http://media.twango.com/m1/original/0002/e70c1578f7274a4e90122ae94aea9708.jpg

Emperor Han Wu Di was an ambitious man. While the history books would remember him for his extensive territorial expansion and his introduction of Confucian principles as the foundation of government, little did they know that he was also a Civilization junkie. Whenever he tired of real-life campaigns against the Xiongnu in the steppes of the north, or the Yue in the mountains of the south, or the Joseon on the Korean peninsula to the east, he would often find time to come back to his favorite pastime.

Yet the hectic affairs of the state, combined with the rivalries among his concubines for his affection, gradually eroded his leisure time. Fortunately, though, he had a young and capable minister at his service, the Prefect of the Grand Scribes, the scholar Sima Qian (司马迁). This Sima Qian would later be known as the father of Chinese historiography and the author of the Shiji (史记), known to the western world as the Records of the Grand Historian.

http://media.twango.com/m1/original/0002/db868190322b43c399f57bfbf6eed743.jpg


Sima Qian was a bright man who had traveled far and wide to learn of different peoples and cultures. He was not only well-versed in classical literature but also had military experience from expeditions against the barbarian tribes in the west. To Emperor Wu, he was the perfect choice for continuing his Civilization legacy.

One day Sima Qian was summoned to the imperial court, with a new order given to him.

"Sima Qian," commanded the Emperor. "The great Han Empire needs you to be of service, and today I have a new task for you. This strategic simulation game called Civilization has been one of my most cherished hobbies, but alas, I am aging and need a successor. I shall now entrust the care of Civilization to you."

Sima Qian was shocked, to say the least. "Your majesty," he said while kowtowing before him, "this is too great a task for an inexperienced young person like me. I beg that you reconsider."

"There is no need," said Wu Di. "My mind is made up, and there is no other person in my court suitable for this job. It is in your best interest, and the best interest of the country, that you do us this favor." Clearly this was another one of those situations where there was no room for argument with the Son of Heaven.

"My lord, then I shall humbly accept," said Sima Qian, still not daring to look the Emperor in the eye. A eunuch brought him the bamboo slat with the orders written on them.

Wu Di smiled. "Perhaps I ought to give you some background information on this scenario," he said with a chuckle. "In this game of Civilization, you take on the role of Chairman Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese people. While I cannot fathom the stupidity of the game developers for not considering myself as the head of the great country of China, I must admit that Mao is nevertheless a most admirable leader who sought to return China to a status of a world power."

"I do not know of this Chairman Mao," interrupted Sima Qian. "I have never met him in my travels around the world, so I--"

"That is irrelevant," Wu Di cut him off sharply. "You shall follow my instructions as I give them to you."

"Yes, my lord."

"There is this interesting concept of a 'Great Wonder' that the developers have embedded in this game," explained Wu Di. "These are incredible structures and projects that can only be completed by one civilization in each game. Sima Qian, I ask you to bring glory to the Chinese people. Of these Great Wonders, you shall build all of them."

These words stunned Sima Qian. He knew, deep down inside, that this was a foolish proposal. Many wonders would go obsolete, and others would serve very little purpose other than consume resources that could be ill afforded elsewhere.

"Your majesty, have you ever read Ision's essay on 'The Four Rules of Wonder Addiction' (http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/wonder_addiction.php)?" he asked. "Strategically, this will greatly hurt us. And dependence on wonders is nothing to be proud of."

"Nonsense!" shouted an indignant Wu Di. "Of course I know of Ision, his tactics are exactly the ones that brought about the downfall of the Qin Dynasty before us. If he were to make the same mistakes while at my service I would immediately have him imprisoned and castrated. Furthermore, I am not simply asking you to build as many wonders as you can; no, that would be too simple for a brilliant officer like you. You must build all of them, no matter what the cost may be. If you fail to build any one of them, I will count this as a loss."

How stubborn, Sima Qian thought silently to himself. But he had no choice. Wu Di's decree was final.

"Granted, I will relax some of the restrictions to make this more realistic for you," said Wu Di. "Since this is a new experience for you, I will put you on Monarch difficulty level. I have adjusted the corruption and research settings to that of 'huge' world size (32 OCN, 200 tech rate), but you shall play on a tiny map, continents, 70% water, with only two opponents. They are our nearest neighbors, who have grown strong and powerful through close association with China. The other factions should not even have a chance, so they are excluded."

Sima Qian was somewhat relieved by this. "Our nearest neighbors," he repeated. "Do you mean the Japanese, who are militarisitic and religious, and the Indians, who are religious and commercial?"

"Your bright young mind is not there for nothing, after all," said the Emperor with a smile. "That is correct."

"Then do I succeed if I build all the wonders before the Indians and Japanese?" asked Sima Qian.

"That is the most ignorant comment you have made all day," sneered Wu Di. "Did you think that simply by building alone we would be able to rule the world? No, that is ridiculous. You are required to win by domination, but your opponents will seek to win by any other means. I have simplified things by disabling cultural victory, but keep in mind that you are still vulnerable to conquest, space race, diplomatic, and histographic defeat."

"That is fine with me," said the young minister. "As long as I eliminate the other civilizations before they have a chance to build the wonders, I would win automatically."

"No, that would contradict the purpose of this exercise. When I said you must build all wonders, I mean every one of them, including the ones from the far future. That is why I enabled diplomatic victory, so that you can build the United Nations. But I forbid you from using it."

"Then I shall reduce each civilization to one city, and pound them into submission while I build my wonders in peace."

"Sima Qian!" Wu Di's patience was running dangerously low. "No! You shall concentrate on your wonders from the start. Do not even bother attacking the other civilizations until all wonders are completed. You must also reject all offers by foreign cities to join us before that point as well. The only exception I will make of this rule is that if you ever lose a city you built to an opponent, you are free to retake it, but no more.

"How will I be able to achieve domination if I cannot attack?"

"Remember, I said you should not attack them if there are still wonders you have to build. You are free to do as you wish after all wonders are completed, but I ask that you keep each civilization alive, so that there will always be admirers of the great Empire of Han."

"I understand, my lord."

"Then it is settled. I will be awaiting your report. You are now dismissed."

As Sima Qian slowly descended the steps from the imperial palace, he examined the image drawn on the bamboo slat he had received from the eunuch:

http://media.twango.com/m1/original/0002/7ae3a19052a54fe8bdeaa8b42e084e87.png

Quick Index

Chapter 1: The Yellow River (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3550813&postcount=9)
Chapter 2: Dragon King of the Eastern Sea (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3555170&postcount=14)
Chapter 3: Mahatma, the Spiritual One (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3558604&postcount=15)
Chapter 4: If "Ainu" This Would Happen... (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3568815&postcount=22)
Chapter 5: A Clear Coast for Expansion (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3575207&postcount=23)
Chapter 6: Forced Labor and the Discovery of Outsourcing (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3577310&postcount=28)
Chapter 7: A Wonderful Time (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3592580&postcount=30)
Chapter 8: The Shogun (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3593642&postcount=31)
Chapter 9: Arrival of the Sage (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3604843&postcount=34)
Chapter 10: The War of Nobunaga's Cheek (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3607985&postcount=37)
Chapter 11: Deferred Republic (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3616487&postcount=39)
Chapter 12: Dawn of a New Era (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3620509&postcount=46)
Chapter 13: Double Jeopardy (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3624148&postcount=56)
Chapter 14: One Hundred Years of Solitude (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3628399&postcount=59)
Chapter 15: Just Hanging in There (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3629146&postcount=61)
Chapter 16: A Fisherman's Chance (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3633002&postcount=69)
Chapter 17: The Scripture Collection of the Great Library (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3635982&postcount=72)
Chapter 18: Nobunaga's Successor (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3639388&postcount=76)
Chapter 19: An Eye Toward the Heavens (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3640427&postcount=81)
Chapter 20: Betrayal at Nanjing (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3663464&postcount=86)
Chapter 21: Observers of a War (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3664441&postcount=91)
Chapter 22: A Wonder Lost? (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3667397&postcount=98)
Chapter 23: The Mahatma's Folly and the Shogun's Defeat (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3671500&postcount=102)
Chapter 24: Out of Steam (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3675239&postcount=107)
Chapter 25: Cleaning Up the Mess (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3682518&postcount=118)
Chapter 26: Gandhi's Smoky Factories and Tokugawa's Stinky Toilet (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3684188&postcount=121)
Chapter 27: Shocking Discoveries (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3684963&postcount=127)
Chapter 28: Half the Sky (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3691501&postcount=133)
Chapter 29: The Origin of New Ideas (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3692453&postcount=141)
Chapter 30: Water Power (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3700757&postcount=161)
Chapter 31: Like a Tiger with Wings (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3703063&postcount=165)
Chapter 32: Smaller Is Friendlier (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3709557&postcount=174)
Chapter 33: The Eleventh Hour (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3712571&postcount=181)
Chapter 34: Awakening of the Dragon (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3718960&postcount=198)
Chapter 35: The Ultimatum (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3721793&postcount=207)
Chapter 36: Operation Kan-She-Tou, Decapitating the Snake (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3731790&postcount=221)
Chapter 37: March Toward Victory (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3735629&postcount=231)
Chapter 38: Descent of the Whirlwind (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3744095&postcount=247)
Chapter 39: The Wonders Redeemed (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3745402&postcount=254)
Epilogue (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3747018&postcount=259)
Saves and Replay Summary (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3747959&postcount=265)

Player's note: This game is being played on Civilization III Vanilla, so there are fewer wonders available in the early game (only the Colossus, Pyramids, Oracle, Great Library, Great Lighthouse, Great Wall, and Hanging Gardens).

What difficulty?

p.s. have you read Jung Chang's new book on Mao? It's really good!

This does look like a game that can last a long time and requires you to be very careful.

Good luck!

Sima Qian, welcome to Civfanatics [party]

Please post game settings, and on which difficulty level you are playing.

What difficulty?

Please post game settings, and on which difficulty level you are playing.


They are in the story.

Nice start!
It's really hard to build all the wonders above Regent!

Thanks stocktracker

The Grand Historian returned to his home and consulted the scrolls in his library. Somehow a new tome had appeared there, one that described in detail the decline of imperial power in China, the rise of nationalism and communism, and the eventual triumph of Mao Zedong and his comrades.

He was a bit puzzled by how the scroll had gotten there, but assumed it was perhaps a gift from the emperor. Having perused it to his heart's content, he began to write.

And thus the saga begins...

Chapter 1: The Yellow River

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9626/cranepagoda7lq.jpg

The sun beyond the mountains glows
The Yellow River seaward flows
You will enjoy a grander sight
By climbing to a greater height

"Climbing the Crane Pagoda," Wang Zhihuan (A.D. 688-742)

For miles in either direction, Mao Zedong could only see the yellow loess deposits along the river. It was a long but remarkably slow river, one that hid very well its proud but sorrowful history of being both the greatest blessing to agriculture and the greatest curse during floods. Here was the cradle of Chinese civilization.

It had been reported to Mao that directly across the river was a grassland which, despite its uninteresting appearance, actually offered a bonus of resources that could increase production. Seizing the opportunity, Mao ordered a worker to cross the Yellow River and investigate, with the ultimate goal of building a mine and a road. With the worker dispatched, it was time to begin building the great Chinese capital, Beijing.

http://img448.imageshack.us/img448/769/wondersoftheorient4000bc18em.png

Travelers to the west of the city learned of a forest where dyes could be extracted from the bark and berries native plants. These dyes could then be used to color cloth in all kinds of different colors, to each citizen's heart's content. Upon the recommendation of economic advisor Liu Shaoqi, a road would be built to bring those dyes for consumption in Beijing.

Though Mao knew that his civilization was destined to build the Great Wonders of the world, he was not yet sure where or which one to start. Over the centuries the Chinese people had mastered the art of masonry, making the Pyramids the first wonder available, but Mao was hesitant to begin construction as there were other priorities. One city would never be enough to build all the wonders, so another town must be founded soon. Yet population growth was slow; the Yellow River would flood at some of the most inconvenient times, and the grain harvested would be consumed all too quickly.

Technology advisor Deng Xiaoping understood this problem well. Despite his innate urge to appease Mao's love of wonders by suggesting bronze working for potentially constructing the Colossus, he decided it would be better to research pottery and build a granary. Early expansion, he argued, would be much more efficient with reliable food supply.

At first he met with resistance from other members of Mao's council. "Why build a granary when we can start working on the Pyramids immediately?" The reason was simple: the Pyramids would take far too long to build, and this would not be the right time.

Military advisor Zhu De interrupted at this point. "I appreciate your vision for population growth," he said, "but we still lack the capabilities for building granaries. In fact, we need to wait 32 turns before your research completes. Why not build something more meaningful and more practical in the meantime, such as some warriors to protect our city from barbarians?"

Mao thought this was an excellent idea. Beijing was ordered to assemble a contingent of able-bodied men assigned to the task of public safety. Research for pottery was funded with 1 gold per turn, as increased spending did not seem to improve prospects for discovery.

When the first warriors were recruited, however, there was no sign of any potential threats. Upon consideration by the state council, these warriors would be sent to explore the western territory, to seek out one goal: the destination of the waters of the Yellow River. In their absence, a new warrior contingent would be readied in the capital.

Soon afterwards a report came back from the explorers. It was a detailed view of the mouth of the Yellow River, with an incredible panorama from the sea all the way to the northern mountains, where it was reported the most beautiful gemstones could be mined and sent back to the capital as a luxury.

http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/284/wondersoftheorient3650bc8cp.png

... to be continued

p.s. have you read Jung Chang's new book on Mao? It's really good!


If you are talking about Mao, the Unknown Story, I've picked that up in a bookstore once, never read it in entirety. It's an interesting read, though I take each statement made there with a grain of salt. I think it's an oversimplification to blame Mao for all of China's problems in the 20th century, as there are many more factors that would contribute to the situation--the mis-implementation of Mao's plans during the Great Leap Forward, the cover-up scandals instigated by provincial officials who wished to appease Mao, the weather, and the refusal of the international community to cooperate.

While Mao undoubtedly made many mistakes (the official Communist Party opinion is that he was 70% correct, 30% wrong), it would be a very one-sided judgment to attribute the deaths of 70 million Chinese (probably an exaggerated figure) directly to him. And despite the setbacks, Mao significantly improved the standard of living of the average Chinese, a remarkable feat considering the lack of international support.

Well, it looks like you have a good start. Is that corruption benefit just for you or does it apply to other civilizations?

Thanks for the comments everyone, I'll try to get more posted in my next update. (I know, I know, not even a second city in the first chapter is somewhat disappointing, but that's life.)

Is that corruption benefit just for you or does it apply to other civilizations?

Oh, I'm pretty sure they get benefit from that as well. The setting was changed in the "World Sizes" tab of the editor, simply adjusted Tiny to the same OCN and tech rate as Huge.

It wouldn't be an interesting story if I gave myself artificial advantages, now would it? I'm no expert player, but I do want to be creative and put together scenarios that are both challenging and fun to play.

Nice story, good start, want to see this continue.:goodjob:

Chapter 2: Dragon King of the Eastern Sea

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3355/buchuxiamen8yz.jpg

Come east of Jieshi Cliff
I gaze out across the ocean,
Its rolling waves
Studded with rocks and islets;
Dense the trees and bushes here,
Rank the undergrowth;
The autumn wind is soughing,
Huge billows are breaking.
Sun and moon take their course
As if risen from the sea;
The bright galaxy of stars
Seems sprung from the deep.
And so, with joy in my heart,
I hum this song.

"Walk along the shore of Xiamen," Cao Cao (A.D. 155-220)

Mao carefully examined the map that had been brought before him. The Yellow River delta was a truly incredible scene. Wheat grew in the fields along the banks of the great river, and a herd of cattle gathered in the pasture by the sea. A fertile plain surrounded by green hills, he thought to himself, a beautiful background for the wonders to be built.

But then a sudden gust of cold wind blew from the north, almost snatching the map out of his hands. Though it lasted mere seconds, it chilled Mao to the bone, reminding him of the harsh winters in the lands north of the Yellow River. The Chinese people must seek more hospitable climates, he silently wondered.

He summoned a messenger and ordered him thus: "Inform the expedition that I want them to move south. I have heard of a rich land in that direction, one where our citizens can live and work happily for the years to come." The messenger gave a polite bow and went on his way.

Not long afterward another report came from the exploration party, with startling findings:

"We have met a tribe of barbarian peoples who speak a strange language and call themselves the Tartars. They are skilled traders who have long exploited the resources in this region to make a handy profit. But selfish fools they are not. We told them about the great nation of China to the north, and they were genuinely impressed. They offer you their maps of the surrounding lands as a sign of friendship."

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/953/wondersoftheorient3350bc8hh.png

Liu Shaoqi, the economic advisor, looked at the map over Mao's shoulder. "My, what detail these Tartars have put in this map," said Liu. "They have pinpointed the exact location of dyes and wines that our people can enjoy."

"We already have a supply of dyes," said Mao. "Wines would be an excellent addition to our city's luxury market, but remember, we must never lose sight of our purpose: we must build all the Great Wonders."

The advisors nodded in agreement. The terrain around wine country was not well suited for building; there were not enough forests or hills to provide raw materials. But it was suggested that the region could be settled and irrigated to produce food to support the growing population.

By this time the second band of warriors had assembled, but still seeing no danger to the city, Mao ordered them to march east. Legends had told of a great ocean in the east, where the powerful Dragon King lived in an undersea palace of gold and jewels, guarded by an army of jumbo shrimp and crabs. If only we could secure the aid of such a mythical creature, Mao mused. But it is probably just a legend anyway.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/497/dragonking9fm.jpg

Some of the men, though fearsome warriors, were terrified at the thought of encountering the Dragon King. But the general consensus was that this would be an exciting adventure, and as it was Mao's command, they could not wish for anything better. They left through the forest east of Beijing, rising early each morning and marching toward the rising sun to seek out the fabulous underwater palace.

Finally one day they surmounted a hill overlooking the coast, and were much surprised by what they saw. No sign of any dragon, but the largest schools of fish swimming in the shallow waters just offshore, and beyond that, the dark shadow of a distant land against the morning sun...

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/9222/wondersoftheorient3250bc6et.png

... to be continued

Chapter 3: Mahatma, the Spiritual One

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/5206/zhongnanbieye2ts.jpg

My heart in middle age found the Way.
And I came to dwell at the foot of this mountain.
When the spirit moves, I wander alone
Amid beauty that is all for me....
I will walk till the water checks my path,
Then sit and watch the rising clouds--
And some day meet an old wood-cutter
And talk and laugh and never return.

"Southern Mountain Retreat," Wang Wei (A.D. 698-761)

The discovery of a new land in the east was celebrated in the capital, but the explorers, unable to find any way to reach it, eventually returned home emptyhanded. With no way available yet to cross the sea, Mao turned his attention back to the south, where two expeditions were now making rapid progress.

The first party, having thanked the Tartars for their maps, was ready to move on and presently came upon another barbarian village. But upon reaching it, not a soul was to be found. The tired explorers decided to camp there for the night, with the intention of leaving the village untouched the next day.

Around dusk a sudden uproar was heard, and suddenly the village was stormed by Ghuzz warriors returning from their daily hunt. Obviously they were not pleased with their uninvited guests, and charged them with their flint axes. Fortunately, the explorers had not let their military training down during their long journey, and successfully repulsed the attackers.

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/8277/wondersoftheorient2900bc7ip.png

"A truly vile and barbaric people, these Ghuzz," said Mao upon hearing the news back at the capital. "One day we shall either have to teach them a lesson, or eradicate them."

The second exploration party had left Beijing somewhat later, and was following the east coast of the continent past the wine country identified by the Tartars' maps. Not long after the battle with the Ghuzz, this group met a remarkably advanced tribe. They were darker skinned, perhaps from the additional exposure to the sun in the southern regions, avoided eating most kinds of meat, carved intricate curved patterns into stone and clay to record ideas, and had an intriguing practice of holding great rituals for burying the dead. These were the people known as the Indians.

http://img449.imageshack.us/img449/4171/wondersoftheorient2850bc16ug.png

Their leader was a short, elderly man named Mohandas Gandhi, but everyone called him by the honorific title Mahatma, the Spiritual One. He was a deeply religious man, a believer in peace and nonviolence.

"A fine leader indeed," said Mao. "We have much to learn from the Indian people." Thus a meeting was arranged.

The Mahatma was a humble man. "I am most honored to be in your presence, Mao," he said, greeting the Chinese leader. "The peaceful people of India welcome you. Would you like a nice vegetarian curry?"

The food that Gandhi served his guests were modest, but strongly flavored and delightful to the tongue. During the meal, science advisor Deng Xiaoping, who had accompanied Mao to the visit, boasted of the Chinese people's achievements.

"We have mastered the art of masonry and developed a code for our warriors to succeed in battle," he told the Indian audience. "Would you be interested in learning these techniques?"

Gandhi seemed impressed. "That is a most wonderful ability of the Chinese people," he said. "We will offer to demonstrate the proper way to lay the dead to rest, as well as introduce you to our way of recording sounds with symbols."

"A fair trade," said Mao. He beckoned toward the hallway, summoning the team of artisans who had traveled with him.

"I am pleased that we have agreed," said the Mahatma. They parted on polite terms.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7240/wondersoftheorient2850bc28hi.png

Upon their return to China, it was discovered that the Indian alphabet was not well-suited to the Chinese tongue, as it was missing many of the essential phonics of the Chinese language. But, drawing from the inspiration of the Indian technique, the Chinese would soon create their own system, using pictures to describe basic objects and ideas. Gandhi had not recognized this possibility, and he was not blamed for the slight inconvenience. Deng would continue to direct research on pottery, while Beijing began work on a variety of the mystical building that the Indians used in their rituals, the temple.

... to be continued

Are you planning to expand quickly in order to get more cities that can build wonders, or does the capital have to grow in order to build all of the early wonders?

Are you planning to expand quickly in order to get more cities that can build wonders, or does the capital have to grow in order to build all of the early wonders?

Player comments:

A lot of the early wonders are pretty cheap (200 shields for Colossus and Great Wall, 300 shields for Oracle and Hanging Gardens), so I don't want to take any chances. Expansion will be minimal, focus will be on building. But I do plan to have at least two cities work on wonders, since there are so many of them available at this early stage.

Additionally, the capital isn't exactly in a nice place to be a settler or worker farm, as this is despotism and irrigation won't be much help, and there are no food bonuses within reach.

The key will be the order in which the wonders are built. If I build the expensive wonders first, like the Pyramids, then if any AI has already started on that it will likely switch to a cheaper wonder like Colossus and possibly complete it the next turn. But if the cheap wonders get built first, the AI will have to switch to the more expensive wonders, giving me more opportunity to catch up in production.

Naturally, this will mess up growth and expansion a lot, but I think that was implied in my scenario description ;)

FYI:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9578/wondersoftheorient2850bc39sq.png

Score, Power, and Culture graphs at 2850 BC (first contact with India)

Each side has only one city at the moment, so the numbers aren't very meaningful.

I never really bother building Ancient Age wonders, I would rather get a better start by building more cities. I did capture the Great Wall and the Great Library in one game, giving me a defensive and scientific boost. It is true that smaller to bigger is the way to go, hopefully the AI will waste a lot of production sometime in this game.

If you have a smaller land area than India or Japan, will you run the risk of getting taken over militaristically by them? I would like to see how that plays out.

If you have a smaller land area than India or Japan, will you run the risk of getting taken over militaristically by them? I would like to see how that plays out.

Not only that, I also run the risk of losing to a domination victory if they attack me (or each other, for that matter). This result could also be quite likely, since I'm not allowed to attack them until all wonders are built.

Wow this will be a very tough game even on monarch, with the event of an early loss under your restrictions very possible.

Chapter 4: If "Ainu" This Would Happen...

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/7501/kezhi0jl.jpg

North of my hut, south of my hut,
the spring floods are out,
Flocks of gulls my only callers
day after day.
My path is deep in petals,
not swept for guests;
You were the first today
to open my thorn-wood gate.
With the market so far
there’s little choice for supper;
In our poor home
we have only a pot of home-brew;
If you’d like to drink with
an old neighbour of mine,
I’ll call over the fence--
he will help us finish the wine.

"Arrival of a Guest," Du Fu (A.D. 712-770)

Having escaped the Ghuzz village with a few minor injuries, the expedition continued southward, crossing another river and passing through forests and plains until another village was sighted. The warriors entered carefully this time, and were welcomed by the village chief, who entertained them with hospitality remarkable for a barbarian.

Local residents gathered around the explorers to hear their tales of a great country in the north called China. Their eyes widened as they learned about the culture of the Chinese, and their jaws dropped with awe at technologies they had never imagined before.

The next morning, as the party was ready to leave, the villagers came to them with a strange request. They explained that they were so impressed by the greatness of the Chinese people that they wished become part of this great civilization as well.

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This news caused quite a stir back in Beijing. Economic advisor Liu Shaoqi spoke adamantly against it. "Allowing them to join us is equivalent to extending ourselves far beyond where we are comfortable," he argued. "We will never be able to control what goes on in the Ainu land."

"We could escort them back to near Beijing, and have them settle down there," suggested military advisor Zhu De.

"That is far too troublesome," replied foreign minister Zhou Enlai. "Besides, I am sure the Ainu would be unwilling to relocate."

All this time, the messenger who had brought the news was wringing his hands in despair, trying to get their attention. Finally Chairman Mao noticed.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked.

The messenger nodded. He was too afraid to talk, but pointed a trembling finger at a drawing of a small, furry animal on the map.

"What is that?" asked Mao.

Advisor Liu examined the figure. "It looks like a mink," he said. "I have heard that in the southern regions they like to trap these animals and harvest their furs to make warm, comfortable clothes."

"Will it make our citizens happy?" asked Mao.

"Most certainly yes," answered Liu.

"Then it is decided. We will have the Ainu settle and build a city right there. Or else the Indians will take this opportunity from us."

The rest of the council nodded in agreement, and thus the order was given.

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The city was named Nanjing, meaning "southern capital."

Shortly thereafter, science advisor Deng burst into the room, with a gleeful look on his face. "Chairman, we have completed our research on pottery!" he exclaimed. "We are now ready to study the technique of bronze working, which will let us build the Colossus."

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Mao was delighted. The materials that had been gathered to build the temple were redirected to build a granary instead.

Just then, minister Zhou interrupted. "As a matter of fact, Chairman, the Indians have already learned bronze working," he said. "We don't need to waste our own time on this, we will just ask them for some assistance."

Gandhi, however, had a preconceived idea that bronze, as a shiny metallic material, was inherently superior to the clay and stone used in pottery. "Our technique is much more valuable than yours," the Mahatma said coldly. "If you wish to learn it, you must pay the price."

There was little reason to back up Gandhi's claim, but Mao decided to humor him. After all, it was the Colossus that he was after. "We shall offer you 25 gold in addition to teaching you our pottery technique." The amount was only one-fifth of the national treasury, certainly not something to worry about. Deng had no objections, and went off to study something else of his own liking.

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And so Beijing, with the help of its new granary, grew and soon a group of settlers were sent out to found a new city. But before they arrived at their destination, it was reported that the exploreres in the south had come upon an intriguing discovery: a tribe of barbarians who somehow knew of a secret. These people, who called themselves the Kushans, had developed a strange device, basically a round piece of wood with a hole in the center, that could be used to move heavy objects such as bricks and grain. And they offered this technique as a gift.

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Mao didn't see any immediate use for this, but was nevertheless very pleased by the result.

... to be continued

Chapter 5: A Clear Coast for Expansion

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The moon, grown full now over the sea,
Brightening the whole of heaven,
Brings to separated hearts
The long thoughtfulness of night....
It is no darker though I blow out my candle.
It is no warmer though I put on my coat.
So I leave my message with the moon
And turn to my bed, hoping for dreams.

"Looking at the Moon and Thinking of One Far Away," Zhang Jiuling (A.D. 678-740)

Though the Ainu incident caused China to prematurely build a second city in the far south, Mao still had grand plans for a city that was destined to build the Great Wonders. The site chosen had been well-explored by this time, and it was agreed that the cattle herd near the mouth of the Yellow River would be an indispensable resource. A worker had already started on a road leading in that direction, so the first settlers of this new city would have a smooth and speedy journey. They named the city "Shanghai," referring to the point where the great river flowed out into the vast western sea.

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"An excellent choice," minister Liu had said of Mao's decision. "We can harvest bountiful crops in the flood plains and build mines in the hills for production."

Shanghai would grow quickly from its original ten thousand citizens, and unlike Nanjing, did not lose much to waste or corruption under the watchful eyes of officials from the capital, who were able to come and go quickly once the road connected them. The governor of Shanghai made a point to balance growth and production, and soon Mao decided this would be the choice location to start work on the Colossus.

Foreign minister Zhou was quick to notice, however, that Gandhi was quite active as well. Bombay and Madras had been founded west and north of the Indian capital of Delhi; clearly the Indians were expanding in the direction of China proper. Though there was still quite a distance in between them, it was not known how long it would take the gap to disappear.

Science advisor Deng had more startling news of the growing power of the Indians, as he learned from a passing scholar:

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"We are lagging behind," he lamented one day to Mao. "I need more funds or else the Indians will one day crush us." Mao agreed, and devoted the vast majority of the revenue collected to Deng's work.

It paid off. One day Deng brought with him a strange tablet with strange symbols engraved upon it. Most of them were straight lines; some were broken in half in the middle, and six such lines would form a pattern. These patterns were arranged around a swirling figure drawn in the center.

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"I present you the I Ching," said Deng triumphantly. "A wise man named Confucius gave this to me, and he said it would be useful in divination ceremonies, where we can fortell the future."

Mao was skeptical. "I don't believe in such things," he grumbled. "Do the people really trust these divinations to be accurate?"

"Let us not worry about that," insisted Deng. "It merely represents the fact that the funds you provided for research have paid off, and we have developed a theory and practice of mysticism."

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Mao shrugged.

"What's more important," continued Deng, "is that we should construct a holy site to perform these divinations. The people would be more willing to trust the predictions made from these hexagram patterns that way."

Mao's ears perked up. "This building of which you speak," he said while giving Deng a suspicious look, "is it called the Oracle?"

Deng nodded twice rapidly. "One of the Great Wonders," he added, though he knew Mao was well aware of the fact.

"Good work," Mao congratulated him. "Here, take these new funds and try to find something useful, like something that makes our cities more productive."

"Thank you, I will work my hardest." Deng excused himself and went on his way.

All this time foreign minister Zhou had waited patiently outside as Mao and Deng had their discussion. He was anxious to report developments in the south, as by this time the Indians were up to five cities, with Bangalore and Calcutta on the map south and southeast of Delhi. But he also had good news: Chinese settlers were had been moving into position as well.

"Chairman," said Zhou, "I am pleased to announce the founding of two more coastal cities in the south. We now have settlements at Hangzhou, on a golden hill south of Beijing in wine country, and Guangzhou, even further south near the Indian border."

Mao looked at the map of Hangzhou first:

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"A fine choice," he said. "I am impressed that the people of Hangzhou can make good use of the gold their city is built on. Dispatch a worker to cultivate the vineyards as soon as possible."

"Understood."

The Chairman then turned to the map of Guangzhou, and frowned.

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"What made you choose this site?" he asked Zhou. "I see nothing interesting about the local terrain of Guangzhou."

"Chairman, you must look beyond the immediate borders of the city," Zhou explained. "We plan to build a temple as early as we can, and once our borders expand, you ought to see much improvement."

Mao examined the map again. "I see your point," he finally said. "If Guangzhou expands, we will control both the cattle herd and the dye forest." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "Indeed, and since there is no other source of dyes on this continent, I am sure Gandhi will pay a hefty price for part of our supply."

"Speaking of Gandhi," said Zhou suddenly, "I have received information that the proud Indian people of Delhi are starting work on a great project. They are trying to construct a giant stone structure, the Pyramids."

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"I see..." Gandhi is quite ambitious, thought Mao. We are not even ready to start working on the Pyramids yet. But I am sure he isn't particularly serious about getting this done anytime soon either.

"What do you suggest?" the foreign minister asked after a long pause.

"We will ignore him for now," said Mao. "Our time will come soon enough. Just keep up the good work, and we shall prevail."

... to be continued

Good job, it looks like you are balancing wonder production and expansion well. Since you said that there are no more dyes on the continent, does this mean the Japan is on another island?

Apologies for the slow start. I wanted to emphasize some of the critical early decisions, but pretty soon the speed will start to pick up (especially when the landgrab phase is over).

Since you said that there are no more dyes on the continent, does this mean the Japan is on another island?

I don't see any way Japan could be on this continent if I haven't met them yet. Judging from the minimap, they would probably be out west, though at this point I'm not sure if the little corner of land I saw at the end of chapter 2 would be connected to that. Chances are it's probably just a small island though.

Problem: India now has a head start on the Pyramids. This could get rather troublesome later on....

If Japan is on its own island, they could get bigger than you. If they are isolated, they should fall behind in technology and not get any of the wonders. If India talks to Japan, they could trade technology and become dangerous.

If Japan is on its own island, they could get bigger than you. If they are isolated, they should fall behind in technology and not get any of the wonders. If India talks to Japan, they could trade technology and become dangerous.

Good point. That's part of the reason I went for researching mysticism, since if I waited for the Indians to trade it, the Japanese might already get a head start on the Oracle (or even complete it), as they started with ceremonial burial, only one step away from mysticism. There is a much greater risk of that happening than Japan going all the way up the technology tree to map making or literature and competing for those wonders, unless their continent has lots of huts and they are very very lucky.

Something else to keep in mind: since this is Civ III Vanilla, the Great Lighthouse permits safe travel on coastal, sea, and ocean tiles. Basically, no chance of sinking anywhere if I wait until then to find Japan. On the flip side, this means no curraghs, so no opportunity of suiciding those early in the game with just alphabet discovered.

Chapter 6: Forced Labor and the Discovery of Outsourcing

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The pagoda, rising abruptly from earth,
Reaches to the very Palace of Heaven....
Climbing, we seem to have left the world behind us,
With the steps we look down on hung from space.
It overtops a holy land
And can only have been built by toil of the spirit.
Its four sides darken the bright sun,
Its seven stories cut the grey clouds;
Birds fly down beyond our sight,
And the rapid wind below our hearing;
Mountain-ranges, toward the east,
Appear to be curving and flowing like rivers;
Far green locust-trees line broad roads
Toward clustered palaces and mansions;
Colours of autumn, out of the west,
Enter advancing through the city;
And northward there lie, in five graveyards,
Calm forever under dewy green grass,
Those who know life's final meaning
Which all humankind must learn.
Henceforth I put my official hat aside.
To find the Eternal Way is the only happiness.

"Ascending the Pagoda at the Temple of Kind Favor," Cen Can (A.D. 715-770)

Mao was very disappointed with the status reports he received from the governors of Nanjing and Guangzhou. Every time the vast majority of production in those cities was wasted, and only marginal work was being done on their temples. The Indians are a deeply religious people, he reminded himself. They build their temples fast, and if we cannot keep up with them, their cultural borders will surround us and we will be doomed.

But Mao had one more ace up his sleeve. The governors vehemently protested his decision, and the cities were on the verge of rioting had not a band of warriors been stationed in each to keep order. "The temple must be completed," he somberly declared, "no matter what price we must pay."

And so his orders were carried out:

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Mao was deeply saddened by the news of the loss of his citizens, but nevertheless he felt he made the necessary decision. Still, for quite a long time he refused to eat and drink, and spent most of his time alone deep in his thoughts. Nobody dared to go see him, lest he suddenly turn unhappiness into anger or wrath.

Only Deng Xiaoping managed to finally bring the Chairman back to his senses. After an extended leave, he had eventually gathered the best of China's newest tradesmen: blacksmiths. Not only one, but two major deposits of iron had been found, one near Beijing, the other between the capital and Shanghai.

"I have good news for you," said the science advisor, hoping to cheer up his leader.

Mao looked at him, not speaking but seemingly suggesting that he continue.

"We have mastered the technique of iron working," said Deng. "You asked me during our last meeting to try to make our cities more productive. Well, here you have it. If we work the hills that are the source of our new resource, we will have a sizeable production boost."

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For the first time in ages, Mao smiled. Upon seeing this, foreign minister Zhou released the information that he had been afraid to divulge for years.

"Chairman," he said, "I believe the Indians have discovered a new technology as well. They have further developed their alphabet into a systematic method of writing."

"Oh really?" Mao looked surprised for a moment, then rebuked Zhou for his slow response. "Well why do you hesitate, we must acquire that technique as well! Set up an appointment with Gandhi immediately, I have some business to settle with him."

The Mahatma was not particularly willing to give a good deal to the Chinese. At first he demanded both mysticism and iron working for writing, but that was unacceptable. Mao remembered that there was still an Oracle to build, and if mysticism was traded away, the Indians would no doubt begin working on that project as well.

