I might bring a warrior back to deal with that. Growth on T20, settler in 7.
T21 I find a tribal village in the W, pop it on T22 for a free builder! Said builder has absolutely nothing to do however. Craftsmanship is boosted by making the crappy farm, and is now due next turn.
Craftsmanship comes in, but I make no changes to my civics as I have no need for additional builders. Mysticism next as the Oracle is a critical wonder for this variant. Another hut found in the west, popped on T24 for a masonry boost. Land to my west is insanely rough:




All these tasty hills, all this production, all these potential wonders. Lovely. Here's where I'm choosing between for the settler coming out in 2 turns:




The far west location is the strongest city I can see, with good food, production, and a new luxury. However, this forces the close-in western city 1 hex further east than I would like, reducing its production and making it more difficult to get to the rice to the south of the pair, which are tiles I highly prize due to their massive food potential with water wheels. The northeastern city is simply the only freshwater location that isn't to the west. Right now, my main concern is whether or not to go for the risky far-off plant. Currently I'm leaning against it, it's unlikely to be stolen and the closer location can steal some mines from the capital for production.
T27 the settler finishes, with regrowth to size 3 in 1 turn. Next up is a trader, first for the mission to stockholm and then for accelerating the development of my new cities. Due in 7 turns. I discover an additional barb encampment to my south, which might prove worrying.
T28 I get a pantheon! Hard decision to be made between Divine Spark, perfect for the variant, or Lady of the Reeds and Marshes due to all of the marsh and floodplains tiles around. I go for divine spark, as it's just too good in this scenario. Mysticism boosted, due in 1.
Mysticism finishes, and on to Early Empire next and the path towards political philosophy. Get an envoy, send it to Stockholm.
On T30 Irrigation is finally done, Writing next since it's cheap and I don't actually need any more worker techs right now. Settler founds the second city:




It is at this point that I learn that you can't swap first-ring hexes between cities, so the best that the new city can do is a 2/1 tile for production. I choose instead to grow it in search of the early empire boost. I buy it a builder so I can improve its stone and give it something nice to work.
T32 I buy the cocoa hex near Kwango to give the city another tile worth improving.
I meet Hattusa T33, and am somehow the first one to accomplish that. The 2 science is nice, and the ability to get a copy of all strategic resources I can see but don't own is always useful when you are the only one screwed out of oil. Not sure how critical it will be in this setup though.
Writing comes in T34, on to currency next, which is immediately boosted to be due in 6 via the trade route to stockholm. Said route gives me 3 gold and a science, as well as the envoy from the quest. The oracle will currently take 25 turns if I emphasise production, so instead I work on a slinger and move the second city's builder over so that they can chop the forest it will be placed on:




The oracle needs to be built on a hill, but the only hill that is both inside the city's current radius and not mined is the 2/2 hex from the start, the one I moved off of and worked all through the early game. Currently, it will take me 5 turns to make a slinger, exactly enough time to move the western builder over and chop when the hammer box is almost full (current production at min production is 6.3/turn, slingers cost 35 so should be able to chop at 31.5 production for almost maximum overflow). Ideally, I would have planned this out better by going into a civic that gave a production boost to a specific unit and chopping while producing it for the multiplier, but I didn't think that far ahead.

IBT 35-36 Norway wants to pay me with open borders, 11 gold, and 3/turn for chocolate. I don't particually need the money, so I tell him no.
IBT 36-37 spain takes goddess of the harvest for their pantheon. On T37 my capital grows for a completed boost at the perfect time, finishing early empire. No policy changes. A part of me really wants to get drama and poetry next from the oracle boost, then build a theatre square from that civic to boost state workforce, but I don't think I can complete the oracle in the required 11 turns for the full benefit, even with the chop, so I knock out military tradition real quick in the meantime. Scout finds a goody hut, but it will take 3 turns to get there.
T38 I meet Kumasi, am first-to, and their bonus only helps with culture from trade routes. Kinda meh. Forest is chopped for 38 production (a tiny fraction of what was reported online, but whatever) and the oracle is done, due in 21 at maximum production and no growth. Looks like my second city is going to have to step up.
T39 I pop the hut for some food, and am the first to meet Amsterdam. They give a foreign trade route bonus, kinda meh. Warrior finds a village in the east. Norway insults my production between turns.
T40 I land currency, Bronze Working next in 7.
T41 I get Military tradition, and realise how much of an idiot I am/was when forgetting that state workforce gives +15% production towards wonders, so belatedly head towards that, due in 10. Scout then proceeds to find a village in the arctic to immediately boost it, due in 5.  Warrior gets 40 gold from the other hut.

T42 WAR IS DECLARED ON ME BY NORWAY. Behold, the vast army that descends upon me:




Oh no, whatever shall I do. I move the slinger back into the capital and bring the warriors back, and wait to rush any units with cash.
On T43, we pay our respects to the trade route:




Norway then moves into the classical era, alongside spain. The warriors choose not to take the wagon, instead moving up to the city, so I bombard them with my slinger.
On T44, I discover that the warriors of the enemy can coexist with my traders, which I thought was an impossibility. Still, it doesn't really matter, so my slinger keeps shooting. Kwango finishes a builder, goes on to a warrior. I realise that I have overbuilt builders, so they sit around twiddling their thumbs until the war is over and they can go chop some rainforests for the capital.
IBT Norway takes god of the forge and attacks my capital, no major damage. Bronze and state workforce both finish, I have no iron. However, I have a UU sword, so I don't actually need it, it would only be nice for the boost. As is, iron working in 10 turns. Political philosophy will come in 8 as well, and I take Agorge and Corvee (the wonder booster). Slinger kills one of the warriors for the ultra-rare archery boost! Also, spain has been expanding up north:




This city location is so nice, why can't I have it. First build of faith district, however, is distinctly suboptimal. A norwegian archer shows up to the south east, which worries me.
The AI does the warrior shuffle, and I drop the warrior down low as a result. Scout pops the hut for another scout, which is not needed or wanted.
T48 the AI decides to move their archer next to one of my warriors, but does not take as much damage as I would like. I do eliminate their final warrior though, so the archer runs away next turn.
Of course, by T50, they are back again, with a new warrior behind. Unfortunately, they decided to move their damaged archer up in front first, so they lose it. Just 1 warrior left, and 8 turns to the oracle.
T51 I meet Monty, looks like I'll be stuck in some sort of war forever. I also decide to buy a settler for 400 gold in Kwango, to go to the previously marked western location. Plan is to settle up that river and lock spain and monty away from each other.
T52 Kwango starts on a commercial hub, but I'll change that to an additional builder next turn for the new city. Norway will talk about peace, but won't take any at this point. Aztecs want to buy my chocolate for the same deal as Norway, given the agenda of Aztecs (they hate you if you have luxuries that they don't) I give them to him.
T54 I get political philosophy, take the obvious choice of classical republic and go with corvee, urban planning, Ilkum, and Charismatic leader. I also found my third city:




Here  you can see how much of a chokepoint it blocks off, as well as the barb situation nearby and the second norwegian city. Norway also moves its last damaged warrior back in, and promptly loses it. New city is building a warrior.
Norway gets a religion IBT, and someone snipes stonehenge. I wonder if they were connected, but the game won't tell me who stonehenge went to.
T56 I get iron working, animal husbandry due the next turn since I finally have a resource that needs it. I can only afford one upgrade to the UU (which I will most likely never spell out, as the name is quite something), and I choose to spend that against the barbarians rather than against Norway, since the barbs have more units. I also learn that the UU is actually worse than the sword by 5 strength, and has only 2 advantages, 1 being + 10 strength against ranged attacks (so essentially +5 in comparison to a sword) and no movement or vision penalties from woods and jungle. I thus make it my mission to exit this war as fast as possible.

IBT NORWAY PAYS ME FOR PEACE! The exact same sum he and monty wanted for my luxuries, interesting. I take it of course, and then meet Germany.
T57:




Finally. I have my capital back. I also get animal husbandry, next is the Wheel on the way to machinery and lumbermills. Drama and poetry is boosted, due in 4. I will complete a slinger in that time, so that my capital can immediately go on to a theatre square district. I have no clue where germany actually is, and Spain made a crappy coastal city:




Just so long as he stays away from the river, everything will be fine.
T58 my initial trade route finally finishes, I put the trader in Kinchassa and will send a trade route to the capital next turn to speed up its development.
T60 I discover that I somehow gained a turn in slinger production at the capital, so I need to dump production into something for a turn before I get access to the theatre district. I choose a commercial district.
T61 I get drama and poetry, remove the wonder production and replace it with settler production. Next research games and recreation.
In the interests of not staying up too late, this is where I will end my first session. Still no GPP generated, but I'm in a good position to start getting some, as well as potentially expanding out to 5 cities and locking away some of my neighbours. I apologise for the smaller screenshots, my regular computer is broken so I'm using a crappy laptop.

[Dp101]

Back into the swing of things. Monty starts things off by insulting me, so I'm back to having every AI have an unhappy face towards me.
Get wheel T63, on to a boosted archery in 2 turns. Barbarian hordes by my third city are completely cleared up by a UU and a CS's horseman, very nice. All my cities are growing nicely as well, 1 turn to size 3 in my new city, 3 to 4 in my second, and 3 to 5 in the capital. That time to growth increases dramatically in my second city the next turn however, as the builder finishes and I steal away an unused mine from the capital to work on a settler, due in 10. I acquire suzerain status with stockholm on T64, but still don't have any completed districts to use any of my myriad GPP bonuses.
T65 I finish archery, and start the long slog towards horseback riding -> apprenticeship. The lack of variety of resources has really made it difficult to get boosts, although this is partially my fault for not settling the northeastern city faster for its cattle resource. Settling plan:




Next settler is going to the northwestern spot to lock down spain, next to the north east to get the last fresh water north of the capital, and then to the final eastern location to lock down both sides of that mountain checkpoint, and because there is no other freshwater option.
IBT germany complains that I am am friends with his enemies, I inform him that I have no friends. I also meet Gandhi, in the far south-west. Barbs at the NE location were out in force, and I learn the painful lesson that horsemen are merely equal to the weakened UU. Things are generally ok though with the CS providing both a distraction and some support.
T70 comes around, and I start running into housing issues at the second city. Due to its lack of food improvements, it has a housing cap of 5, and thus 4 cuts my food in half. The settler coming out in 3 turns will fix that though. I also see that Norway has build walls in its second city for whatever reason, which hopefully means I can continue with my current settling pattern.
I am told IBT that aztecs settled a new city, but I can't see it, which is good.

Games and recreation finishes on 72, but I don't have enough districts to make insule worthwhile yet. No civic swaps. Now all I have left is the disappointing column of civics between the first governments and civil service/feudalism, where I care about exactly none of the options. I go for defensive tactics because it is boosted, and that's the start and the end of my thought there. Water wheel finishes at Kinchassa for the boost and the bonus food on the rice, I go for a campus district next, not because it is particularly great (Kongo's GPP boost is only for commercial and theatre square districts) but because there is a slim chance I can get the recorded history boost for 2 campuses, which will be very nice. Well, actually, I decide after all that to lock it in and immediately swap to an 8-turn settler since it can build that faster than I thought, and I have the boost in place. I might send its settler west and the one due next turn east, but I'm worried that I haven't seen spain expand in a while and they might come south-west. I guess they have an equal chance of both.
T73 Horseback Riding comes through, 10 turns to apprenticeship. The kwango settler pops out and I do decide to send it east. Commercial district due in 14. Norway insults me because they feel I am not high enough in production, I have no idea why.
My capital finally finishes a theatre square on T75! 7 turns to size 6 and 7 turns to a settler, lines up nicely. Apparently I'm still not getting any GPP according to the interface, so I will get a screenshot next turn.

