No worries. I'd rather that we all be on the same page as each other, even if takes me authoring a novel to get us there.
Turnset Report
Turn 50, 2000 BC
Warrior 2: Allow me to head SE so that I will be closer to the safety of our Cultural Borders, but from a location where I can keep an eye on what our Barb Archer friend does next.
Warriors 1 and 3: Meanwhile, we'll work our way into defensive and spawn-busting positions in the north-west.
Scout: I'll sit tight for the moment while Willem's Galley spawn-busts the east for me.
Work Boat Captain: Willem is building a Road on a GH For square. Also, he has 2 Pastures... a Pig Pasture and a Horse Pasture.
Foreign Advisor: It's weird that he hasn't bragged about Chariots yet, as he knows The Wheel and has a Horse Resource connected.
X King: What are these Horses of which you speak?
Foreign Advisor: My spies amongst the enemy say that they are useful animals who can aid with rapid transportation and can even be used for war-like purposes.
X King: Sounds intriguing. How do I get me some of those?
Science Advisor: All will become known soon after our precious lab coats develop their greater fellow.
Domestic Advisor: All looks to be on track in our Cities.
X King: Green light. Proceed!
Science Advisor: What's a green light?
X King: I don't know, it was something that I heard down at the local pub, err, I mean, while in a council session. I think that it had something to do with chopping green trees under the sunlight being more efficient, but the lumberjack, err, I mean the council member wasn't all that lucid at the time...
Turn 51, 1960 BC
Foreign Advisor: Our Civ is declared the Wealthiest in the world by none other than Lord McCauley "Culkin" himself! Willem is 5th and Shaka is 8th. Elizabeth didn't even make the list of Top 8.
Science Advisor: Well, our opponents are not known for their ability to leverage the concept of Binary Science, so it's no wonder that we're on top.
Financial Advisor: Literally. I'm sitting on the top of the pile of Gold! It is so much fun! But, it does seem like the pile is being chipped away turn by turn.
Warrior 2: The Barb Archer ran further westward! Meanwhile, thanks to the expansion of Surfin' Turf's (City 3's) Cultural Borders, a second Barb Archer was spotted far to the south.
Warrior 4: I continue to work my way back to the important task of defending X-opolis!
Warrior 3: Yes, the ladies can't get enough of topless guys who barely wear more than a loincloth.
Military Advisor: Are you complaining about your standard-issue uniform?
Warrior 3: On the contrary, I love that the ladies love me.
X King: Maybe Willem isn't the right one to ask for advice, after all...
Domestic Advisor: X-opolis shall regrow to Size 4 in the span of 1 turn!
Science Advisor: Meanwhile, my labcoat gang continues the quest to create a greater fellow of theirs!
Ambassador Milquetoast: Shaka's Scout has reappeared from the north-east! As long as our Borders remain Closed, he may remain in the area to help with spawn-busting.
Scout: Elizabeth's Work Boat has moved into a useful spawn-busting position this turn, too!
Head of Intelligence: The T51 Espionage report:
155 [+4] spent by Willem against us
17
[+0] spent by Shaka against us
0 [+0] spent by Elizabeth against us
196 [+4] spent by us against Willem
198 [+3] currently required to see Willem's Research
100 [+0] currently required to see Shaka's Research
84 [+0] currently required to see Elizabeth's Research
Head of Intelligence: Shaka has stopped spending Espionage Points on us! Could that fact indicate that he has met a new AI?
Foreign Advisor: Well, Attitudes between the players whom we have met have remained unchanged, so it's certainly a possibility.
Work Boat Captain: We get a view of Amsterdam!
Head of Intelligence: Sabotage Production / Support City Revolt * 650 / 6 is the magic formula.
Science Advisor: Magic for what?
Head of Intelligence: For divining what Willem may be building. For example, filling in the values of:
Sabotage Production = 304
Support City Revolt = 845
Gives us this formula: 304 / 845 * 650 / 6 = 38.97
Science Advisor: Meaning, what exactly?
Head of Intelligence: Meaning that Willem has 39 Hammers invested into a build item.
Science Advisor: Really? You can tell all of that just from the cost of your Spies?
Head of Intelligence: Yup. Pretty sweet trick, huh?