Finally an agreement was reached:

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And while minister Deng and his team of scholars started to fine tune the writing system for use with the Chinese language, minister Zhou made another proposal: to dispatch an envoy to Delhi, who would serve there permanently in the Chinese embassy. Mao decided this was a fine idea, and asked the ambassador to report the conditions in Delhi as soon as possible.

When the report arrived, it showed a most interesting situation (go ahead, open the spoiler):


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Gandhi was clearly throwing mountains of gold out for research, and Delhi was certainly in growth mode, but clearly the Indians were quite slow with their production work. Gandhi must be joking, snickered Mao to himself. We can build two Pyramids in that time. We can probably even safely teach him mysticism, there is no way he will be able to build the Oracle before us at that rate.

Economic advisor Liu Shaoqi was present at this time and he studied the report carefully. Suddenly he asked, "Why is there a worker in the Delhi garrison? Are Indian workers dependable fighters as well?"

"Impossible," said Zhou. "I don't believe the Indians are a particularly warlike people. Let us ask Gandhi to explain the situation."

Gandhi seemed surprised to see the ambassador return so quickly. "Are you here to finally deliver mysticism to us?" he asked.

Mao didn't really care about mysticism at this point. The Indians would probably never benefit from it, as it neither provided them with any improvements for their cities or any units for their military. The Oracle was well on its way toward completion in Beijing, as was the Colossus in Shanghai.

Instead, Mao fixed his eyes on one important prize. He still remembered the pain that his own citizens had gone through when building the temples in Nanjing and Guangzhou. On minister Liu's advice, he now had a plan to reduce the burden on Chinese workers by shifting some of the most unpleasant and unrewarding work elsewhere.

"Say," he asked Gandhi. "I have always admired the talent and dedication of India's workers. May I invite one of yours to work in China?"

"Mysticism," intoned the Mahatma. "Mysticism."

The Indians seemed determined to acquire mysticism, so a complex deal was finally worked out:

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With that, Gandhi wandered off with his new technology that would ultimately lead nowhere, and Mao wondered how he would keep up that impressive research rate when each turn he had to send 2 gold in tribute to China. Hopefully this will slow down his acquisition of new technology, he thought. In time we will make up for the difference.

Meanwhile, the Indian worker soon arrived for his first job near Beijing. The Chinese workers gathered around with curiosity, wondering how the Indian worker was willing to do the same kind of work for longer periods of time yet received much less in pay. One worker asked minister Liu on one of his tours around the country about the situation.

"My friend," replied Liu, "this is what we call outsourcing. It will be part of our new way of life, so learn to deal with it and appreciate it."

... to be continued

With India's slow production of the Pyramids, you would be better off building wonders that take 200 shields rather than 400. You don't want Japan to get any of those wonders!

Chapter 7: A Wonderful Time

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The high tower is a hundred feet tall,
From here one's hand could pluck the stars.
I do not dare to speak in a loud voice,
I fear to disturb the people in heaven.

"Staying the Night in a Mountain Temple," Li Bai (A.D. 701-762)

The years that followed were peaceful and prosperous. Chinese citizens worked diligently in the fields and on their great projects. Beijing grew to become a thriving cultural center with a population of over 300,000, slightly less than half the population of all China. Shanghai was well over 200,000 but had yet to expand its borders.

In the year 875 B.C., the first great wonder, a gigantic bronze statue towering over the sea at the mouth of the Yellow River, was finally completed:

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The Colossus was not at all unexpected; no other civilization seemed to have even attempted to build it, so it seemed natural that the Chinese would get it. Immediately Shanghai was established as a second major cultural center that would be outshone only by the capital.

At around the same time, science advisor Deng Xiaoping reported another important discovery:

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Defense minister Zhu De was particularly excited by this development, as Chinese scientists now had designs for the first stone-throwing catapults. Zhu had read extensively on the strategy of war; he knew everything about the deadliness of artillery stacks and the like. But to his dismay, Chairman Mao didn't seem the least bit interested in bombardment weaponry at this time. He was clearly focused on something much more important.

"Chairman," said Deng. "Allow me to research construction next. Even though we have mastered the art of stone masonry, we have yet to develop this into a unified practice that can be repeated for great projects."

Without looking up from Deng's report, Mao nodded. There was something in the proposal that had caught his eye--a blueprint of yet another wonder, the Great Wall.

Finally the Chairman spoke. "Send the people of Shanghai my congratulations," he said, smiling.

Shortly thereafter, another group of settlers who originally hailed from Hangzhou found a place they liked, a quiet grassland area nestled in the hills between Shanghai and Guangzhou. They called their city Xi'an, meaning "western peace."

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Xi'an was China's sixth city. But foreign minister Zhou Enlai was quick to note that India, though less well developed, had seven cities. "The Indians still have the potential to surpass us," he warned.

Sure enough, the next time that Mao checked with Gandhi, the Mahatma had something new up his sleeve:

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Thanks to the efforts of the explorers from antiquity, China already had a fairly complete map of the continent. Gandhi insisted there was no point in teaching the Chinese map making if he could not see what fine work the Chinese had, so the maps and technologies were thus exchanged.

While already impressive on paper, the art of cartography enabled yet another development: the first seaworthy vessel, the galley. Shanghai was immediately ordered to transfer all its work on its current project (a temple, which Mao had intended as a reward for the citizens who had worked long and hard to build the Colossus) to building the first Chinese galley to explore the seas.

The first Chinese sailors were rather poorly trained and afraid to go out into deeper water. Mao was disappointed with how easily they faltered, so he ordered the construction of a Great Lighthouse so that they would never be afraid of the high seas again. The people of Shanghai now had a new project to work on.

But on one particular excursion, one of the younger crewmen was sharp enough to notice a potential crossing.

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"Captain," he said to his superior officer. "I don't know if you see this as well, but I can swear there has to be safe water over in that direction."

The captain squinted as he gazed across the vast expanse of water. Eventually, after thinking it over, he decided it was worth the risk to find out what was really there. The gambit paid off, and Mao was delighted to hear of the discovery of an island west of Shanghai.

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On Minister Zhou's advice, settlement of the island would have to wait until after the land on the continent was completely occupied, lest the Indians get some advantage in that field. But one thing was for sure: the island would be China's best-kept secret for the time; no Indian would ever be permitted to look at any map showing the sea west of Shanghai.

Only one thing could take Mao's joyfulness to new heights at this time.

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The second Great Wonder of the world, built in Beijing in 730 BC.

... to be continued

Chapter 8: The Shogun

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You were foreordained to find the source.
Now, tracing your way as in a dream
There where the sea floats up the sky,
You wane from the world in your fragile boat....
The water and the moon are as calm as your faith,
Fishes and dragons follow your chanting,
And the eye still watches beyond the horizon
The holy light of your single lantern.

"Farewell to a Japanese Priest," Qian Qi (A.D. 710-782)

The Oracle, as a matter of fact, was mostly a decoration. Neither Beijing nor Shanghai, the two largest cities, had bothered to build temples--they were too busy working on the Great Wonders. But there was no time to worry about that. The Chinese ambassador in Delhi delivered another report:

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The governor of Beijing estimated that it would take 37 turns to build the Pyramids, starting from scratch, but Mao wasn't about to take any chances. Gandhi is not using his full potential, he thought. Why waste one able citizen on entertainment when you can instead spend gold on luxuries? Besides, with Delhi due to grow again soon, there was no telling how much the Indians would increase their production.

In the meantime, the galley had gone past the western end of the island, sighting a new continent with an advanced civilization. The crewmen stopped to converse with a worker, from whom they learned that this was the country called Japan, ruled by the great Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

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But it did not take much conversation with the Japanese leader for Mao to learn that Japan was not so advanced after all. The Japanese were still struggling to grasp some of the most basic techniques.

"Do you have a map of your territory?" Mao asked.

"A map? What is a map?" Tokugawa was visibly confused. "Show me what a map is, and perhaps I will care to find one for you."

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Mao sighed. He called forth several Chinese scholars, who attempted to demonstrate their alphabet and masonry skills to the Shogun. Then he summoned a team of scribes, and had his interpreters ask the Japanese citizens for every last detail they could think of about their geography, their cities, their roads, and everything they knew of the land and sea. The picture they eventually were able to put together from these facts was quite an interesting one:

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Foreign minister Zhou was quick to spot that the Japanese had an iron deposit and three luxury resources on their continent, but they had only built roads to the silks south of Kyoto. What lazy bums the Japanese workers are, thought Mao. That road system is truly pitiful.

Tokugawa, however, had no lack of confidence in the people of Japan. Even before the first mud bricks his workers had gathered and molded could dry, he ordered them to start work on a truly foolish project, one that he had no chance of finishing even before the Indians, let alone the Chinese.

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Your loss, thought Mao. He was not even interested in sending an envoy to take a look at their progress.

But the Japanese did in fact know a thing or two that Mao did not expect. All this time, they had been training their warriors to tame and ride the magnificent beasts known as horses. Oddly enough though, not a single horse was to be seen anywhere on their continent.

After wondering for a while about Tokugawa's sanity, Mao made another deal with him:

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That secret, however, could not stay for long. Gandhi had overheard the loud hoofbeats from the Chinese military camps, and he was determined to find out what was going on there. Fortunately, he also came prepared to trade. The Indian people had taken a collection of Gandhi's rules and decrees and written them down, so that they could be permanently be preserved as a code of laws.

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Mao wasn't particularly fond of Gandhi's laws, especially the ones prohibiting the consumption of meat, but he agreed that it was probably a good idea to have them written down.

In the meantime, settlers from the fertile lands around Hangzhou and Xi'an migrated to the empty lands in the northeast, as Gandhi had claimed most of the land to the south by now. With eight cities to China's six, India certainly seemed to be in a dominiating position.

So one city was founded on the northern coast, by a beautiful lake that froze solid in the winters. They named it Qingdao, as much of it was surrounded by clear blue waters.

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And another was built deep in the forest east of Beijing, with some very rich grassland nearby. This would be Changchun, the city of the eternal spring.

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There was not much special about these cities, other than the fact that they still needed regular protection from barbarian raiders. Nevertheless, Mao was happy to see China's borders expanding, and he dispatched a few workers to chop wood to aid their first construction projects. For now, everything still seemed safe, although unclaimed land on the continent was steadily running out.

... to be continued

The Japanese look dangerous, with 9 cities and still plenty of room in all directions to expand. I assume you will have to clear out all of the ancient wonders before Beijing completes the Pyramids otherwise India will get another wonder.

The Japanese look dangerous, with 9 cities and still plenty of room in all directions to expand. I assume you will have to clear out all of the ancient wonders before Beijing completes the Pyramids otherwise India will get another wonder.

That is true. However their population is quite small; they probably just recently expanded. Although once they get the chance, they will make up for the tech difference very quickly.

What I want to try to do now is try to keep them from getting contact with India for as long as possible.

Oddly enough, the histograph shows them in last place:

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2038/wondersoftheorient710bc50hv.png

Score, Power, and Culture graphs at 710 BC (first contact with Japan)

As you can see it is still very close, so it is still anyone's game. But it's neat how I'm doing better than two religious civs in culture.

Chapter 9: Arrival of the Sage

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O Master, how did the world repay
Your life of long solicitude? --
The Lords of Zou have misprized your land,
And your home has been used as the palace of Lu....
You foretold that when phoenixes vanished, your fortunes too would end,
You knew that the captured unicorn would be a sign of the dose of your teaching....
Can this sacrifice I watch, here between two temple pillars,
Be the selfsame omen of death you dreamed of long ago?

"Passing through Lu with a Sigh and a Sacrifice for Confucius," Emperor Tang Xuanzong (A.D. 685-762)

Science advisor Deng Xiaoping returned to the palace at last with his work complete. The Chinese people had not made any new discoveries in the long time since the Colossus was built, but that was about to change. He had come back to Beijing ready to present Mao with his grand plans for a Great Wall to keep out the barbarians and foreign invaders from all of China, and was already smiling in anticipation of the praise he would receive from the Chairman. Perhaps he would get a vacation. Or some kind of fine reward, like the jade sculpture the governor of Shanghai got upon completing the Colossus. Or maybe something that would--

"You're late," said Mao. "What took you so long?" He was somewhat annoyed that the bricks gathered to build the Pyramids had already been placed in a square base, with workers building each additional level with ever increasing speed, as the structure grew narrower toward the top. It was far too late to convert the project into the Great Wall.

"Oh, Chairman," said Deng. "It wasn't easy to work with the limited funding you gave me. Besides, the longer we take to figure this out, the longer the Indians would have to take as well."

Mao wondered for a moment about the logic of this excuse, but decided not to press the matter further. He examined the result:

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/851/wondersoftheorient170bc7iz.png

"Very well," said the Chairman. "Deng Xiaoping, I hereby grant your request and send you off on vacation."

Before Deng could even figure out how Mao knew that was what he had hoped for, Mao continued.

"A working vacation."

"What?" Deng wondered if this really was a reward after all.

"This is not some kind of vacation where you just sit and relax in your country ranch while angry citizens wait outside for you to do your duty," said Mao. "No, no. You can actually get some real enjoyment from this. I am asking you to travel again, because there is someone I want to meet." He then opened his desk drawer and pulled out a scroll, and opened it up for Deng to see.

It was a beautiful painting of mountains and lakes, hills and rivers, but before the advisor could finish admiring it all, Mao rolled it up and told him, "This is my gift to the wise man you told me about earlier, when you brought me the I Ching."

Deng, somewhat disappointed, thought for a moment. "Confucius?"

Mao nodded. "I happen to need talented people at this moment, and after hearing your recommendation I think he would be an excellent choice. Please go now, and do not return until you have convinced him to come."

"Yes, sir." Deng bid his leader goodbye and called the first chariot outside the palace.

Shortly after his departure, in the year 130 BC, the citizens of Beijing put the finishing touches on their project. Mao and his staff came to watch the giant structure glimmer in the morning sun.

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/4566/wondersoftheorient130bc7nx.png

Foreign minister Zhou Enlai was at the opening ceremony of the Pyramids. He suggested to Mao that they should check on Gandhi again and see what he was up to. Mao sent a message to his ambassador in Delhi, who soon responded with a report:

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3308/110bc28oj.png

"Gandhi is nuts," said Zhou privately. "What good is a courthouse going to do in the capital? There is absolutely no crime or corruption in Delhi."

"That may change," said Mao. Zhou didn't quite understand, but he let the issue go.

Even though the Pyramids had been completed on schedule, leaving Delhi with nothing worthwhile to produce, there was still some other news that dampened Mao's spirit. He had heard back from another of his exploration parties that had just returned from the high seas.

"The Indians have already established a colony on the island in the east," said the captain of the expedition. "They even gave their island a name, called Bangladesh Island. And I hear they are sending another party to the other end of the island, by the iron deposits in the mountains there."

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/3374/wondersoftheorient110bc4ab.png

It was too late to send a settler there, but economic advisor Liu Shaoqi reminded Mao that China already had two sources of iron, and although a third one wouldn't hurt, it was still more than enough for any work that needed the important metal.

All this time, neither India nor Japan had committed any resources to building the Great Lighthouse. Minister Zhou was quick to point out that India didn't have any particularly productive coastal cities, and Mao recalled that the Japanese didn't even know how to draw maps. Soon enough, in the year 30 BC, Shanghai was able to complete that project uncontested.

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2552/wondersoftheorient30bc3li.png

With the blessing of the Great Lighthouse, Chinese galleys began exploring the world, with no fear of being devoured by the deep seas.

Deng Xiaoping returned from his "working vacation" just in time for the opening celebrations for the Great Lighthouse, and he had brought with him a wide-eyed visitor. He was an elderly man with a long white beard, but he still stood tall and looked very healthy. Mao came and greeted the old man.

"This is Master Confucius," said Deng. "Please, Master, tell our Chairman Mao something about yourself."

Confucius spoke:

"At fifteen my mind was set on learning.
At thirty my character had been formed.
At forty I had no more perplexities.
At fifty I knew the Will of Heaven.
At sixty I was at ease with whatever I heard.
At seventy I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing moral principles."

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6677/wondersoftheorient30bc28gv.png

Mao was extremely impressed. "A truly incredible philosopher, you are," he said, using the new word that Deng had taught him moments ago. "I am pleased to offer you a position in my service."

"I humbly accept," said Confucius. He then turned to the science advisor. "I have an idea for you," he proposed.

They listened intently to the old sage, and he told of a radical new form of government, one that would always keep the well-being of the people as the highest priority, and ensure that officials would be kind, humane, and benevolent. The approval of the people would be the best form of power, he argued.

"I do not know all the minor details of this system," said Confucius at last. "But I am sure your able scholars will be soon figure that out." With that, Mao immediately had Deng begin research in that field.

They had scarcely finished talking when suddenly a messenger dashed in front of them, panting. He had another startling piece of news:

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3452/wondersoftheorient30bc37tj.png

"Very interesting," said Mao. He knew of the incredible usefulness of the Great Library but had not the slightest clue how to go about building it. "How long do the Indians plan to spend on this?"

The messenger had brought with him a report from the embassy in Delhi:

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2159/30bc46do.png

Apparently a number of citizens of Delhi had grown tired of working on a huge project that eventually went nowhere, and so they joined together preparing to settle a new city. Delhi's population had decreased, and even though the city was about to grow again, they were starting the Great Library from scratch and had a long way to go.

Mao decided the Great Library could wait until after the Great Wall was built, but he did not hesistate to acquire literature from the Indians. Gandhi's offer was reasonable; he merely asked for some gold and a copy of Confucius' writings.

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/7619/wondersoftheorient30bc47xw.png

With that, Chinese cities began building libraries, and the stage was set for more wonder construction to come.

... to be continued

"What good is a courthouse going to do in the capital? There is absolutely no crime or corruption in Delhi."


I figured that the AI would be a little smarter on Monarch and use its resources more carefully.

Well, a courthouse in the capital isn't *totally* useless, but at this early stage in the game there's no noticeable effect. When the capital city gets up past 50 or so shields per turn, or if the government is changed to communism, then I suppose the courthouse might help a little bit.

In this case, I guess the AI is just building the next most expensive improvement it can possibly get after losing the wonder.

Chapter 10: The War of Nobunaga's Cheek

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/5861/jueju7lk.jpg

Two golden orioles sing in the green willows,
A row of white egrets fly up into the blue sky.
The window frames the western hills' snow of a thousand autumns,
At the door are boats from Eastern Wu, ten thousand miles away.

"A Curtailed Verse," Du Fu (A.D. 712-770)

Though there were no open hostilities in the years that followed, it was clear that tensions were gradually building up. When the Indians built the city of Chittagong on the northern end of Bangladesh Island, the Indians had run out of suitable places to expand in their sphere of influence. Gandhi did not know of Tokugawa yet, as Chinese cartographers dutifully kept their maps of the western continent out of Indian hands, and Chinese galleys regularly patrolled the sea passage northwest of Shanghai. But it would only be a matter of time before that would have to change.

In Japan, the city of Matsuyama in the northern tundra put an end to Tokugawa's ambitions on his continent. Japanese scientists knew that map making was the key to reaching the islands off their coast, but Mao never offered to teach them the technique, so they worked long and hard observing the Chinese galleys that appeared on their shoreline every now and then.

Shogun Tokugawa, however, was impatient. He had heard many stories and tales of the Indian civilization that was on the other continent with the Chinese, but he had no way of communicating with them. Chinese travelers to Japan were the only intermediary he could rely on, and Tokugawa wished to put an end to that. He long suspected that Chinese merchants would add outrageous markups to products that were brought from India, but if only he could deal with Gandhi directly....

Presently, in the year 50 AD, an unexpected guest showed up in Shanghai harbor. Tokugawa had sent his colleague Oda Nobunaga on a trip to mainland China. On the surface it was a diplomatic mission, but in reality he had only one goal in mind: to pressure Mao to give them contact with the Indians.

"For the sake of friendship, you might want to consider giving us a small gift," said Nobunaga haughtily.

Mao was unimpressed. Perhaps if Nobunaga had asked more nicely, he would have given the Japanese a free copy of the writings of Confucius, or even the Chinese code of laws, but this demand was truly absurd. Foreign minister Zhou Enlai agreed.

"There is nothing for us to gain from granting Japan this kind of concession," said Zhou. "And if we refuse, I doubt there is much for us to lose."

Defense minister Zhu De also concurred. "Even though the Japanese had a comparatively large military," he argued, "their naval forces were remarkably weak for a country of their size."

But the Japanese envoy would not accept no as an answer; he insisted he would not leave until Mao gave him a response that satisfied him. Mao thought for a moment about it, and then had an idea.

He summoned the Indian worker that had been working for him ever since the mysticism deal he made with Gandhi.

"This young man is a full-blooded Indian," said the Chairman, pointing at the bewildered laborer. "Please introduce yourself to our esteemed guest, Oda Nobunaga of Japan."

"My name is Ganesh," said the worker. "Ganesh Gupta, from the great Indian city of Delhi." He stopped for a moment, staring at the strange visitor. "What may I help you with?"

Before Nobunaga could speak, Mao said, "This man from Japan is interested in making contact with the Indians. I suggest you help him out with that."

"My pleasure," said Ganesh. He then walked up to Nobunaga and circled him three times, examining every detail of the visitor.

"Hrmph," said Nobunaga. After the first round he already lost interest in Ganesh and continued to glare directly at Mao.

When Ganesh felt he was ready, he glanced toward Mao as if waiting for some kind of go-ahead signal. Mao nodded quickly.

With no warning at all, Ganesh delivered a terrific wallop to Nobunaga's face WHAP! sending him tumbling to the floor.

"Congratulations, Oda Nobunaga," chuckled Mao. "You have made contact with an Indian. You can now go back and tell the Shogun that your mission was a success."

All of the onlookers burst into laughter. Even some of Nobunaga's attendants could barely stifle their laughs as the Japanese envoy struggled to his feet, his face glowing red with both embarrassment and fury.

"I shall repay this insult tenfold!" he declared as he stormed out onto his boat. His attendants rushed after him, hoping he didn't notice their behavior.

Even after returning to Kyoto, Nobunaga's cheek was still red and occasionally he still felt the stinging pain of the blow he had taken from Ganesh. Tokugawa was furious. "How dare that scoundrel Mao refuse us," shouted the Shogun. "Prepare the fleet, we must bring that Chinese peasant in chains before me!"

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/4206/wondersoftheorient50ad4cc.png

The news of war was no surprise to Mao; he had expected this kind of reaction from Japan. But a long history of dealing with barbarians had prepared the Chinese military well for combat. The only vulnerability was the three groups of Chinese settlers who were on their way to build new cities, but Mao made sure they all had military escorts in case of any ambush.

The first group built a settlement east of Qingdao, on the far northeastern coast of the continent with a herd of cattle and a cold wasteland nearby. They could even see a barbarian camp in the distance, but with the protection of their warrior escort, they had little to fear. Barbarians would occasionally come and pay them a visit, but would never cause much trouble. The city was even given a name in the barbarian language, Harbin.

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/8255/wondersoftheorient70ad1cw.png

The second group boarded a galley in Shanghai and made their way to the island in the west. They named the island Taiwan, and they built their city upon the plain between the two hills on the island, on the side facing away from Japan. The governor, however, was not particularly bright, and somewhat mindless recorded "Kaohsiung" as the city name, based on some of the citizens' improper Chinese pronounciation.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/9893/wondersoftheorient90ad1gc.png

The third group did not have much room left to settle, but the governor of Changchun had pointed out that there was still a desert peninsula to the southeast of his city that was not within China's borders. Rather than let the Indians try to settle the location, Mao decided it would be best to seize it himself. There was a barbarian camp at the location the governor had specified, but they were quickly dispersed. Like the settlers of Harbin, however, these settlers decided to adopt the barbarian name of the location, Dalian.

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/9550/wondersoftheorient150ad9we.png

The founding of Dalian spelled the end of settlement of the continent. Though there were other islands in the south, they were well within Japan's domain, and Chinese settlers were not willing to risk their lives to go there. Neither were there galleys available to take them there, as Mao had ordered most of them to protect the waters around Kaohsiung.

Mao was pretty sure the Japanese would never pose a threat to the mainland anytime soon, as in the year 170 AD, Beijing completed what would arguably be China's most significant construction of the ancient age:

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7792/wondersoftheorient170ad3pl.png

The construction of the Great Wall had brought out the best and brightest of China's militaristic and industrious talents. In the years to come, Chinese citizens would proudly remember their great achievement, and continue to perform all their work with a remarkable fervor. Production increased dramatically, commerce prospered, and culture and science flourished.

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/6118/wondersoftheorient170ad26od.png

"What a pity," said Confucius when he learned of the dawn of the Golden Age. "In so many cities around the country, the prosperity is being wasted by the despotic government. Just look at Beijing... so many of those mines could be producing three units instead of two!"

Economic advisor Liu Shaoqi nodded in silent agreement. But Mao had insisted on the Great Wall being completed first. There was too much to risk if it was built even a turn later, as the Indians were still working hard on their Great Library. Certain sacrifice would have to be made, and this was one of them.

"Think of it this way," said Mao. "With the Great Wall in place first, we can build the Great Library much more efficiently than before, and we can worry much less about threats from our competition."

And it was not just the Great Wall that made Mao so sure that mainland China would be safe. His military advisor, Zhu De, had already set up a blockade at the Taiwan Strait, ensuring that no vessel, neither Japanese nor Indian, could possibly pass through to the other side.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3482/wondersoftheorient210ad5re.png

Unfortunately, that still left Taiwan and the city of Kaohsiung vulnerable to attacks from the Japanese. Chinese galleys did their best to deter Japanese vessels from landing any troops, but ultimately some got through. The Japanese landing force was small--just one regular spearman--but Mao would not tolerate it. Reinforcements were sent to the island, some to protect the city, others to protect the workers in the vicinity.

Finally, the intrepid admiral Zheng He of the military galley Shenlong scored the first decisive naval victory in Chinese history, sinking the Japanese landing craft that had brought the spearman onto the island.

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/8154/wondersoftheorient310ad7tp.png

This was quickly followed by another victory by a ragtag band of sailors that Mao had recruited, on the galley Jianghu, converted from an exploration craft. Nevertheless, it suffered only minor damage in engaging another Japanese galley. It was never known whether that Japanese ship ever contained troops intended to be brought onto Taiwan, as it was quickly swallowed up by the billowing waves before anyone could check if there were any survivors.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/2315/wondersoftheorient320ad2pr.png

Still, the Japanese showed no signs of giving up. Shogun Tokugawa refused to see any envoy from China, and Japanese fleets continued to prowl the waters. The Japanese spearmen camped on the hill in Taiwan, however, could never gather the courage to attack the city of Kaohsiung. And thus they waited for their eventual destruction.

... to be continued

Yes, Japan gets into a lot of conflicts as an AI, but it is even worse if I am playing as them. I would increase land defenses by India, so if they wanted something and you refused, you could survive.

Chapter 11: Deferred Republic

http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/2637/chunshuzuoshen2kk.jpg

Flowers are shadowed, the palace darkens,
Birds twitter by for a place to perch;
Heaven's ten thousand windows are twinkling,
And nine cloud-terraces are gleaming in the moonlight.
While I wait for the golden lock to turn,
I hear jade pendants tinkling in the wind....
I have a petition to present in the morning,
All night I ask what time it is.

"A Night Vigil in the Left Court of the Palace," Du Fu (A.D. 712-770)

It was during the middle of the war that Chinese scholars took advantage of the ample funding they had during the Golden Age and hammered out the last details of their new system of government. Science advisor Deng delivered the news to Chairman Mao.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/8910/wondersoftheorient330ad8ca.png

Mao had originally intended to keep the results of this research classified, but Confucius and his three thousand disciples were already well on their way to spreading the news around the country. It did not take long for the people to notice, and soon many were clamoring for the new republic to take shape.

http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/4908/wondersoftheorient330ad28tm.png

Mao sighed. He called together the citizens of Beijing to Tiananmen Square in front of the palace, and announced, "We apologize for the inconvenience... but it is not the right time for us to reorganize. We are still at war with the Japanese, and if we do not stand united to the end they will crush us." The crowd hushed for a moment, with a few murmurs of approval.

Mao continued his plea. "Besides, why should we not continue to enjoy the prosperity of the Golden Era? We can settle all our problems after that is over."

Reminded of the incredible time they were living in, the citizens decided to agree with Mao for now. The republic would have to wait. Mao breathed a sigh of relief, as China had just barely avoided going into anarchy at the most inconvenient time.

And that decision came at a crucial time, for in the next few years, the Chinese navy engaged the Japanese fleet repeatedly, but finally returned victorious to their base in Shanghai after destroying three Japanese galleys with only one loss of their own.

Chinese scientists were able to make one more important discovery in the Golden Age...

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/1710/wondersoftheorient400ad4qv.png

... but despite the gold coins that now filled the pockets of every Chinese citizen, the Golden Age of China finally seemed to have come to a close. The memory of the Great Wall had begun to fade from the people's minds, and no longer were they able to work with the same intensity.

http://img491.imageshack.us/img491/3866/wondersoftheorient410ad0lp.png

All of a sudden there was unrest in Beijing, and work on the Great Library came to a sudden halt. Apparently the new generation of Beijing citizens, having grown up during the Golden Age, were unready to face the harsh challenges before them. Grudgingly, Mao ordered more funds dedicated to their entertainment, hoping they would be content and stay on task.

The year 440 AD brought great news to Mao. First, military advisor Zhu De reported the final elimination of all Japanese forces on Taiwan. He had led a band of swordsmen to the island, which easily overpowered the demoralized Japanese spearmen, who had somehow managed to survive on the island for an extended period without new supplies. Chinese galleys patrolling the Ryukyu Channel between Taiwan and Japan consistently frustrated Tokugawa's efforts of bringing reinforcements.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/4469/wondersoftheorient440ad4zc.png

One Chinese galley even went as far as destroying some Japanese ships right in Kyoto Bay, with Tokugawa watching helplessly from the shore. But the Japanese fleet refused to engage the Chinese ship, for they all carried troops bound for Kaohsiung, and did not want to risk losing those to drown in the sea.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/8112/wondersoftheorient500ad3yr.png

Despite his faltering troops, Shogun Tokugawa was not about to give up. Even after all these years, the shame of Nobunaga's treatment was still something that made him turn over in his sleep. China sent messengers several times offering peace, but Tokugawa displayed absolutely no interest.

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/4355/wondersoftheorient440ad22uh.png

"I do not know what false sense of honor Tokugawa is trying to preserve," said Mao during a meeting with the governor of Beijing, "but we must not let him distract us from our more important goals."

"What goals?" said the governor.

Mao raised his eyebrows at him. "Don't you remember that we still have all those wonders to build?"

The governor, who had gotten very nervous when Mao gave him that suspicious look, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and announced, "Oh, that. Well, we are actually finished for now." He walked to the window and pointed across the street to a magnificent new building.

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/71/wondersoftheorient440ad33bk.png

"Impressive," said Mao, patting the governor on the back. "Let us check on what Gandhi has done in the meantime."

He called up the ambassador in Delhi, who reported that the Indians, with nothing better to do with all the materials they had gathered for the Great Library, in the end could only build a colosseum for entertaining their citizens.

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/3269/wondersoftheorient450ad8zq.png

"Better than a courthouse," quipped Minister Liu upon hearing of Delhi's foolish project. "But at least Gandhi is not so foolish as to wage war against us."

... to be continued

"But at least Gandhi is not so foolish as to wage war against us."



In the way of how the rules are set up, it would be in the best interest of the other civilizations to stay at war against you for the entire game!

Nice story behind this. Keep it up.

In the way of how the rules are set up, it would be in the best interest of the other civilizations to stay at war against you for the entire game!
Yes, but they don't know this rules.;)

True, the AI only have things to gain and nothing to lose from being at war with me. I'm not allowed to take any of their cities until all the modern age wonders are built, and for now I'm even going to extend the restriction to not even pillaging terrain improvements. We'll see if I can keep that up later on.

One thing I did allow myself to do is pursue enemy units into their territory; technically I'm not attacking their cities, so that should still be OK.

I definitely hope the AI's don't try to remain at war with me forever; I want to get out of despotism (preferably into republic), and I was even counting on trading tech with them later. Keep in mind the tech rate is the same as it is on huge size maps (200 I believe), so if we all screw around fighting each other, there's a possibility we don't even get to modern age by 2050. Doing my own research would suck, since all the land has been taken by now; in the last minimap, you may already have seen that Japan has settled the three islands in the south. I'm at 11 cities; Japan has 17 and India 12.

It also turns out that most of my Golden Age was spent building courthouses. Is that a waste of a GA, or would there have been much of an advantage of delaying it until I switched to republic?

Courthouses are usually useless.


700th post!!!! [party][party]:band::band::)
I got so easy from 500 to 600 posts, but this hundred was looong

Courthouses aren't useless, but don't build them early, better is to build markets/libs if you want economy boost. Build them only in high-corrupted towns or in big core towns which are producing many gold or shields.

@Mirc: :goodjob:

Chapter 12: Dawn of a New Era

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/9253/orchidmountain1lq.jpg

On a northern peak among white clouds
You have found your hermitage of peace;
And now, as I climb this mountain to see you,
High with the wildgeese flies my heart.
The quiet dusk might seem a little sad
If this autumn weather were not so brisk and clear;
I look down at the river bank, with homeward-bound villagers
Resting on the sand till the ferry returns;
There are trees at the horizon like a row of grasses
And against the river's rim an island like the moon
I hope that you will come and meet me, bringing a basket of wine --
And we'll celebrate together the Mountain Holiday.

"On Climbing Orchid Mountain," Meng Haoran (A.D. 689-740)

In 500 AD, a Chinese farmer plowing the fields near Hangzhou unearthed a strange stone tablet with mysterious drawings and markings engraved upon it. Curious, he turned it over to the local authorities, who, puzzled by the unintelligible symbols, could only wonder what the meaning of this could be. The tablet was transferred to Beijing, where the best scholars of the country would analyze every detail until they could reach a conclusion. They quickly determined it was probably a piece of foreign literature, and guessing from the larger-than-life depictions of several figures in the scene, they were able to guess that these were some kind of deities that these ancient people must have worshipped.

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9295/wondersoftheorient500ad6zp.png

Mao was skeptical of this new discovery, and he was debating whether or not it was a complete waste of national funds to research this topic.

"What can we do with this?" he asked Deng, the science advisor.

Deng didn't say anything.

"Can we form new military units knowing this idea?"

Deng shook his head.

"How about some different kind of building to add to our cities? A new wonder would be nice, we don't even know of any new ones that we can build."

Deng shook his head again.

"Maybe a new task for our workers to do? They are still quite busy improving the land though."

Deng gave up. "I am afraid that polytheism doesn't give us any tangible benefits," he finally admitted.

Mao glared at him. "What have you been doing all this time? You--"

But Deng wasn't paying attention to him anymore. He was looking outside the window at the city of Beijing. For some reason, it just seemed... different....

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/231/wondersoftheorient500ad23mi.png

"Interesting," said Mao when he noticed it as well. "I won't bother you with that anymore. You may go."

The following years did not bring much good news of the war, however. Chinese galleys repulsed more Japanese naval maneuvers, but with heavy losses of their own ships. The weakened force patrolling the Ryukyu Channel eventually could not prevent one Japanese galley from landing troops on Taiwan Island.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4664/wondersoftheorient570ad3od.png

"Regrettably, there was no way to stop them in time," reported Admiral Zheng He of the Shenlong. "Their ship departed Satsuma harbor in the morning and had already unloaded their troops by the afternoon."

But Commander Zhu De was well prepared on the island. He immediately ordered the workers to be evacuated into the city for protection, and seeing that the Japanese had landed only a small force, he decided to attack before they were prepared. The swordsmen were called to duty once more, and they performed admirably in the field.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1059/wondersoftheorient570ad27yd.png

The defeat of the second Japanese invasion drove Shogun Tokugawa completely insane. When a Chinese galley blocked off Satsuma harbor from any future landings like the last one, Tokugawa could no longer speak in meaningful sentences. Mao proposed a peace treaty, and the Shogun, thinking he was accepting the Chinese surrender, readily signed it.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3886/wondersoftheorient580ad7wj.png

Thus, the Treaty of Satsuma brought an end to the War of Nobunaga's Cheek, the first war between China and Japan, with both sides claiming victory.

Chinese casualties: 3 galleys
Japanese casualties: 9 galleys, 1 spearman, 1 swordsman, unknown number of land units drowned

With the war over, the Chinese people first breathed a sigh of relief, then began their celebrations. Suddenly the celebrations grew out of control, with local authorities unable to contain them. In time, anarchy reigned in the country.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/607/wondersoftheorient580ad23ai.png

Mao patiently waited for the anarchy to subside, but it seemed like it would take a while before there would be order again.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/757/wondersoftheorient580ad38sq.png

Finally, in the year 600 AD, the Republic of China was formed, and Mao Zedong, due to his popularity before the revolution, was elected Prime Minister easily. Once again the Chinese people returned to peace and prosperity.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/22/wondersoftheorient580ad41ag.png

... to be continued

Score check:

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6296/wondersoftheorient510ad5sm.png

Score, Power, and Culture graphs at 510 AD (just entered Middle Ages).