T76:




Looks like I made the right decision :D I had been noticing some spanish units in the area, and it turned out that that was indicative of something. Too slow! Empire overview with the new city:




I think I will go back and build districts for a bit after these two settlers finish, I am not seeing any more potentially contested positions on the map. Also, the fruits of 1 turn of 1 theatre square with max possible bonuses to GPP:




THIS IS INSANE. AND THIS IS WITH NO BUILDINGS. Now I understand why my friend at school goes on and on about how OP Kongo and the Oracle is. Damn that is a lot of points/turn. It is going to take me 6 turns to generate a great writer at this rate. 6!
Spain complains about my settling, I ignore the request as I'm pretty sure that my next city will count as breaking a promise if I say I will settle elsewhere. Gandhi makes a cryptic comment about weapons, I can't tell if he likes me. Spain continues to advance their settler towards my new city in the hope that their burning desire for the location > game mechanics, and is building the pyramids in their crappy size 2 coastal city. 10/10 AI. 3 turns to 1 settler, 4 to the other. Things are good. My capital is converted by Norway, so spain has another reason to hate me. The spain settler starts heading west, to the river that I just put a settler pin on, dammit. They can have that though, so long as I get the west.

T80 I get defensive tactics, no civic changes. Military training next since everything else is either unboostable (theology, can't found a religion), a candidate for boosting but not done yet (recorded history) or multiple columns ahead and thus way too expensive (feudalism).
IBT india founds hinduism. T81 I get out my first settler from Kinchassa, which grew at a terrifying rate thanks to the 6 food rice tile with marsh + farm + water wheel, I send it to the northwest location. Annoyingly, the CS up there keeps shuffling its units onto the hex that I want to put the city on, so the founding might be delayed a tad. I also get the great writer, so the GP tally is 1 so far. They give me 2 great writings, and my cap starts with 5 slots because kongo, which is great. Kinchassa goes back to the campus, and the great work of writing gives me 4 culture and 4 tourism. This shot up my culture from 12.6 to 16.6, a 33% increase. Monty complements me on my military. I somehow lost a turn of settler production in the capital, so the settler is delayed a turn. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me. My total cultural output is now 66% higher than it was earlier, and surpasses my science for the first time in a while.
Aztecs found a religion IBT, T83 I get apprenticeship! This massively cuts down on the time needed to finish the districts, and will probably lead to an industrial district next in the capital. Research set to engineering on the path to Machinery. I have 500 gold but don't know what to spend it on currently. Perhaps a worker in each of the new cities, or maybe a new settler for 720 if I save for a few turns? Regardless, I need to sleep, so I'll end here. Sorry for the shorter report with fewer pictures than normal (or maybe you like that? Feedback is always good). Have a final overview shot

[RefSteel]

I love reports where the words can carry the weight with or without any pictures; a few well-chosen pictures with text explaining what's going on are better than spammed images (especially samey-seeming images) without any thoughts around them, especially for a game where (hopefully) many others will play on the same map and see or post similar images. For a game like this, I think it's easier to follow a thread with a large{r} number of short(er) updates than one with a small(er) number of huge updates, with the excpetion of the limiting case where the entire game is digested down into a single comprehensive report after the fact.

All of which is to say, in this case: Your reports so far have been terrific, both entertaining and great for explaining your thinking as you go. Thanks very much!

[Dp101]

I love reports where the words can carry the weight with or without any pictures; a few well-chosen pictures with text explaining what's going on are better than spammed images (especially samey-seeming images) without any thoughts around them, especially for a game where (hopefully) many others will play on the same map and see or post similar images.  For a game like this, I think it's easier to follow a thread with a large{r} number of short(er) updates than one with a small(er) number of huge updates, with the excpetion of the limiting case where the entire game is digested down into a single comprehensive report after the fact.

All of which is to say, in this case:  Your reports so far have been terrific, both entertaining and great for explaining your thinking as you go.  Thanks very much!

Thanks for the compliments! They mean a lot coming from you, given how many hours of my life I have spent reading through your MoO reports. I'll try to keep the same ratio of pictures to text as before, which won't be hard given how difficult it is to take screenshots on this computer in comparison to my dead one. Really, the reason for the overview shots is that regrettably, I'm not sure how many people will play this game, so I figure giving the readers some context as to what the map looks like is a good idea when you can't rely on others to show off the map separately.
So, T84. I am faced with a choice of where to put an envoy, and a bunch of meh options. I have 1 in all CSs I can see, so there are no easy 1-point benefits. I wouldn't mind one of the cultural CSs, given all the theatre square districts I am going to put down (because of Kongo's benefit), but both of them have kinda bad suzerain boosts, one of them gives full housing to all my cities which sounds more like a way to fix mistakes than an actual boost, and the other is a boost to CS trade routes, another bad option. Amsterdam is also a possibility, as I have two commercial districts on the way and the boost would be nice, but a foreign trade route boost is again not what I'm looking for. In the end, I put the point into Stockhold to solidify my position there.
I also, out of curiosity, attempt to calculate where my 10.8 number for total great writer points is coming from. The base yield of a theatre square is 1. Divine spark adds 1, as does stockholm, so up to 3. The oracle adds another 2, so up to 5. Kongo doubles it for 10, and classical republic adds 17% total for a total multiplier of 2.17, which goes to 10.85. Pretty insane output for one district in one city with no buildings.
T85 my scouting reveals a dyes resource in the NE, which bumps up the priority of the next city over there as I do not currently possess such a resource. I also buy a builder in Mbanza Mbata to speed its development along, as my production is good enough that I don't need to rush my settlers.
IBT Norway wants 67 gold for my chocolate, I'm not afraid of him and refuse.
T86 I get military trading, theology next. I get another envoy from it, put it into stockholm again. I still feel no burning desire for different civics, so no changes. New city:




Spain is now completely locked out of the west, the eastern dyes is now their only path forwards. I immediately buy a builder in the new city, and make it work on a monument for now. Also something to note, Kinchassa is 2 sizes larger than Kwango despite being later in founding order and growing 3 times as fast, although Kwango has admittedly put out a settler. Just goes to show how powerful a 6F hex is. IBT Germany thinks I have a good government, I don't disagree. Also, Kwango finishes my first commercial district! I have it produce the trader allowed by the new construction, to be assigned to one of the new cities to bring a road over. I meet Preslav and La Venta in the east, but neither of them have any benefits of note.
Germany gets the sacred path pantheon, good for them. One turn into GM point production, and I have 4.3/turn compared to India's 1.1/turn, so their 20 point lead means nothing. Too bad I don't particularly like the bonus, 60 gold x3 + 3 tile annexations is underwhelming. Still, scoring is based on quantity rather than quality, and they are cheap at only 60 points, so I won't complain. Also, Germany is actually friendly! I have a friend! They took my Delegation! Still won't declare us friends, but progress! Spain offers me the exact same 11G +3/turn + OB for chocolate that everyone else has, I say no. Germany declares friendship! Ganhdi also wants chocolate, but also wants OB and will pay me less. I obviously say no.

IBT91 and 92 WAR WITH NORWAY AGAIN. Fun times abound. Also I get theology, I replace the builder boost with agorge and give up on the recorded history boost. I also get another great writer, so Total of 2 GP generated so far. The capital also finishes its commercial district, and I'm getting 13 GM POINTS PER TURN. It immediately starts working on a UU. The army against me:




I saw a heavy chariot earlier as well, but nothing else. I upgrade a warrior and pull back my scouting units. I also find Mt Everest in the east and FINALLY boost astrology, which I had been ignoring up until this point. IBT the catapult shuffles across, Germany gets a new city, and also denounces Norway in the process. Thanks friend <3! T93 I get engineering and realise that I need one more archer for the machinery boost, so I start on mathematics, which will be boosted next turn. A second catapult appears IBT.
T94 sees my first campus done, although I'm unsure if I can beat the Aztecs to the first GS. We will see next turn when the rate of point generation updates. The trader also finishes, and is deposited in my new city:




(just pretend the trader is there, I moved them immediately after taking the shot). This also boost Sailing, another tech I had been delaying forever. I will need it though, there are some pearls off the coast of the new city that I wouldn't mind acquiring. Mbumbi (finally an easy name!) starts on a builder, due in 20 but that will drop once I swap out of agoge in 3 turns. IBT a THIRD catapult appears, and one pulls back into the fog. I am beginning to wonder if Norway has any kind of conventional military at all.
I also get a Great Merchant, so 3 GP acquired. I screenshot this one, as unlike the first 2 I have no way to prove that I got the benefits through a great person. It also allows me to show off my ridiculous rate that I acquire GMs:




The only other civ producing any points is India, at 1.2/turn. I think I should safely be able to get the next person too. Also, I'm making 3.5 GS points/turn compared to the Aztecs 2.3, which should mean that even with their head start, I beat them by 2 points. Still, I'm building a library just to make sure. I start beating up the catapults. IBT Germany builds the hanging gardens, and the bloody catapult pillages my commercial district at the capital. You know, the one that was singlehandedly producing 8.7GPP/turn. At least I get the Mercenaries boost from the UU completing, to go along with my mercantilism and enlightenment boosts. I screenshot the enlightenment boost in fact, just in case proof is required, since I need 3 GP to get it. I discovered something horrific about the norwegian military this turn:




Yes, I just killed 2 catapults, and guess what? THERE ARE 3 MORE. I already knew about one, but COME ON. I realise that the AI's weakness is often not enough siege, but I think they might be slightly overcompensating. 7 turns to repair the commercial hub.
T97 I get maths and recorded history. I go for machinery for the lumber mills (which will be great on all the riverside forests I have) and civil service. The war is essentially won, so I get rid of agoge and decide not to go back to Ikhum, but instead to get Insule, as I both need the housing and can fulfill the requirements. Aztecs also have a new city, making me glad that I blocked off the west from them:




Mbanza Mbata starts working on a settler, due in 10 turns. Amazing how fast a city can grow, it's already size 4. This turn, I also discover something interesting about 1UPT. There was a CS warrior standing on top of a tribal village I wanted. By using my scout's 3 moves, however, I could move through it, and apparently was able to collect the hut despite never stopping in the hex. It only gave 20 faith, but still. Peter tells me that I'm settling too close, I have no idea what he's talking about so ignore him.
On T99 I meet Nan Madol in the west, another cultural CS, another 2 culture/turn in the capital. The AI is in full retreat, all catapults pulling back, but I can't start peace talks yet.
T100 I see that the Aztecs have stepped up their GSp production, but I have cheaper faith-based patronage due to oracle + nothing to spend faith on, so I will still be able to get the GS in the end. Overview shot of the empire for comparison purposes at this important date (at 400BCE) for whatever reason:




Strategic mode is the only way to fit my whole empire. Spain finally completes the pyramids IBT, only took him about 50 turns to do it in a now size 3 city. My first loss on the settling front:




Tempted to declare a surprise war if they don't settle this turn. Machinery comes in T102, and I go on to sailing next, since I actually need it soon. Meet Lisbon in the west, but they were surprisingly found by someone else first. Probably India, since the mountain + lake combo can't extend forever. I still have the tempting spanish settler sitting there, but in the end, I decide not to go for it. Probably a mistake, but I don't want to be that much of a dick to the Ais, it's not like I really need that spot. IBT the settler does not move, not sure what's going on there. I also get another great writer, which is screenshotted. 4 total GP generated Sailing finishes, now 12 turns to Education, but I will get the GS in 6 for the boost, so it's really due in 6. Spain is moving a column of a promoted warrior, a spear, and a heavy chariot towards my capital. I am tempted to just bop the settler on the head and get it over with, but the CS at the settler's location has moved up more units, so maybe the location is blocked, the city won't go down, and any war dec will come at a time when I can snipe the settler without getting bad-guy points. Another turn passes, and no city goes down. The units approach and split up, so my army starts moving north. I unlock Civil Service and take Meritocracy, my favourite civic in the game. This increases my culture/turn by 4, same as a great work, very nice. Next civic Feudalism, due in 6. Tribal village in the west gives me a useless scout, and I put the envoy from civil service into Seoul, because its bonus is broken as hell. I make the hard choice to preemptively upgrade an archer to a crossbow in case I need it, but the 200 gold is a hard price to pay. I still have 295 left for emergencies though. Still no attack IBT, and the army is getting more consolidated. Also no new city.