Japan has now taken the lead in terms of score. Not surprising since they have 17 cities (China has 11 and India has 12).

Also it looks like the religious trait is kicking in, they're starting to eat away at my culture score.

Status report at beginning of Middle Ages (510 AD):

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9361/wondersoftheorient510ad20ws.th.png (http://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient510ad20ws.png)http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1930/wondersoftheorient510ad39gm.th.png (http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient510ad39gm.png)http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/7281/wondersoftheorient510ad47ya.th.png (http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient510ad47ya.png)http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/3967/wondersoftheorient510ad50tq.th.png (http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient510ad50tq.png)

Wonder list, top 5 cities, demographics, Beijing and Shanghai pics


(Some more shameless post-whoring on my part, but I'd like to extend a big thanks to ImageShack (http://imageshack.us/) for their bandwidth and hosting space for the images.)

It appears that you have land in your territory that can't be used by your cities (too far away). Will you fill in some of the spots with more cities to get more production and trade?

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3886/wondersoftheorient580ad7wj.png

I guess you observed the Easter egg...

It appears that you have land in your territory that can't be used by your cities (too far away). Will you fill in some of the spots with more cities to get more production and trade?

We'll see. I don't really like city overlap (which is probably one of my worst weaknesses as a civ player), but if there is enough motivation for me to do so, I will.

You can't use ALL 21 tiles before you will learn Sanitation. But when you will do it, the game will be almost ended. Best city placement is CxxC, or CxxxC for core cities around capital, and CxxC for others.

You can't use ALL 21 tiles before you will learn Sanitation. But when you will do it, the game will be almost ended.

Not in this game. I think the AI will still attempt to put up a fight well into the modern age.

:goodjob:
Wonderful story! :)

^What he said.:)

Chapter 13: Double Jeopardy

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7526/chunsi7gv.jpg

Your grasses up north are as blue as jade,
Our mulberries here curve green-threaded branches;
And at last you think of returning home,
Now when my heart is almost broken....
O breeze of the spring, since I dare not know you,
Why part the silk curtains by my bed?

"Spring Thoughts," Li Bai (A.D. 701-762)

The Chinese Republic flourished, with increased commerce and productivity in every city. Mao found himself sitting on an ever-increasing pile of gold in the national treasury, and even though the taxation rate was no different than in the despotism, the amount of funding that went to scientific research nearly doubled. Deng Xiaoping, who before the revolution had estimated that it would take 16 turns to complete research on feudalism, now predicted that 9 turns would be enough.

But only 8 turns later, the science advisor informed Mao that he had been wrong. Feudalism was learned earlier than expected.

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/5817/wondersoftheorient680ad5ni.png


While together they wondered how this could be, news from the embassy in Delhi reported that the Indians had begun a new project of a magnitude never imagined before. It was clearly another Great Wonder.

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/2274/wondersoftheorient680ad22ra.png

"How do you have to spend so much time and resources to build a book?" asked Deng. "Besides, Chinese strategists have learned the secrets of Sun Tzu ages ago."

Mao ignored him, only looking southward in the direction of India. Great minds think alike, thought Mao. I would do just the same as Mahatma Gandhi this time. He now knew that Indian research on the same subject had somehow been leaked to the Chinese, allowing them to finish at about the same time.

But then he looked at the report more closely, and noticed something strange.

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7381/wondersoftheorient680ad31lw.png

"Calcutta?" It was the first time Mao had heard of the city. "Are you serious?" he asked the messenger.

The messenger nodded. "There can be no mistake about it. Calcutta, the tiny Indian settlement at the southeasternmost extreme of our continent."

Calcutta was only size 3, less than 70,000 souls strong. The population of Beijing was nearing 500,000. Mao did not even bother asking his ambassador for a detailed report about the town. Sun Tzu's Art of War would most definitely be completed in Beijing well ahead of the competition.

While Beijing started work on the new Great Wonder, the other cities took advantage of the opportunity to catch up on infrastructure and defense. Marketplaces, aqueducts, and libraries were constructed, and new military units were assembled, foot soldiers well-trained in the art of wielding a long iron spear known as a pike.

Mao noticed something else about the Republic that was different from before. Soldiers stationed in the cities no longer acted as peacekeepers for the people; rather, they focused on defense alone. Economic advisor Liu Shaoqi suggested that luxuries goods should be acquired to please the citizens. Surprisingly, the only two goods that India could offer were wines and furs, which China already had access to in the vineyards of Hangzhou and the forest near Nanjing. The new goods would have to come from Japan.

Liu volunteered to go to Kyoto to negotiate the deal. He spent many days scouring the streets for the best products, as the Japanese still had no idea of what a marketplace was. Of the four luxury goods that Japan had to offer, he picked his two favorites: a soft, attractive cloth called silk, and a powder called incense that emitted a pleasing aroma when burned.

Shogun Tokugawa had recovered his senses by now, and was extremely suspicious of any Chinese offers of trade. But the Japanese were still technologically backwards, and the offer of some ancient techniques was enough to satisfy Tokugawa's demands.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5119/wondersoftheorient730ad9pt.png

Silks and incense were brought to marketplaces all around China, making some citizens so happy they celebrated in the streets. Mao was satisfied with Liu's negotiations, but something still bothered him about it.

"Tell me," he asked Liu one day, "did the Shogun say anything strange when you closed the deal?"

Liu scratched his head. "Not that I remember," he said. "But when I was on my way out, I turned my head back to look at him one more time, and he was biting on his fingernails."

Mao frowned. "Which finger was he biting on?"

"I'm not sure I remember," Liu said, staring up at the ceiling while trying to recall the event. "Oh, I think it was his right index finger."

I have a bad feeling about this, thought Mao.

As if the omen were true, in 790 AD Oda Nobunaga appeared in Beijing one day with the same ridiculous demand.

"Our illustrious Shogun allowed you to trade with us only if you refrained from using your devious Chinese merchants' tricks," he fumed, "but clearly you cut our deal a little short. We request that you make up the difference for us now, by giving us contact with the Indians."

"Certainly," said Mao. He raised his head and shouted toward the entrance of the palace, "Ganesh Gupta! We need your help here once more."

The Indian worker had barely poked his head into the room when Nobunaga edged nervously away from him. I will not fall for the same trick twice, he swore to himself.

Ganesh walked toward Nobunaga and extended a hand for him to shake, but the Japanese envoy kept a distance of several feet between them. Seeing no progress being made, Mao asked them to stop.

"Ganesh," said the Chariman, "our friend Nobunaga has made such a long and difficult journey to pay us a visit. What kind of gift would you suggest we give him?"

Ganesh pondered the situation for a moment, then spoke. "Lord Nobunaga, I know of the perfect gift for you. It has been handed down from my ancestors in India for thousands of years, and now I think is the right time that I show it to you."

Nobunaga turned to look at him but refused to approach.

That split-second was just enough time for the Indian's fast reflexes. Ganesh cocked his head back, made a quick but disgusting gargling noise, then launched a mass of yellowish-brown phlegm with incredible speed SPLAT! onto Nobunaga's forehead.

"Aaaargghhhh!!" Nobunaga bellowed with rage. Then suddenly he bent over, coughed, and then deposited his morning breakfast on Mao's palace floor.

"Oh I'm sorry," apologized Ganesh. "I didn't know you were seasick." With that he hurried to clean up the mess.

Nobunaga stormed out of the palace and was so ashamed of his two miserable failures that he drew his katana and committed seppuku on the voyage back to Japan. His attendants, weeping with sorrow, delivered the tragic news to the Shogun.

"I will avenge my friend!" declared an enraged Tokugawa. "The next boat to leave Japan will not contain a single speck of incense or a shred of silk. Order the troops onto the galleys, we will destroy the Chinese for good this time!"

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/5798/wondersoftheorient790ad8nw.png

These Japanese never learn, thought Mao. But alas, the outbreak of war had ended the luxury trade, and there would have to be some other way of keeping the citizens entertained.

Defense minister Zhu De was soon back in Kaohsiung to lead the troops. A Japanese combined force of archers and spearmen had occupied the hill northeast of the city, but they were quickly surrounded by Chinese defenders, who entrenched themselves for a fierce battle.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3622/wondersoftheorient800ad8hs.png

But the Japanese archers made a surprise attack, wiping out the defending spearmen on the hills in the northwest. Furious, Zhu ordered his swordsmen to launch a counteroffensive as soon as the Japanese moved out of the rugged terrain in the hills.

The attack was a complete success. Not a single swordsman was lost, and the entire Japanese spearman division was destroyed, and the troops were now China's most seasoned fighters.

The Japanese archers attempted to escape, but were pursued and wiped out immediately thereafter. Shogun Tokugawa, however, was emboldened by the fact that a Japanese land unit had finally been victorious in battle, although short-lived. "Send the second wave of the invasion," he ordered. Two groups of swordsmen landed on Taiwan soon thereafter.

With only one spearman and a warrior defending Kaohsiung, the situation looked bleak for the Chinese. Zhu had already told Mao to prepare for Kaohsiung's fall, as his swordsmen had chased the Japanese archers too far away to come to the rescue.

The spearmen fell beneath the Japanese blades. But by some stroke of incredible luck, the second wave of the Japanese attack faltered, and the ragged warrior band in Kaohsiung butchered the attacking Japanese swordsmen to the man with their flint axes. The city was saved. They had bought enough time for Zhu to return and wipe out the rest of the Japanese.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9850/wondersoftheorient840ad7gq.png

Hearing of the close call at Kaohsiung, Admiral Zheng He retaliated, destroying two Japanese galleys in the Ryukyu Channel with his flagship Shenlong. But there were too many ships this time for the Chinese fleet to handle. Tokugawa is serious now, thought Mao. He ordered some more reinforcements to be sent to Kaohsiung from Shanghai.

During this time, Deng Xiaoping reported that Chinese researchers had developed a formal practice of engineering.

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/9352/wondersoftheorient830ad5du.png

"Look, Chairman," he said. "We now have a bridge across the Yellow River. It is now easier than ever for our workers and troops to cross to the other side."

Mao was unimpressed. "Can you build a bridge from Shanghai to the island of Taiwan? That is what I really need right now."

Deng shook his head. "But there's a new topic I'd like research," he said. "We have some vague idea of how to develop longer, more powerful bows for our archers, enabling them to inflict much greater damage on the enemy. Plus, I hear that this leads to a new Great Wonder, Leonardo's Workshop."

Too preoccupied by events of the war to think about building a new Great Wonder, Mao gave his science advisor the funds and asked him to start working on it right away. Kaohsiung was still in trouble. Commander Zhu reported that another combined force of spearmen and archers had landed, and they even destroyed the mines in the northeastern hills.

But Mao was distracted by something else. It was the year 880 AD, and two Indian horsemen had been spotted in the vineyards outside Hangzhou, tearing up the grape vines as they recklessly passed through. The governor of Hangzhou, alarmed, informed Mao that he had an emergency at hand.

Gandhi was polite when Mao met with him, but clearly he was hiding something. "Nice to see you today, Mao," he said. "Would you like a nice vegetarian curry?"

"I don't think you put grapes in your curry, do you?" snapped Mao.

"What do you mean?" Gandhi looked confused.

"No, what do you mean to do, sending your horsemen into my vineyards? You have no enemy to the north, so what are your troops doing passing through my territory?"

The Mahatma grinned. "You are mistaken, Mao. We do have an enemy in the north."

Mao eyed him suspiciously. "Who is this unknown enemy you are after?"

Gandhi paused for a moment, leaned forward, and whispered, "It is you, Mao."

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4403/wondersoftheorient880ad0vi.png

... to be continued

Holy crap your're in bad shape. But you can easily hang in there no problem.

You got burned on that deal with Japan. I guess it is a good idea to keep the other two civilizations isolated, they could declare war with one another and one could become a superpower.

Chapter 14: One Hundred Years of Solitude

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/6417/dengyouzhou3yb.jpg

Behind me I do not see the ancient men,
Before me I do not see the ones to come.
Thinking of the endlessness of heaven and earth,
Alone in my despair, my tears fall down.

"On a Gate Tower at Youzhou," Chen Ziang (A.D. 661-702)

It was now the whole world against the Chinese. Although there was no contact between Japan and India, their combined attacks were just as deadly as if there had been an alliance between the two. Many Chinese troops perished in the ensuing fighting, and the Hangzhou vineyards were pillaged by the Indian horsemen. There would be no wine for Chinese dinner parties for a long time.

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/3739/wondersoftheorient880ad26bp.png

From Kaohsiung, Commander Zhu launched a costly but effective counterattack against the Japanese. With reinforcements arriving from the mainland, he soon established what he declared to be the "impregnable" Fortress Taiwan, with no available landing zone for any more Japanese. With the Taiwan Strait blockade still in place, the Japanese remained cut off from India, with no possible cooperation between the two.

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/2036/wondersoftheorient900ad3ff.png

Seeing that Zhu's job was complete in Kaohsiung, Mao transferred his military advisor to Hangzhou, which was besieged by the Indians. The Indians avoided attacking the city directly, preferring to destroy land improvements in the vicinity first, with the goal of fighting a war of attrition. Or perhaps their horses were terrified of the giant boulders that were flung at them by Hangzhou's catapults every time they tried to make a move. A few of the horsemen attempted to attack the city but were forced to retreat by the defenders.

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/1683/wondersoftheorient910ad9ry.png

Mao had expected a siege of similar scale around Nanjing, as it was deep inside Indian territory, but it was actually surprisingly uneventful in the south. A lone unit of Indian spearmen wandered inside Chinese borders and managed to disrupt Nanjing's supply of horses, but after successive bombardments by catapults, they were weak enough to be wiped out by some rather poorly trained Chinese warriors. (Apparently these warriors couldn't even hold still for a photo opportunity, so a rare action shot is presented here.)

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/4715/wondersoftheorient930ad2es.png

But Gandhi had a different surprise in store. One day in 930 AD, the governor of Qingdao reported a sudden landing by Indian forces in the forest just outside the city. In a panic, he sent a desperate plea to Mao for reinforcements, but clearly there was nothing that could be spared. The southern front was consuming all of China's resources.

Mao scoffed at the report. "Look at you, getting all jittery after seeing such a tiny invasion force!" he rebuked the governor. "Would you like to be transferred to Hangzhou for a change?"

"Uh, no thanks... I'll... I'll try my best." The governor nervously slinked away from Mao, back to his home in Qingdao.

This time Mao was right. The Indian warriors were no match for the defenders in Qingdao, and Mao wondered if Gandhi actually thought he would be fooled by such an obvious decoy.

http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/1833/wondersoftheorient930ad28sr.png

Nobody, however, could predict the next unexpected news. Even though China and India were at war, news got leaked that the Indian city of Delhi had stopped recruiting for the armed forces and was breaking ground on a new project. Based on the magnitude of the resources they were gathering, it was clear that this was no ordinary city improvent--it had to be another Great Wonder.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4866/wondersoftheorient930ad35qu.png

From this, Mao learned that the Indians had overthrown their despotism, and Mahatma Gandhi now ruled as the Emperor of India, under a government known as a monarchy.

"Monarchy!" exclaimed minister Deng. "I had never thought of that before. I always thought a republic would be the way to go, but clearly I missed something here." But it was too late for him to change his plans; invention was due in six turns.

Advisor Liu had an idea. "We can pretend we are building a palace in Shanghai," he suggested. "Then as soon as we learn about monarchy, we can switch our project to the Hanging Gardens."

Mao agreed that this would be a good plan, but just as he was about to set it in motion, a wild commotion sounded off outside the palace in Beijing. The capital was in complete chaos. Apparently the Indian troops had cut off all roads to Nanjing, preventing the vital supplies of furs that had kept the citizens happy. Similar disturbances were reported elsewhere in the cities of Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, the most populous in the country. Seeing no alternatives, Mao reluctantly ordered more funding for the people's entertainment.

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Despite the civil disorder, the battle raged around Hangzhou for decades, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Gandhi, however, made a crucial tactical mistake in ordering an assault on the Chinese troops fortified in the hills and mountains, and even though he was ultimately successful, the losses inflicted upon the Indian military were substantial. By 970 AD the Indians were in a general retreat, having vacated most of their troops from Chinese territory.

Both China and India were exhausted by now, and in 980 AD, after a hundred years of war, Mao and Gandhi met at Hangzhou to negotiate a peace. Gandhi was satisfied with a truce, a peace without victory, but Mao suggested that since India started the war as the aggressor, Gandhi ought to offer something as compensation for all of China's losses.

Mahatma Gandhi was firm. Monarchy would remain an Indian secret. But, seeing the reasoning in Mao's argument, Gandhi added the Indian world map to his offer.

"Take it or leave it," he said. "That is as far as I will go."

Mao nodded, and they signed the treaty. It wasn't a bad deal after all; the Indian world map filled in the last details on China's map, which was only missing some of the inland regions of Bangladesh Island.

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/9808/wondersoftheorient980ad7vk.png

The Treaty of Hangzhou brought an end to the war between India and China, but not a word was said about the Japanese. It really wasn't necessary. The blockade was still in place, and no more Japanese troops were able to land on Taiwan.

Chinese casualties: 2 warriors, 2 spearmen, 1 pikeman, 3 swordsmen
Indian casualties: 3 warriors, 2 spearmen, 1 archer, 1 swordsman, 8 horsemen

Mao breathed a sigh of relief. Gandhi was a respectable opponent, he thought to himself. I think we can still work with him in the future.

He didn't need to pay attention to the war with Japan anymore. China had some building to do.

... to be continued

nice story bro

Chapter 15: Just Hanging in There

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1465/weiwan4gq.jpg


The travellers' parting-song sounds in the dawn.
Last night a first frost came over the river;
And the crying of the wildgeese grieves my sad heart
Bounded by a gloom of cloudy mountains....
Here in the Gate City, day will flush cold
And washing-flails quicken by the gardens at twilight --
How long shall the capital content you,
Where the months and the years so vainly go by?

"A Farewell to Wei Wan," Li Qi (A.D. 690-751)

With the Indian threat now over, most of China's cities reverted to peaceful cultural development, but defense minister Zhu De insisted that the military recover to its full strength first. "The Indians attacked us because we appeared weak to them," he argued. "We must keep a permanent force on patrol at our southern border or else they will be back." He had a good point. If China's best defenders--pikemen at the moment--could be deployed along the entire border, they would serve as a powerful deterrent to any future attacks that could possibly come from that direction.

The Chinese embassy in Delhi reopened, and the returning staff noticed that work on the Hanging Gardens had already made some progress. They submitted a report back to Beijing, which showed the following:

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/6853/wondersoftheorient980ad20hw.png

Delhi had grown tremendously and was now more populous than Beijing. Furthermore, the city's productivity had increased significantly, though still slightly lagging behind that of Beijing and Shanghai. We must work quickly, thought Mao, or else the Hanging Gardens will belong to India.

Science advisor Deng Xiaoping was exactly who Mao wanted to see on this particular day in 1000 AD. He had finally returned with a working version of the longbow, which, although too late to be useful in the war, nevertheless impressed Mao with its speed and accuracy of firing arrows.

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/2934/wondersoftheorient1000ad0gc.png

The city of Shanghai, which until then was pretending to build a palace, could now work on the next Great Wonder, Leonardo's Workshop.

Mao wanted to have monarchy researched next so that the Hanging Gardens could build, but Deng didn't like that idea. "Remember that we have the Great Library right here in the capital," he reminded Mao. "Why not wait for the Japanese to discover monarchy independently, so our library can acquite it for free?"

Mao was skeptical and wanted to question Deng further about the subject, but the science advisor seemed fascinated by some other idea. He was observing a New Year's celebration in the street, where small children were lighting the fuses on firecrackers which noisily exploded in the air. "So much power in such tiny little packets," he murmured as he wandered outside.

Shortly thereafter, in 1050 AD, Beijing completed the official version of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Copies were distributed to every city on the continent, and it became required reading for all new military recruits. From this point forward, every soldier trained in a Chinese city would be a veteran.

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Sun Tzu's Art of War also caused quite a stir in India. The embassy submitted two reports that year, with some very interesting revelations. Delhi had completely abandoned construction of the Hanging Gardens; that task had been relocarted to Calcutta, where it was 10 turns from completion.

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http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4719/wondersoftheorient1050ad44ta.png

That 10 turns was all the time that was left for the Great Library to acquire a book on monarchy from abroad, but for many years no such item appeared. Instead, Mao found out that the Japanese had spent all this time researching feudalism, and he had waited in vain.

Left with no other choice, Mao decided he would have to trade with Gandhi or risk losing the Great Wonder. The Mahatma seemed reluctant at first, but eventually he was convinced that the republican form of government was indeed very effective and worth just as much.

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/5535/wondersoftheorient1100ad6pg.png

Gandhi didn't know that China had been preparing for the Hanging Gardens long before this trade, and even Mao had underestimated Shanghai's production output over this period. In the end, changing projects to the Hanging Gardens actually wasted quite a lot of work that the citizens of Shanghai had done, but with Gandhi's project in Calcutta nearing completion, there was no other choice.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/3829/wondersoftheorient1100ad20ao.png

At last, in the year 1100 AD, the final wonder of the ancient era was built.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/6365/wondersoftheorient1100ad35lk.png

Not long afterward, Mao was shocked to hear of an uprising in the Indian city of Karachi. At first he thought the Indians were undergoing another violent revolution, but the governor of Nanjing reported that Indian citizens had contacted him, declaring their allegiance to the great nation of China. Simply put, they were ardent admirers of Chinese culture--so much that they would rather be Chinese than Indian.

Karachi was a rather large city, nearly half a million souls strong. The news caught Mao wholly by surprise, as he had never expected a foreign people with whom he had just fought a hundred-year-long war would feel such strong loyalty to his country. But ultimately, he felt that he could not accept them into Chinese society.

http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/9373/wondersoftheorient1110ad7ou.png

We are the Chinese people, thought Mao. We do not need to rely on the help from some foreign admirers to support our work. We are the wonder-builders, and we will prevail through our own effort.

... to be continued

Great update, maybe India will switch to Republic and become more peaceful.

wait did you raze the city

No, its still a Indian city.

Great update, maybe India will switch to Republic and become more peaceful.
You could only hope.

Nice update.

wait did you raze the city

If you remember, I wrote in the introduction that I am not allowed to take any rival cities, even if it's a culture flip, until all wonders are built.

If I were playing for a quick win, sure, I'd take a free city any day.

And, as a matter of fact, Gandhi switched to republic immediately after I traded it to him. Let's hope he stays that way.

you should write a story of that, how a single regiment slaughtered half a million poor souls the tragedy of Karachi

you should write a story of that, how a single regiment slaughtered half a million poor souls the tragedy of Karachi

Uhm, I don't think I ever said anything about destroying Karachi. I simply rejected their offer. India keeps the city.

If you want me to start slaughtering massive numbers of civilians, you might want to check this thread again in a few more weeks.

Chapter 16: A Fisherman's Chance

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An old fisherman spent the night here, under the western cliff;
He dipped up water from the pure Hsiang and made a bamboo fire;
And then, at sunrise, he went his way through the cloven mist,
With only the creak of his paddle left, in the greenness of mountain and river.
...I turn and see the waves moving as from heaven,
And clouds above the cliffs coming idly, one by one.

"An Old Fisherman," Liu Zongyuan (A.D. 773-819)

"I have good news and bad news for you," announced Deng Xiaoping one day. "Which would you like to hear first?"

"The good news," said Mao. He was in a cheerful mood at the time, relaxing and enjoying the fair weather in the Hanging Gardens of Shanghai. There was some noise from the ongoing construction of Leonardo's Workshop, but that did not seem to bother him the slightest bit.

"The good news is that we have finally arrived at the perfect formula for gunpowder," said Deng. "And as a result of this work, our scientists have discovered that the world is far more complex than just a matter of fire, water, earth, and air. I believe we are on the verge of making a new breakthrough in a formal science called chemistry."

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/276/wondersoftheorient1200ad2co.png

With that, the science advisor produced a long metal tube, inserted a small white pellet into it, and pointed it at a small rat that had been crawling in the bushes. Mao heard a sudden BAM! and the next instant, the animal was frozen in time, motionless.

"A perfect shot," he congratulated Deng. "How did you do it?"

"I just aimed and fired," shrugged Deng. "It wasn't a very difficult shot, at such a short distance. All I needed was a a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. Which brings me to the bad news. I have looked around all of China, and not a single respectable deposit of saltpeter is to be found anywhere."

"Where did you get that, the little bit you just used?" asked Mao.

"It was smuggled in from India. One of our staff at the embassy in Delhi noticed a few deposits in the southern regions. Here, it's marked on this map."

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/917/wondersoftheorient1210ad0iw.png

Mao snapped his fingers. "Just out of our reach," he grumbled. "Well, we'll have to see what price Gandhi expects to sell this saltpeter to us."

"No, no!" Deng panicked. "The Indians don't even recognize what saltpeter is. The only way they will ever be able to identify it is if you teach them the secret of gunpowder, and that is clearly not in our best interest."

"Ahh yes... why did I not think of that." Mao looked at the map for a moment, then asked, "Do you know if the Japanese have saltpeter as well?"

Deng nodded. "Our seamen have reported seeing saltpeter deposits in the desert by Osaka. If we let this war drag on for too long, the Japanese may one day use this new weapon against us."

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9502/wondersoftheorient1210ad28zz.png

"Interesting," said Mao. "It seems like it would be a good time to bring this war to a close then." With that, he summoned Commander Zhu and gave him some new orders to carry out.

By 1220 AD, Japanese fishermen from the island city of Sapporo noticed Chinese galleys prowling the waters around their harbor. Unwilling to risk their lives in their daily activities, they refused to go out to sea, causing a food crisis in the city. Tokugawa cursed and swore, but Japan's navy had no ships fit for the cause of driving out the Chinese.

Then one day, the unthinkable happened. Chinese pikemen landed on the mountains outside Sapporo and camped there, taunting the city defenders day and night to come out and fight. Tokugawa ignored them at first, mainly because he lacked the manpower for an effective attack, but over time the citizens began to complain, and many began to wonder why the war was still going on. He ordered one last desperate attempt to break through the Chinese blockade in the Taiwan Strait, but was easily defeated.

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Finally Shogun Tokugawa gave up. With further attacks on Kaohsiung impossible, and with all his attempts to break the Chinese blockade ending in miserable failure, he had lost all hope of victory. The garrison of Sapporo raised a white flag.

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The Treaty of Sapporo, signed in 1230 AD, put an end to the second Sino-Japanese war. Chinese troops withdrew from Japanese territory, and trade relations were reestablished at last. Japan in particular had made very little progress during this time. On the other hand, Chinese citizens who had gotten used to the luxury silks and incense imported from Japan were now clamoring for them to return to the markets, and a few basic technologies would not be a high price to pay for them.

Chinese casualties: 1 galley, 2 spearmen, 1 swordsman
Japanese casualties: 5 galleys, 2 spearmen, 4 archers, 3 swordsmen

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Mao was originally wary of another deal with the Japanese, but economic advisor Liu Shaoqi had suggested offering a commodity as part of the trade to deter them from breaking another agreement. "If they decide to stop sending us incense and silks, we will immediately cut them off from our horses," he explained.

Mao agreed, and as the leader of the Republic, he felt that it was his duty to do anything that improved the lives of the Chinese people would be. With Liu's help, he arranged another trade for a third luxury good to be delivered to Chinese marketplaces. In time, exotic spices brought Chinese cuisine to the global spotlight. Even Mahatma Gandhi's amazing vegetarian curry was put to shame.

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Chairman Mao's approval rating surged from a mediocre 65% to an incredible figure of 98%. Many cities were in open celebration. Corruption and waste fell sharply, and China entered a new age of prosperity and advancement.

Chinese scientists who had been researching the uses of saltpeter in gunpowder soon found other uses for it as well, and soon they developed a formal practice of experimentation with different substances and how they reacted. Advisor Deng pointed out that there were new technologies unlocked by advances in chemistry, and Mao granted him generous funding for his work.

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As if commemorating the many inventions Chinese scientists were making at this time, another Great Wonder was finally completed. The Leonardo's Workshop, built in Shanghai in 1295 AD, would ensure that the Chinese people would have little difficulty keeping all their tools and equipment up to date for ages to come.

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... to be continued

Good story and looking for more.

Giving India and Japan things that they can't live without of is a good way to keep them on your side. At this time, the only thing you need to worry about is the Indians declaring war against you.

Chapter 17: The Scripture Collection of the Great Library

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I clean my teeth in water drawn from a cold well;
And while I brush my clothes, I purify my mind;
Then, slowly turning pages in the Tree-Leaf Book,
I recite, along the path to the eastern shelter.
The world has forgotten the true fountain of this teaching
And people enslave themselves to miracles and fables.
Under the given words I want the essential meaning,
I look for the simplest way to sow and reap my nature.
Here in the quiet of the priest's temple courtyard,
Mosses add their climbing colour to the thick bamboo;
And now comes the sun, out of mist and fog,
And pines that seem to be new-bathed;
And everything is gone from me, speech goes, and reading,
Leaving the single unison.

"Reading Buddhist Classics with Master Zhao in the Early Morning," Liu Zongyuan (A.D. 773-819)

Mao was surprised to see science advisor Deng enter his office one day, accompanied by two attendants who carried in a huge crate of books. Deng had just recently begun supervising the new research on metallurgy; surely he could not have finished so quickly. And judging by the titles and pictures he noticed on their covers, they obviously had nothing to do with metals.

"What are these books that you have brought me?" he asked.

Deng smiled. Picking up a book from the crate, he read aloud:

"For those without feet, I have love.
I have love for all with two feet.
For those with four feet, I have love.
I have love for all with many feet.

"May those without feet do me no harm.
May none with two feet do me harm.
May those with four feet do me no harm.
May none with many feet do me harm.

"May all beings, all living things,
All who've come to be — one and all —
May they see every blessing!
May no evil at all come to them!

"Without limit is Buddha.
Without limit is Dhamma.
Without limit is Sangha."

Mao pondered the meaning of this for a moment, while Deng went on. "I got these from the Great Library," he said. "The librarian told me that they were just donated by a monk named Xuanzang, who has returned from seventeen years of traveling the world. This crate contains the Tipitaka, a collection of all of the sacred Buddhist texts he has acquired during his journey."

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"I was told that Master Xuanzang had a curious request," continued Deng. "He suggests that we build cathedrals, great houses of worship where monks and priests can listen to the pain and anguish of our citizens and lift them out of their suffering."

"An excellent idea," said Mao. With that, construction of cathedrals began in most cities.

Mahatma Gandhi heard news of the spread of monotheism to China and was surprised to learn that the Chinese neither had time to research the idea nor bothered to buy or trade it with the Indians. It must be the other civilization that Mao knows of, he thought to himself. The Japanese. The very thought of this greatly annoyed the Mahatma, and one day he decided he would have it no other way. He would demand contact with Japan from China, and perhaps apply some "pressure" if necessary.

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It was the first time India had presented such an ultimatum to the Chinese, and although Mao had already experienced the result of rejecting the Japanese twice, he was still curious as to how Gandhi would behave.

"An interesting request," he said at last, "but why didn't you bring anything to trade? I have been waiting for that bowl of vegetarian curry you had promised just before declaring war on us."

Gandhi glared at him, but made no sound.

Hearing no response, Mao politely asked the Indian leader to leave. "Come back with a fair trade, and I will consider it," he said, motioning toward the door.

Gandhi was escorted all the way back to the Indian border, whereupon he immediately turned around and shook his fist in a threatening manner. "I would grind your civilization to dust--"

But he suddenly broke off at this point. Something caught his eye. He looked around and saw a long line of disciplined, battle-ready Chinese pikemen standing alert for any possible assault. It was the Chinese border guard, deployed in the years since the Hundred Years' War. They are much too strong for us to handle now, he moaned to himself. Embarrassed, he quickly hurried off back to the Indian capital.

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In Delhi he was greeted by the surprising news that Indian priests had made tremendous advances in their study of religion. Questions of faith were answered in a manner that was scholarly and academic, in a new formalism they called theology. With this new discovery, he swore he would beat the Chinese to the next Great Wonder, the Sistine Chapel.

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Hearing of this, the Chinese embassy in Delhi took stock of the situation, and reported it to Mao:

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Minister Liu was somewhat amused by the description. "Gandhi is quite inept with his planning," he remarked. "Just look at Delhi. The granaries are completely packed full of surplus food, but he still keeps his citizens working in the fields to harvest more. Why doesn't he move some workers to the mines?"

"Don't give him any ideas," said Mao. "The governor of Beijing told me that it would take us about 29 turns to do the same kind of work. We have to acquire theological books soon, or else this may be our downfall." He looked out the window, just in time to see minister Deng coming up the walkway, with several men pushing a mysterious wheeled device behind him.

"It is a cannon," he said. "You put gunpowder inside, light the fuse, and it will explode and launch deadly fire at the enemy."

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"Care to demonstrate?" asked Mao.

"Certainly." Deng got a match from his pocket, lit the fuse, and watched as the device heated up and made some crackling noises. Then, with a sudden BOOM! it rolled back on its wheels spewed out a terrifying mixture of powder, fire, and shrapnel. Mao watched in horror as the cannon fire blew a gaping hole in the Great Wall of China.

"You idiot! Look what you have just done!" Mao shouted at Deng. "Now the barbarians will overrun us!"

"Uhm," stuttered Deng. "I think we wiped out the last barbarians more than a thousand years ago."

"I don't care, you've just ruined one of our Great Wonders! Take that stupid thing away!" But then Mao realized that Deng had a good point, so he mellowed down a little, and gave his science advisor a new task.

"Check the Great Library again," he ordered Deng. "I believe there is something new that we can learn."

"Yes, sir." Deng saluted him and left.

He was not gone for long. Mao had scarcely begun to plan out the next five years of work when Deng returned, with the Great Library's most well written texts on religion, philosophy, and theology.

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The new knowledge of theology made the people unwilling to trust the unreliable divinations of the priests at the Oracle, preferring to listened to reasoned arguments based on sound logic rather than some strange marks on a stone tablet.

Mao didn't care much about that, though. Most cities already had cathedrals built in them, and few people visited the ancient temples anymore. "Excellent," said Mao. "We will begin working on the Sistine Chapel immediately."

Deng had something else to say, however. "Some of the books I found at the Library were written in Japanese," he said. "I think this means that it will not be just India in this wonder race with us from now on."

He was right. News soon spread to Mao that the Japanese were working on the Sistine Chapel as well.

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This time Mao was interested in what was going on, and he dispatched a diplomatic mission to Kyoto to open an embassy. They reported the situation in the Japanese capital:

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"Fools," said Minister Liu. "These foreigners never learn the most basic management and economics principles. The Sistine Chapel will be ours for sure."

... to be continued

I guess you are lucky that the Indians are with you on your continent instead of the Japanese!

You're gonna have to fight for that saltpeter, though...

I guess you are lucky that the Indians are with you on your continent instead of the Japanese!

That's a tough call. The Japanese have four luxuries and more territory than me solely because they have a whole continent to themselves. If India were on that continent instead, I think they'd become quite a lot more powerful as well. Arguably, Tokugawa is somewhat more aggressive than Gandhi, but I would be dealing with a somewhat weaker Tokugawa if he were on the same continent as me.

You're gonna have to fight for that saltpeter, though...

Highly doubtful. Remember, no attacking foreign cities until all wonders are built. By then saltpeter-based units would be rather obsolete.

The only possibility of "fighting" for saltpeter is after Japan and India both discover gunpowder, and either one happens to lose the resource, forcing me to "fight" with another civ over possibly trading it. But if that were the case, maybe saltpeter would pop up somewhere in my territory :lol:

Chapter 18: Nobunaga's Successor

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I dismount from my horse and I offer you wine,
And I ask you where you are going and why.
And you answer: "I am discontent
And would rest at the foot of the southern mountain.
So give me leave and ask me no questions.
White clouds pass there without end."

"At Parting," Wang Wei (A.D. 698-761)

It was not until 1370 AD that Shogun Tokugawa dared send another diplomatic mission to Beijing. Oda Nobunaga had been so thoroughly shamed by the Chinese that nobody was willing to take over his position for many years. Tokugawa had grumbled and cursed all this time, rejecting an inept courtier every now and then, until he finally found someone that satisfied him.