It is now T107. No cities from spain, and no declaration of war either. All of Norway's catapults are dead, and I get a great scientist in 2 turns. I hate to leave on a note of unresolved tension, but I need to sleep like everyone else, so this will be all for now. Anything anyone particularly wants to see next time?

[Dp101]

Ok, time to resolve the tension. First, here's the tense front:




Those 4 units have been hanging around for multiple turns, and doing their best to get as close to my cities as possible, so you can see why I might be concerned. You can also see the settler situation in the east, and also the fact that I might just settle my own city before they put theirs down. I then make a discovery while looking around:




Apparently, the AI found a way up here, taking away my potential source of horses (well, I'll have one if I get the east, but that's not the point). The AI settled past a city state and a mountain range to get up there, and has no chance to defend the city if attacked. I'm strongly debating just taking it away from india. Anyway, on to the next turn, and the city finally is founded by the AI, the turn I get my settler out. Still no war, I don't know what the AI is doing. I ask Spain to stop settling near me, and they refuse, so I denounce them. The settler is still useful however, as it is providing critical intel with its larger vision range. IBT108 and 109, Norway signs peace! Nothing exchanged in the deal. T109 I get a GS, which finishes the education boost and marks my 5th GP. Stirrups next, as Feudalism finishes next turn for the boost and it leads to Banking.
Feudalism is finished, I replace colonisation with serfdom, as I'm not making too many settlers right now. Next is mercenaries, just in case there is a war. GS eurekas Castles, Military Engineering, and Military Tactics, accomplishing nothing except a stockholm quest, great. Germany switches governments and immediately hates me, great. Mercenaries comes in T113, I go for Divine Right since I might want the wonder-production boost. Norway declares friendship, of all things. I have the ability to declare a formal war on Spain now, and resolve to do it in 5 turns, which is when I can swap into the upgrade cost reduction policy. Stirrups finishes T115, so I go back for Masonary, Construction, and Military engineering, so that I can see niter and maybe go for muskets later.

IBT SPAIN DECLARES. GJ, I am so surprised and unaware of what was about to occur. They make a bunch of poor attacks, but my units are still healthy, and they lose a lot more:




Pretty sure I won't have to upgrade anything before I swap policies.
T119 I get Divine Right, and swap in professional housing over insule, I don't need housing that badly. I don't need the agoge equivalent that I just unlocked either, as all the initial military forces have been cleaned up, and all that remains is burning down the offending city. India's strategy is revealed:




I'm unsure of the wisdom of this settling strategy, but hey, it worked once. I also get a Great Merchant, which will add .5G for each district at the destination of a route. Sounds good to me, 6 total recruited.
IBT MONTY DECIDES TO DECLARE A SURPRISE WAR, AFTER CONSTANT COMPLIMENTS. WHY. The invading force:




This might be an issue. Of course, that's only going to be the case if the AI does something sensible, which is never a guarantee. Monty plunders a trade route IBT, and I notice that spain has started spamming archers, the worst possible unit against my UU. Spain pillages another trade route the turn later, and Monty retreats. In amongst all this, I steal an unattended builder.
On T123 I get Guilds and Military Engineering, and I have 2 sources of Niter! One at the cap, another between its borders and those of the second city. Banking next, since it just got boosted and I like the look of the wonder. Naval tradition for next civic, as I want the cheap envoy to get Seoal from germany. I go back to insule and get rid of professional army, as I don't need to upgrade anything more. Spain's offending city is down to a sliver of health, and my settler is almost ready to go plant my better version.
IBT WALLS FINISHES AND THE DAMMED CITY WON'T DIE ALL OF A SUDDEN. HOW IS THIS FAIR WHEN I'VE ALMOST KILLED IT ALREADY. But hey, another great writer! The city falls regardless however, turns out level 1 walls in an tiny city aren't worth much. I burn it to the ground. Monty's army is completely gone, no idea where it is.
Reactions to the burning: Germany denounces, India makes a wonder.
The next turn, Spain hands out some silver and change for peace, I take it. Spain then turns around and asks me to move away my armies. OK? I do so. The next GM will provide 2 great work slots with are in critically low supply, I have nowhere to put Shakespeare's second writing, even with the 5 free capital slots from being Kongo.
T127 Naval trad comes in, Medieval Faires next, with no chance of a boost due to the trade route raiding in wartime. I also found the city that I wanted all along:




Yes, that is a spanish settler in the bottom right, and no, I don't know how it got there. As you can see, I bought the good tile on the border, as well as the new lux, and an additional builder since the capture one only came with one charge. This game is really teaching me the value of riverside lumbermills, I never knew that they got the additional point of production from being riverside.
Spain complains about my settling. I tell them that I won't go near them again.
Banking is acquired T129, Printing next for the great wonder. India's being a dick:




I wanted that wheat dammit, I even built a waterwheel in preparation. I also want those pearls. India might need to die.
I would stop at T130, but I'm .6 GPP away from my first great artist, so I go one more turn. I don't get why the price of a great musician = 2 * price of a great artist = 4 * price of a great writer.
GA is acquired successfully next turn, 8 total GP in the log. Parting overview shot:




I would play more, but have a ton of homework I need to get to. Still, I'm happy about where I'm at currently.

[Dp101]

Upon reopening the game, I discover something quite odd:




Someone must have lost a settler to barbarians, then failed to recapture it, and Seoul swung in to steal it. Now it is fated to decorate the capital of the CS forever, never to be used.
T132 Medieval faires comes in, put in Medina Quarter for even more housing. Humanism next to give my GA something to do. Not much is happening currently, mostly just serfdom builders running around making delicious riverside lumbermills. Monty's still technically at war with me, but isn't doing much and won't sign peace. Printing comes in T134, Astronomy next. Creating a UD version of the neighbourhood in Mbumbi creates an apostle, but none of the effects of the religion it spreads (hinduism) are that good, so he's going to sit around forever most likely. I also get a great merchant, 9 GP in the log. This guy gives a bank, market, and 2 slots for great works in whatever district he goes in, and will be placed in the district built in 5 turns in Mbanza Nsundi (you can see why I haven't been typing out the names that much). I also get my first industrial district, in the capital, in the same spot I picked out from T1. This will (hopefully) allow me to steal the first GE from Germany, as they are only producing points at a rate of 1/turn making their 15 point lead irrelevant. In case anyone is wondering, total GM points/turn is 17.6 currently.
Spain denounces me.
T136 I get humanism, going for Exploration for Merchant Republic. It's going to hurt losing +15% GPP, but the additional slots will help me in other ways that will help me more in the long run, I think. Most likely, this will be a mistake that will lose me the game, but TBH the hardest part of getting points is getting the districts up, and the additional trade routes and policies will probably help enough with that to cancel out the loss of the 15%.
Norway builds the GL library IBT, despite being in the medieval era. Top tier plays. And no, I was not going to build the wonder just to get 2 great works of writing slots.

I'm extremely concerned for the mental health of the AI:




I never expected to see that top message.
The commercial district finishes, and the GM and GA do their things. When I go to check the great works screen, however, I notice 2 very odd things. Firstly, the tourism from all my great works of writing has doubled, for no apparent reason. Mousing over each individual yield still shows 4 culture/4 tourism, but each one is actually producing 8. Speaking of yields, I discover that my shiny, hard to acquire painting only gives... 3 culture and 2 tourism? What? Is the point of this so that we have to chase theming bonii to get anything out of them or what? This feels underwhelming.
T140 I get Astronomy, boosting Colonialism. Far-off sanitation gets a boost since I've been building a bunch of my unique district, kind of amusing. I belatedly acquire shipbuilding on the route to Mass Production, as I want to get industrialisation soon. I start on the Forbidden City in Kinchassa, due in a stupidly long-term 59 turns, but next turn I'll add the wonder-boosting policy, and the city will acquire more hills and mines over time.
On T141 I reluctantly release my Classical Republic. I would get an additional 1% boost to GPP in 3 turns, but I'm content with the 5% they will leave me with. I add to my government Conscription to save on costs and Gothic Architecture to speed up the wonders. Diplomatic Service next.
T142 I get a Great Writer, with nowhere to put them. I had no idea that I would produce great writers faster than I could find places to house their books. 10 GP generated.
T145 I get a very boring GM, 200 gold + 2 envoys. Still, the winner is decided by quantity of GP, not their quality, so I take it. 11 total generated. I'm spending my money and time buying tiles around Kinchassa for my builder to mine, since the city's culture output is rather poor and time to build the wonder is still at 40 turns.
India gives me some cotton for my niter, I accept.
T149 I acquire Diplomatic Service and Mass Production, and go on to Gunpowder in case of war, as well as The Enlightenment in case of peace. I'm holding off on industrialisation because I still need one more workshop, which will be due in 11 turns.
The art museum finishes, but only having 1 museum and 1 GA is actually terrible. I also see that Monty used faith or money to snipe a GS out from under me, as he beat me to it despite having far inferior point generation. The next one is better though, the previous one gave bulk science from adjacent mountains, while this one gives a uni and library in the district, then makes all universities give 2 more science. Somehow, I acquire 4 envoys in one turn, and take back Seoul, which was stolen by Germany briefly.
Enlightenment comes in T152, replace Serfdom with Liberalism, since I'm not making too many builders these days. Opera and Ballet next, since I'm going to need the Great Musician slots. My capital is producing 55 culture/turn, empire-wide production is 92. This pleases me. GM points/turn has hit 24.6, this also pleases me. A spanish settler is poking around Mbwila, but I'm not worried.

Gunpowder comes in on T153, and I make the unpleasent discovery that industrialisation will require a combined 20 turns of research onto shipbuilding techs, neither of which I am likely to be able to boost. I go for scientific theory for now. First GE acquired, allows for an additional district to be built in a city (plus printing boosted, but I got that ages ago). 12 total. Next one is very intriguing, despite being a Renaissance era GE according to the game, Leonardo da Vinci boosts a Modern Era tech, completely skipping over the industrial era, and also gives 1 culture/workshop. Odd. Monty still doesn't want peace. Belated T153 overview (I was going to do this T150, but forgot):




This picture mostly shows the massive defensive buildup of Monty. Look at all those walls! If he had put that production into units, and came and fought at me, I might be in trouble. As is, most of my military is over by spain. Turns out Monty was also doing an infrastructure project, as the Colosseum is produced IBT by him.
T154 another GP arrives, this one a GS. 13 total Isaac Newton will have to wait 6 turns for construction of the new campus, although given the 3 turn transit time I don't lose much. Germany is posturing:




I really hope those units aren't there for the reason I think they are. And the very next turn, a denouncement comes through. Maybe I will get the square rigging boost (kill a unit with a musketman) after all.
T156 Opera and Ballet puts me into the industrial era, so Seoul hands out a boost for Ballistics. Might be good given all my crossbows. I exchange Conscription for Professional army, fearing the worst. 3 turn Mercantilism next. I also get a great writer, 14 total GP.
Bolshoi theatre is started the next turn in the capital, due in 39 turns, but that's without the industrial-wonder boosting policy.
Spain and germany become friends, I really don't like the sound of that.
Mercantilism is done T159, colonialism next for the envoys.
T160 Gandhi gets the Hagia Sophia and I acquire Scientific Theory, then bite the bullet and go for Cartography. Newton goes off, increasing my science rate from 86 to 97/turn, pretty nice. Germany's troops are flooding around Stockholm so I start moving my army into position.
T161 a major milestone, my first Great Musician! 15 total, I send Beethoven to the bank to deposit his musical genius in order to start earning interest from it.
The next turn, another great person, an artist. 16 total. They make a sculpture, which somehow generates food, production, and (this one makes sense at least) money. Kongo is seeming extremely balanced right now. In other news, Monty still doesn't want peace, and called in a CS against me.
T 163 I get colonialism, and start attempting to steal away the Aztec CS, as I don't feel like fighting it right now. My scout finds something very... interesting... nearby the Norwegian capital:




I don't think it's meant to look like that. No wars are occurring (other than the Aztecs vs me), but I haven't spotted any barbs either. A mystery. Beethoven makes his masterpiece, and it gives the same yield as a great work of writing. I'm rather confused right now. You can't get a theming bonus for music, so does that mean that musicians are just writers, except that you get fewer of them and fewer slots? Seems redundant to me.
Source of the barb troubles:




Really hope I don't lose my scout, they have great promotions and I'd love to turn them into a ranger. Germany has not moved its units in a while, I don't understand what they are doing. Spain denounces me IBT. The scout dies, as expected. Stupid movement by me, this is why you go one hex at a time. Cartography comes in T166, and I go for Sanitation since I've never made a medic before and feel like trying it.
Next turn, yet another writer. 24 points a turn sure gives you a lot of them. 17 total. But, that's not it for great people, as I also have a merchant! 18 total, again a victim of 24 points/turn. It's exceedingly boring, 500 gold and 2 envoys, but it's better than nothing. Next one is much better, 1 economic policy slot forever!
New record for most initially confusing screenshot:




Still getting used to the different order of german cities in civ VI.
Germany stole a great scientist from me, great. Seems like the AI uses the patronage option on them pretty often. The next one isn't as good, only eurekas 2 techs rather than 3, so I'll have to pay better attention to scientists in future.
T170 I get Sanitation, and give up on my hopes for a boost to square rigging, going on to it and then industrialisation.
Natural history comes T171, and I go for Civil Engineering now that I've set up builds for entertainment centres and aqueducts for the boost. In other news, my rate of great merchant point production has increased to 30.7/turn.

The Forbidden City is finally completed T172, but I can't get wonder videos in strategic mode and it would take 5 years to process a turn out of it on this laptop at this point in the game, so no shiny screenshot. My science is beating my culture by 10, for the first time in ages, so I rectify that by putting envoys into a cultural CS. The wildcard slot is filled with Grand Opera to further enhance my cultural output as I attempt to reach Broadway and Democracy. Democracy is the rare choice here over communism, because it halves the cost of buying great people, which will be my main method of acquiring them near the end. These changes increase my culture from 110/turn to 140/turn, blowing past my science rate of 119/turn. Incidentally, I'm halfway to a culture victory.
Monty still doesn't want peace.
T174 I recruit good ole Leo, for 19 total. Him boosting a modern tech is actually useful in this context given that that's basically where I'm up to. He gets me... chemistry, the one guaranteed by the great scientist. Thanks. The +culture from workshops is nice at least.
So apparently, Aquaducts don't count as unique districts for the purposes of the civil service boost. So, because I can't make holy sites and skipped harbours, I had no way to earn the boost, and that will cost me 2 turns of research. Unfortunate.
Square rigging comes in T176, 3 turns to my embarrassingly late factories.
T177 I finally get Civil Engineering, and take skyscrapers for the wonder production. Nationalism is the only way forward from here.


Civ decided to crash at this point. I'll add pictures to this part of the report, and maybe then play a little more.

[Dp101]

Well, 2k's servers are apparently down or something. I doubt that will effect single player games, but you never know, and I should probably sleep regardless. No more turns tonight.

[Dp101]

In the end, no time was lost from the crash.
I get industrialism in T 179, and head on to chemistry. I rush a factory in my capital to speed up its wonder, since I had 2.3K gold and the factory only cost 1.1K. The extra production drops the bolshoi theatre ETA to 7 turns, and the Great Zimbabwe to 23. Monty still won't sign peace. The next turn, I get a Great Writer. Not hard when you get 34 points/turn. 20 Great People generated!
The following turn, another GP, this time a Merchant! 30 points a turn is also pretty good. 21 generated. This merchant gives me an economic policy slot, and I fill it with Free Market, in anticipation of using my gold to buy a bunch of GP at the end. This boosts computers, since I have enough slots even without going to the third-tier governments that are supposed to boost it.

Nationalism is acquired T183, and I go after urbanisation next. ANOTHER great person is generated, that makes 3 in 4 turns. This one's an Artist, which will allow me to start picking up theming bonii.
I hit the modern era on the next turn, and Seoul boosts Steel for me. Even with all the boosts, I will need to research 7 techs totalling 31 turns in order to reach steel, since it requires all the military stuff that I've been skipping, Still, it's that or replacing my lumbermills, and I kind of don't really need research, so I go for it.
I discover IBT that Monty just made Chichen Itza. No wonder he's second last in power and not sending armies after me. Also, the game tells me that I can declare a colonial war against Spain, IMO the ultimate insult. Germany wants chocolate and gunpowder, and will give cotton and change. I accept, I want a friend.

Bolshoi theatre finishes T186, sorry, no wonder video. It gives me Scorched Earth and Urbanisation, exactly what I wanted, as it missed the skipped reformed church civic. Mass Media next. My gold/turn also crosses 100 for the first time this turn!

NORWAY DECLARES WAR THE NEXT TURN, AND BRINGS GANHDI IN WITH IT. THE ONLY 2 CIVS WITH GREEN SMILEY FACES NEXT TO THEIR NAMES. WHAT. I fear for Toronto. Germany also denounces me, and I get a Great Scientist. The scientist is my 23rd, and boosts Steam Power. I start moving my outdated army over to the front. Monty doesn't want peace. IBT, Spain, who hates me, denounces Norway, I assume because they attacked me. What is the AI doing. No army appears. Toronto is facing down Musketmen armed with only pikes and crossbows, I'm worried.

A CS is brought into the war in the east, and sends forth a Crossbow, so I upgrade my UU there to a musket for 100 gold. Gotta love professional army. I also get a Great Writer, 24 total. Now Norway denounces the Aztecs and spain denounces India. Who calls their allies names for helping? The Ai, that's who. I also get a great musician, 25 total.
Now, Norway declares friendship with India. See, now this makes sense, they did come into a war against me together, but why the earlier infighting then?