This man, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was not nearly as commanding a figure as Nobunaga, but nevertheless displayed nothing short of Nobunaga's attitude. He was fierce and combative but also demonstrated a certain amount of tact in his communications. And thus, his first task in Tokugawa's service was to continue Nobunaga's previous efforts:

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Chairman Mao could only snicker when hearing of this foolish demand for the third time. He had long been prepared for this possibility, and at once asked the Indian worker, Ganesh Gupta, to report to service.

Hideyoshi had, however, learned something from Nobunaga's failures. As soon as Mao asked for Ganesh to be brought in, he knew that there was no hope of forcing the Chinese to comply. Frustrated, he made one final taunting remark before departing:

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Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai burst into laughter as soon as Hideyoshi left. "That Hideyoshi is not much more than a monkey-man himself," he remarked. "What does he think he is, calling us barbarians?"

Mao laughed as well, but he regained his composure quickly. "One day we will have him eat his own words," said the Chairman. "But let's not bother with the Japanese for now. They are not worth our time, when we still have Great Wonders to work on."

Science advisor Deng Xiaoping joined in the conversation at this point. "I agree, Hideyoshi thinks far too highly of himself," he commented. "But you have to give the man some credit. Look what I found in the Great Library today."

Mao turned to him, and Deng held out a scroll with some Japanese writing on them. "These are the Precepts of Kato Kiyomasa," said Deng. "They were written by a lord in the service of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and they describe the rigorous bushido code to which his samurai warriors adhere."

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Mao glanced at the scroll a few times, mostly looking at the drawings that accompanied the text. "Impressive," he concluded. "We shall train our horse riders in that same manner."

Minister Deng, however, had an even greater surprise for Mao. "Actually, I think we are a bit more advanced than that," he announced, beaming. "I've been exploring a concept even more powerful than chivalry, and it is called military tradition."

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Mao's eyes lit up, but Deng suddenly shook his head and sighed. "There is one restriction, though," said the science advisor. "We cannot recruit cavalry if we cannot equip them with their guns, and we cannot give them guns until we have saltpeter."

"Drat," said Mao. "Oh well, at least I don't need to cancel my orders for training riders then."

While Deng had been busy with research on military tradition, Mahatma Gandhi had gone in the other direction. Mao soon learned that the Indians had developed a formal, compulsory education system, and their scholars and scientists had become far more influential.

Mao decided there was no way to let the Indians gain any advantage in the scientific realm, and thus he arranged for a trade. He was surprised to hear that the Indian iron mines near Chittagong had been exhausted, and now Gandhi wanted some Chinese iron to replenish his supply, as well as some knowledge of the practice of engineering.

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It was a difficult choice for Mao, as the new education system made the Great Library obsolete, but he was afraid that Gandhi may have gotten a head start in researching astronomy. But now he was free to dedicate a great deal of new funds to astronomy research, as well as begin the construction of universities around the country.

The city of Shanghai, however, was given a special task. Minister Deng had noticed that the discovery of astronomy would allow for a new Great Wonder, Copernicus's Observatory. And so, like the previous case with preparing to build the Hanging Gardens before knowing of monarchy, Mao had Shanghai begin gathering resources to build a palace, even though the ultimate goal would in fact be the Observatory.

When Deng Xiaoping finally returned with research on astronomy complete, he brought back two pieces of news. The first was that he intended to research navigation next, as Chinese astronomers were studying ways that the positions of the stars could guide ships sailing the open seas. This could open up a new possible Great Wonder, Magellan's Voyage.

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But the second one, though somewhat startling, was not much of a surprise to Mao, who had long expected the Indians to be following the same path. Shanghai's project was immediately converted to Copernicus's Observatory, expecting a comfortable lead in production over their Indian rivals.

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A new contest, thought Mao. This could become very interesting.

... to be continued

It seems like you have a good technology advantage over the other two civs if you have Military Tradition and they don't have Engineering.

I guess India and Japan took forever to get some of the techs to get the Great Library to expire.

It seems like you have a good technology advantage over the other two civs if you have Military Tradition and they don't have Engineering.

That's probably going to end pretty soon. India has astronomy now and will probably make contact with Japan in a few turns, once they upgrade galleys to caravels. As soon as they start trading techs, this game is going to get a lot more difficult.

At least you can get the wonders such as Theory of Evolution, and Copernicus' Observatory to help you out with science.

If you can stop the Indians from getting it first.

Chapter 19: An Eye Toward the Heavens

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A light wind is rippling at the grassy shore
Through the night, to my motionless tall mast,
The stars lean down from open space,
And the moon comes running up the river.
If only my art might bring me fame
And free my sick old age from office!
Flitting, flitting, what am I like
But a sandpiper in the wide, wide world!

"Nocturnal Reflections," Du Fu (A.D. 712-770)

It was now 1470 AD, exactly one hundred years after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's visit, and at last, it was time to break down the barriers between Japan and India lest the two of them meet on their own accord. Mao realized that this was perhaps the last chance he had to extract some value out of selling contact, and for now, it seemed like the Japanese had more to offer.

Minister Liu traveled to Kyoto again, with a far more ambitious goal than before. Mao wanted him to bring back all of the four Japanese luxuries, lest they export them to India instead. He knew that Gandhi had many marketplaces in his cities waiting to receive more goods, and if there was any way to make sure China would stay ahead, this was it.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi greeted Liu on Tokugawa's behalf, and together they worked out an agreement. Tokugawa had demanded a steep price, and Hideyoshi was rather difficult to negotiate with, but eventually they closed the deal. The Japanese walked away with a supply of dyes, gems, horses, and learned of China's educational secrets, while finally gaining the contact with the Indians that they had fought two wars over already. (Note: Contact with the Indians is not shown in the image, but it was part of the trade.)

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But it was still to early to let them go. Minister Deng observed that there was still a technology gap between India and Japan. The Indians knew astronomy. The Japanese knew invention. Rather than have them trade among themselves, Deng suggested that China play the middleman one last time.

Hideyoshi was surprised to see that Liu still had something else to offer, and instantly the Japanese diplomat's face lit up with happiness. He thought he was getting a great bargain, learning the science of astronomy from the Chinese at the cheap price of 300 gold and an updated copy of the Japanese atlas.

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Tokugawa was overjoyed to hear that Hideyoshi had acquired this new knowledge from the Chinese, and immediately began construction of better ships that could sail the seas without fear of sinking. They were still not yet ready for the open oceans, but the Shogun expected that would be soon to come as well. Still, Tokugawa was even more excited that he, too, could begin working on Copernicus's Observatory.

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The news was no surprise at all to Mao; he had expected that Tokugawa would give this project a try. "Just let him be," he said. "He will be amazed at how quickly we will be done with that."

The governor of Shanghai reported that work on the Observatory was steadily progressing; in fact, he estimated that it would be complete by 1490 AD, just ten years after the Sistine Chapel in Beijing. While there was nothing negative in that report, it greatly disturbed foreign minister Zhou Enlai, who had some serious concerns about the project. The Observatory cost significantly fewer resources than the Sistine Chapel, and so, if the Sistine Chapel is finished first... what if...

Suddenly it dawned upon him that there could be terrible results if the Sistine Chapel was built first. He asked the embassy in Delhi for an investigation on Gandhi's progress, and it confirmed his worst fears.

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The report wasn't particularly easy to understand, but from reading it Zhou estimated that the Indians had already devoted at least 330 units of production to the Sistine Chapel. For them, Copernicus's Observatory would cost only 360 units. By the time Beijing finished the Chapel, Delhi would have enough resources to complete the Observatory immediately.

Hearing of this, Mao called for an emergency meeting with Zhou and the governor of Beijing. After a long, intense discussion, they figured out there was only one way to prevent the Indians from getting a wonder: Beijing would have to slow down its production.

"Move some workers out of the mines and back into the fields," Mao told the governor. "You can even give some of them a break and let them go on vacation, if that's what you need to do. I just need the Sistine Chapel delayed by ten years, so that we can finish it at exactly the same time as Copernicus' Observatory in Shanghai."

The governor, somewhat puzzled by this, did not question Mao's logic and did as commanded.

There was one last order of business with Gandhi that was not yet complete. The Indians still lacked invention, so it was sold to them for a bargain price, lest Tokugawa try to extract some benefits from India in this manner.

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It had been a busy year. With a sigh of relief, Mao sat back and watched his plans unfold.

And indeed everything went as expected.

First came the invitation, sent by the governor of Beijing in the spring of 1490 AD, for Mao to come attend the opening ceremony of the Sistine Chapel. A great festival was held, and celebrations broke out in every Chinese city, as citizens gathered in crowds at their local cathedrals to enjoy the occasion.

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And then, one summer night of the same year, Chairman Mao took the first look at the heavens through the great telescope installed in the newly built Copernicus's Observatory in Shanghai. There were planets and stars, galaxies and nebulae, the most beautiful image of the night sky the Chinese leader had ever seen. It was as if he felt the heavens giving the Chinese people their most potent blessings.

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News of these triumphs reached the embassies in Delhi and Kyoto, who reported that the frustrated leaders of India and Japan could only hastily gather the remainder of their resources to build universities.

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But despite these successes, there would still be more struggles to face in the future. Japan and India were now scientific equals, and ready to collaborate in their challenges to Chinese supremacy.

... to be continued

Timing those wonders to be built at the same time to prevent the Indians from getting one is very impressive.

Timing those wonders to be built at the same time to prevent the Indians from getting one is very impressive.

Not really, I just have to spend a lot of gold on investigating cities with my embassy :(

Uhm, I don't think I ever said anything about destroying Karachi. I simply rejected their offer. India keeps the city.
i've never turned down a city i thought they were razed if you didn't accept

Nope, they return to the opponent civ and you get a slight attitude boost too.

Chapter 20: Betrayal at Nanjing

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The mountain-light suddenly falls in the west,
In the east from the lake the slow moon rises.
I loosen my hair to enjoy the evening coolness
And open my window and lie down in peace.
The wind brings me odours of lotuses,
And bamboo-leaves drip with a music of dew....
I would take up my lute and I would play,
But, alas, who here would understand?
And so I think of you, old friend,
O troubler of my midnight dreams!

"Thinking of Lord Xing in the Summer at the South Pavilion," Meng Haoran (A.D. 689-740)

With the knowledge of astronomy now widespread, ships from both Japan and India could safely travel around most of the world. Chinese vessels were still the only ones that could handle the open ocean, but the blockade at the Taiwan Strait was no longer effective; there were many more ways around it.

Mao assumed that most ships that came up and down the coast were trading ships, or perhaps exploring ships, but it was reported one day that a particular Japanese caravel had unloaded a number of pikemen and swordsmen across the Indian border near Nanjing. For several years they wandered around there, neither making any offensive moves nor withdrawing back to Japan. Mao was curious why Gandhi would not ask them to leave, as Japan and India had no rights of passage agreement between them, but the troops remained outside Chinese territory, so he assumed that Tokugawa and Gandhi might be conducting some kind of joint military exercise.

The landing of new Japanese troops in Chinese territory in 1505 AD, however, immediately changed the scenario. With the direction they were moving, there was no way this could have anything to do with the Indians. Nanjing's defense force was put on high alert, in preparation for a surprise attack.

Foreign minister Zhou Enlai made one last attempt at a diplomatic resolution of the crisis. Shogun Tokugawa pretended he did not even know about the Japanese military presence and tried to change the topic of discussion to trade. After all, Chinese horses were still being supplied to Japan, as well as dyes and gems, and Zhou hoped that Japan would value these trades enough not to disrupt the friendly relations between the two countries.

But there was not much to talk about with respect to trade. The Japanese had gunpowder and a supply of saltpeter, but not enough surplus to sell to China. Spices, ivory, silks, and incense were already being shipped to Chinese ports.

"Shogun," said Zhou at last. "I do not believe there is any more discussion necessary about economic matters. Please do not beat around the bush any more. I ask that you remove your troops from Chinese territory immediately, or face dire consequences."

"Ahh, so that is why you are here," snickered Tokugawa. "Very well then. Let's see what these so called 'consequences' are, bring it on!"

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His diplomatic mission a failure, Zhou decided his next stop before returning would be in Delhi. It was now a good time to make a deal with the Mahatma.

The outbreak of the third Sino-Japanese war ended all trade between the two countries, and now India was the only other possible market for surplus Chinese luxury goods. Mahatma Gandhi was already quite annoyed with the Japanese presence within Indian borders, so he readily agreed to an alliance and rights of passage.

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"Excellent," said Mao upon Zhou's return. "I think we can let India and Japan do most of the fighting; we will concentrate on our wonders in the meantime."

"What wonders?" Minister Deng interrupted. "We've built all the ones we can with our knowledge so far."

Mao blinked. "Really... "

"Yes," said Deng. "The last ones we finished were the Sistine Chapel and Copernicus's Observatory, don't you remember?"

Mao thought for a moment, then admitted that his science advisor was right.

"Ahh, but I have another surprise for you," added Deng. "I think you will like it."

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Mao looked at the plans Deng presented. They were for a majestic monument to the seamen who first circumnavigated the world, the Magellan's Voyage, to be built in Shanghai.

In the meantime, Commander Zhu De reported that the Japanese troops near Nanjing had been wiped out by Indian horsemen. There were only a few remaining Japanese units, most of them in Indian territory, but the rights of passage with India allowed for a counterattack to make short work of them.

From this point onward, the Japanese would have to land new troops on the continent, and now they would no longer have the advantage of surprise. It seemed that this war was under control already.

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Even with the war progressing, neither India nor Japan had cut down their scientific research. They had followed in China's footsteps, and researched navigation in preparation for Magellan's Voyage.

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"Oh, but we are still a step ahead of them," announced Deng proudly when hearing of this news. "This time I have gathered China's best musicians and scholars, and they have formulated a music theory."

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"Music theory?" asked Mao. "What good is that? Are we going to have military bands to entertain our troops at the front lines?"

"Perhaps," said Deng. "But more importantly, music entertains the people. I recommend that we build JS Bach's Cathedral and let the music uplift us all in our daily lives."

Mao nodded. "Put Beijing to work on this immediately," he ordered. "I suspect the Indians and the Japanese intend to compete with us once more on this project."

He could not have been any more right.

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http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8117/wondersoftheorient1550ad25wm.png

... to be continued

So this is going to be a pretty boring war. Sorry if you were expecting some more intense action. :(

I'll try to post more pictures in the next update. :)

You better hope that India and Japan stay equal, otherwise you will have one superpower challenging you for all of the wonders.

Go Sima!

Go, go, go, GOOOO!

...:D

This is a very interesting game, and I really want to see how this ends.

Chapter 21: Observers of a War

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/9583/guanshanyue7sq.jpg


The bright moon lifts from the Mountain of Heaven
In an infinite haze of cloud and sea,
And the wind, that has come a thousand miles,
Beats at the Jade Pass battlements....
China marches its men down Baideng Road
While Tartar troops peer across blue waters of the bay....
And since not one battle famous in history
Sent all its fighters back again,
The soldiers turn round, looking toward the border,
And think of home, with wistful eyes,
And of those tonight in the upper chambers
Who toss and sigh and cannot rest.

"The Moon at the Fortified Pass," Li Bai (A.D. 701-762)

No more Japanese troops were seen on the continent for many years after the Battle of Nanjing. India and Japan focused on each other, paying very little attention to the Chinese mainland. Kaohsiung was still heavily fortified and no Japanese ventured near it, let alone try to set foot on the island.

"Chairman Mao," the governor of Shanghai announced one day in 1565 AD. "Our project is now complete. Would you like to enjoy a ride on our newest caravel and experience the fruits of our labor?"

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9748/wondersoftheorient1565ad3hw.png

The monument of Magellan's Voyage inspired Chinese seamen to work even harder and made Chinese ships significantly faster than their foreign counterparts. Mao was amazed at how quickly he could travel to Kaohsiung and back, and declared that the Chinese navy would now be fit to patrol the waters around the world. No Japanese vessel dared engage a Chinese ship.

It was soon learned that Mahatma Gandhi had ordered an assault on the Japanese city of Ise, in the Mie Prefecture south of the Japanese mainland. But clearly their attack had failed; Indian horsemen had only managed to destroy some of the surrounding land before being forced to retreat by the Ise city garrison.

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/116/wondersoftheorient1565ad25ut.png

Chinese ships in the eastern ocean also observed Japanese troops landing on Bangladesh Island. They did not fare much better, but it seemed that the Indians were hesitant to attack the Japanese pikemen on the island, preferring to bombard them with cannon fire.

Indian ships were busy sending reinforcements to Bengal. Clearly there would be a fierce battle on this island soon.

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/3971/wondersoftheorient1570ad8mw.png

Even though Japan was China's enemy, Mao secretly hoped that this war would lead to a stalemate between India and Japan. As long as they wear each other out, he thought, we will be free to continue building the Great Wonders.

It took another ten years to see any decisive action in the war. A Chinese sea captain reported an incredible assault by Indian war elephants upon a Japanese city in the southwest. The city of Toyama was defended by powerful Japanese mustketmen, but their gunfire could barely damage the elephants at all. It seemed as though the enormous beasts were ready to charge into any battle with no fear of the enemy.

http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/4303/wondersoftheorient1580ad6bi.png

Mao had scarcely finished reading the report of Toyama's capture by the Indians when another messenger arrived, announcing that Chittagong had been taken by the Japanese. Apparently the Indian defense had been overwhelmed by Japanese swordsmen.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8863/wondersoftheorient1580ad21sv.png

And so the Japanese made up the difference. They had lost one city, and captured one as well. Mao was hesitant to give India any assistance, but he hoped that this would not be the beginning of a long string of Japanese victories.

In the meantime, science advisor Deng reported the completion of research on physics. "Do not worry about the immediate results of this research," said Deng. "Physics is the basis for almost all science, and with this understanding we will be able to easily learn much more."

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/38/wondersoftheorient1580ad37vo.png

Mao, though not exactly pleased that nothing new had come out of this, nevertheless continued funding Deng's research. He hoped the war would continue for long enough so that the next few wonders could be built with minimal competition.

But the tide began to turn. The citizens of Toyama, still loyal to the Shogun, were able to expel the Indians by staging a riot at the harbor. There they taunted the Indian troops, and when the elephants charged at them, they immediately scattered, sending the infuriated beasts plunging into the sea like giant lemmings. Though Toyama harbor was destroyed in the process, the city once again belonged to Japan.

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4931/wondersoftheorient1600ad6ei.png

The Toyama revolt seemed to put a premature end to all of Indian military plans. Gandhi, frustrated by the failure of his invasion, did not even bother to send troops to Bangladesh to recapture Chittagong. His peace-loving people had grown tired of the war already, and after Toyama he was ready to negotiate a truce.

And so, in 1600 AD, the Treaty of Toyama ended hostilities between India and Japan. China once again stood alone against the Japanese.

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/7650/wondersoftheorient1600ad26pp.png

... to be continued

Nice update looking for more, man.

Unless it is life or death, I doubt you want to get them at war again. It also seems like technology research is taking a long time in this game. If you are in the Industrial Age by 1700, you still have 1 1/2 ages to jump to build all of the wonders in the Modern Age. And you also have to win a domination victory by 2050. It seems like a tough task, but I am rooting for you!

Oh yeah, he's going for wonder victory, right?

Nope, he stated in his first post "You must win by domination"
Wonder victory would have been over ages ago...

This game is also being played on Vanilla. I don't think wonder victory is available on that version of Civ3. It's something new in C3C, right?

This game is also being played on Vanilla. I don't think wonder victory is available on that version of Civ3. It's something new in C3C, right?

Yeah, It's one of the new optional victory conditions in Conquests. Basically, whoever has the highest score when all wonders are built (and points for building wonders is doubled in this mode), wins.

Chapter 22: A Wonder Lost?

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/1787/newyear3ud.jpg

Soon now, we'll mark the year's end that approaches,
It's like a snake that crawls into a hole.
Already half its scaly length is hidden,
What man can stop us losing the last trace?
And even if we want to tie its tail,
No matter how we try, we can't succeed.
The children make all effort not to sleep,
We laugh together, watching through the night.
The cockerels should not cry the dawn for now,
The drums as well should give the hour respect.
We sat so long the lamp's burnt down to ash,
I rise and see the Plough is slanting north.
Next year, perhaps, my span of years could end,
My fear is that I've just been marking time.
So exert ourselves to the utmost here tonight,
I still admire the exuberance of our youth!

"New Year's Watch," Su Shi (A.D. 1037-1101)

"The Japanese are coming back for us!" cried the governor of Dalian. India would fight no more, and so the Shogun was now free to concentrate all of his efforts on the Chinese mainland. But since the sea passage around Kaohsiung was still frequently patrolled by Chinese ships, Tokugawa ordered his military to attack from the other side. The new Japanese naval base established at former Indian city of Chittagong was now the center of their operations in this theater of the war.

The ink on the Treaty of Toyama had hardly dried before new troops landed on China's eastern coast. A column of Japanese musketmen, the first gunpowder-based units ever to set foot inside Chinese territory, escorted an older but well-trained group of swordsmen onto the hills outside Dalian.

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/1605/wondersoftheorient1600ad1ew.png

"Nothing to be afraid of," said Commander Zhu De. A charge of riders wiped out the Japanese landing force, albeit with heavy losses. The mustketmen were remarkably strong defenders from their hilltop position.

"We cannot continue to sustain such casualties," complained an angry Mao. "I think it is time we upgraded our obsolete military." But this was not possible without cooperation from India, who still held the key reserves of saltpeter. Fortunately, Mahatma Gandhi made a very reasonable trade:

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2574/wondersoftheorient1610ad6ch.png

Engineers were called forth from the Leonardo's Workshop in Shanghai and dispatched to military camps around the country, furnishing the units with new weaponry and training them in advanced tactics.

The pikemen had their iron pikes taken away, and were ordered to practice their marksmanship with new muskets supplied with gunpowder made from Indian saltpeter.

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/6348/wondersoftheorient1615ad4hh.png

The riders were instructed the same way, in the time-honored military tradition.

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/6149/wondersoftheorient1615ad25ya.png

And the catapults of old no longer hurled stones and rocks, but a terrifying mixture of fire and gunpowder.

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6375/wondersoftheorient1615ad36ir.png

With the modernized military at his disposal, Mao did not have to worry any more about an invasion by the Japanese. Cannon bombardment would destroy most of their landing forces, and cavalry would be quick to mop up the survivors. And indeed, no new Japanese troops were seen for decades.

But there was something else to worry about. The embassy in Delhi reported an interesting new development in India. A scholar named Adam Smith had joined Gandhi's service, and the Indians were now well-versed in the study of economics. Delhi was working on a grand new project, clearly another Great Wonder.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7048/wondersoftheorient1620ad7ii.png

"And all this time I had thought Chinese merchants were the most successful in the world!" shouted a surprised Mao. "I think we have something to learn from the Indians this time."

With some pushing and prodding, Gandhi was finally convinced to let Smith pay a visit to China. After some discussion, Mao found that he did not really like this Adam Smith, as the foreigner's economic views often came into conflict with his own, but nevertheless he had learned what he wanted. China could now build Smith's Trading Company as well.

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/3448/wondersoftheorient1625ad3kc.png

Out of curiosity, Mao asked his envoy in Delhi to report on the conditions of the city. The response indicated that the Indians could complete work on Smith's Trading Company in 20 turns.

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/7308/wondersoftheorient1625ad27bj.png

Beijing was still preoccupied with building JS Bach's Cathedral at the time, but Shanghai had just started working on a bank. Plans for the bank were set aside immediately as the project was converted to Smith's Trading Company, but much to Mao's dismay, the governor of Shanghai could only wring his hands in despair when told of the situation.

"Chairman, I am very sorry," said the governor. "I regret to inform you that there is no way we can finish Smith's Trading Company before the Indians. I fear the worst has happened to our great civilization."

"What!" Mao was shocked. "How could the people of Shanghai have grown so lazy and useless over the years?"

"Here, I will show you everything." The governor handed over a status report, which showed what every citizen of Shanghai was working on at the time.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/7563/wondersoftheorient1625ad36is.png

"There is no hope," repeated the governor. "It would take us ten years longer than the Indians to do this task. I am truly sorry."

"Totally absurd!" Mao tore up the report and threw it on the ground. He was about to fly into a rage and fire the governor when economic advisor Liu Shaoqi picked up the scraps, quickly arranged the pieces together, and realized something important.

"Look!" he exclaimed. "Just look at those hills outside Delhi. What do you see that is strange about them?"

Mao frowned, and examined the report. "I don't see anything strange," he said at last. "There's wines in the northwest, and saltpeter in the northeast, and mines built on every hill, but I don't think I see anything special."

"No, no!" said Liu. "Look closer..."

Mao squinted. He counted the production units on one of the hills. "One... two... three... four..." He then counted the next one. "One... two... three... four..."

Liu waited patiently for the Chairman to see what was going on.

Suddenly Mao screamed. "FOUR!! How is that possible? For ages we have known that a hill with mines is worth three units of production. Mahatma Gandhi is obviously cheating!"

"No, no, he is not," interrupted Minister Liu. "Think back for a bit. Remember when we saw the Indians capture Toyama from the Japanese?"

Mao thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. It was a most incredible assault by Indian war elephants that completely decimated the Japanese defense."

"Exactly," said Liu. "And that stunning victory had caused India to enter a Golden Age. That is what we are seeing in Delhi right now."

By Minister Liu's calculations, the Golden Age of India would last approximately one hundred years, meaning that it would end somewhere around 1680 AD, well ahead of the expected completion date of Smith's Trading Company in Delhi. Mao hoped that the Indian economic recession following the end of their Golden Age would slow down their production just enough to let Shanghai finish the wonder first. It would be a risky gamble, but there was nothing else he could do.

... to be continued

Get into a war with India and choke Delhi of all of its shields by sitting units by it. You don't break any rules as long as you don't pillage.

Wait til the modern age and nuke it! :D

Get into a war with India and choke Delhi of all of its shields by sitting units by it. You don't break any rules as long as you don't pillage.

Well if I calculated correctly that won't be necessary. India's GA should last until about 1680 AD, which is 11 more turns. At 28 shields per turn (if you looked at the spoiler you'll see there's 1 shield lost to waste in the capital), that makes 308 shields out of the 540 the AI needs to build a 600-shield wonder on Monarch difficulty.

So in 1680 AD, 11 turns in the future, India will have 232 shields left to go on Smith's Trading Company, but with the end of their GA Delhi should be down to about 18 shields per turn. That means that it will take India 13 turns after their GA ends to finish, bringing their total to 24 turns.

Shanghai will barely manage in 22 turns. Although if you took another look at the second spoiler, I assigned a worker to mine the wheat tile, which should add a shield to Shanghai (hopefully not lost to corruption). That will be done in 2 turns. So in the first two turns, Shanghai accumulates 52 shields, which get added to the other 52 shields that were part of the bank build. After that, Shanghai should be able to produce 27 shields per turn, and with 600 - 104 = 496 shields to go, it would take 19 more turns to finish Smith's, for a total of 21 turns.

Basically, it'll be a very close call, but I'll still make it in the end.

I just have to keep my fingers crossed, and thank the AI city governor for being dumb and working the irrigated grassland tile in Delhi instead of moving to the mines. I suspect the AI has the citizens set to emphasize commerce rather than production. Anyone else know how the AI decides these things?

Chapter 23: The Mahatma's Folly and the Shogun's Defeat

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/896/liangzhouci2ia.jpg

They sing and drink wine from their cups of jade,
They strum the pipa while on horseback.
Why laugh when they fall asleep drunk on the sand?
How many soldiers ever come home?

"A Song of Liangzhou," Wang Han (A.D. 687-726)

An apple flew into Mao's room and landed on the floor with a thud. The Chairman turned, only to find his science advisor Deng Xiaoping standing at the entrance, grinning.

"An ordinary apple," grumbled Mao. "Why have you disturbed me with this?"

"It is a gift," replied Deng. "I got it from a scientist named Isaac Newton. He says that it fell on his head, and he suddenly had this brilliant idea of how the whole world worked in perfect mathematical harmony."

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/4995/wondersoftheorient1630ad6st.png

Mao picked up the apple, decided it was not worth eating, and set it aside. "What else have you brought me today? I have no time for this foolishness."

"I would like to build a university in honor of Newton," suggested Deng. "It would be the envy of scholars around the world, and I am sure we will be able to attract more of them to join us in our research efforts."

"Yes, yes, a fine idea," muttered Mao, who suddenly raised his voice. "Can't you see how busy we are right now? We don't have time for this. Send your proposal to the internal affairs office, they will handle it from here on."

Deng knew that most proposals that ended up at the internal affairs office would never materialize in the end. "Chairman, I think you forgot that Newton's University will be a Great Wonder when we build it. I urge you to think twice about this."

Mao did think twice. Newton's University would double the scientific research in a single city, and at the time Shanghai was the world leader in academia. But Shanghai was still busy with Smith's Trading Company, and any slack there could mean disaster if the Indians maintained their pace. Beijing was getting close to finishing JS Bach's Cathedral, but compared with Shanghai, it seemed much less attractive a place to build this next wonder.

"No," said the Chairman at last. "We cannot afford to work on this wonder yet. Let us first beat India and Japan to the ones we are working on now, and worry about Newton later."

Deng could not argue with this any further. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a strange stone and fidgeted with it on his way out. Mao secretly hoped this new toy would keep him occupied for the next few years.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3800/wondersoftheorient1655ad8mr.png

Sure enough, in the year 1655 AD, Beijing completed JS Bach's Cathedral right on schedule. Mao felt he could reserve Newton's University for Shanghai after Smith's Trading Company was done, so Beijing's next project was just an ordinary bank.

The construction of JS Bach's Cathedral in Beijing was not news to the Indians, who had long known that China was working on it. But Mahatma Gandhi seemed to have grown too comfortable with his Golden Age, and the sudden loss of a project astonished him. The Indian city of Bangalore, which had started the Magellan's Voyage way back in 1530 AD, had then switched to JS Bach's Cathedral after they lost that wonder to Shanghai in 1565 AD. Ninety years had passed since then, and the production that had been accumulated in that time was too great to waste.

Gandhi called together an emergency council on how to deal with the upcoming production crisis. Bangalore had around 280 shields of production with nothing to build. Delhi was making progress on Smith's Trading Company but had not accumulated anywhere near that amount of materials yet. After a long discussion, it was finally decided. Delhi would abandon the project. Construction of Smith's Trading Company was secretly transferred to Bangalore.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7373/wondersoftheorient1660ad29eo.png

But the Chinese embassy in Delhi managed to learn of this development, and immediately forwarded an investigation of Bangalore to Mao.

http://img280.imageshack.us/img280/261/wondersoftheorient1660ad9ek.png

Economic advisor Liu was the first to notice the changes in the shield output in the land surrounding the city. "I think I miscalculated," he told Mao.

Mao raised an eyebrow at him, and was about to blame him for all his recent sleeping trouble, but Liu did not let him interrupt.

"Perhaps the war elephant charge at Toyama was not the first of its kind," said Liu. "I can only guess that the Indians may have entered their Golden Age at least twenty years earlier. And thus the Indians have gotten out of their Golden Age ahead of my expectations as well."

"So this is good news after all, then," said Mao.

Liu nodded, smiling. "That's some mad corruption in Bangalore, too. I think Gandhi forgot to build a courthouse there."

The report indicated that Bangalore would need 19 more turns to finish Smith's Trading Company. Mao checked with his governor in Shanghai, who told him that he would be ready in just 14 turns.

Silly Gandhi, thought Mao. For a moment he had me worried, but obviously he's not that careful after all. He could finally relax for a while. The Japanese still made some pointless attempts to land troops by Nanjing, but they were easily overpowered by the combined assault of Chinese cannons and cavalry.

It was 1675 AD when Deng Xiaoping paid Mao a surprise visit while he was vacationing in Shanghai. The science advisor was now wearing a suit with a bow-tie and a spectacle on his right eye, and he was still playing with that same stone from many years ago when he threw the apple into Mao's office. Mao was curious how such a simple object could have kept Minister Deng's attention for so long.

"Tell me," he said, "what exactly is that stupid lump you've had in your hand all this time?"

"A lodestone," replied Deng, smiling. "I gave one of these to Admiral Zheng He. We're using them on all of our ships now."

Lodestone. Mao had heard of the legendary stone before, the one that was fabled to have destroyed an entire army in a distant country because it clung to their iron armor and swords, leaving them helpless as they got slaughtered by barbarians with only stone weapons. But he still did not understand why a lodestone would be useful in the navy.

Deng, hearing no response from the Chairman, continued. "These lodestones can be used as devices called magnets," he explained. "Magnets, when used properly, have a tendency to point straight toward a northerly direction. It will be immensely helpful to us when we are out in the open ocean and want to know which way to go."

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1300/wondersoftheorient1675ad3rc.png

"Ahh," said Mao. He wasn't really paying attention, as he saw some workers exiting the Great Lighthouse. The old wonder that had once guided China's ships was no longer any use, even though a lighthouse-keeper still kept the beacon flashing from the top of the tower. With a deep sigh, Mao gazed out toward the deep blue sea, over the many rooftops of Shanghai.

The rooftops. He noticed something strange about them.

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3913/wondersoftheorient1675ad27bq.png

Mao turned to ask Deng what was going on, but his science advisor had long since disappeared. I wonder what he could be up to now, he thought.

Far across the ocean, Shogun Tokugawa also heard about the incredible new changes in China. His seamen reported seeing smoke billowing out of Chinese cities and heard loud noises from buildings along the shore, but they seemed nothing like the sights and sounds of civil disorder. Upon the urging of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he decided he would have to see for himself.

His first stop was the naval base in Chittagong, the closest Japanese city to mainland China. It turned out there was not much of a navy to greet him, as much of it had been damaged or destroyed in battles with the Chinese. But just as he debarked from his caravel, he heard a familiar voice call to him from the mountains just outside the town, followed by a hideous laugh.

Tokugawa raised his head and instantly froze. There, facing him, were six regiments of Chinese cavalry, backed up by two columns of musketmen in red uniforms.

"Greetings, Shogun," said Mao coldly. "Have you finally come to surrender?"

Furious but totally helpless, Tokugawa had to accept Mao's terms. Japan would pay a lump sum of 30 gold, plus tribute of 2 gold per turn, as reparations for war.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2008/wondersoftheorient1695ad5vg.png

And so in 1695 AD, with the Treaty of Chittagong, the world was brought back to peace.

Chinese casualties: 1 rider, plus 3 caravels damaged by Japanese bombardment
Japanese casualties: 1 archer, 8 swordsmen, 4 longbowmen, 4 pikemen, 1 musketman, 4 samurai, 1 caravel, and unknown others lost in combat with the Indians
Indian casualties: unknown

China was able to defeat Japan with minimal losses because most of the Japanese troops were attacked immediately after they landed, giving them hardly any opportunity for offensive action.

It was during this time of peace, in the year 1725 AD, that Shanghai finally completed Smith's Trading Company, and once again the Chinese harbors were bustling with trade.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8373/wondersoftheorient1725ad4aa.png

"Now we can finally build Newton's University," Mao told Deng at the opening ceremony. "But let's check on what Gandhi has done in the meantime."

The embassy in Delhi produced another investigation, which showed that somehow the Indians had salvaged some scraps together from their failed project, just enough to outfit a new unit of cavalry.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6523/wondersoftheorient1730ad7ju.png

What a folly this wonder-building must have been for Gandhi, thought Mao. I hope that he learns his lesson and decides not to challenge us in the future.

... to be continued

If you are desperate to get a wonder that India may get, you can always put a temporary city by the border of that city. The cultural radius can take out a few shields. I also saw that Delhi beat out Nanjing in culture.

Industrial Age score check:

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/9748/wondersoftheorient1680ad6us.png

Score, Power, and Culture graphs at 1680 AD (first turn in Industrial Age).

As you can see Japan has greater land area (more cities too), so they have higher score now.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3011/wondersoftheorient1680ad28gp.th.png (http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1680ad28gp.png)http ://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6093/wondersoftheorient1680ad37yk.th.png (http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1680ad37yk.png)http ://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6915/wondersoftheorient1680ad40jv.th.png (http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1680ad40jv.png)

Wonders pages 1, 2, and 3. Smith's Trading Company, of course, was later built in Shanghai, leaving the Indians with no wonders built or under construction.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3463/wondersoftheorient1680ad52ll.th.png (http://img142.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1680ad52ll.png)http ://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9122/wondersoftheorient1680ad62jj.th.png (http://img81.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1680ad62jj.png)http ://img80.imageshack.us/img80/5136/wondersoftheorient1680ad79bs.th.png (http://img80.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1680ad79bs.png)

Top 5 cities, demographics, Beijing and Shanghai pics

Again, a big thanks to ImageShack (http://imageshack.us/) for the hosting and bandwidth.

Great story, Sima Qian!

^What he said. BTW you should get nationlism to kick the Indian's butt with the riflemen when they try to attack you. I dont know if riflemen or more attack or defense but whatever.

Chapter 24: Out of Steam

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/9343/charcoal7vi.jpg

Cutting wood and burning charcoal in the forest of the Southern Mountain.
His face, stained with dust and ashes, has turned to the color of smoke.
The hair on his temples is streaked with gray: his ten fingers are black.
The money he gets by selling charcoal, how far does it go?
It is just enough to clothe his limbs and put food in his mouth.
Although, alas, the coat on his back is a coat without lining,
He hopes for the coming of cold weather, to send up the price of coal!
Last night, outside the city,--a whole foot of snow;
At dawn he drives the charcoal wagon along the frozen ruts.
Oxen,--weary; man,--hungry: the sun, already high;
Outside the Gate, to the south of the Market, at last they stop in the mud.
Suddenly, a pair of prancing horsemen. Who can it be coming?
A public official in a yellow coat and a boy in a white shirt.
In their hands they hold a written warrant: on their tongues--the words of an order;
They turn back the wagon and curse the oxen, leading them off to the north.
A whole wagon of charcoal,
More than a thousand pieces!
If officials choose to take it away, the woodman may not complain.
Half a piece of red silk and a single yard of damask,
The Courtiers have tied to the oxen's collar, as the price of a wagon of coal!

"The Charcoal Seller," Bai Juyi (A.D. 772-846)

Mahatma Gandhi did not learn his lesson, even though he was now the laughingstock of the rest of the world. People had invented a new term to describe his wonder-building disaster--a Japanese worker who lost his job when Shogun Tokugawa canceled a project complained that he had just gotten "bangalored" as well. Bangalore, the infamous city that had worked on three different Great Wonders and completed none, would go down in history as the greatest mismanagement known to mankind.

Yet the ever-persistent and hard-working Indian people did not give up. Mao soon heard that they were going to try again, and this time Delhi was starting a new project that the Chinese people didn't have the slightest clue how to begin.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/6280/wondersoftheorient1735ad0ww.png

After some consultation with science advisor Deng, Mao found out that while China had surged ahead in terms of reaching the Industrial Era, they had completely ignored another branch of technology that didn't have much practical application, but was still culturally important. Gandhi had taken this path in the technology race, and now Mao was desperate to catch up.

First he called up his embassy in Kyoto, which informed him that the Japanese were willing to make a deal. The Japanese had a device they used to mass produce and distribute books, a printing press, and they were willing to sell one of theirs to China. Mao sent his economic advisor, Liu Shaoqi, over to Japan to negotiate a trade.

"Well, what do you want for this machine?" asked Liu.

The Shogun scratched his head, then pointed across the Ryukyu channel to the island of Taiwan. "That."

Liu frowned. "You want the island?" he asked threateningly. "NO WAY, FARTKNOCKER!"

"No, no... I mean... just those horses you have there." Japan was still reeling from the defeat in the last war, and Tokugawa was in no position to be unreasonable.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9889/wondersoftheorient1740ad9sr.png

"Very well then. Kaohsiung will soon send a first shipment of fine Chinese horses to your ports." But as Liu was about to leave, he found himself confronted by a huge crowd of Japanese citizens seeking an audience with the Shogun. "Why are all these people here?"

"Hehe." Tokugawa smiled. "You may now address me as 'President Tokugawa.' The empire of Japan is a democracy."

A democracy! Liu had never heard of that before, but he was interested in the idea. Immediately he arranged another trade where Chinese physics texts, along with the Chinese atlas, would be translated and published in Japanese, while Japan would teach China the secrets of democracy.

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But one more element was missing before Shakespeare's Theater could be built. Tokugawa didn't have it, and so Liu stopped by Delhi on his way home.

Mahatma Gandhi, who was also President Mohandas Gandhi by this time, was very pleased with Liu's visit. He invited the Chinese economic minister to India's entertainment capital at Bollywood, amid the glitz and glitter of India's best actors and artists.

"These are the people who make it possible for us to build Shakespeare's Theater," Gandhi boasted.

Impressed by their performance, Liu requested that they go on a live tour in China, and Gandhi agreed. He accepted the ornate compass Liu had brought with him as payment.

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Beijing, which had been remodeling its financial district at the time (read: prebuilding with Wall Street), immediately switched its efforts over to the Theater.

Just after Liu's return, Mao received an invitation from science advisor Deng Xiaoping for a tea party at the Hanging Gardens in Shanghai. The card at a small postscript below Deng's signature: "P.S. I have a 'hot' new topic to discuss with you."

Mao arrived a few minutes ahead of time, when the tea wasn't ready yet, but Deng was prepared to show him an experiment. "Look at this," he said to Mao, pointing at the teapot.

As it heated, the water in the teapot boiled, and soon it was making the lid clatter and clang as the steam escaped.

Deng unfolded a paper fan, held it above the teapot, and removed the lid. Instantly a jet of hot air burst from the opening, blowing the fan right out of his hand.

"Isn't it awesome?" said Deng. "A little bit of hot water can push that heavy lid up and down. Now imagine if instead of a tea kettle, we had a huge vat of water, and a fan the size of a house. Just think of the things we can move!"

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"Impressive," commented Mao. "I'm sure you will be able to build--" He broke off suddenly and coughed. "Ugh, what is this nasty black smoke coming from your fire?"

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," apologized Deng. "I think you just breathed some of the soot. But that's okay, I've just used up the last bit of my coal samples."

Mao coughed and wheezed until he was finally able to gulp down some of the fragrant chrysanthemum tea. But suddenly his eyes opened wide with horror, as the soot gathered in black patches on the garden plants. "Look, these flowers are dying..."

"I am afraid that our new discovery has made the Hanging Gardens obsolete," said Deng sadly.

"Did you say that was the last bit of coal you used up earlier?" Mao asked.

Deng nodded, but added, "Coal isn't such a bad thing, actually. It works much better than wood. It's a shame we don't have any, but I've seen some deposits right across the Indian border around Lahore. Should be more than enough for India to use."

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"Lame," muttered Mao. "Gandhi doesn't even know how to burn coal yet. One day we might just have to teach him, as soon as he gets his backward people out of medieval times." And for the next few days he spent the precious hours watching the rest of the plants in the Hanging Gardens wither and die.

Mao did not cheer up until 1754 AD, when the governor of Beijing invited him to attend the first opera performance at Shakespeare's Theater.

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Amid all the cheers and applause following the show, Mao sneaked out to check with his ambassador to India. Gandhi hadn't gotten very far on building Shakespeare's Theater, so Delhi was now working on Newton's University.

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Mao showed the report to the mayor of Shanghai, who assured him that everything was going as planned. "We'll be done in half that time," he said proudly. "Let Gandhi feel the pain of tremendous waste once again."

... to be continued

Thanks for all the support, I'm glad to see that people are still interested in a boring builder story. Makes writing it so much easier too...

BTW you should get nationlism to kick the Indian's butt with the riflemen when they try to attack you. I dont know if riflemen or more attack or defense but whatever.

Maybe you should've taken some time to find out before you posted that... :rolleyes:

But no, I went for steam power first so that I could build railroads ASAP... or to find out I had no coal :cry:

Anyway, from here on it should all be smooth sailing. I have a very slight tech lead, just steam power in fact. India has just entered Industrial Age since they are building Newton's which means they must know the theory of gravity. But I'm pretty sure I can beat them to scientific method, and if I get Theory of Evolution I'll pull ahead easily.

There's only three Industrial Age wonders: Universal Suffrage, Theory of Evolution, and Hoover Dam. They're spaced pretty far apart in the tech tree, so it should be easy to build them without much fear of a cascade.

Hopefully this means I can get this story done soon too! Although if it took 24 chapters just to get to Industrial Age, it'll probably be chapter 50 by the time I win :(

Great Story Sima Qian!

Nice chapter!:goodjob:

Nice. Interesting storyline.

What is going on in this game right now seems about the same that is happening in real life. China-Japan relations are poor, while China and India are getting along.

What is going on in this game right now seems about the same that is happening in real life. China-Japan relations are poor, while China and India are getting along.

Haha. Well certainly China-Japan relations have gotten quite bad in real life lately, apparently WW2 hasn't quite been erased from their memory yet. I found it interesting how in this game, I got into wars with both Japan and India (making them both furious with me for some time), but later got Japan up to "polite" and India up to "gracious."

Though I wouldn't say there isn't any tension between China and India in real life either. There's still disputed territory in the Kashmir region, and China isn't exactly looking forward to India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. But it's certainly a lot better than Japan; there is more economic cooperation between the two, and they both share similar experiences of having to handle huge 3rd world populations.

Although in this game now Japan is ranked first for population... uhoh...

Now its time for you take a stand and stab Tokugawa!

Oh yeah, you said they got polite and gracious, well what is the agressiveness on? If its on high agressive thats not possible but, but low, yah. ;)

On default settings, it's not very difficult to bring an opponent to gracious especially when you trade a lot and stay peaceful like Sima Qian is doing.

:goodjob: Great story by the way. Also, I like the way you described the Hanging Gardens obsoleting from Steam Power. Very creative. Other stories would just say "Oh, and it made the Hanging Gardens obsolete" :)

Now its time for you take a stand and stab Tokugawa!

I've never declared war on anyone this whole game. I don't plan on doing it anytime soon either, much rather they declare on me, since that way war weariness will take longer to set in. (Yes, I'm still in republic, and will remain so for most of the game.)

Maybe I'll save my nasty surprises until after I get Universal Suffrage. :)

Oh yeah, you said they got polite and gracious, well what is the agressiveness on? If its on high agressive thats not possible but, but low, yah. ;)

This is Vanilla. I don't know if there's any place I can change that setting. All I know is there's a few aggressiveness numbers in the scenario editor, but I kept those at their default settings.

Other stories would just say "Oh, and it made the Hanging Gardens obsolete"

Actually, I've seen some other stories post a screenshot of a text box that says "The discovery of xxxxx has made ****** wonder obsolete." I've never seen that message in my games before, so is that a new feature in PTW or C3C?

No, what he means is that in most other people's stories on these forums, they usually don't elaborate WHY the wonder becomes obsolete (like you did), they just mention that the wonder becomes obsolete.... King Arthur is one of the few who also offered an explanation... In his Warhammer mod game story (King Arthur's Orc Onslaught), when the Black Library was made obosolete by education, he described it as most of the orcs finally got some "edu-ma-cashun" and so they all crowded into the library at once and trashed the place :lol:

Chapter 25: Cleaning Up the Mess

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I am sad, and my thoughts are in Yueyang.
I wish to fly there, but I am sick in bed.
Beauty would be facing me across the autumn waters.
Oh, to wash my feet in Lake Dongting and see at its eight corners
Wildgeese flying high between the luminous sun and moon,
Green maples changing to red in the frosty sky,
Angels bound for the Capital of Heaven, near the North Star,
Riding, some of them on phoenixes, and others unicorns,
With banners of hibiscus and with melodies of mist,
Their shadows dancing upside-down in the southern rivers,
Till the Queen of the Stars, drowsy with her nectar,
Would forget the winged men on either side of her!
From the Wizard of the Red Pine this word has come for me
That after his earlier follower he has now a new disciple
Who, formerly at the capital as Emperor Liu's adviser,
In spite of great successes, never could be happy.
What are a country's rise and fall?
Can flesh-pots be as fragrant as mountain fruit?
I grieve that he is lost far away in the south.
May the star of long life accord him its blessing!
O purity, to seize you from beyond the autumn waters
And to place you as an offering in the Court of Imperial Jade.

"A Letter to Censor Han," Du Fu (A.D. 712-770)

Jawaharlal Nehru was an Indian nationalist, born in the Uttar Pradesh region on the mainland, and one of the youngest members of the Indian National Congress. He shared Gandhi's vision of both a peaceful, strong, and unified India, but the continued Japanese occupation of Chittagong kept that goal out of reach. But he, like the Mahatma, was also a believer in nonviolence; India would not declare war on the Japanese to regain their lost city.

Yet there was still hope. Japan, though a democracy, still suffered from ethnic divisions. The Japanese constitution of 1740 AD had handed control of the government to the people, but in particular it still refused to give Indian citizens the right to vote. This did not go over well with the citizens of Chittagong, many of whom still clung tightly to their Indian cultural beliefs, but the presence of Japanese troops on the island kept them quiet. But that was soon to change.

On a chilly winter night in 1764 AD, Nehru sneaked past the Japanese border guard and entered the city. On the surface, he was visiting for humanitarian purposes, as he had brought with him several bags of Indian candies to distribute to Chittagong's starving children, but his more important delivery was a message. "Why do you wish to remain second-class citizens in this hated country of Japan?" he asked the people. "We must throw off this yoke of injustice, or suffer forever!"

Hearing his call, the citizens of Chittagong gathered around. Some thought he was crazy, but most of them were still passionately Indian at heart. More and more people joined him in civil disobedience, chanting Gandhi's slogan, "Do or die! Do or die!"

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By the time Japanese authorities arrived to arrest Nehru, it was already too late. The entire city was in an uproar. There was no way the troops could keep them under control.

Fearing for his safety, the Japanese governor fled the city by sea. The citizens, sensing victory, quickly formed their own militia and pledged their allegiance to their native land. The entire island of Bangladesh was now Indian again.

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Seeing India reunited at last, Mahatma Gandhi decided there was no further need for the right of passage with China, but was still willing to listen to a new Chinese offer.

"Now is the time," suggested foreign minister Zhou Enlai, "that we teach the Indians about steam power." And so Mao sent a tea invitation to Delhi.

Gandhi was visibly impressed at the meeting. He agreed that the right of passage could be renewed if Mao allowed him to buy the new technology from China.

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The Indians soon discovered their rich coal deposits with guidance from Chinese experts. Gandhi was very thankful for the Chinese help, so he paid an extra 500 gold for the resource trade.

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"That strange," wondered Mao. "India was bankrupt right after we sold steam power to them. How did they suddenly get so much money to buy our iron?"

Minister Zhou did not even have to speak. He pointed one finger westward across the ocean, and Mao knew. The Japanese were now in the Industrial Age too, and Gandhi must have helped them get there. India was now on par with technology, but not for long.

Mao wasn't feeling well one day after his morning swim in the Yellow River, and he usually would just brew a cup of hot herbal tea to warm up and relax afterwards. But this time, science advisor Deng Xiaoping stopped him. "You're better off with these," he said, holding out a bottle with small pills inside.

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Mao swallowed one of them, as instructed. "Interesting," he remarked. "No bitter taste."

"Of course," said Deng. "The strongest herbal medicines used to be the worst on your tongue. But now, with discoveries by our doctors and chemists, that is no more. We have learned how to extract the most useful, healing elements from plants and package them in a harmless form."

By midday the Chairman was feeling much better, and together with a few top officials, he decided to travel to the countryside to observe the construction of railroads. Gandhi kept sending large supplies of coal to power the locomotives on Chinese trains, while Mao kept his part of the promise and shipped iron to Indian ports, which were then used to lay track. In 1770 AD, the Jing-hu railway between Beijing and Shanghai opened for the first time, cutting down what used to be a journey of several weeks to just a matter of two days.

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Mao got off the train at Shanghai Station just in time to see the first students waiting in lines to register for classes at the newly built Newton's University. "Study hard!" he urged them.

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The dean of science and engineering offered him a tour of their state of the art facilities, but Mao only quickly looked over them, knowing that plentiful funding would keep the university in perfect shape.

He had something else on his mind... what had Gandhi done all this time? The embassy in Delhi had the answer.

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"Another cavalry!" Mao couldn't help but laugh. "That fool." But he did notice the riflemen that were reported to be defending the Indian capital, and told himself that someday he would have to improve the military again.

He also noticed that there were now cleaning crews on the streets of Beijing, sweeping the dust and trash into designated containers. Minister Deng walked up to him and proudly announced that he had established the Beijing Sanitation Department, and was starting to build a hospital as well.

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"Cleanliness is next to godliness," said Deng. "I'm sure our citizens will agree."

... to be continued

Getting Sanitation early will give you another boost to keep you ahead. The loose city placement will pay off big.

Good job, Sima Qian!

Looking forward to the next update, Sima. :goodjob:

Chapter 26: Gandhi's Smoky Factories and Tokugawa's Stinky Toilet

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Drink, my horse, while we cross the autumn water!
The stream is cold and the wind like a sword,
As we watch against the sunset on the sandy plain,
Far, far away, shadowy Lingtao.
Old battles, waged by those long walls,
Once were proud on all men's tongues.
But antiquity now is a yellow dust,
Confusing in the grasses its ruins and white bones.

"At the Border-Fortress," Wang Changling (A.D. 698-756)

"He just won't give up," said foreign minister Zhou Enlai. "For some reason he keeps thinking he can stay ahead of us, even if he has absolutely no chance of success." Zhou was talking about the latest news dispatch from Delhi, where Mahatma Gandhi had just started yet another project that was doomed to failure.

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"Very persevering," said Mao. "I would really admire him if he got anything done."

"Oh, but he has," interrupted science advisor Deng Xiaoping. "In fact, it seems like they're another step ahead of us in technology. Gandhi has discovered industrialization."

"Wait a second," said Mao, surprised. "Weren't we the ones that taught steam power to the Indians?"

"That was ages ago," answered Deng. "They've simply gone a different direction from us. It won't be a problem, I'm sure we can arrange for a trade with our new study of medicine."

But Gandhi didn't think very highly of Chinese medicine, and asked for some extra gold to make up for the difference.

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"Gandhi has been making some money lately," said Minister Zhou. "I think he's been selling a lot of these technologies to Japan. We'll have to do that before he has a chance."

"Indeed," said Mao. As hospitals were built across China, the cities grew larger and the citizens had began demanding more luxury and entertainment. It was time to make another deal with the Japanese.

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The Shogun was rather stingy, he only offered three of the four Japanese luxury goods in exchange for the new technology. And as Zhou was leaving Tokugawa's palace he thought he heard a faint snicker behind him. Turning, he looked for some kind of expression on Tokugawa's face, but by the Shogun had covered his mouth with his black top hat and pretended nothing had happened.

Japanese workmen had already gathered in the center of Kyoto awaiting orders as Zhou passed through the city toward the harbor. Clearly Tokugawa wanted a shot at this Great Wonder as well.

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Mao wondered if Japan and India were actually serious about Universal Suffrage, so he asked his embassies about the possibility that they complete the wonder before China. He was still waiting for the Beijing Hospital to open, preferring to have a larger workforce available in the city when time to build the wonder came.


"Not a chance," said the ambassador in India.

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"None here either," reported the ambassador in Kyoto.

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And so the Beijing Hospital was completed, leaving the city free to grow and work on the new wonder.

It was in 1798 AD, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi showed up in Guangzhou, that Zhou Enlai realized what had made him feel uneasy about the trade with Japan. It was a strange sense of deja-vu, that a similar agreement like this had been made before... and broken.

Mao greeted the Japanese envoy. "Why hello," he said to Hideyoshi. "What brings you here today so suddenly?"

Hideyoshi coughed and spat on the ground. "The Shogun requests your assistance," he said. "His toilet has gotten clogged, and now the entire presedential palace totally reeks."

"Ahh," said Mao. "So you want to hire a Chinese plumber?" He then turned to Zhou and whispered, "Did Ganesh Gupta ever learn any plumbing skills?"

Zhou shook his head. "Don't send him on this one. I don't think it would be safe."

Hideyoshi noticed this but could not hear their conversation. But he did not hesistate to make his own point clear.

"Mao, the correct term would not be 'hire.' The Shogun demands that you hand over the secret of sanitation, or else feel his wrath."

"Wrath. Hahahahaha." Mao remembered the one time when Tokugawa had gone mad and could no longer make sense in his speech. "I believe your esteemed President Tokugawa will soon be feeling his citizens' wrath, as they will soon have to deal with the putrid smell all over Kyoto. They'll regret electing him to office!"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had known that Mao was no friend of the Shogun, but this was the first time he had heard the Chairman insult the Japanese people. Furious, he stormed out and told Tokugawa of what happened.

"A thousand curses upon the house of Mao!" screamed Tokugawa. "Hideyoshi, ready the fleet. Show the Chinese that I am serious!"

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"Well, so much for the luxury goods," mourned Mao. "What should we do now?"

"Mahatma Gandhi helped us a great deal the last time," suggested Zhou. "We might be able to seek him again."

Gandhi wasn't interested in an alliance this time, but when Mao put sanitation on the negotiation table, he was willing to offer something else. Mao listened carefully as the Indian leader explained that he would help only if Japan ever attacked China in any way, and if China would offer the same kind of assistance if India ever came under attack.

"This is called a mutual protection pact," said Gandhi. "I'm sure it is a fair deal for you."

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Mao walked away from the meeting knowing that although there was no formal cooperation against a common enemy, India was still a firm ally of the Chinese.

It did not take long to check if India would honor the agreement. A Japanese frigate entered Chinese waters and bombarded the coast around Shanghai, with no visible results. But it was sufficient to be considered an aggressive action against China, and sure enough, Gandhi kept his promise and declared war.

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Thus began the Stinky Toilet War, which brought the entire world into chaos once again.

... to be continued

Time to start upgrading them musketmen into riflemen (much better defense). Also hope you get Universal Sufferage before WW sets in.....

Time to start upgrading them musketmen into riflemen (much better defense).

Yep, that'll be coming up next update. (Should be sometime this weekend.)

Also hope you get Universal Sufferage before WW sets in.....

Universal Suffrage is due in 25 turns. I think that should be okay, since Japan declared on me, and not the other way around. And I'll be rather non-combative for most of the time.

India already had a GA, so shouldn't see another one this war. I don't know about Japan, but I could care less since Kyoto is so unproductive anyway. The only thing to worry about is if either one gets a great leader and moves it all the way back to the capital to rush the wonder, so I'll still have my fingers crossed.

Just dont do as much fighting and I think you get less WW right? Or am I wrong?

Well, at least in Conquests, under Democracy, even if you're fighting a defensive war, you can only hold off WW for maybe 30 turns (unless you have Universal Sufferage or Police Stations in every city) at most.... That's just one of the reasons that I alwasy pick communism in un-modded games; Democracy has NO unit support, and if you have more than 20 cities on a normal sized map, all of those (above 20) will be completely corrupt, thereby rendering your trade bounus useless (trade lost through corruption and unit support = less income than if you had Communism, with low corruption in all cities and massive unit support), and if you get into any kind of war (which on Regent and higher difficulty levels is inevitable), you're screwed, since it doesn't take much time at all before your entire civilization is rioting, or you're scientific research grinds to a halt because you have to use all of your income for supporting units and luxury spending... Whereas with Communism, all you have to do is keep chugging along as if everything was hunky-dory (high unit support + no WW + Ultra-low communal corruption + lotsa MP = Complete Pwnage)... Not to mention that Communism gets TWO FP.

Of course in my mods, I've modded them so that Democracy has Communal Corruption and some unit support as well as reduced WW, and I've given Fascism and Democracy their own FP type SW, as well, so that you actually have a real choice for which govt you want....

OK, I lied. I'll probably post my next update a bit earlier than expected.

And FYI, I'm still in republic. I seldom find democracy worthwhile to switch to, and I'm satisfied with the trade bonus from republic.

And remember, this is Vanilla. ONE Forbidden Palace no matter what government. Though I've been hoping to get C3C for a long time, maybe I'll have a chance soon.

Chapter 27: Shocking Discoveries

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/4694/bordersong21dr.jpg

The woods are dark, a wind disturbs the grasses,
Yet the general practices archery at night.
And next morning he finds his white-plumed arrow
Wedged deep inside a rock, stuck tight.

"Border Song #2," Lu Lun (A.D. 748-799)

With the Stinky Toilet War raging around the world, Mao decided it was finally time to modernize the Chinese military. The Chinese navy was suffering crippling defeats on both coasts, as Japan was attacking with superior numbers of not only frigates, but also the newest in naval vessels, ironclads. It would only be a matter of time before Japanese troops would land on the mainland.

Fortunately, all cities in northern China were now linked by railroads, and it was very easy to bring the musketmen on border patrol back to their barracks for upgrades. Riflemen were much stronger defenders and were deployed in every city.

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Meanwhile, an experiment at Newton's University in Shanghai reported some truly "shocking" results. Mao did not hear about this at first, because it was still unstable and difficult to control, but one night Minister Deng walked into his study and blew out the candle. Before the alarmed Chairman could respond, the science advisor pulled a metal switch on the apparatus he had brought, and instantly the room lit up ten times brighter than before.

"Whoa!" said Mao. "What is this curious device?"

"It is called a light bulb," replied Deng. "The latest invention by engineers at Newton's University."

Mao examined the glass tube that was emitting the light. "It is as if there is a fire burning inside that glass," he remarked. "Except I don't see any flames. All that's in there is a glowing metal coil."

"Exactly," said Deng. "We are moving an incredible form of energy through that coil, causing it to shine brightly. We call it electricity." Electricity. Mao didn't quite understand exactly what it meant, but he could tell this was the beginning of a new scientific revolution.

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"There's a lot of information that I've not reported to you," continued Deng. "In particular, we've been using some Japanese prisoners-of-war, captured from our victories in the vicinity of Nanjing, as experimental subjects in our research. A number of them were asked to hold wires in their hands, or touch some metal surfaces, and often what we would observe was a zapping sound sudden scream of anguish, and they would immediately drop anything they were holding. Among those, a few dropped to the ground motionless, and by the time we checked, their hearts had stopped beating as well."

Mao's eyes lit up. "Incredible! Just as if they've been struck with lightning! Tell me, will we be able to use this on the battlefield?"

"Unfortunately, we are still working on ways to do that. It still seems too dangerous as of now."

"Well, keep up the good work," urged Mao.

But if electricity was powerful enough to kill a few prisoners of war, it was still not enough to shock and awe the enemy into submission. In fact, the Japanese continued to fight ferociously, and by 1810 AD Japanese troops had landed on Bangladesh and taken Chittagong once more.

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This time Gandhi swore that he would not be outdone. Reinforcements were sent to Bengal, and by 1814 AD the city had reverted to Indian control.

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In the meantime, citizens of Hangzhou and Shanghai found tremendous amounts of pollution and waste in the surrounding terrain, making work impossible and hampering the harvesting of food and resources. Hazardous chemicals spilled out from leaky pipes, acidic rain fell from the skies, and litter and trash were everywhere. Desperate, Mao dispatched several teams of engineers to clean up the mess.

He soon learned that this mess was nothing like the sanitation problems faced in the cities. Frustrated, he could only sigh as the workers estimated it would take several years to remove the pollution.

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"It is the flip-side of industrialization," explained Deng. "There's always those accidents we can't control."

Mao sulked, eventually admitting that there was, after all, a price to pay for progress. But there were other things to worry about, and in particular, there was a war to be fought.

News from abroad indicated that the Indians had scored some decisive victories against Japan, in particular in the southern island regions. The Japanese city of Ise, which had fended off an Indian attack in the previous war, could not repeat that victory this time.

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Gandhi seemed to have a particular grudge against the city of Toyama, which had revolted against the Indians many years ago, sending a horde of Indian war elephants plunging into the sea. This time, India would not take any chances, and Indian troops torched the buildings, destroying the city.

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Mao was shocked to hear of this. "During all the years I've known Gandhi, I have never seen him do anything like this. And I thought he was a peaceful person."

"Clearly we have underestimated him," said foreign minister Zhou Enlai. "Be careful when dealing with him in the future."

Whether Gandhi had exposed a more sinister side of himself or not, it was not time to doubt China's only ally. A Japanese force had landed around Karachi and the Indians were unable to wipe them out immediately. One group samurai managed to defeat some Chinese riflemen guarding the border at Nanjing, but the next few Japanese units could not make it past the cavalry in the same location, and a Chinese counterattack soon cleared the region of enemy troops.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/1183/wondersoftheorient1818ad25xj.png

Despite all these developments in the war, the most important discovery of this time had absolutely nothing to do with military. In fact, it was made by a citizen of Beijing, who, after a long day of work in the mines, found his hands covered by a black, powdery substance. Curious, he dug a bit deeper, only to find more and more of it. He called for his supervisor, and together they reached the only possible conclusion: that this was a hidden deposit of coal, right outside of Beijing.

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/8193/wondersoftheorient1820ad1mc.png

"Perfect!" said Mao triumphantly when the workers told him about the discovery. "We shall rely on Indian imports no more!"

Player's note: I think the RNG has just won the game for me. Iron works, here I come!

... to be continued

Sweet! In all the times I've played Civ III since it first came out in Dec, 2001, I've only gotten a city with both coal and iron in its radius twice, and neiter times was it my capitol.... (The RNG hates my guts... In the same time period, I've only gotten 4 MGL, none of which were in un-modded games).

Awesome, man! You seriously need to make this into a book. Put it in some kind of archive.:D

You also need to maybe launch a small attack large enough to capture on Japanese city on their mainland, and stack up with units there. That would also help you see more of whats going on over htere. Whenver they launch a big attack and units leave a city, bring a force over and attack that city.

Getting the coal and Japan losing a few cities really did help you out. You can't deny that luck has played a part in this game.

:eek: Iron Works in capital??? With Hoover's and full pop, that's a LOT of shields, with no corruption too!

Again, awesome storytelling :goodjob:

You can't deny that luck has played a part in this game.

Definitely. Although I wouldn't be surprised at all if, having gotten this far, I could get the rest of the wonders without the iron works. The real problem is going to be getting the domination limit before time runs out.

Chapter 28: Half the Sky

http://img463.imageshack.us/img463/1459/xishi4fd.jpg

Since beauty is honoured all over the Empire,
How could Xi Shi remain humbly at home?
Washing clothes at dawn by a southern lake
And that evening a great lady in a palace of the north
Lowly one day, no different from the others,
The next day exalted, everyone praising her.
No more would her own hands powder her face
Or arrange on her shoulders a silken robe.
And the more the King loved her, the lovelier she looked,
Blinding him away from wisdom.
Girls who had once washed silk beside her
Were kept at a distance from her chariot.
And none of the girls in her neighbours' houses
By pursing their brows could copy her beauty.

"The Beautiful Xi Shi," Wang Wei (A.D. 698-761)

Even though coal had already been found in the hills around Beijing, the city was still working on the next wonder, Universal Suffrage. But in the meantime, Shanghai had surpassed the capital in being the single most productive city in all of China. A factory had been built there, processing huge loads of raw materials and churning out the latest and greatest military equipment.

One day Mao decided to go around Shanghai for an inspection of its industrial facilities. He was greeted with cheers by the factory workers, some of whom had never before seen the Chairman in person. Mao shook their hands and praised them for their hard work.

But in the corner of one factory, he saw a familiar face. It was his science advisor, Deng Xiaoping, with a team of engineers from Newton's University. He seemed to be demonstrating a new device, but all that he referred to in his presentation was a drawing on a large poster board, only occasionally reaching into one of many boxes he had lying on the floor to get a small part of the device, which he would then show around.

"And so this piece is the muzzle," said Deng as he pointed out a large cylindrical part to the factory manager. "The artillery charge will be ejected from this end and with the proper orientation it can travel up to--oh hi Chairman, good to see you here today."

Mao greeted him. "What's with all these boxes here? Don't you have a working model of something to show me?"

"Oh, we have a few back at the university," replied Deng. "There's no point in bringing one in to demonstrate, it would probably blow a nice big hole in the factory roof. I'm only here to introduce a new method of manufacturing these artillery, using replaceable parts."

http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/5923/wondersoftheorient1820ad0ld.png

"You should've been here yesterday when I was showing these guys the new assault rifles we've developed," continued Deng as Mao examined the presentation board. "With your approval, we can get those mass produced outfit our military forces with them."

"Yes, do so immediately. And please bring our cannon batteries up to date with these new artillery devices too," added Mao.

http://img499.imageshack.us/img499/6149/wondersoftheorient1822ad2gs.png

The riflemen guarding the border with India were temporarily recalled to be given their new weapons, along with other equipment such as helmets and basic medical supplies.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/748/wondersoftheorient1822ad27uh.png

"Oh, and before you leave," said Deng, "be sure to visit the new financial district in downtown Shanghai, along Wall Street. I heard from Minister Liu that the merchants of Smith's Trading Company and the heads of the five biggest national banks have collaborated to make it the single greatest marketplace in the world."

Sure enough, when Mao arrived, he heard the crackling noises of firecrackers and loud cheers from the crowd as a new building opened up to house the everyday business activities in the city.

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/175/wondersoftheorient1826ad2wc.png

The Stinky Toilet War was still raging at this time, and Japanese ironclads would still appear off Shanghai's coast from time to time, launching torpedoes that would sometimes disrupt shoreline travel. The Chinese navy had a hard time keeping them under control, as Tokugawa had learned from his previous defeats and put a new emphasis on sea power.

By 1824, Ise had been recaptured by the Japanese, and Indian troops had been expelled from that island. The tide had begun to turn against Gandhi.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9460/wondersoftheorient1824ad3cl.png

Ten years later, a Chinese ironclad noticed Japanese vessels traveling southward on the west coast of Japan. The crew soon learned that Indian troops had been cleared out in the southwest as well, and the Japanese citizens could now safely rebuild their settlement at Toyama. All of the territory that had originally belonged to Japan was now recovered, and with exception of Kaohsiung, Shogun Tokugawa had reasserted his authority over the western half of the world.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2743/wondersoftheorient1834ad3pp.png

But one day, Minister Deng walked into Mao's office with a copy of the Shanghai Evening News, dated October 2, 1836. The entire front page was covered by a story, complete with a picture of a sailing ship named the Beagle which had just docked at Shanghai. Clearly this had to be an incredible event, as no mention of the Stinky Toilet War was anywhere to be found.

Deng summarized the article for Mao. "Naturalist Charles Darwin has just returned from a journey of five years around the world," he said. "And he has some startling results to offer: samples of thousands of marine species, drawings of hundreds of different birds that have flourished on the islands, and most of all, a remarkably bright and inquisitive mind. He has also expressed an interest in joining the faculty of Newton's University, and I think it is in our best interest to invite him there. He says he also wants to write a book describing his findings, but first he wants to know if people are willing to believe his ideas."

Player's note: October 2, 1836 is the exact date in history that the HMS Beagle returned to Falmouth, England, with Darwin aboard. What a strange coincidence that scientific method was researched in 1836 AD in this game.

"What ideas?" asked Mao, curious.

"He has a theory he calls 'evolution' which he says should explain the great diversity of life in this world," answered Deng. "A lot of people, mostly religious leaders, have rejected this idea, but he has the backing of hard evidence and logical reasoning. Personally I think it makes perfect sense to me, and even if it all turns out to be false, it would still be worthwhile to have a talented scientist like him around."

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2911/wondersoftheorient1836ad7py.png

"Excellent," said Mao. "Tell him that Newton's University will provide him with state-of-the art facilities, and that the entire city of Shanghai will be available to support his work."

By this time it was already more than 40 years into the Stinky Toilet War, with no sign of an end in sight. Mao was concerned that the Chinese people would soon grow unhappy as a result, but in 1840 AD he finally got some reassurance.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/834/wondersoftheorient1840ad3jj.png

"Women hold up half the sky," declared Mao on that fateful day. "And they shall hold up half of this great nation as well."

He had been most concerned that women were opposed to the war, as some of them had lost husbands who were crewmen in the Chinese navy. But a popular referendum that year, with a majority of women voting at the polls, showed an overwhelming approval of the way the Chairman was handling the war, far exceeding Mao's own expectations. With this support, he was sure he could continue fighting toward ultimate victory.

And what did Mahatma Gandhi get out of this in a meantime? "A factory," said the ambassador in Delhi.

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2714/wondersoftheorient1842ad0dy.png

... to be continued

That's where you seriously need to start conquering, I would actually take down the Indians because they're on your continent, and then take down about as many Japanese cities as you can intil you get the domination limit.
Edit: Haha you posted the update same time I posted this. Nice update.

His rules were specifically to not attack an AI city until all wonders were built.

Also, that Darwin voyage coincidence is shockingly eerie... :eek:

If he could conquer the AI before all of the wonders were built, the game would be practically over by now.

Yah I know. And why was he trying to get all the wonders again?

It's just a variant to make the game more interesting and possibly difficult :rolleyes:

Since you have to wait anyway what is going to be your srategy to reach the domination limit? Will you build bulk tanks so that the second you finish the last wonder you can simply roll over india and ship your troops straight to Japan to do likewise? Or do you have something else in mind?

Since you have to wait anyway what is going to be your srategy to reach the domination limit? Will you build bulk tanks so that the second you finish the last wonder you can simply roll over india and ship your troops straight to Japan to do likewise? Or do you have something else in mind?

Not quite ready to answer that question yet. I have rubber in a forest by Changchun (east of Beijing) but I wonder if there's any oil for me. India and Japan have more desert tiles inside their territory, although we all have some tundra.

But the slow research rate is really getting me into some trouble. It's 1840 AD now and I'm only up to replaceable parts and scientific method on the Industrial Age tech tree. I'll probably not reach Modern Age for at least another 100 years.