T194 Mass Media comes in, Mobilisation -> Ideology next. Get a great engineer, who will give me toys for +4 ammenities. Toronto has held out for now, and there are no attacks on me.
Spain denounces me T196-7, continuing to ensure I have a red icon next to every civ in diplomacy. Come on guys, I razed one city 50 turns ago, and you still hate me?
Artist comes in T197, 27 generated. Ballistics also comes in, so my crossbows can actually be relevant if I am invaded. Norway finally finishes their lake wonder, good for them. A lone pikeman has invaded my territory, I'm terrified. I get yet another great writer T 198, 28 total. I finally theme a museum!




Never done that before. India runs away IBT, that may well be all the military action that occurs this war.

T200, the Great Zimbabwe finishes. I again stupidly forgot to take an overview shot on the dot, so here it is on 201, after Mobilisation finishes:




Gold per turn dropped massively, the consequence of upgrading units. Other than than, culture is through the roof, which is nice. Still about halfway to a culture victory. Monty again bought a Great Scientist with patronage last turn, again leaving a less good one, but actually, it doesn't matter. One GP counts just as well as another for the purposes of this variant, and it's not like I'm losing anything. Sure, the next great scientist is uninspiring, but it really doesn't matter. I recount the great people, and sure enough, 28 total generated by this point.
IBT, Gandhi pays me a little bit of money for peace. I take it. Of course, he only does so after attacking with his ranged units. Arsehole. Also, I realise too late that someone owns Yerevan, and they're angry:




My military is not in place to deal with this. I buy a field cannon, and upgrade some UUs and crossbows and move them over. Then, something supremely odd occurs. I click on yerevan on a whim, and see a button labeled make peace. I click it, and instantly am at peace with them, despite still being at war with their overlord. I'm deeply confused. Why does this feature exist? There is no apparent disadvantage to clicking the button, and it immediately takes the CS out of the war. I feel stupid for upgrading and buying units over this. Ideology is discovered T103, and I realise that the suffrage booster takes twice as many sewers as I remember (4), so I get class struggle instead since I will be using collectivisation regardless of my final government. I also get a GE, for my 29th GP. They will boost computers, which is already done, and then allow my cap to make one more district, pretty good.
Germany declares war on Stockholm T206. I don't go to defend immediately, as they only have 1 knight, but start moving my army over. Monty still doesn't want peace. Norway wants my chocolate, I'll pay that for peace of mind. IBT, Monty moves up some cavalry!




The 2-promo musket and the crossbow have been having a staring match for ages, with the other musket just passing through, but this is a new development. Muskets apparently lose quite hard to cavalry, so I combine into a corps for safety and stay on a hill. I also finish Rifling and finally have steel up next to research, and also get class struggle done. Since it will take a while to get the boost (7 turns) I take a detour to conservation before I start on Suffrage. Since it's a day that ends with y, I get a writer for my 30th GP. I briefly switch to communism, as it only gives me more slots and the production will be nice for a bit, plus it gives me more envoys. I have no slots for collectivisation however, as I need all the ones I have currently. Once I get democracy I'll start using it.
After coming some distance into my territory, the cavalry abruptly disappears. I have no idea why or how.
T210 brings a GA, and I decide that enough is enough with Germany. Screenshot didn't take, but they had 3-4 knights around plus a couple of crossbows and a sword, with stockholm only having 1 sword left and having taken a bit of damage.
I'm not letting the city fall, and declare a police action (well actually, game calls it a protectorate war, but I have the cold war on my brain right now). No warmonger penalties! One crossbow and one knight go away. Norway loves me now!
Steel comes in T211, boosting lumber mills across the empire. Economics next.
Conservation finishes next turn, Suffrage next. Great musician comes in, 32 total.
Turns out my computer can survive being out of strategic mode for a bit:




I get a great scientist, for 33 total. Darwin is crap, and the next guy Turing is not great either, yet another computers boost.
I also have a declared friend and full ally in Norway! Norway, the civ that fought me so long ago! This game doesn't make sense. Monty still doesn't want peace.
Economics comes in T214, go for steam power and flight for radio next. I see that spain has double my military power, so I go have a look what I can see, and well:




This didn't go well when Norway tried it a few hundred turns ago, at semi-equivalent tech. What are you doing? Also, while I'm taking pictures, this is what the Norwegian alliance lets me see:




See the pike and crossbow vs musket barb? That looks very, very painful. I'm so glad I have meat shields AIs all around me to protect me.
T215 Democracy becomes non-negotiable, and communism is cast out. New Deal replaces the seperate policies that gave ammenities and housing, which gives me not one but 2 more slots, so collectivisation and rationalism are in. I also get a crappy diplo slot, so get raj for the novelty. Cultural heritage next. I get a great writer, 34 total. My biggest struggle:




That's 6 writers and 2 musicians with nowhere to put their works. I almost feel like conquering an AI for more theatre squares, but if I did that then I might win by tourism too early. Spain makes a terracotta army to go along with their wooden one.
T216 I get a merchant, gives +1 levels of diplo vis with everyone, garbage. 35 total GP.
The next turn, Gandhi is happy with me. I check with my new infinite diplo knowledge, and find out that he is happy that I'm allied with an ally. A few clicks later, and I have another ally. Life is good. With nothing better to do, I start making district projects, since I am apparently boosting them by 30% with my government type.
T219 I finish Cultural Heritage, taking me into the atomic era and thus getting a boost from Seoul, targeting advanced flight. Useless. I could trigger Darwin this turn, but I see my duty before me:






Darwin, vanquisher of barbarians!
T220, I see what Germany will give me for peace now that it's possible. Turns out they will give me a horse, incense, cotton, coffee, and 20 gold/turn. I take it, as they no longer have an army. India's territory in full, made possible through the alliance:




Why they thought sailing across a lake was better than settling the land to their NW, I will never understand. Anyway, I'm going to finish this tomorrow. 35 GP generated, 1500 faith and 2000 gold in the bank. 40 GM points and 49 GW points/turn. I'm feeling good.