Oh, and if you noticed the spoiler in my last update, India is now in monarchy. Japan has also gone into communism. That's going to kill their research for a while. So while I'm going to have no trouble holding a tech lead, it'll be highly doubtful that I'll be able to trade for any required tech for advancing an era. (Naturally, I skipped all the optional techs in Industrial Age, except sanitation.)

One thing I'd like to avoid though: I don't want to build my last wonder in like 2045 AD and then RoP-rape both of them. That'll be way too much of exploiting the game mechanics for my liking.

Chapter 29: The Origin of New Ideas

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9483/xizaishan8zg.jpg


Since Wang Jun brought his towering ships down from Yizhou,
The royal ghost has pined in the city of Nanjing.
Ten thousand feet of iron chain were sunk here to the bottom
And then came the flag of surrender on the Wall of Stone...
Cycles of change have moved into the past,
While still this mountain dignity has commanded the cold river;
And now comes the day of the Chinese world united,
And the old forts fill with ruin and with autumn reeds.

"Thoughts of Old Times at West Fort Mountain," Liu Yixi (A.D. 772-842)

Except for the navy, Chinese casualties were light during the Stinky Toilet War. Nevertheless, advances in medicine had made it possible for simple first aid kits to be provided to Chinese soldiers, and on the recommendation of military advisor Zhu De, Mao decided it would be a good idea to establish a training center for army specialists who would focus on treating combat wounds. These medics would be skilled in everything from first aid to surgery, and would carry the necessary equipment with them to the front lines, if there were such a thing in a future war.

Shanghai and Beijing were preoccupied with building the Great Wonders at the time, and most of the coastal cities had their hands full producing ironclads to offset the heavy losses in naval battles with the Japanese, so the training center was established in 1850 AD at an inland city, Xi'an, southwest of Beijing.

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8582/wondersoftheorient1850ad6ya.png

Contrary to Zhu's expectations, medics did not need to be immediately dispatched with the Chinese troops, although a few did serve on naval vessels to treat some injuries from enemy bombardment. But with the cramped space aboard the ships, combined with an inability to replenish medical supplies, severly limited their effectiveness.

And what could a medic be expected to do when a hole has been punctured in the hull of an ironclad? wondered Mao. Try to patch it with a piece of gauze?

And so ironclads continued to be sunk around the Japanese coast, although new ones were being built at a steady pace in coastal cities. Freight trains carried cartload after cartload of coal to the shipyards, as these vessels relied on it for power.

But one particular shipment of coal had a strange surprise in it. There was a railroad tunnel in the hills leading to Dalian, on China's eastern coast, and after one train emerged from it, the engineers on board were startled to find that the typically black coal had turned white. Unable to believe their eyes, they sifted through the load, only to find that the coal was still fine, but a strange white powder had somehow covered the top of the black substance.

When the shipment arrived in Dalian, the locomotive engineer apologized to the governor for the unexpected impurities in the coal, but instead of being punished, he was congratulated for his discovery. It turned out that the white powder was a strategic resource, although one that was no longer in heavy use.

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/8858/wondersoftheorient1856ad5vv.png

Indeed, the cavalry were the only military divisions that still required the use of saltpeter, and those were no longer being trained anymore. Still, there was nothing wrong with a resource bringing a little bit of extra commerce to Dalian.

"Bah, it's still just saltpeter though," the governor of Beijing told Mao. "There's something far more important going on here, and I am sure you will agree with me when I tell you that iron and coal shall rule the world."

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7692/wondersoftheorient1856ad24nb.png

And so in 1856 AD, what would arguably be the most important building ever constructed was completed in Beijing. Instantly the production rate doubled, fueled by the speedy processing of raw materials and incredible energy output of the Iron Works. Unfortunately, Beijing was not a coastal city, and the Iron Works would turn out to be of no help in terms of producing new naval vessels.

Meanwhile, the Stinky Toilet War continued to rage on, mostly in the southern islands of Japan. Control of Toyama and Hakodate repeatedly passed between Tokugawa and Gandhi, leaving the citizens devastated by the ravages of war. The population of these once thriving cities dwindled, as most residents either perished in the battles, fled to other places in search of food and basic supplies, or were unwillingly drafted into the Japanese military.

Mao, however, continued to ignore these developments. If India and Japan battled each other to a standstill, the Chinese people would be mostly unaffected and could still lead their peaceful lives, despite the technical existence of a war with Japan. Mao did not want to make peace with Tokugawa yet, even though the mutual protection pact with Gandhi had ended long ago, in 1848 AD. He would let the war drain the resources of the two other countries, depleting their treasuries and cutting off funding for scientific research.

But on November 24, 1859, it was Professor Charles Darwin who dropped a bombshell. The Newton's University Press had printed 1,250 copies of his masterpiece work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. It was a thorough explanation of his theory that he had refined over the years of analyzing the data he had gathered, and instantly it took the academic world by storm.

Player's note: Yes, this is very spooky. November 24, 1859 was the exact date of the publication of the first edition of Darwin's book. The second edition was published shortly thereafter on January 7, 1860. (Thanks to Wikipedia for the info.) And in this game, Theory of Evolution was built in 1860.

Denounced by many well-known scholars in India and Japan, The Origin of Species was hailed in China as the greatest scientific achievement in the history of mankind. Those religious fools never learn, thought Mao. They still think they have this "God" on their side. Soon they shall feel the true crushing might of Chinese science.

Science advisor Deng Xiaoping, knew that unless something was done immediately, China could be missing out on a great opportunity. He had heard that the Japanese had discovered espionage, and the Indians had discovered communism as well, and if these new ideas were not brought to China soon, the Theory of Evolution could result in some rather unappealing rewards.

"I urge you to make peace immediately," he told Mao. "It is safe to teach the scientific method to foreigners now, as there is no chance left for them to make any interesting use of it."

After thinking it over and consulting with foreign minister Zhou Enlai, Mao decided to trust Deng's recommendation. Escorted by a fleet of ironclads to the Japanese port of Izumo, he met with the Shogun to hammer out a peace treaty.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8057/wondersoftheorient1860ad2mi.png

And thus the Treaty of Izumo of 1860 AD brought the Stinky Toilet War to a close. Tokugawa had by this time recruited sanitation experts of his own, averting a serious olfactory disaster in Kyoto, but in the meantime Japanese scientists had accomplished very little. The secrets of espionage and the scientific method were added as part of the peace treaty.

Chinese casualties: 1 rifleman, 1 cavalry, 2 frigates, 11 ironclads
Japanese casualties: 1 rifleman, 2 cavalry, 3 longbowmen, 11 samurai, 1 galleon, 2 frigates, 6 ironclads, unknown other casualties inflicted by Indians

India, however, was still at war with the Japanese, and it would be unfair to the Indians if they were not taught the scientific method as well. Mahatma Gandhi was thoroughly impressed by the discoveries of Chinese scientists, and offered a copy of Karl Marx's great work, The Communist Manifesto, in exchange. Mao added the newly acquired secret of espionage to the bargaining table, and Gandhi readily paid a fair price for it as well.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3451/wondersoftheorient1860ad20mz.png

And so momentarily, all three great civilizations in the world were at exactly the same place in terms of scientific advancement. But that would not be for long.

By the time the second edition of The Origin of Species had hit the bookshelves in early 1860 AD, the people of Shanghai had completed a magnificent sculpture illustrating the Theory of Evolution, and the path of the descent of man from ancient creatures.

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/2132/wondersoftheorient1860ad35zp.png

Emboldened by this breakthrough, scholars at universities around the nation came forth to present their newest ideas as well.

Scientists at Newton's University of Shanghai developed a radical new idea of the composition of matter. It turned out that some of the most puzzling aspects of chemistry and physics could be explained in terms of a most fundamental unit of matter in the universe - the atom.

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/6720/wondersoftheorient1860ad60qs.png

A professor of economics at Newton's University introduced a new form of organized business, protected by legal status and empowered by financial incentives. Soon enough, the majority of parties involved at Wall Street and Smith's Trading Company were no longer individuals and limited partnerships, but corporations.

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/5914/wondersoftheorient1860ad46tm.png

Oil was discovered in the desert near Hangzhou, right by the Indian border. Though it was not yet known how to put this new resource to use, some industrialists and businessmen were eager to start harvesting and refining it already.

http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/189/wondersoftheorient1860ad58bv.png

And once again, China surged ahead of the rest of the world, now the sole master of three new secrets. Mao was confident that his ambitions for domination could soon be fulfilled.

... to be continued

Great update :goodjob:
One question, I can't really tell from the screenshots, I assume you took the atomic theory - Electronics as your free techs right? Just it looks there as if you chose The corporation as 1 of your free techs

Great update :goodjob:
One question, I can't really tell from the screenshots, I assume you took the atomic theory - Electronics as your free techs right? Just it looks there as if you chose The corporation as 1 of your free techs

Nope. I don't have electronics as a free tech. Atomic theory was actually researched the same turn as when I built Theory of Evolution. The free techs were the corporation and refining.

I think this might have been changed in PTW or C3C, but on Vanilla I only get two random techs with Theory of Evolution; no picking what I want. That's why I prematurely ended the war with Japan, so that I could get their techs, and then trade with India for communism. This way I wouldn't get those techs that the AI already discovered for free.

Although you can still expect to see the Hoover Dam in my next update :)

I play vanilla (1.29f) and you get to choose the free techs there.
Oh ok understand now about the techs you chose, it seems strange to me though that you wouldnt have researched either Refining, or the Corporation and got Atomic theory as you're free tech because it is the most expensive tech of the IA.

I play vanilla (1.29f) and you get to choose the free techs there.

That's probably my problem. I'm still stuck with v1.07. Hopefull one day I might be able to get a new computer and update my game (for some reason nothing I do seems to fix the weird problems I get with the v1.29 patch), since being able to choose the free techs is a big bonus.

Great update and wanting more down here.

On question, though. Could you show us the victory status screen, and who's farthest in what?

Great update and wanting more down here.

On question, though. Could you show us the victory status screen, and who's farthest in what?

You mean the screen with the list of victory conditions and how close I am to each one of those? Don't think I have that, that's a C3C thing, isn't it?

Yes, you can't see it in vanilla.

Crap. I didnt know that. I havent played vanilla in about two or three years. :lol:

Okay, I opened up my 1860 AD save with Chiefpaco's Mapstat utility (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18243) and here's what it says:

Landmass:
Domination limit: 544
China: 282 tiles acquired, 262 to go
India: 252 tiles acquired, 292 to go
Japan: 278 tiles acquired, 266 to go
Unclaimed: 3 tiles :rolleyes:

Population:
Domination limit: 290
China: 159 pop, 131 to go
India: 141 pop, 149 to go
Japan: 134 pop, 156 to go

You mean the screen with the list of victory conditions and how close I am to each one of those? Don't think I have that, that's a C3C thing, isn't it?

Yeah, it's in with Conquests... You'd get it if you hit F8 (to check the scores/power/culture) in C3C.

And I find it rather wierd all of these coincidences that keep happening between your game and real life.....

It's becasue the RNG chose those same civs. They are like all the same in real life, ones with big outstanding relations. :dubious:

It's becasue the RNG chose those same civs. They are like all the same in real life, ones with big outstanding relations. :dubious:

Um, does anyone else know what this means, or am I the only one that doesn't seem to get the context of what conquer_dude is saying here?

The RNG did not choose the civs in this game. I chose them.

Yes, that sentence by conquer dude sounded very jumbled.

Well, no lack of bizarre coincidences in this game.

Today (Feb. 12) is Charles Darwin's birthday. Wonder why I didn't notice that earlier. :mischief:

Great update!!!!

Sneak preview of Chapter 30:

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/8842/wondersoftheorient1878ad4sg.png
^ Personally, I think that is totally nuts. Blame the RNG for helping me too much in this game.

Wow, Hoover Dam in 7 turns.

Oh, but it would take only 1 turn if I had a Great Leader. Imagine, a whole 6 turns of lost productivity... I could totally be producing... uh... wealth!

(would be a real waste of a leader by this point--neither Japan nor India have atomic theory yet, so it's not like they stand a chance, even if they *could* leader rush it)

Heh, just played a few more turns. One thing that is really annoying about the slow tech rate is that it'll take a LONG time to get to ecology, and pollution is going to be a big nuisance. Argh. At least the industrious trait helps a lot with speeding up the cleanup process.

Anyway, just as a reminder, this is Vanilla. After Hoover's there are only 5 more modern age wonders to go: SETI Program, Cure for Cancer, Longevity, Manhattan Project, and the UN. Should be a breeze, although I'm guessing that it will be around 1950 AD when I actually hit modern age.

Update coming soon...

Chapter 30: Water Power

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/791/mtyan4nc.jpg

While worldly matters take their turn,
Ancient, modern, to and fro,
Rivers and mountains are changeless in their glory
And still to be witnessed from this trail.
Where a fishing boat dips by a waterfall,
Where the air grows colder, deep in the valley,
The monument of Yang remains;
And we have wept, reading the words.

"On Climbing Mt. Yan with Friends," Meng Haoran (A.D. 689-740)

Mao had overlooked something, and it was not until after the excitement surrounding the theory of evolution had subsided that he remembered it. Only then did he notice that the Iron Works in Beijing was processing a rather absurdly large amount of coal. After asking economic advisor Liu Shaoqi about the situation, he finally realized that all this time, China was still importing Indian coal, even with reserves available right around the capital.

What an idiot I have been, thought Mao. We have basically given India free iron all this time. Not only that, but large shipments of saltpeter continued to arrive via rail, even though there was almost no demand for the resource. That would soon come to an end, thought Mao. He asked Minister Liu to inform the Mahatma that the resource deal would no longer be necessary at this point, but if he was still interested, he could still buy iron with gold.

India's treasury had been severely depleted from the continuing war with Japan, but Gandhi made a reasonable per-turn offer and it was enough to satisfy Liu.

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/5784/wondersoftheorient1862ad9om.png

Canceling the saltpeter trade freed up the luxury exports to India, which by now had nothing more to offer the Chinese. There was only one other market to which the excess dyes and gems could go, and that was to the Japanese.

Liu was wary of Shogun Tokugawa after remembering how the Japanese were quick to break the last luxury deal, so this time he insisted on a resource-for-resource trade. But the two Chinese luxuries were not enough to win over Tokugawa, who would not agree unless horses were added to the trade. Apparently the Japanese were still interested in training cavalry so late into the industrial age, but this did not bother Liu at all. It would, in fact, somewhat even the playing field between India and Japan, who both still relied on these obsolete military units in their war.

http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/3389/wondersoftheorient1862ad26sv.png

And so, after a sixty-four year hiatus, the luxury trade resumed, bringing celebrations to the Chinese cities.

But foreign minister Zhou Enlai was not quite so optimistic. At the signing of the Treaty of Izumo at the end of the Stinky Toilet War, he had learned the secrets of espionage from the Japanese, and was determined to put them to use, lest they be used against China someday. After quickly briefing Mao on the situation, he began to recruit talented Chinese to work in the newly established Ministry of State Security. There they would be trained in covert operations of information-gathering, propaganda, and sabotage.

In 1870 AD, the MSS took up residence in a rather ordinary-looking office building in the capital. But that was really just a headquarters, employing a tiny fraction of the intelligence operatives. Most of them were working in the field, both inside and outside of China's borders.

http://img469.imageshack.us/img469/4463/wondersoftheorient1870ad0uf.png

Mao, however, highly valued the trading relations with India and Japan at the time, and was not willing to jeopardize them by planting spies. He paid minimal attention to the MSS, allowing Minister Zhou to handle almost all of its day-to-day activities. Thus, the MSS kept a relatively low profile in affairs of the state for a long time.

What Mao was a lot more interested in was the gift that science advisor Deng Xiaoping brought to him one day, which, although it looked like a simple children's toy, still managed to amuse him.

"Actually, this electronics kit is a children's toy," said Deng, smiling. "But even I have been playing with it to no end."

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/2152/wondersoftheorient1876ad4ju.png

Mao glanced over the instruction manual and started to connect the wires in intricate patterns around the circuit board. After a while, he got a frustrated look on his face, and complained to Deng. "I followed all the directions exactly," he said. "But it still won't light up."

"Oh, I forgot to give you this." Deng held out a small cylindrical object in his palm. One end seemed to have a slight knob on it. "This is a battery. It stores electrical energy. Just insert it into the slot at the end of the board, and watch."

Mao did so, and immediately the diodes on the board started flashing. "What a curious object this battery is," said Mao. "How did you get this electricity on it?"

"We used a generator in the lab," replied Deng. "But that is small and can only do so much at a time. What we really need is a large-scale plant that can generate electricity for the entire population. I already have the plans for one, which we will call the Hoover Dam."

After looking at the blueprints, Mao knew this had to be another Great Wonder. The city of Beijing had never before even conceived of a project of such magnitude. But as he ran his fingers along the diagram, tracing the path of the waters of the Yellow River as it spun the turbines to induce an electrical current, he knew this would be the key to powering the future.

A tremendous amount of iron and concrete would be needed to build the Hoover Dam, but the factories and Iron Works in Beijing could actually meet the demand. Deng estimated that construction would only take 14 years.

The Hoover Dam was nearing completion when once again Minister Deng announced that laboratory experiments at Newton's University had confirmed that adding carbon to iron could actually strengthen the metal, resulting in a much more durable material called steel. He caught up with Mao at the construction site on the Yellow River, where the Chairman was supervising the work.

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"Chairman," said Deng. "You may remember that during the Stinky Toilet War, our navy suffered some rather heavy losses to the Japanese." He paused, as if waiting for some kind of response from Mao.

Mao continued to stare at the unfinished dam. "Yes, go on."

"If we build new ships with this new material, steel, I am certain that we will be able to withstand much more damage. Enemy ironclads will be no match for us."

"I see," said Mao. "Tell the factories to start producing this steel then, we will be using it soon to upgrade the navy. It might be nice to add some steel structure to support the dam as well, though that could be unnecessary by now."

Indeed it was unnecessary. The floodgates on the Hoover Dam opened in 1890 AD, unleashing a torrent of water downstream. Mao gazed in awe as he watched the deluge, through which he could barely hear the monotonous hum of the turbines in their power-generating exercise.

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Transmission lines supplied the electricity to cities all over the continent, which soon boasted of remarkable increases in factory output. The industrious Chinese people were now by far the most productive in the world.

Mao followed the water from the Hoover Dam down the Yellow River, all the way to its mouth at Shanghai. He noticed a large crowd gathering at the harbor, and when he came closer, they were centered around none other than science advisor Deng Xiaoping.

"I present you the internal combustion engine," said Deng triumphantly. "At last, an alternative to burning that dirty coal for fuel. Now watch."

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He motioned to an assistant, who pumped some gasoline into a device mounted on a small boat. Then Deng pulled a switch, and the engine started violently, splashing him with water and almost capsizing the craft.

"Oops. I'm quite bad at steering." After a quick adjustment, the boat sped out to sea as the crowd cheered.

Mao congratulated his science advisor for the achievement, but Deng humbly pointed out that it was engineers from Newton's University who had done all of the work. He suggested that it was now a good time to carry out the navy upgrades they had discussed earlier.

http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/5108/wondersoftheorient1906ad3gs.png

But there was more than just a combustion engine that would be the key to the modernization of the Chinese navy. Rather, it was a development that compounded on the scientific and engineering advances made during this time, one that would ultimately lead to the mass production of the biggest and most powerful battleships known to mankind.

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1601/wondersoftheorient1910ad0pq.png

And so for many years to come, no one dared challenge China on the high seas.

... to be continued

Awesome story! You should never finish it!

Awesome story! You should never finish it!

Awww, but then I wouldn't be able to start another one :(

Good to know you are planning another one after you finish this! I hope it's at least as good as this one!

Chapter 31: Like a Tiger with Wings

http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/4444/wangyue7fw.jpg

What shall I say of the Great Peak?
The ancient dukedoms are everywhere green,
Inspired and stirred by the breath of creation,
With the Twin Forces balancing day and night.
I bare my breast toward opening clouds,
I strain my sight after birds flying home.
When shall I reach the top and hold
All mountains in a single glance?

"A View ot Tai-shan," Du Fu (A.D. 712-770)

"Chairman, we have a problem," read the telegram from the governor of Nanjing. "It seems that the wrath of Mother Nature is now upon us."

Everything had been going well in the southern city of Nanjing, as it was for the most part undisturbed by the war, even though Japanese frigates could be sighted off the coast on a daily basis. The ships were usually bound for targets like Karachi, Bombay, and Hyderabad, all of which were heavily defended by Indian infantry. Fortifications around Nanjing, however, ensured that no one could enter Chinese land without permission.

But while the border guard kept suspicious people out, it could do nothing about the noxious fumes of pollutants from the factories. Someone was not doing a good job of cleaning up the mess that had been made, and now the consequences were being felt. A Nanjing farmer complained one day that his crops could no longer grow in the parched and barren land.

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/714/wondersoftheorient1912ad6hc.png

Mao initially put the blame on the factories in Chinese cities, but foreign minister Zhou was quick to point out that there was far more pollution in India at this time. The infantry division stationed at Guangzhou complained of the putrid smell that drifted northward from across the river in Indian territory. Mao decided that it was time to have a discussion with the Indian leader.

"I am so sorry that this has happened to you," apologized Gandhi. "We, too, have suffered from global warming. But it's really hard to clean up pollution when we are at war with the Japanese. They keep destroying our roads, and we cannot get our workers into the polluted areas in time."

"Fine then," said Mao. "But I do sincerely hope you can work harder than that."

"I certainly will try my best, friend Mao."

I think Gandhi needs to learn more about proper worker management, thought Mao. You can't expect them to get anything done unless you take an active role in directing them.

Gandhi had just left when Mao heard the sound of an engine chugging away outside. Startled, he thought a motorboat had run aground from the Yellow River, but instead, he saw Minister Deng climbing out from a strange vehicle that seemed to propel itself.

"Don't worry, it won't explode," Deng assured him. "We've safely adapted the internal combustion engine to work for vehicles on land. And since it looks like it's moving on its own because it burns gasoline, we call this an 'automobile.' Care for a ride?"

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"My pleasure." Mao took the passenger seat as Deng started up the engine again. "Hopefully you're better at steering this thing."

It was a pleasant ride, as Chinese civil engineers had kept the roads of Beijing in excellent shape. But after a short while Deng stopped and grumbled that he was out of gas, and had to refill the tank.

"I like it," said Mao. "But it's pretty slow. Can't quite match up with our riders and cavalry."

"Bah!" Deng had hoped for more from the Chairman. "Just wait until we send these onto the battlefield. You won't believe how powerful they are there."

"Perhaps. But if you look at the military of India and Japan, they're still using cavalry and infantry to great effect."

Mao was referring to the situation on Bangladesh Island, where most of the war had shifted by now. The last Indian invasion of Hakodate had just been repulsed, and the Japanese were on the offensive once again. Chinese battleships observed the fighting from a safe distance offshore.

In Chittagong, Jawaharlal Nehru was uneasy. He could tell from the blue sails of the approaching frigates that they were not from a friendly fleet. The Mahatma has concentrated too much on the southern islands, he grumbled. Now we have been left alone to fend for ourselves.

A shell exploded in midair, spreading shrapnel across a wide swath of land. Nehru heard the screams of citizens as they fled southwest from the approaching Japanese cavalry. Sighing, he decided that his only hope was to join them, so he quickly packed his scant belongings and headed off toward Bengal, while sending a last-minute dispatch to Delhi calling for reinforcements. But he knew they would not arrive in time. The garrison of Chittagong saw that there was no chance of standing up to the superior numbers of the Japanese invasion, and they surrendered the city.

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Quite unfortunate, thought Mao when he heard the news of Chittagong's fall. But I think Deng is right. Those cavalry won't be able to hold the city for long.

"And especially not after this." Surprised at how Deng had just read his mind, Mao wondered what else the science advisor could have come up with now.

"I have stocked up on more gasoline now," said Deng. "Come with me to Shanghai, I have something incredible to show you."

They had just reached the outskirts of the port city when they heard a loud buzz above them. Mao tried to look up to see what it was but was almost blinded by the sunlight, while Deng stifled a laugh. "You'll see soon enough."

They stopped at a wide, empty field where a number of scientists and engineers had gathered. All of them were also gazing up at the sky, trying to track the swift movements of the flying object, which Deng referred to as an "airplane."

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/3886/wondersoftheorient1934ad3og.png

Mao was speechless. "How... how did you do this?"

"Trade secret," replied Deng. "The miracles of Chinese engineering. Suffice it to say that the internal combustion engine has been improved to the point where it can drive these specially-designed planes fast enough that they float right up into the air."

For a while they marveled at the airplane as it flew around in graceful curves in the sky. But suddenly their awe turned to panic as they heard a very faint cry through the drone of the engine, and they saw the pilot desperately waving his hands, clearly signaling that there was a problem.

"Quick, this way." Deng grabbed Mao's hand as they headed for their car. They tried to follow the erratic pattern of the plane's motion, swerving dangerously through the streets of Shanghai until they finally reached the harbor. "This is an emergency, out of our way!" shouted Deng at the pedestrians, who scrambled to avoid getting hit.

But at the waterfront, they watched in horror as the plane, obviously out of control by this point, hurtled out toward the sea. In the distance, Mao and Deng noticed a small speck drop from the plane as it crashed nose-first into the waist of the Colossus.

"Nooo!" screamed Mao in anguish. The damage had been done. Huge chunks of bronze dropped into the harbor, sending out waves that knocked several small boats over. The Colossus was now bruised beyond repair, and never again did it draw merchant ships to the port of Shanghai.

Presently a fishing boat came to the dock, carrying the dazed pilot who had luckily been pulled out of the water by the concerned sailors. Mao thanked them for their help while Deng called an ambulance to take the injured pilot to the Shanghai Medical Center. "What a pity," said Mao. "If only we could hear what he wanted to tell us from the plane..."

"We are working on that next," said Deng. "Sorry about the accident. Now, if you will excuse me..."

Mao wanted to question the science advisor further, but by this time Minister Zhou had arrived on the scene, bearing news of the recapture of Chittagong by the Indians. Deng was right after all, thought Mao. Cavalry really don't stand a chance.

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/3366/wondersoftheorient1936ad5et.png

Mao did not disband the Chinese cavalry regiments yet, keeping them around for sentimental purposes, nor did he decommission the ironclads, preferring to use them as seaborne lookouts. He still wanted updated information about how the war between Japan and India was going, even though he highly doubted either side would make much progress from this point on. Nehru had alerted Gandhi to India's vulnerability in the east, and the Mahatma swore never to allow the Japanese to set foot on the island of Bangladesh again.

In the meantime, Chinese cities constructed airports to house the new planes, and the Chinese military began mass-producing the new units that were now possible with the scientific advancements. Tanks, planes, and battleships rolled off the assembly lines one by one.

But one day in 1942 AD, economic advisor Liu Shaoqi had bad news to deliver. "Unfortunately, our military buildup has come to a stop. The oil derricks in the desert by Hangzhou have run dry."

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5954/wondersoftheorient1942ad5jk.png

"What?" Mao was shocked. "You mean we cannot build any more tanks now?"

"And no battleships, and no aircraft either," said Liu. "Unless we secure a supply of oil by some other means. I visited Minister Zhou at the MSS today, and he told me that he thinks India has some to spare."

"Fine then," said Mao. "Arrange for a trade immediately."

Knowing that Gandhi would likely demand a high price for the precious oil, Liu decided it would be prudent to cancel the iron deal first, and then arrange a new trade. But the Mahatma was curious as to why the Chinese wanted oil so badly, and after thinking it over, Liu decided to add the technology of combustion to the bargaining table.

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Meanwhile, Deng Xiaoping had been racking his brain thinking of ways to avoid another air disaster like the one at the Colossus. He met with researchers at universities around the country, until finally, in 1950 AD, he found what he was looking for.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/9382/wondersoftheorient1950ad2px.png

He invited Chairman Mao to the mountaintop southwest of Beijing, where a broadcast tower had been constructed. They climbed to a small platform on the top and watched the skies for any sign of trouble.

"Now," said Deng, holding out a cone-shaped object. "Speak into this microphone."

Mao held it in front of his mouth and mumbled, "Uh... hello?"

After a moment, a static-laced voice responded. "Good morning, Chairman. I will be right there." Then, just as suddenly, a fighter plane took off in the distance from the Beijing Airport.

"Do you see me?" continued the voice.

"Yes, yes, of course!" Mao shouted into the microphone. He then turned to Deng. "Excellent job. This will be perfect for coordinating our airborne military exercises."

The radio would bring an electronics revolution to China, as soon they became available for consumer use, along with more unbelievable inventions--the television, radar, and sonar.

But it was that moment, from atop the broadcast tower outside Beijing, that Mao saw the new face of the city transformed.

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2382/wondersoftheorient1950ad24ll.png

Beautiful, he thought to himself. And may the rest of the world see this soon.

... to be continued

You are in the Modern Age! Great! What year are you now? Will you build all the wonders and reach the domination limit before 2050 AD?

Modern Age score check:

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/6291/wondersoftheorient1951ad3gd.png

Score, Power, and Culture graphs at 1951 AD (first turn in Modern Age).

Japan still has a score lead over me but I am catching up. The cities they temporarily lost to the Indians have hurt their score during the Industrial Age.

As you can see, the power graph is starting to show a noticeable bulge in the red. That's probably due to the glut of tanks and battleships I built. It'll get bigger soon :D

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/3300/wondersoftheorient1951ad25ic.th.png (http://img108.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1951ad25ic.png)http ://img131.imageshack.us/img131/3047/wondersoftheorient1951ad39la.th.png (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1951ad39la.png)http ://img108.imageshack.us/img108/8194/wondersoftheorient1951ad43hm.th.png (http://img108.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1951ad43hm.png)http ://img108.imageshack.us/img108/5006/wondersoftheorient1951ad52tf.th.png (http://img108.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1951ad52tf.png)

4 pages of wonders :lol:

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/5238/wondersoftheorient1951ad60op.th.png (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1951ad60op.png)http ://img131.imageshack.us/img131/1715/wondersoftheorient1951ad74jx.th.png (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1951ad74jx.png)http ://img119.imageshack.us/img119/7780/wondersoftheorient1951ad84ok.th.png (http://img119.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient1951ad84ok.png)

Top 5 cities, demographics, Beijing and Shanghai pics

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting (http://imageshack.us)

Other than the four techs that you need to build the five wonders, are you going to research any other technology to give you an advantage in a war with Japan or India?

Nice update glad to see you in the modern age. :)

Great update :goodjob: You're into the modern age but can you afford the time needed to detour to anything other than the techs you need for wonders?? You have 99 turns left I believe, which is enough to research and build the needed techs but is it also enough time to deal with Japan and India, at what tech stage are they? I hope they dont get MI before you finish the wonders.

Good luck with the wonders!

Other than the four techs that you need to build the five wonders, are you going to research any other technology to give you an advantage in a war with Japan or India?

Why not? It's not like I'll have the wonders built instantly when I research the required techs. I plan to beeline to genetics, building research labs in every city along the way. If an AI makes it to modern age and researches fission, I'll probably trade for that. If they don't, I'll research it myself.

After that's done I'd certainly like to get ecology and work my way up to synthetic fibers. Unless the AI really screws up big time, they should be able to pick up rocketry by then, which I can trade and see if there's any aluminum for me.

Great update :goodjob: You're into the modern age but can you afford the time needed to detour to anything other than the techs you need for wonders?? You have 99 turns left I believe, which is enough to research and build the needed techs but is it also enough time to deal with Japan and India, at what tech stage are they? I hope they dont get MI before you finish the wonders.

Sorry if this confused anyone, but the expected number of turns shown in each science advisor pop-up ought to be taken with a grain of salt. During the last couple of turns for each tech, I slow down the science rate to save some gold (while still getting the tech at the same time). Most of my techs in the Industrial Age took between 6-12 turns each. Computers is my first target in Modern Age, and that is due in 13 turns.

As for the current tech situation, Japan is still working on either atomic theory or flight (or maybe amphibious war?). India is a bit further down, they don't have mass production yet. So yeah, they're pretty far behind. I haven't traded any tech to Japan since scientific method, and the last trade to India was combustion (for the oil).

So will I be able to have a monopoly on computers when the wonders are finished? I think it'll be a close call.

How many wonders are left?

Chapter 32: Smaller Is Friendlier

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In a sharp gale from the wide sky apes are whimpering,
Birds are flying homeward over the clear lake and white sand,
Leaves are dropping down like the spray of a waterfall,
While I watch the long river always rolling on.
I have come three thousand miles away. Sad now with autumn
And with my hundred years of woe, I climb this height alone.
Ill fortune has laid a bitter frost on my temples,
Heart-ache and weariness are a thick dust in my wine.

"A Long Climb," Du Fu (A.D. 712-770)

Chinese marketplaces were flooded by consumer electronics of all kinds, but soon the people began to demand more. They wanted faster speed, greater storage, and above all, the ability to customize the devices to suit their own personal needs. Originally only a select few talented hobbyists had the knowledge of how to tweak and modify the wires and circuits in order to perform a new task, but eventually someone figured out that programmability could be built in to the devices themselves. And thus a new invention was born.

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/3139/wondersoftheorient1961ad2qg.png

At first these devices were used to quickly perform repetitive mathematical calculations and were seldom needed outside of the academic research labs, but in the 1960s the Ministry of State Security realized that by harnessing the computing power of these machines, they could decipher the encoded messages that were being sent in and out of China.

One of these messages was interecepted at a relaying station in Beijing, and although the actual purpose of the message was unclear, it clearly displayed ill intent. There were instructions for how to infiltrate the security of various defense facilities in the capital, as well as information on what kind of intelligence was needed. At the very end of the message was a tell-tale signature: that of Japanese Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

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The intended recipient of the message, a rather ordinary-looking Japanese man who had recently moved to Beijing, was quickly tracked down and arrested. But he was a rather difficult nut to crack; after just the first day of interrogations, the agent cheated his captors by committing suicide in prison. In Kyoto, Tokugawa was quick to downplay the incident, simply stating that there was a "grave mistake" while offering no other details.

Meanwhile, the use of computers for automated control was also adapted to armored transport vehicles for infantry, and the border defense underwent what would perhaps be the most ambitious modernization process in history.

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While the original computes were large, bulky machines that filled entire rooms, continued research showed that the electronics process could be refined, first to millimeters, then to microns, and eventually down to nanometer scale. The machines were converted from analog design to digital, taking advantage of the accuracy and reliability of new electronic components like the transistor and integrated circuits. Over the next decade, Minister Deng brought Mao a series of upgraded computer devices that steadily grew smaller in size, until the last one could fit in the palm of his hand.

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And by 1975 AD, a truly monumental network of these minicomputers had been established, working together to process the massive amount of data gathered over the years from radar receivers, hoping to determine some kind of meaningful pattern. Ultimately nothing interesting was found, but the funding that had gone to the SETI Program also enabled many other smaller related projects to continue, effectively doubling the rewards of the research.

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The only signal analyzed by the SETI Program that seemed to have any meaning turned out to be a suspicious transmission that was traced to Delhi, India. When Mao confronted him, Mahatma Gandhi apologized profusely, clearly very embarrassed by the discovery. "I am very sorry for the inconvenience to the Chinese people," said Gandhi. "I will make sure this never happens again."

India is a smaller country than Japan, thought Mao to himself. Perhaps he is only being so friendly because he fears retaliation.

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While the results of the SETI Program were never conclusive, it did not dissuade Deng Xiaoping from continuing his research. Rather than attempt to gain more knowledge from observing the skies, he wanted to look the other direction--deep into the microscopic. Using the latest computer-aided techniques, Chinese scientists were able to analyze the very chemical workings of life itself.

"This," said Deng while pointing to a 3-D software rendering of a spiral-shaped object, "is a short segment of DNA. Our biochemists have completely mapped out the entire DNA sequence in human beings, and we are working on finding out what every piece of it means."

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Mao wasn't quite sure he understood what all of this meant, but after hearing Deng promise that it would help doctors find new cures for diseases, he was certain that this could lead to a healthier life for the citizens of China. Sure enough, the discovery of genetics sent shockwaves through the scientific community, as new medical breakthroughs were reported almost on a daily basis.

In 1988 AD, in honor of the scientists and doctors who had worked so hard to ensure healthier and longer lives for the Chinese people, a "Fountain of Youth" was dedicated in Beijing. Elderly citizens gathered each morning by the fountain to practice tai-chi in the mornings, while children played and exercised in the open air around it, stopping every now and then to take a drink of the refreshing water.

http://img435.imageshack.us/img435/2742/wondersoftheorient1988ad3rd.png

All this time, while citizens of China lived their long and happy lives in peace, India and Japan were still fighting their war. It had been nearly 200 years since the Stinky Toilet War began, and by now neither Tokugawa nor Gandhi remembered why they were fighting in the first place. They only wished the quick demise of their hated enemy, but neither side ever seemed to get a decisive advantage. They matched each other in technology, and while the Japanese had a greater population, the Indians had a more productive core, ultimately resulting in a long stalemate.

It was finally after an intense naval battle off the coast of Jaipur, with bth sides suffering heavy casualties, that they finally agreed to lay down their arms and agree to end the bloody conflict.

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/1676/wondersoftheorient1993ad1hd.png

The Treaty of Jaipur, signed in 1993 AD, was more than just an ordinary cessation of hostilities. Gandhi and Tokugawa swore that they would never fight another war with each other again, in light of the horrible toll it had taken on the two countries.

Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai delivered news of the Treaty of Jaipur to Mao, and together they discussed how things should go from there on. They did not make any concrete plans on how to deal with the two rivals in the future, but one thing was for sure. The peace would not last long.

... to be continued

Yeah that was a pretty boring update. You can tell that this game is starting to wrap up.

The last 3 wonders will be in the next update. And then all hell breaks loose. :D

That update did cover a long time span, 40 turns. I'm surprised that India and Japan have not become more powerful than one another, despite the number of wars they have been in.

Love the spoiler and my guts are tingling inside waiting for those last three wonders... :D

NUKES!!!
:yeah:

That update did cover a long time span, 40 turns. I'm surprised that India and Japan have not become more powerful than one another, despite the number of wars they have been in.

Well the 40 turns went by pretty quickly. I probably spent more time cleaning up pollution (since I don't trust automated workers to do that properly) than deciding which wonders and city improvements to build.

Love the spoiler and my guts are tingling inside waiting for those last three wonders... :D

There really shouldn't be any suspense there. If you looked closely at the last picture of the peace treaty pop-up, India is still in the Industrial Age in 1993. So is Japan, as a matter of fact. They won't even have the technology to build any of these wonders, even if they had a great leader to rush it.

NUKES!!!
:yeah:

Still 3 techs away from tactical nukes, 4 techs from ICBM's. Who knows, the game might be over by the time I actually get that far in the tech tree, and I wanted to go for synthetic fibers too. Also I still don't know if I have uranium, although judging by the terrain I have a very good chance. Quite a lot forests (well, mostly chopped by now) and mountains, especially in comparison with India and Japan.

NUKES! NUKES! NUKES!

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

I can wait til tomorow... maybe. :D

Japan and India are just behind then, nukes would be my weapon of choice. :nuke:

Chapter 33: The Eleventh Hour

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With twilight shadows in my heart
I have driven up among the ancient plain
To see the sun, for all its glory,
All but swallowed in the yellow dusk.

"A Pleasure Ride on the Plains," Li Shangyin (A.D. 813-858)

After the Treaty of Jaipur, Mao feared that India and Japan would revert to democratic governments and begin to catch up on their technology. They were now almost out of the industrial age, with only radio left to research. Tokugawa, in the meantime, had also learned of a method of attacking from the sea, amphibious warfare, but it was not particularly interesting to Mao. It would take much more than just marines to overwhelm the mechanized infantry defending Kaohsiung, and any landings on the mainland were sure to be wiped out quickly by Chinese tanks.

Instead, Chinese scientists sought to distance themselves further from their rivals through the discovery of more modern technology. First came the results of an experiment, conducted at a research lab in Newton's University of Shanghai, that an incredible amount of energy could be released from the splitting of an atom.

http://img315.imageshack.us/img315/9438/wondersoftheorient1993ad28cz.png

The scientists were still not sure how to keep it under control, and they were in dire need of uranium resources to continue their research. After some searching around, deposits were found in a mountain by Qingdao, and some more were located in the grassland by Nanjing.

Then in 1995 AD, while the uranium was still being carefully extracted and transported back to research labs, another wonderful discovery was made by biochemists and geneticists at Newton's University. Ever since the early industrial age, when medicine first became widely available, the leading cause of death in China had been cancer, and after a long period of intensive research, a cure had finally been found.

http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/8940/wondersoftheorient1995ad4sg.png

Meanwhile, by 1997 AD the electronics revolution brought on by the radio had reached both India and Japan, propelling them into the modern age as well. In addition, the Indians had completely repaired the damage done by the Japanese to their railway network during the war. Mahatma Gandhi suddenly found himself with no further need of iron imports from China. He decided to exploit this advantage, calling for an end to the oil exports to China, but after some negotiation Mao found that the Indians would be satisfied if some addition gold were paid as part of the deal.

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Much to the surprise of both parties in that agreement, the very next year the Jaipur oilfields ran dry, and a new source of oil was found inside Chinese territory in the plains near Hangzhou. The long defunct refineries were suddenly resurrected, and an embarrassed Gandhi had no choice but to honor his agreement to continue oil shipments or risk war.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9025/wondersoftheorient1998ad0hr.png

"I'm glad that Gandhi values his long friendship with us," remarked foreign minister Zhou Enlai. "If Tokugawa were in his place, he'd be sending his troops right over to Hangzhou immediately."

"Like he can," sneered defense minister Zhu De. "It would be a miracle if he could even set foot on Chinese territory, with all the tanks and mechanized infantry we have waiting for him."

Whether Japan and India feared the might of the Chinese military, or if they were too busy preparing for the millennial celebration of 2000 AD, neither of them made a move during this time. Soon the tension in the air gave way to fireworks, and at the same time, a grand new building opened in Beijing.

http://img323.imageshack.us/img323/5945/wondersoftheorient2000ad1cd.png

But given the history of conflict between the three countries in the past, it was no surprise that nobody was interested in holding elections for the Secretary-General of the United Nations. "United my arse," Tokugawa had muttered under his breath. "This is just a fancy place for doing nothing."

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/2823/wondersoftheorient2000ad22gr.png

Indeed, the United Nations would never play any role in international affairs. But it was at the first meeting that Mao revealed that Chinese environmentalists were working to reduce the effects of pollution by using cleaner fuels and renewable energy sources, while encouraging citizens to use mass transit. Although he did not share the details with Gandhi or Tokugawa, he urged them to work harder at keeping pollution under control.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1656/wondersoftheorient2000ad39ax.png

The two foreign leaders made some verbal commitments, but the United Nations, lacking any teeth to enforce its policies, could not even oversee whether or not they were carrying them out. Tokugawa left the meeting no less furious than he had been before, and Gandhi was so thoroughly bored with the proceedings that he left the meeting early, citing "personal matters" to attend.

Indeed, the United Nations convened only once that year, and both Gandhi and Tokugawa declined to come the next year. Mao wasn't sure if they were being secretive or simply uninterested, but he figured that they might be up to something. While in the next few years Chinese cities went ahead and built mass transit systems for the citizens to use in their everyday travel, the railroads still broght newly mined uranium to be studied in nuclear research labs.

Science advisor Deng Xiaoping informed Mao that scientists at Newton's University were on the verge of making an earthshattering discovery, and Mao patiently waited. 2002 AD came and went, then 2003, and then 2004, each year with Deng promising that the results would be available soon. Finally, on a cold evening in 2005 AD, the science advisor asked Mao to come with him on a "cruise" to a "spectacular event" off the coast of Shanghai.

They caught up with a flotilla of battleships which they boarded, and Mao noticed that the bridge was full of scientists and engineers. They were clustered around some computer equipment, and some of them were busily reading the consoles for vital information. "All is clear," said one of them. "Prepare for countdown."

A loudspeaker boomed, "Ten... nine... eight... seven... six..."

Mao, sensing something was about to happen, turned and looked in the same direction as everyone else on the bridge.

"... five... four... three..."

He twitched briefly.

"... two... one..."

And then there was silence. A tremendous flash, brighter than a thousand suns, illuminated the entire sky, and for several seconds the entire scene looked as though it was during midday. The crowd gasped in horror as a huge mushroom cloud burst into the sky, exploding in a dazzling ring of fire. Nearly a whole minute later, the shock wave of the explosion reached them, and the ship lurched dangerously in the water.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7544/mushroomcloud2wb.jpg

"What you see here is the power of the atom," said Deng. "The tiniest thing known to mankind."

Mao was stunned. "If there ever were an end to this world," he said grimly, "something like this would be last thing I would ever see."

Even though Chinese researchers still did not know of a safe and reliable method to deliver the deadly payload to possible foreign targets, the explosion of an atomic bomb was a source of tremendous pride to the scientific community. By the end of 2005 AD, a sculpture of the bomb was erected in Shanghai to celebrate the successful results.

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/9171/wondersoftheorient2005ad2rj.png

This is it, thought Mao. The last and most terrible of all the Great Wonders. The real story shall begin from here.

... to be continued

NUKIES!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait until an update this is so exciting, dude. :thumbsup:

FANTASTIC! Now crush them all!!!!!!!!

BTW, you built the Manhattan in 2005 AD? This year sounds familiar... I heard of it some months ago :hmm:

So, are you going to send that huge pile of Tanks and Mech infantry into India, now? Hopefully you can get the domination limit before time runs out....

great update!! Can';t wait to see the wars start, looks like you're going to get there just in time!

Great Story! :woohoo: Sorry I didnt notice this story before :blush: , looks awesome!:)

NUKIES!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait until an update this is so exciting, dude. :thumbsup:

Nope. Not yet. Still need rocketry/space flight, and possibly satellites. Don't know if I'll get that far though.

Next update expected sometime during the weekend.

BTW, you built the Manhattan in 2005 AD? This year sounds familiar... I heard of it some months ago :hmm:

Well, I'll say that I'm definitely not North Korean, and I've never had any plans to destroy Israel either. :mischief:

So, are you going to send that huge pile of Tanks and Mech infantry into India, now? Hopefully you can get the domination limit before time runs out....

It's not actually that huge. Only one tank or mech infantry on each tile on the border, definitely not enough to take them out instantly. I'll either have to build up more, or be more careful.

Or maybe attack Japan. :scan:

great update!! Can';t wait to see the wars start, looks like you're going to get there just in time!

With 45 turns left this will war will probably have to be one of those "shock and awe" type things. Well, unless I'm really lucky, or happen to play a better-than-average game.

My mind tends to get fried giving orders to so many units during a war. And this is a tiny sized map. Imagine what would happen to me if I played a huge one. Of all the games I've won on emperor or deity levels, none of them have been bigger than standard size maps, although a few have been crowded games with 16 civs on tiny continents. (Yeah, I suck.)

This is a great story, I enjoy reading it and the artwork and poems are excellent. :goodjob:

I just have this question, do you have artillery hidden, I haven't noticed them?

Great Story! :woohoo: Sorry I didnt notice this story before :blush: , looks awesome!:)

Awww, you missed out on the suspenseful ancient age. Now it's just going to be a matter of starting up the juggernaut to squash the other civs flat. :lol:

This is a great story, I enjoy reading it and the artwork and poems are excellent. :goodjob:

I just have this question, do you have artillery hidden, I haven't noticed them?

Thanks. I've really appreciated the comments and suggestions people have been giving me, good to know there's readers or else this thread might have died a miserable death long ago.

As for the artillery, I have a couple dozen of them and they're mostly stacked up in the cities, but with all the rails in place they'll be easy to move around. One thing that's annoying is that I can't airlift the artillery, so if I ever invade Japan I'll have to send them in transport boats, even if I conquer a city and rush an airport.

Oh, and FYI, the poems are mostly drawn from the text Three Hundred Tang Poems, compiled during the Qing dynasty in 1763 by Sun Zhu (not the same person as Sun Tzu). The poems in that book are all drawn from the Tang dynasty period (A.D. 618-907), which is considered the golden age of Chinese literature. You can find the full text in both English and Chinese here:
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/chinese/frame.htm

Aw come on get the techs and make some nukes. :(

Good Luck with the upcoming wars Sima Qian.

And btw, Great Story

I'm sure in 10 turns most of India will be gone. Japan may be a little harder though.

Well, due to the fact that it is overseas. I hate sending troops in boats and getting them over there and then you find out you have too small of an attack force and you've got to back to your homeland and get some more troops and bring them over and repeat and repeat and repeat. Finally, you destroy the civilization in 2000 AD when you declared war in 1000 BC. :crazyeye:

:nuke: NUKE! NUKE! NUKE! NUKE! I wanna some radioacivity! :nuke:

Daily update coming? :D Eager to find out whats gonna happen.

As for the artillery, I have a couple dozen of them and they're mostly stacked up in the cities, but with all the rails in place they'll be easy to move around.


I've no doubt you can obtain domination in the required time. If I might suggest, since you have to have good transport shipping for artillery, the send settlers so that you can build densely around captured or razed cities and rush libraries. (If a captured city resists, you can raze it because you can't rush with resistance.) :goodjob:

Aw come on get the techs and make some nukes. :(
:nuke: NUKE! NUKE! NUKE! NUKE! I wanna some radioacivity! :nuke:

*sigh*, I should have realized earlier that there was a real nuke obsession on these forums. I'll have to see what I can do about that.

I'm sure in 10 turns most of India will be gone. Japan may be a little harder though.

I actually have some very good incentives to attack Japan, possibly even before India. I'll go into more detail on those in a future update.

Good Luck with the upcoming wars Sima Qian.

And btw, Great Story

Thanks, I'll probably need the luck, though more so in hopes that the game doesn't crash rather than more favors from the RNG. Getting Iron Works in the capital is probably way more luck than most people normally get, and I don't want this game to go too far out of balance.

Daily update coming? :D Eager to find out whats gonna happen.

Patience, young man. I was out of town for some business, although I did drive past a nuclear power plant on my way and kind of thought to myself, "Dang, I want one of those in my civ3 game."

I've no doubt you can obtain domination in the required time. If I might suggest, since you have to have good transport shipping for artillery, the send settlers so that you can build densely around captured or razed cities and rush libraries. (If a captured city resists, you can raze it because you can't rush with resistance.) :goodjob:

Well, I did realize that 45 turns is actually a pretty long time (especially on a tiny size map). Enough, in fact, for me to "be creative" (a.k.a. do some crazy stuff that doesn't make too much sense from a civ strategy persepective, but would still be fun). So I'll probably try to have a few surprises for you. :)

Chapter 34: Awakening of the Dragon

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3906/guangchangroad2ec.jpg

The whole wide world is white,
Through the snow eagerly we press on.
Crags loom above our heads,
We cross the great pass, red flags waving in the wind.

Where are we bound?
To the snow-swept River Gan.
Yesterday the order was given.
One hundred thousand workers and peasants march on Ji'an.

"On Guangchang Road," Mao Zedong (A.D. 1893-1976)

Though historians considered the Golden Age of China to have been the prosperous times following the completion of the Great Wall, it was after the completion of the Manhattan Project, the last of the Great Wonders, that the Chinese people would at last enter their true period of glory. It was now early in the year 2006 AD, and at last, with every wonder built either in Beijing or Shanghai, the time had come to show the world the true meaning of Chinese dominance.

At the beginning of the year, a final map trade had been arranged with Japan and India, and the Ministry of State Security published an updated map that revealed everything they knew of the world at the time. The Chinese navy had deployed many of its ships in various locations around the world, keeping an eye on Japan and India from safely outside their borders.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/6503/wondersoftheorient2006ad2dy.th.jpg (http://img109.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient2006ad2dy.jpg)
Caution: Very large image if you click the thumbnail. Be prepared to scroll.

How strange, thought Mao. We have every Great Wonder under our control, but only about a third of the land and population in the world. How could this possibly make sense?

But despite the ever-present tension in the air, there was still ostensibly an apperance of peace in the world at the beginning of 2006 AD. If China were to seek to dominate the world at this point in time, there would be only one option: war.

Foreign minister Zhou Enlai immediately objected when Mao approached him on the subject. "Even though we have universal suffrage in our nation," he argued, "I suspect there is not enough support among our people for such a war. Keep in mind that throughout our thousands of years of history, not once have we declared war on another country. Each time that violence has broken out, it has always been the fault of a foreign aggressor."

Mao knew this was true, and with his approval rating hovering at around 70%, he was certainly not confident enough that there would be enough support among the people. Something will have to change, he reasoned. A paradigm shift. A change of ideology. A new perspective on the world.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4572/smallgroup9da.jpg

He called together his closest friends and advisors--Ministers Zhou, Zhu, Liu, and Deng--to a secret meeting to discuss the potential strategy to pursue at this point. They all had different ideas on how to improve China's status in the world, and debated at length as to which approach would be best. But despite their disagreements, they all acknowledged one thing: the would have to be war, and that China was not prepared for it.

Yet there was a faction in China that had the opposite idea. They felt that since China was in peace, it was enough. Let the rest of the world be however they like. For a long time, Mao had agreed with this belief, since it ultimately put the well-being of the Chinese people first. Yet deep down inside, Mao knew this would not be a viable strategy. He was aware that if historians were to draw a histograph of the great powers of the world up to 2006 AD, the Chinese would, in fact, not emerge on top. That dubious honor still belonged to Shogun Tokugawa, who, despite a series of wars that devastated Japan, was still believed to be the most powerful and successful leader in the world.

And now it was time for Mao to break away from this faction, which he called reactionary for their outdated beliefs. They were a small but very vocal group, and still held a great deal of influence in the internal politics of China. But that would have to change. All reactionaries are paper tigers, reasoned Mao. In appearance, the reactionaries are terrifying, but in reality they are not so powerful. From a long-term point of view, it is not the reactionaries but the people who are really powerful.

He recalled the last time he had championed the idea that the people, not the rulers, would be the ultimate power in control of China. It was a long, long time ago, just after the War of Nobunaga's Cheek, when the revolution of 580 AD led to the establishment of the Chinese Republic. "A revolution is not a dinner party," remarked Mao. But a new revolution was exactly what the country needed now.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1692/wondersoftheorient2006ad29fq.png

And so, on February 18, 2006, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the end of the old order. The reactionaries would have to be silenced, and it would take years of upheaval to recreate a government that would be able to achieve his goals.

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6977/wondersoftheorient2006ad38xm.png

During this time Mao would personally tour the countryside to speak with the citizens, educating them individually on the nature of the revolution, on his ambitions for the Chinese people, and of course, on the new and better way of life that would ultimately be promised when Chinese domination was secured.

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5715/poorchildren7wo.jpg

He met with workers in the factories in the cities, with laborers in the mines, with peasants in the fields, with scholars and intellectuals at the libraries and universities, with spiritual leaders at the temples and cathedrals. And most importantly, he spoke with the children, the promise of China's great future. At each stop he explained in detail why the reactionaries were wrong, and why his vision would be the best for the people.

But the anarchy still took its toll. Without a reliable government infrastructure in place, it was difficult to deliver food to the huge population, and in several cities some people could not survive the harsh conditions. But fortunately for Mao, most of them were reactionaries who refused to take part in the revolution, and would rather die than see their own futile ideals be destroyed.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4985/wondersoftheorient2007ad7nt.png

The news of starvation deeply saddened Mao, but he knew it would only be temporary, and a necessary sacrifice. "Be resolute, fear no sacrifice and surmount every difficulty to win victory," he urged the people. "The revolutionary war is a war of the masses; it can be waged only by mobilizing the masses and relying on them."

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5402/proclamation0ey.jpg

It was not until the end of 2008 AD that order would be restored, just barely in time for Beijing's hosting of the Olympic Games of that year. It was then that Mao, from his podium at the front of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, made the fateful proclamation.

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8174/wondersoftheorient2008ad1dw.png

"You may all call me Comrade Mao," he announced, "as we are all equal and fair before the law. Together we shall work toward a brighter and glorious future, for the People's Republic of China."

The stage was now set, and the first day of conflict drew near.

... to be continued

Nice update! Waiting for more! Your story is fantastic!

Heh, thanks. I'm kind of ashamed that after getting this far in the story, this is the first time I've ever posted a complete world map (minimaps don't count). They might have been a lot more helpful for those following along earlier, but from now on it should be easy to see where the cities I am referring to are located.

Although actually, I kind of intended this update as sort of a "filler" post. Not much really happened during the anarchy from 2006 AD to 2009 AD. I'm still trying to figure out how to work out the upcoming war, so that'll be covered in another update... soon.

BTW, how did you post it? AFAIK you can't zoom out too much in the game.

Oh, just a dirty image editing job. I press DEL to get a clean map (basically wipes off the user interface), and then take several screenshots at different parts of the map, finally pasting them all together.

Oh, I knew about the DELETE effect, but I didn't realise that the images are pasted together. I will do this in my story too (which will be updated today for sure).

Gargh wars wars wars wars wars!! :mad: :lol:

Heh, that's true China is a communism right now. Strange how this relates so much with the real world.

Gargh wars wars wars wars wars!! :mad: :lol:

Heh, that's true China is a communism right now. Strange how this relates so much with the real world.

Gargh fingers tired from so much typing! Gargh real life being a big meanie to me! :mad: :lol:

To be honest, I think the real world China is pretty far away from being communist. In fact, no country has ever truly achieved the goal of becoming "communist," they only got as far as implementing socialism but never got around to the "classless society" or the eventual withering away of all government. Today, the terms that are used to describe the Chinese economy are "market socialism" and "socialism with Chinese characteristics." Kind of vague in my opinion :confused: ...

I would argue that the best "communist" successes in China were the early communes Mao set up in the south in the 1930s, and the rapid modernization in the early 1950s from the first five-year plan. After the Great Leap Forward failed everything sort of started spiraling out of control, and after Deng took over in 1978 China has been steadily moving closer toward a market economy.

Yes, also in China it's something strange going on with some non-communist at all cities in the middle of the country!

Chapter 35: The Ultimatum

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6236/westerncampaign7so.jpg

Look how swift to the snowy sea races Running-Horse River!
And sand, up from the desert, flies yellow into heaven.
This Ninth-month night is blowing cold at Wheel Tower,
And valleys, like peck measures, fill with the broken boulders
That downward, headlong, follow the wind.
In spite of grey grasses, Tartar horses are plump;
West of the Hill of Gold, smoke and dust gather.
O General of the Chinese troops, start your campaign!
Keep your iron armour on all night long,
Send your soldiers forward with a clattering of weapons!
While the sharp wind's point cuts the face like a knife,
And snowy sweat steams on the horses' backs,
Freezing a pattern of five-flower coins,
Your challenge from camp, from an inkstand of ice,
Has chilled the barbarian chieftain's heart.
You will have no more need of an actual battle!
We await the news of victory, here at the western pass!

"A Farewell Song to General Feng of the Western Expedition," Cen Can (A.D. 715-770)

While most government functions had essentially shut down when the revolution began on February 18, 2006, surprisingly little changed at the Ministry of State Security. In fact, the revolution presented a fine opportunity for the MSS chief, foreign minister Zhou Enlai, to recruit new members who were the most talented and loyal to Chairman Mao. These recruits would soon play an important role in determining the direction of China's new foreign policy.

And so when the revolution came to a close at the end of 2008 AD, the first order of business was to resume espionage operations in Japan and India. Zhou carefully chose the two most experienced and reliable men from the pool of applicants, and after briefing them on their tasks, sent them right on their way.

"From now on," said Zhou, "you shall never again use your real identities. You here... you will be called Agent Tong. And you... hmm... well I'll call you Agent Gong."

The two of them saluted Zhou, accepting their new duties. Agent Tong would try to seek employment within the Japanese defense department, while Agent Gong would try to enter the most secure of India's military facilities.

Within days, the MSS heard that they had been successful in their infiltrations, and were awaiting new orders.

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/1464/wondersoftheorient2009ad17lg.png
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/1553/wondersoftheorient2009ad23bv.png

By this time the Chinese military had been reorganized under the leadership of defense minister Zhu De, commander in chief of the People's Liberation Army. The navy was likely to play an important role in the upcoming conflicts, and it was now more tightly integrated with the rest of the military as the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). And finally, for the first time ever, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was ready to join in the attacks, with many fighters and bombers prepared for action.

Zhu was confident in his troops, but he knew that he would have to pick his battles carefully. The enemy would not be forgiving this time, and there was no substitute for victory. No more would China ever settle for a "peace without victory" if domination was the ultimate goal.

He needed foreign intelligence. And the MSS agents had exactly what he was looking for.

Agent Tong reported from Kyoto his survey of the Japanese military:

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8741/wondersoftheorient2009ad35cw.png

And Agent Gong in Delhi forwarded his findings as well:

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7553/wondersoftheorient2009ad42iz.png

Together, Zhou and Zhu examined the reports, and they faced a difficult decision. Most of the Chinese military, in the form of tanks and mechanized infantry, had already been deployed along the Indian border, in the Hangzhou-Guangzhou corridor and around Nanjing in the south. But the Indian defense force consisted mostly of infantry, powerful defenders compared with the Japanese riflemen that China had fought with and easily defeated in the past. And so even though it seemed more convenient to attack India because the available forces were already in place on the continent, Zhu felt that India would probably put up much stiffer resistance than Japan.

Yet Japan was formidable on water as well. Much stronger than their Indian counterparts, Tokugawa's navy had nearly as many ships as the PLAN, though several of them were older models of destroyers and frigates. In order to successfully attack Japan, China would have to ensure superiority on the high seas first.

The two ministers were puzzled over this and argued for several days about which foreign rival would be the first target. But one day, economic advisor Liu Shaoqi stopped by the MSS building in Beijing and paid them a surprise visit. He had overheard their conversation, and had some interesting ideas to share as well.

"Do you still remember that we still have ongoing trades with both Japan and India?" he asked. Zhou and Zhu nodded.

"We are exporting iron to India, and Gandhi is supplying us with oil in return," said Zhu.

"And we have a prosperous luxury trade with the Japanese," added Zhou.

Minister Liu was pleased to learn that they were all well aware of the international trading situation. "But ultimately, which trade is more important? We will have to sacrifice the benefits of these trades when war is declared, so I suggest that you choose carefully."

After pondering this for a moment, Zhou spoke. "Entertainment for the people can always be subsidized with government funding if luxury goods run out, and if needed we can also set up some military police. But strategic resources have a value that cannot be so easily replaced."

"Exactly what I would have thought as well," Liu responded. "But let's take a closer look at what Japan and India really have. I'm sure the MSS agents you have sent can supply us with that information, right?"

"Of course," said Zhou. He produced two reports, outlining the situation of the first potential target cities in both Japan and India.

Zhu had suggested that the first Japanese city to take would probably be Matsuyama, in the far north, and the investigation that Agent Tong had provided showed this:

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/9682/wondersoftheorient2009ad59cu.png

"So that explains why Japan has no infantry," Zhu remarked. "Tokugawa has no rubber."

"And I'm sure Mahatma Gandhi would be far from willing to sell rubber to a hated enemy he has fought with for many years," added Zhou.

"Perhaps," said Liu, "but take a look at this." He pointed at the report that Agent Gong had supplied on Jaipur, the Indian city most likely to be taken out first by Chinese land forces. "As a matter of fact, Gandhi doesn't even have rubber to spare. And remarkably, he doesn't have any oil either."

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9899/wondersoftheorient2009ad61iz.png

Minister Zhou gasped. "No oil? How is that possible? Gandhi is still shipping barrels and barrels of oil to our refineries, why wouldn't he keep any for himself?"

"My, my, I thought your memory was better than that," said Liu. "Remember how we discovered oil right after I negotiated that deal with Gandhi? Well, Gandhi had two sources of oil when we traded with him, but the very next year one of those oilfields was exhausted. The Mahatma is an honorable man, and he is dutifully continuing to supply us with excess oil, even more than we need, even though he needs it far more than we do."

"Interesting," said Zhou. "And if we declare war on India, that trade would be canceled, and the Indians would be able to keep their oil for their own use. I don't think we should let that happen."

"A wise choice," agreed Liu. "Besides, Japan seems to be reaping too much benefit out of the luxury deal. What has he done to deserve six luxury goods, the same number as we have here in marketplaces in China? If we go to war with Japan, and capture their spices or incense, we can sell those to India and make a handsome profit."

Zhou and Zhu continued to consider this, and gradually they became more and more convinced that it was not yet the best time to attack the Indians. An invasion of Japan would open up more possibilities, not to mention the fact that it would probably go more smoothly as well.

There was one last thing Zhou wanted to be certain of before submitting his decision to Mao. He wished to know if China had the appropriate military capacity to wage an overseas war against the Japanese. Would there be enough transport ships to send the forces over to another continent? Did the PLAN have enough sea power to escort those transports, or would they be intercepted and sunk by the Japanese navy? Would the PLAAF be able to provide air cover in case the Japanese air force wished to intervene?

The answer that Commander Zhu provided was a resounding yes. Over the past few years he had long expected a showdown with Tokugawa, and in preparation for that, a large portion of the PLA had been airlifted to Kaohsiung. All that was left was to give them the orders to attack.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2368/wondersoftheorient2009ad71qv.png

For foreign minister Zhou, that was enough to be the last nail in Tokugawa's coffin. Together, the ministers agreed that Japan, and not India, would be the first target of war.

"Excellent work," said Mao when hearing of their decision. "But I heard from Minister Deng today that it might be beneficial for us to acquire the technique of amphibious war from Japan, even though the use of marines is quite limited when our conventional military forces are already so strong."

"Tell him to hand it over," suggested Zhou. "They've demanded that we hand over sanitation before, I don't see what would prevent us from doing the same."

Mao decided that was a great idea, and immediately he dispatched a first transport ship from Kaohsiung, which delivered the message of the ultimatum to the Shogun: "Agree to our demands, or face annihilation."

"What the hell?" shouted an irate Tokugawa. "When did that idiot Mao think he was strong enough to push me around? I was just about to demand technology from the Chinese."

His advisor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, suggested, "We will respond exactly the same way as they did to us. I'm certain that they are bluffing."

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/2007/wondersoftheorient2009ad80di.png

"Well then," Mao said, feigning a sigh. "Poor Tokugawa has just lost his last chance to maintain peace in his land."

"Don't toy with me," snarled Tokugawa. "Get out of my sight."

"Toy with you?" Mao stifled a laugh. "Oh, no, that would be far too kind of us, and certainly not fun enough. No, we will have a big party over on your continent, and then you will be wishing that we were just toying with you."

The Chairman turned to the captain of the transport ship, and gave him a thumbs up. A sudden roar was heard as the tanks on board started their engines, lining up in a single column and steadily rolling off the gangplank. They landed in the pine forest and mountains outside Matsuyama unopposed.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/4447/wondersoftheorient2009ad91zw.png

"It was a real pleasure dealing with you, Tokugawa," Mao snickered. "I hope you have fun."

... to be continued

Well, there you have it. A war (woohoo).

Probably my most overdone update for the whole story so far, since it didn't even get to cover an entire turn.

:woohoo: War!

^Ditto man! Finally! Destroy them Japs and take over the continent! :evil:

once you get enough out of them you might reach the domination point. Then, you might want to try India.

Make sure Ghandi cant make nukes.:nuke:http://67.18.37.17/2135/53/emo/nervous.gif

Once you get manhattan project everyone can make nukes right? Worst off- what if he doesnt have... Can't bear to think of it. :cry:

Once you get manhattan project everyone can make nukes right? Worst off- what if he doesnt have... Can't bear to think of it. :cry:

Well I do have 2 sources of uranium. It's just that Manhattan Project isn't enough to build nukes, I also need the tech (space flight for tactical nukes, satellites for ICBMs).

If you referred to the world map (http://img109.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient2006ad2dy.jpg) you should've seen that I was building some nuclear subs and I need to have uranium in order to do that. You might have been able to spot two sources of uranium. One is up in a mountain in the north by Qingdao, another is in a mountain in northern Japan, outside Nagasaki (soon to me mine :lol:). There is a third uranium in the south by Nanjing, but a mech infantry is parked over it so you can't see it in the map.

So as it stands now, Japan has one source of uranium and India has none. And neither of them have the necessary tech for even seeing it on the map.

So India doesn't have nukes and also Japan for the moment. Great nukes... oh I mean news.

I would go for Modern Armor so you could upgrade your tanks and rollover the AI with them.

I dont care but start the attacks, your citizens are growing inpatient with the Grand Historian. :D

I would go for Modern Armor so you could upgrade your tanks and rollover the AI with them.

If I can even get that far. In hindsight, switching to communism was probably a pretty bad idea, since the government is rather underpowered (in Vanilla at least). Core cities suffer a corruption penalty, and having no trade bonus really makes research a lot more difficult.

I've been told that this has been addressed in the expansion packs, and with the Secret Police HQ communism can be very powerful. Well, too bad for me :sad:

Well, considering that in communism, all towns get something like 3 free units, cities get 5 and mctropolises get 7, and democracy gets 0, not to mention communism has no WW AND 3 MP per town, you'd be losing far more money on troop support, corruption and luxury spending than you'd be getting from the trade bonus in democracy, so you made the right choice... besides, even though in Vanilla Civ III there is some corruption in core cities, the other side of the story is that even remote border towns (like Nanjing) will not be crippled by corruption (unlike democracy)....

When they added the Secret Police HQ in Conquests, they made the government way too powerful... Espicially since Once I get the tech, I never consider any other government THAN communism, because on difficulties higher than warlord, the AI will make ridiculous demands if they have so much as 25% more troops than you do... Never mind that all of my army consists of the best available units for that particular time and I have Sun Tzu's, so they're all veterans, and the AI has a huge pile of ancient era units... So that when I refuse, of course they go to war and get their butts kicked, then they build up a bunch more crappy units and declare war 20 turns later, and the whole process repeats... If I was stupid enough to be a democracy, I'd be permanantly crippled by WW under those conditions (and believe me, on Monarch and higher difficulties, war with the AI is inevitable).

Anyways, communism isn't the worst. Despotism is the worst. :dubious:

Where's the update?

Well, considering that in communism, all towns get something like 3 free units, cities get 5 and mctropolises get 7, and democracy gets 0, not to mention communism has no WW AND 3 MP per town, you'd be losing far more money on troop support, corruption and luxury spending than you'd be getting from the trade bonus in democracy, so you made the right choice... besides, even though in Vanilla Civ III there is some corruption in core cities, the other side of the story is that even remote border towns (like Nanjing) will not be crippled by corruption (unlike democracy)....

Communism isn't that great with the low number of cities that I have. I have 11 compared with 12 for India and 17 for Japan, although all of mine are well above metropolis size (smallest one is size 17). In Vanilla, communism gives 2 free unit support per town, 4 per city, and 8 per metropolis. That's quite far from enough, if you saw the shot of my military advisor that I posted earlier:

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8741/wondersoftheorient2009ad35cw.png

Japan is still in communism, somehow they never switched out of it after the war with India. The Japanese have 2 towns, 6 cities, and 9 metropolises, giving them free support for 100 units. Of course, the AI seems to have gone nuts in terms of trying to maximize population, so their production sucks as a consequence.

India, in the meantime, is in democracy. That was actually another reason why I didn't want to attack them yet, since with their trade bonus they'll be able to keep up the research, and hopefully I would be able to buy/trade rocketry from them rather than research it myself. On the other hand, this means they could get computers soon too, but since they're exporting their only source of oil to me, I'm not afraid that they'll upgrade.

The military police factor isn't really relevant here... I have marketplaces and every cultural improvement in every city, and JS Bach's, Sistine Chapel, and Cure for Cancer on top of all that, plus four luxuries (I lost the other two when I declared war on Japan). So in each city, that comes out to:

2 citizens start content (on monarch difficulty)
1 unhappy citizen made content by temple
2 unhappy citizens made content by colosseum
6 unhappy citizens made content by cathedral
2 unhappy citizens made content by JS Bach's Cathedral
1 unhappy citizen made content by Cure for Cancer
6 content citizens made happy by luxuries

Basically, a total of 14 content citizens to begin with, and if 6 of them are made happy, then I'm allowed to also have up to 6 other unhappy citizens before they riot. Well, that's a size 20 city already, any more would be specialists and they don't care about happiness.

Heck, I probably could've gotten away with declaring war in republic. If war weariness sets in, just switch a few citizens to entertainers and problem solved.

But thanks for the advice Hikaro, I'll certainly try to use communism more effectively in another game. Probably a 'real' variant where I don't go crazy building culture.

Anyways, communism isn't the worst. Despotism is the worst. :dubious:

Where's the update?

Bah, then I can argue that anarchy is the worst.

I'll try to post an update within 24 hours, been busy with some other stuff lately.

Chapter 36: Operation Kan-She-Tou, Decapitating the Snake

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7260/nanjing2fn.jpg

Over Zhong Mountain swept a storm, headlong,
Our mighty army, a million strong, has crossed the Great River.
The city, a tiger crouching, a dragon curling,
outshining its ancient glory;
In heroic triumph heaven and earth have been overturned.
With power and to spare we must pursue the tottering foe
And not ape Xiang Yu the conqueror seeking idle fame.
Were Nature sentient, she too would pass from youth to age,
But man's world is mutable, seas become mulberry fields.

"The People's Liberation Army Enters Nanjing," Mao Zedong (A.D. 1893-1976)

Matsuyama was famous for its beautiful mountains and pine forests, as well as for the numerous hot spring resorts in the vicinity, but during the winter of 2009 AD no Japanese tourists dared visit the area. The Chinese tank corps was camping safely right outside the city, and Tokugawa ordered no counterattack. Whether he had the resources to actually launch an attack or if he was still in shock over the landing of Chinese troops on mainland Japan was unknown, but Agent Tong reported from Kyoto that Japanese cavalry regiments had been boarding transport boats, possibly on their way to relieve the besieged city.

"Quite strange that they aren't taking the railroad," mused Commander Zhu De of the People's Liberation Army. "Perhaps they are actually bound for some other location..."

The general now had a new aide with him as the watched the scene from their headquarters at Kaohsiung. Commander Lin Biao had been given the onerous task of directing PLAN and PLAAF while Zhu was in charge of everything else on land. "They can't possibly be bound for Kaohsiung," continued Zhu. "The entire island is fortified with mechanized infantry, and Agent Tong hasn't said a word about marines."

"They could be trying to come for the Chinese mainland," suggested Lin. "A truly absurd mission, with no chance of success, but Tokugawa has been known to do some very irrational things with his military." He paused for a moment. "I suspect we'll probably never find out, since I've already ordered our battleships to engage them at sea, and chances are the transport ships will never reach their intended destination."

Indeed, January of 2010 AD was a triumphant month for the PLAN. Two battleships, one submarine, one frigate, and two transports, along with all troops on board, were destroyed with no losses for China. Air support was crucial for their success, as usually the PLAN vessels would arrive to find their enemies already badly damaged by PLAAF bombing missions.

But this success was quickly overshadowed by Zhu's successful assault on Matsuyama, which easily fell on February 21, 2010.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5678/wondersoftheorient2010ad17gw.png

After the battle of Matsuyama, Zhu found that the vast majority of the tank corps had not even participated in the fighting, and there were enough resources to target the next city, Nagasaki in the southwest. This battle was somewhat more difficult, as the Japanese had an artillery battery in the city, which damaged some of the attacking force before they could attack. But the riflemen stationed in the city were no match for the Chinese tanks, which sped across the open grassland with ease. By August 9, 2010, the last of the Nagasaki garrison was gone, and Zhu incorporated the Nagasaki artillery into his own forces.

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/6489/wondersoftheorient2010ad25nr.png

Nagasaki harbor was left intact by the fleeing Japanese forces, who had no time to carry out Tokugawa's orders to destroy all city improvements if the defense effort failed. The barracks, marketplace, aqueduct, hospital, and coastal fortress all survived the Chinese bombardment, and Zhu could now use them for his own purposes.

The fall of Nagasaki left the city of Shimonoseki isolated from the rest of Japan, and without resources and low on morale, the defenders could not expect to have any chance against Zhu's invasion force, even after he had left enough troops to garrison the two cities he had already taken. On September 30, 2010, Chinese tanks entered the city, and the cold northern tail of Japan was now firmly under PLA control.

http://img311.imageshack.us/img311/4518/wondersoftheorient2010ad34gc.png

Shimonoseki and Nagasaki were the famous spice cities of Japan, and now the shipments of Japanese spices could be done safely through Nagasaki harbor, as the PLAAN had cleared out almost all of the Japanese naval presence in the northern oceans. No more would Chinese cooks ever have to import expensive spices from foreign markets.

Since the war had ended the luxury trade between China and Japan, it was now possible to trade the excess dyes, gems, and newly acquired spices to India. Mahatma Gandhi offered a hefty price for these goods, and sent his best military specialists to train the Chinese in amphibious warfare.

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/6038/wondersoftheorient2010ad52qu.png

Yet while the citizens celebrated Zhu's victories at home, Commander Lin was secretly planning another even more ambitious assault. Emboldened by how Zhu's forces had so easily overcome the Japanese defense, Lin was ready to send a larger force, this time directly to the Japanese capital. And he was bringing with him the largest collection of artillery ever seen in the world. They embarked and sailed eastward from Dalian, approaching Japan at their less well-defended western coast.

http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/3367/wondersoftheorient2010ad41hk.png

Operation Kan-She-Tou, the largest overseas landing of troops ever staged in human history, was launched at the end of 2011 AD, when Lin's forces landed on the hills northwest of Kyoto. They met with little resistance, as the Shogun only sent longbowmen and samurai to engage them.

But the siege of Kyoto took the better part of a year, as the capital had been heavily fortified with riflemen and artillery, giving the most important Japanese government offices plenty of time to escape before their defenses finally crumbled before Lin's tanks. The artillery battery at Kyoto was three times as strong as the one at Nagasaki, but they could not be withdrawn in time, and soon became the property of the PLA.

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/5051/wondersoftheorient2012ad18ri.png

Shogun Tokugawa took the last train out of Kyoto in the wee hours of June 20, 2012. His new government set up a "temporary" capital at Kagoshima to the northeast, the largest of the remaining cities of Japan. Agent Tong, China's spy planted in Kyoto, managed to follow them without being noticed.

In the north, Zhu renewed his attack, pushing southward from Matsuyama and Nagasaki. His advanced had been slowed when Japanese aircraft had destroyed the railroads leading out of those cities, but after the fall of Kyoto in 2012 AD the PLA tanks had made it as far south as Satsuma. Assisted by fresh troops airlifted to Kaohsiung and brought in via transport boats, on July 15, 2012 Zhu's forces had no trouble defeating the riflemen defending the city, which had already been seriously damaged by bombardment from the air and sea.

Satsuma had been the air base of Tokugawa's bomber squad, and with the loss of those planes all that remained of the Japanese air force were fighters flying air superiority missions in the south. The Japanese pilots were quite skillful in foiling the bombing runs done by PLAAF aircraft based on carriers off the coast, but bombers continued to roll off the assembly lines in mainland China, and any losses in that arena were quickly filled by reinforcements.

The arrival of new units by sea meant that the Japanese city of Izumo was now doomed. Putting up only token resistance, the Izumo garrison could not hold back the onslaught of Zhu's tanks, and surrendered the city on September 8, 2013.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/249/wondersoftheorient2013ad23xd.png

Izumo was home to a famous shrine frequently visited by the religious Japanese people, but unfortunately it was destroyed in the attack, along with the harbor. So although the quality incense that was burned at the shrine was now under Chinese control, there was still no way to bring it back to mainland China. It would not reach Chinese markets until the worker crews repaired the roads leading north to Matsuyama and Nagasaki.

Also in 2013 AD, the resistance in Matsuyama ended, partially from the Chinese military presence and partially because of several years of starvation. After getting Chairman Mao's approval, the citizens of Matsuyama were forced to construct an airport immediately. Many of them died from being overworked, and others fled the city for fear of their lives, but the job was done and by the beginning of the next year the PLA now could airlift troops onto the Japanese mainland.

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/1752/wondersoftheorient2013ad3mo.png

But amid all these victories, Commander Zhu had made one terrible mistake. In his ambitious push to the south, he had neglected to keep strong garrisons in the northern cities, particularly the distant outpost at Shimonoseki. In the winter of 2013 AD, while his troops relaxed there with not a single Japanese unit in sight, the citizens revolted. Taken wholly by surprise, the Chinese garrison had to abandon their tanks while they fled the city, with angry Japanese citizens flinging homemade grenades and jeering at them as they made their hasty exit.

http://img495.imageshack.us/img495/255/wondersoftheorient2013ad35eu.png

Zhu, however, could not be distracted. His troops had finally pushed far enough to the south that he caught up with Lin's invasion force from Operation Kan-She-Tou. They converged at Tokyo, with Lin's artillery bombarding the city from the southwest while Zhu's tanks attacked the city from the north.

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/3783/wondersoftheorient2014ad8rm.png

The fall of Tokyo, on May 16, 2014, left Tokugawa's capital at Kagoshima encircled by the Chinese. The Shogun was furious but completely helpless, and with the PLAN fleet in Kyoto bay he could hardly even get in touch with the rest of his country. The distant city of Shimonoseki was retaken by Zhu's forces on March 4, 2015, making quick work of the poorly trained militia that had gathered to oppose them.

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/8950/wondersoftheorient2015ad22tt.png

Surprisingly, the Shimonoseki branch of the Bank of Japan had some more gold to offer, even though the Chinese military had ransacked it when they first entered the city five years ago. Tokugawa is a generous man, Mao said to himself with a smirk. He doesn't send any new troops to defend his city, but gives us another gift. How nice of him!

There were now only five other Japanese cities left on the mainland: Osaka, Nagoya, Nara, Edo, and Yokohama. The four cities on the southern islands were comparatively undisturbed, with only a passing Chinese ironclad or battleship bombarding them from time to time. For Mao, wiping out the Japanese on the mainland was his priority, and his commanders were doing a fine job of it.

... to be continued

:goodjob: Great Job and wonderful update!

Assisted by fresh troops airlifted to Kaohsiung and brought in via transport boats, on July 15, 2012 Zhu's forces had no trouble defeating the riflemen defending the city, which had already been seriously damaged by bombardment from the air and sea.

:woohoo: My Birthday :woohoo:

Now, make something happen on March 16th. :p

Hmm.. I think I had a picture missing there. OOPS.

Well, this was supposed to be up there with the fall of Satsuma. It was supposed to be after the fall of Kyoto picture, but I screwed up. :cry:

I would've gone back to add it, but DOH! I went over the image limit for a single post.:wallbash:

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/314/wondersoftheorient2012ad23nk.png

:woohoo: My Birthday :woohoo:
Now, make something happen on March 16th. :p

Heh, the whole point of my using random (ok, not-so-random) dates for all those events is so that I could put together this map, for those people who I bored to death with my long-winded account:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1021/wondersoftheorient2016ad8wo.th.jpg (http://img407.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient2016ad8wo.jpg)

That map is the beginning of the turn, 2016 AD. More to come later.

With Japan's uranium cut off, they are completely helpless. At least Japan gets to keep one city. Which one will it be?

:woohoo:
:woohoo:
Go SIMA!!
:woohoo:
:woohoo:

Super update Sima Qian!

:clap: :thumbsup:

Just noticed that after Japan had bombarded the northern cities, they actually disconnected the spices for a moment. This caused the luxury deal with India to be broken, but somehow it also made me stop exporting dyes and gems as well. Werid. Is that a bug?

Anyway, just so I don't feel like I'm using an exploit, I'm going to gift the luxuries to India this turn. Yeah, I'll get a free attitude boost from that, but it only seems fair that they continue to enjoy the benefits of the trade.

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/3240/wondersoftheorient2016ad30qv.png

A 'real' update coming soon...

Just noticed that after Japan had bombarded the northern cities, they actually disconnected the spices for a moment. This caused the luxury deal with India to be broken, but somehow it also made me stop exporting dyes and gems as well. Werid. Is that a bug?
...
No, that's not a bug. You couldn't fulfill the deal, so it was broken. It's a all or nothing thing.

Nice story, btw. :)

Dang. Thought it was a full update. :lol:

Chapter 37: March Toward Victory

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6169/chainbridge7kk.jpg

The Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March,
Holding light ten thousand crags and torrents.
The Five Ridges wind like gentle ripples,

And the majestic Wumeng roll by, globules of clay.
Warm the steep cliffs lapped by the water of Jinsha,
Cold the iron chains spanning the Dadu River.
Min Mountain's thousand li of snow joyously crossed,
The three Armies march on, each face glowing.

"The Long March," Mao Zedong (A.D. 1893-1976)

Commander Lin Biao's troops were in high spirits after the success of Operation Kan-She-Tou. They had easily taken the Japanese capital, forcing Tokugawa's government to relocate to Kagoshima. Even at the end of 2015 AD, almost three years after the fall of Kyoto, they still had the momentum to continue their remarkable advance. Onward they marched to Osaka, home of the silk industry, which capitulated on January 11, 2016. Fortunately Lin's troops were able to seize control of the harbor before it could be destroyed, securing a new pathway to send the luxury goods back home.

http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/8797/wondersoftheorient2016ad19bv.png

The fall of Osaka opened the way to the port city of Nagoya, situated on the end of a peninsula in southwestern Japan. Although it once had been an important naval base for Tokugawa, it was now vulnerable to PLAN bombardment from almost all sides. The only land route out was closed when Lin's tank columns advanced on the city, and with no way to get new supplies, the Nagoya defense force crumbled. On January 20, only nine days after taking Osaka, Lin entered the city and congratulated his men for a job well done.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/286/wondersoftheorient2016ad26km.png

Shogun Tokugawa was now hiding in his new palace at Kagoshima, but this time he sensed that he would not be able to stay there for long. Operation Kan-She-Tou had taken the Japanese military completely by surprise, and although there had been little fighting around the new capital in the year 2016 AD, Tokugawa made sure he was ready for any surprise attack.

With Kyoto under Chinese control, the land bridge that had connected the southern cities was now severed, and no reinforcements could be brought to Kagoshima. Tokugawa tried to delay the inevitable by drafting citizens of the capital. This tactic only succeeded to tie down some more of the PLA troops in the vicinity, merely a minor annoyance to Commander Zhu. But it was enough to buy the Shogun enough time to sneak past the PLAN fleet in the bay and escape. On March 16, 2017, Zhu's tanks finally broke into the city, but found absolutely no traces of the Japanese government.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/1988/wondersoftheorient2017ad5vz.png

Frustrated, Zhu ordered a temporary stop of the attacks. The elusive Tokugawa just seemed to be barely within his reach each time. Now his troops were tired after such a wild goose chase and badly needed some time to rest and recover. The summer and autumn of 2017 AD passed by uneventfully, except for fighting off the occasional suicide missions of some rather overconfident longbowmen and samurai.

Mao would have liked to hear of more exciting news from the battlefield, but in early December he found Minister Deng in his office, rummaging through his drawers and throwing heaps of rubbish into what looked like a garbage receptacle. But this container had a strange symbol engraved upon it, one with three arrows formed into the shape of an equilateral triangle.

"What are you doing?" Mao asked, giving his science advisor a suspicious look.

"Oh, you have a lot of junk here," replied Deng. "I'm trying to recycle them. Our engineers have found ways of taking the old papers you have and processing them so that they can be used as blank pages again. Don't worry, I didn't touch any classified information."

"Riiight..." Mao wasn't about to believe him, but the science advisor promptly produced a stack of blank papers and laid them on his desk. "Made entirely from used paper," he proudly announced.

http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/3888/wondersoftheorient2017ad26wc.png

Though recycling paper was a rather small accomplishment, Mao soon realized that the principle of recycling could be applied to other materials as well--glass, and metals, in particular. Deng introduced a new slogan, "Reduce, Recycle, Reuse," and with recycling centers constructed around the country, people were eager to bring in their garbage for a small cash reimbursement. Pollution levels fell drastically in the years that followed.

The winter of 2017 AD came and went, and by spring of the next year Zhu's troops were on the move again. On April 13, 2018, PLA tanks had entered the ancient Japanese city of Nara with little opposition.

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3915/wondersoftheorient2018ad9ou.png

Tokugawa had passed through Nara when he fled the former capital of Kagoshima, but he had now set up shop at Edo, in the southeastern part of mainland Japan. The fall of Nara gave the Chinese complete control over the railroad network coming south out of Kyoto, and immediately Lin brought over his huge artillery batteries, which had by now doubled in size after adding the equipment left behind in the cities by fleeing Japanese troops. After months of bombardment, the defense force of Edo was finally wiped out on November 8, 2018.

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/9296/wondersoftheorient2018ad25ux.png

By this time Tokugawa no longer had the guts to remain on the continent. He withdrew to the island city of Ise, leaving a small garrison at Yokohama. It was no match for the advancing PLA tanks, who took their time finding their way through the rugged terrain that blocked them while the navy encircled the city from the sea. Yokohama fell on June 4, 2020, and China gained control over the prosperous ivory markets in the city.

http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/7494/wondersoftheorient2020ad2rn.png

The capture of Yokohama brought the Chinese invasion to an end, as now they controlled all 13 cities on mainland Japan. Mao was not interested in seizing the islands yet, as they had very little to offer. I will let Tokugawa live for a little longer on his island prison, he thought. He won't be threatening us ever again.

The addition of the 13 Japanese cities to China's territory had allowed for a construction of a magnificent new palace, the Forbidden Palace, which was completed in 2021 AD in Nanjing. As an additional headquarters for the Chinese government, corruption was reduced in every city, although most of the cities taken from Japan were poorly developed and benefitted very little from this result.

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/4480/wondersoftheorient2021ad7ks.png

Since Mao had called off all further attacks on the Japanese, Zhu and Lin spent the next few years stamping out the citizens' resistance in the captured cities, while the PLAN occasionally bombarded the islands to remind Tokugawa that it was not over yet. Aside from a few riflemen defending their island outposts, the Japanese military was no more.

In the meantime, China enjoyed the increased commerce as a result of building the Forbidden Palace, and a new surge of funding was directed to scientific research. After a few years, Minister Deng reported that his engineers had perfected the manufacture of synthetic fibers. "With these new materials, we can make our tanks much more powerful than before," he said. "I suggested a new name for them--we can call them modern armor."

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/3924/wondersoftheorient2027ad6mq.png

Mao surveyed the tanks that were still in Beijing for a moment. Then he frowned. "I see nothing different. What is this modern armor that you speak of?"

"Oh, we have not yet completed the upgrade process," said Deng. "Unfortunately there is a missing ingredient--a new metal that is both easy to work with and extremely durable. It is called aluminum, and to be honest, we haven't the slightest clue what it looks like, let alone how to find it."

"What?" This was quite confusing to Mao. "How can you know what to do with aluminum if you don't even know what it is?"

"Ahh, but there is someone else who does know." The science advisor pointed a finger southward. "The Indians."

At once Mao dialed up Gandhi, and indicated that he was willing to trade some of China's best kept technological secrets for some way of acquiring aluminum.

"I see," said Gandhi. "Your people do not even know the basic technique of rocketry. Very well then, we will teach it to you."

While he brought his scientists and engineers over to China, Gandhi displayed a particular interest in the mass transit systems that carried the citizens to and from their work each day. When Deng explained that this was a result of research in the science of ecology, Gandhi felt this would be a tremendous benefit to the Indian people as well. And so they agreed on a trade.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/527/wondersoftheorient2031ad9qy.png

Much to Mao's surprise, there was actually a source of aluminum sitting right outside Beijing all this time. The city got a slight production boost from the resource, although it made little difference since it could already build a modern armor every turn by now.

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/3774/wondersoftheorient2032ad7tb.png

"Perfect," he said. "With modern armor, our glorious military shall be unstoppable." He smiled, and then went to meet with his defense minister Zhu De to plan out how to roll over the enemies of China with the powerful new units.

We have crossed the bridge to global domination, he thought to himself. There is no turning back now.

... to be continued

And once again, a picture is worth a thousand words:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6727/wondersoftheorient2020ad1uy.th.jpg (http://img137.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient2020ad1uy.jpg)

(map of Chinese campaigns in southern Japan, 2016 AD to 2020 AD)

I probably ought to have won by now, but instead I'm starving all the cities and refusing to build any culture in them. You'll see why soon enough.

:woohoo:
:woohoo:
GO SIMA!
:woohoo:
:woohoo:

Well, Japan is almost gone, I assume you want to win by domination with only one Indian and Japanese city left.

Well, Japan is almost gone, I assume you want to win by domination with only one Indian and Japanese city left.

Oh, I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull that off. I've only been able to take three cities in a single turn, and that was the surprise attack in northern Japan, where they were spaced very close together. Modern armor of course will make this upcoming battle much easier.

As for those three islands, I'm going to leave them alone for now. The nearest transport ship is all the way back at Shanghai, and I'm way too lazy to fetch it. Besides, it's only 2032 AD, and I'm in no hurry to get a win as fast as possible. It probably wouldn't make a lot of sense in the story.

On another note, Gandhi canceled the oil for iron trade with me several turns ago, so now the Indians have upgraded most of their units to mechanized infantry. Drat.

Oooo mach infantry that must suck. It will e atough battle though. Good luck. :thumbsup:

Update?

Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE

Just a random comment or two about strategy that would be helpful to know even though it won't make much sense in the context of the story. Treat it like a sneak preview, if you wish.

Anyway, with that said, yes, it will be tough to take down those mechanized infantry. I'm just posting a sneak preview of some other stuff that has happened in the meantime.

MSS intelligence report, 2035 AD:

The Indian military:

http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/7637/wondersoftheorient2035ad24md.png

The Japanese military:

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1043/wondersoftheorient2035ad38gy.png

Why Japan switched back to democracy, I have absolutely no clue.

I'm trying to prevent Gandhi from upgrading the rest of his infantry, so I'm going to sell a useless tech to him and leech all of his gold.

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/8121/wondersoftheorient2035ad13zv.png

Gandhi was obviously asleep when he made that trade. :D

Also, about those (q) things in the "captured workers" box -- I have no clue why it is doing that. Bug in Vanilla v1.07 I'd imagine. Anyway, those workers are ones that I produced from captured Japanese cities, and so the workers were created from Japanese citizens.

Okay, I hope to put up a "real" update soon, after enough of these "phony" ones.

With all those Modern armor you have (especially with the bombers and jet fighters helping out), you should be able to roll right over india.

:hammer: :hammer: :hammer: That's all I have to say. :D

How do you make the pictures fit? I cant seem to do that in Paint.:(

Btw, the Indian military looks really puny.;)

^and the japanese even more so

I just remembered a game of mine from long ago i had ever wonder except the great wall and they were all in my capitol

With all those Modern armor you have (especially with the bombers and jet fighters helping out), you should be able to roll right over india.

Well true, although jet fighters have pretty crappy bombard capabilities (in Vanilla at least).

How do you make the pictures fit? I cant seem to do that in Paint.:(

Not sure I know what you're talking about there, Ansar. Which pictures? If you're referring to the world map (http://img109.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient2006ad2dy.jpg), it was a rather annoying process of trying to align all the pixels up with each other from the multiple screenshots I took. I later found out it's much easier to do in a vector graphics program like Fireworks, but the method is still the same.

I just remembered a game of mine from long ago i had ever wonder except the great wall and they were all in my capitol

Neat! Which civ were you, and what difficulty was it? Maybe you should write a story about it too :)

Update coming up soon....

More!!!! More!!!! Love this!!!

I meant normal pictures. Like the pics you post, I cant seem to make them post-size, like when I post a pic, the post is widened because the picture is big. How do you resize them.

I meant normal pictures. Like the pics you post, I cant seem to make them post-size, like when I post a pic, the post is widened because the picture is big. How do you resize them.

What screen resolution are you using? 1024x768?

Most of the pictures I get are just parts of screenshots, I cut out the rest of the background, just select, cut and paste in your paint program.

As for the bigger screens, I usually put them in as thumbnails, or enclose them in spoiler tags when appropriate.

Chapter 38: Descent of the Whirlwind

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In June Heaven's armies chastise the corrupt and evil,
Seeking to bind roc and whale with a league-long cord.
Red glows the far side of the River Gan,
Thanks to our wing under Huang Gonglyue.

A million workers and peasants rise up,
Sweeping Jiangxi straight towards Hunan and Hubei.
To the Internationale's stirring strains
A wild whirlwind swoops from the sky.

"March from Tingzhou to Changsha," Mao Zedong (A.D. 1893-1976)

The western front was quiet now, even though China and Japan were still technically at war. The PLAN fleet remained on patrol around the southern seas, while Tokugawa continued to hide in his "temporary" capital at Ise. The only activity in the arena was some sporadic bombardment of the islands, just to remind the Shogun that they were not yet safe.

But Japan showed no signs of surrendering, and Agent Tong reported that Tokugawa still made his daily speech to his citizens urging them ton continue the struggle from the islands, with hopes to retake the mainland sometime in the future. Useless, thought Mao, looking at the stolen military intelligence that his spy had sent him. The Japanese do not even have any boats.

It was now at the end of 2042 AD, and seven years had passed since the overhaul of the People's Liberation Army made possible by rocketry and aluminum. Each year leaflets were dropped on the Japanese islands urging them to surrender, but no response was ever heard. Only the population of the island cities dwindled as the Japanese people grew weary of the war and Tokugawa's unpopular government.

In the meantime, economic advisor Liu Shaoqi complained that excessive spending on the military was draining the national treasury at an alarming rate, but science advisor Deng Xiaoping continued to come to Mao each year requesting additional funds for "a project of utmost importance." Mao grudgingly approved his requests, but at the year-end budget session in 2042 AD, Liu informed him that if something wasn't done quickly, the remaining bits of the treasury would be gone.

Minister Deng did not show up at that meeting. With no other choice, Mao proposed to cut all funding for scientific research that year. There were no objections.

But there was one suggestion, made by foreign minister Zhou Enlai: he could always ask the Indians for some financial assistance. "The Indians are not only a religious people," commented Zhou, "but also are very talented in commercial activities. I'm sure that the Mahatma will have plenty of gold to spare for us, and he ought to be agreeable since we have enjoyed friendly relations for such a long time."

Hearing this, Mao immediately dialed up Gandhi. "We request a loan of gold from India," he said. "If you agree, we will make sure to pay you back with interest in the future."

"I am sorry," came the reply from Delhi, "but we are facing economic difficulties of our own as well. We are unable to help you."

Mao turned to Zhou, who was shaking his head in disgust. "That liar," he grumbled. "The Ministry of State Security knows that Gandhi is making plenty of money each year. He's probably just saving up the money so he can upgrade his military."

Interesting, thought Mao. He decided to try one more time. "We are willing to negotiate," he told Gandhi. "What are your terms?"

"It will not be possible." Gandhi had raised his voice, something the Indian leader had never done before. "Besides, we really don't trust you enough to pay us back."

We really don't trust you enough. These words stung Mao. He thought the Indians valued their long friendship, but when he heard this he felt that everything between himself and Gandhi had been lost. Then he recalled, from a time long long ago, when Indian horsemen suddenly and deliberately trespassed into Chinese territory near Hangzhou, and remembered that once, Gandhi had been his enemy too.

He looked at Zhou again, and the foreign minister, as if sensing what was on his mind, nodded. "Yes, Chairman," said Zhou. "It's payback time."

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The PLA commanders in Japan, Zhu De and Lin Biao, were recalled from their duties there. The resistance in the captured Japanese cities had been put down by now, and there was no longer any need for their leadership in that region. Zhu was transferred to Hangzhou, where most of the new modern armor units had been upgraded, while Lin was sent to Nanjing, to prepare the southern enclave for action against the Indians around them.

From atop the Hawa Mahal building in Jaipur, Indian foreign minister Jawaharlal Nehru was observing the vast expanse of desert before him. Many years ago oil had been discovered in the Jaipur desert, but now the supplies had been exhausted and the oil derricks were rusting and crumbling from neglect. Indian farmers still gathered a meager harvest each year from the irrigated parts of the desert, and sometimes there would not be enough food in the city, especially when the dust storms struck during the harsh winters.

It was January 16, 2043, and temperatures were at record-breaking lows. Nehru felt the strong wind chill, forcing him to pull his coat tighter around himself. From the corner of his eye, he spotted the rising dust and sand from the desert, and knew that the city had been targeted by Mother Nature once again.

He sent out an order to one of his assistants, asking the citizens to clear out of the streets and seek shelter before the storm hit. But as he continued to stare at the approaching whirlwind, a sudden chill went down his spine. This was no ordinary storm. Beneath the fierce howling sounds of the wind, he could faintly but unmistakably hear another noise. It was the rumble of gasoline engines.

Nehru's jaw dropped open. He scrambled down the building and over to the local government headquarters, where he relayed an urgent message to Delhi: "The Chinese are coming after us!" Then he dashed to the Jaipur train station, where he pushed and shoved his way through the crowd of terrified citizens that had already gathered there to evacuate.

"Do not despair," he told them. "Our mechanized infantry will hold them back, no matter how strong a force they bring. There is no military in the world that defends their cities better than ours." As he said this, a shell exploded in midair, showering parts of the city with shrapnel. Nehru could not tell if it came from the direction of the whirlwind, or if it had been launched from the Chinese battleship that had now entered Jaipur harbor. Fearing for the worst, he too squeezed his way onto the overcrowded train.

Through his binoculars, Zhu watched as the train left the city. Then he ordered the attack. It was true that the Indian mechanized infantry were formidable defenders, as many of his own armored units were cut down by enemy fire before even reaching the city. Still, he knew that he had much more strength in numbers, and it would only be a matter of hours before the PLA troops broke through.

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Within a week, Nehru escaped to Lahore, where a larger defense force had assembled but was equally unprepared for the upcoming Chinese attack. He had just arrived when a shadow darkened the skies above him. Looking up, he saw a huge, gleaming aircraft, the latest jet fighter model from Guangzhou, slice through the air, dropping a deadly payload in the distance. It was immediately followed by heavy bombardment from a Chinese artillery battery assembled in the hills to the west. Nehru did not stay for long. He caught the next train out to Delhi, bypassing the other Indian cities on the way.

Lahore was the center of India's coal industry, making it of great strategic importance to Gandhi. Indian cavalry routinely partrolled the border with China, but they did little to deter Zhu. "What kind of idiot rides into the battlefield on horseback?" he said to his troops. "Run them over!"

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Only ten days after taking Jaipur, on January 26, 2043, PLA forces entered Lahore. The fleeing defenders had left some useful equipment behind, some of which the soldiers identified as being Indian varieties of artillery. There were a few others, in long aluminum tubes, and Zhu had never seen anything similar to them before.

Mao sent Minister Deng to Lahore, and the science advisor immediately knew what the devices were. "They are cruise missiles," he calmly told the army commander. "We've never found them useful before, but apparently Gandhi likes to have them around because you can use them to fight the enemy without ever bringing your own men into harm's way. You just aim at your target, and then press this button here. KABOOM!"

After the fall of Lahore, Zhu's next target was the port city of Madras. With over 3.3 million citizens, Madras was the single most populous city in the world, but it was deep inside Indian territory and thus lightly defended. Many of the troops serving in the city garrison had never even seen combat before, and went into shock upon seeing the deadly Chinese battleships that had arrived in the harbor. Mahatma Gandhi had never expected an enemy could reach so far in so quickly, and he did not even have any time to bring in reinforcements.

As Deng had instructed, Zhu pressed the button to launch the cruise missile. It wiped out half of the first mechanized infantry division in Madras, and after following it up with more bombardment from PLAN vessels off the coast, he sent in his armored units. The inexperienced Indian defenders tried to resist, but by February 24, 2043, the last of their efforts had failed.

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Commander Zhu had conquered three Indian cities in just over a month. Morale was at an all-time high, despite the fact that the heavy combat losses were far greater than those he had experienced in Japan. But at this point, he felt it would be a good time to take a break. Delhi, the Indian capital, seemed just out of his reach.

He turned over the task to Lin, who had long been preparing to make his move from Nanjing. For several months now he had been eying the city of Karachi, the only Indian port on the west coast. During the wars with Japan, Karachi had come under attack from the Shogun's troops many times, but Gandhi was able to save the city by drafting citiznes to defend it. Over the years, he had kept these draftees, giving them new equipment and financial support with each round of upgrades.

"Pfft, conscripts," scoffed Lin. But they held up surprisingly well to the mechanized infantry that he first sent to fight them, frustrating several of their attacks. It was not until March 17, when Lin ordered a few of his fast modern armor divisions to cross the Indus River and attack the city from behind enemy lines, that the city of Karachi finally succumbed to the PLA.

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With Karachi brought under Chinese control, Bombay was now a long salient in the Indian front, and it was the only city that separated Lin's forces in the south from Zhu's in the north. The PLAAF dropped huge loads of ordnance onto the city, and although it had a rather small effect on reducing the Indian defense, it at least gave the city's namesake some meaning at last.

Compared to Karachi, the conquest of Bombay was significantly easier. The defending mechanized infantry divisions were better trained but fewer in number, and in only two weeks time they were completely wiped out. By March 31, trains could move freely from Beijing to Nanjing without having to pass through Indian territory, bringing fresh supplies to the southern front.

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Reinforcements from the north stopped by Nanjing to refuel before heading through the forest and tundra in the south to seize Hyderabad. Like Karachi, Hyderabad had suffered attacks from the Japanese before, and much of its garrison was comprised of conscripts, but the city they held was so much smaller and less important that they put up a much weaker resistance.

An early thaw in the winter ice turned most of the roads into mud, slowing down the Chinese advance, but it was only a matter of time before Lin's modern armor divisions made their way into the city. On April 14, 2043, the garrison of Hyderabad surrendered.

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"Eh, what? Only 4 gold from a city? Maybe Gandhi was broke after all," Mao joked. But the Indians seemed determined to resist further, and there seemed to be no choice but to continue the attacks.

Due to unforseen logistical setbacks in their preparation, the PLA attack on Delhi was postponed until the summer of 2043 AD, but there was one more prize within reach in the south. Bangalore, the infamous city that had tried and failed to build three wonders, was now a center of uranium production. Mao found this quite odd, as the Indians neither knew how to build nuclear power plants nor nuclear weapons, but perhaps the resource was used to power a few of their submarines.

On April 18, only 4 days after taking Hyderabad, the PLA armored divisions laid siege to Bangalore. The Indian defense crumbled before them, and with that, the last source of uranium was now under Chinese control.

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There were now only three Indian cities left on the continent, plus two more on the island of Bangladesh. In May, the preparations for the assault on Delhi were completed, and the march on the Indian capital began.

Even though it was located in the heart of India, far from any of its borders, Mahatma Gandhi had wisely chosen to keep a heavy military presence in the capital. "We will never surrender!" he declared, while ordering his artillery to take aim at any approaching Chinese troops. "India shall fight on!"

The PLA suffered some of its heaviest casualties during the Battle of Delhi, losing some of their best modern armor units, but ultimately they were able to overwhelm the Indian defense forces with their superior numbers and substantial support from the PLAAF. Bombers, now veterans from the war with Japan, had Delhi in their range after their carriers had been escorted to the eastern coast of India, where a very large PLAN fleet had already assembled to protect them.

Gandhi, sensing defeat, withdrew to the southern port of Calcutta, where he had already ordered Nehru and his subordinates to transfer most of the Indian government offices, outside of immediate danger. When Zhu and Lin entered Delhi together with their combined forces on June 22, 2043, the Mahatma had already made his successful retreat.

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Kolhapur, at the eastern end of the continent, was only a short distance from Delhi. It was here that Gandhi had hidden the weakest of his units, infantry from the Industrial Age. These units had been overlooked during the military upgrade procedure, as enemy troops were never expected to make it this far into Indian territory. But here was the PLA, less than a year after war had broken out.

Chinese armored divisions had little to fear from the assault rifles used by the Kolhapur garrison, which was already in bad shape after offshore bombardment by the PLAN fleet. After a quick resting period following the capture of Delhi, Zhu was on the move again, and on July 7 Kolhapur fell to his forces.

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Calcutta was the last bastion of India on the continent now, and it was not in good shape at all. The previous year there had been an accident at the Calcutta oil refinery, leaving much of the surrounding land poisoned by toxic waste. Somehow Gandhi still had the nerve to keep his worker crews on duty cleaning up the mess even while the war raged around him. Quite dedicated, thought Mao when he heard of this. But the job they are doing is nothing close to the performance of our workers, and he should have been able to prevent industrial accidents like this in the first place, by building facilities that are friendly to the environment.

The city had previously been out of the reach of even the PLA's fastest units, as the troops at Delhi and Bangalore controlled little of the railroads leading to the new Indian capital. But the fall of Kolhapur opened up a new path toward Calcutta, and an onslaught of modern armor divisions descended upon the city like a whirlwind.

Calcutta put up some very stiff resistance, defeating most of the Chinese forces that attacked, and barely managed to hold out until Gandhi's birthday on October 2, 2043. The harbor had already been blockaded by the PLAN fleet, but Mahatma Gandhi managed to board his personal jet and fly over to Bangladesh Island with a few of his highest-ranking government officials, where he set up a new headquarters at Bengal.

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And so, when the Autumn Moon Festival of 2043 AD came around a few days later, the Chinese people celebrated the completion of their conquest of the continent, and invited the Indian citizens to join them, although most of them were still resisting. Agent Tong in Ise and Agent Gong in Bengal reported that there was still no talk of surrender in the foreign capitals, but for Mao, the struggle seemed like it would be over at last.

... to be continued

Here's the one-picture summary for those of you who don't read through all that junk I just posted:

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/7483/wondersoftheorient2043ad1gj.th.jpg (http://img96.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wondersoftheorient2043ad1gj.jpg)

By the way, the turn for 2043 AD isn't over yet, so stay tuned! There will be more :)

Here's the one-picture summary for those of you who don't read through all that junk I just posted

Don't even joke! This is not junk. This is a great story!

Fantastic Update!!! How far are you from reaching the domination limit??