Foreign Advisor: Last turn, one of the top 5 Cities of the world was at Size 5, but it has been replaced by one at Size 6 (or, more likely, has grown to Size 6 itself).
Minister of Trade: Although we can see Willem's capital, we cannot yet establish a Trade Network with him, as we do not know Sailing and he clearly has yet to map out a path to our Civ, particularly how his Galley appears to be exploring more than beelining a specific target as it might if it were loaded with units.
Turn 52, 1920 BC
Scout: And, just like that, everyone disappeared! Literally. Shaka's Scout went back NE, Liz' Work Boat went north, Willem's Galley went north, and the Barb Archer disappeared somewhere to the west.
Warrior 3: Don't worry, we'll find them soon enough.
Scout: Sooner than even I thought!
Warrior 4: (Almost out of breath) Finally, I have crossed from one end of our empire to the other, arriving just in time to quell the Unhappinses that was brewing in X-opolis.
Domestic Advisor: And, not a moment too soon! Now, the miners are content to return to work, knowing that we have the military around to help rescue them in the event of mine cave-ins.
Domestic Advisor: With proper co-ordinate amongst our Workers, Surfin' Turf will be able to work our 3rd Gems Mine.
Workers: We did it!
X King: Excellent news!
Work Boat Captain: Amsterdam is a prize of a City, with 4 Food Resources, a Horse, and 4 GH squares!
X King: Once we know his secrets, is there anything preventing us from eliminating him?
Foreign Advisor: Well, he might make for a good AI to keep alive so as to win by a EP-based Cultural Victory. His Creative Trait would help to build some of the seed Culture needed in each of the 3 Legendary-to-be Cities.
X King: Okay, so we can gift him a City and then take his capital once we know his secrets, right?
Military Advisor: I see nothing preventing us from doing exactly that!
Foreign Advisor: Now would be a good time to Open Borders with our neighbours. Does anyone object?
Ambassador Milquetoast: Well, do we want Shaka's Scout to stay in the north-east or not?
Work Boat Captain: Do we want Elizabeth's Work Boat to stay in the north-east, spawn-busting, or not?
Foreign Advisor: Hmmm, very valid points.
X King: Let's hold off on the Open Borders until we see an immediate benefit (post-Sailing, perhaps, for Foreign Trade Routes) or until we've settled Corn City and therefore have less use for AI spawn-busting in the north-east.
Head of Intelligence: The T52 Espionage report:
159 [+4] spent by Willem against us
17 [+0] spent by Shaka against us
0 [+0] spent by Elizabeth against us
200 [+4] spent by us against Willem
201 [+3] currently required to see Willem's Research
100 [+0] currently required to see Shaka's Research
84 [+0] currently required to see Elizabeth's Research
Willem just completed a build item! I see a Barracks there, which is likely the build item that was just completed.
Turn 53, 1880 BC
Head of Intelligence: The T53 Espionage report:
163 [+4] spent by Willem against us
17 [+0] spent by Shaka against us
0 [+0] spent by Elizabeth against us
204 [+4] spent by us against Willem
204 [+3] currently required to see Willem's Research
100 [+0] currently required to see Shaka's Research
84 [+0] currently required to see Elizabeth's Research
Willem has 13 Hammers into a build item.
Willem is 7 turns away from learning Writing.
Ambassador Milquetoast: Shaka has founded his 4th City!
Warrior 3: The Barb Archer moved south, rather than toward our Cultural Borders or Willem's, so the addition of 1 City hasn't triggered a Barb Rush.
Domestic Advisor: To the Mines, ye crab-lovers of Surfin' Turf!
Work Boat Captain: Elizabeth appears to be in Willem's backyard! I recommend that we
Open Borders with Elizabeth next turn, so that I may continue to explore her area. If that's not a Coastal City, we'll want a path mapped to one of her Coastal Cities by the time that we learn Sailing.
Turn 54, 1840 BC
Warrior 2: The Barb Archer is no longer visible and is hiding somewhere in the fog.
Religious Leader: Judaism has been founded!
Domestic Advisor: All is quiet while we are building Settler 4.
Science Advisor: Our Research on Math and our labcoat members' creation of a greater personage are both on track for 2 turns from now!
Head of Intelligence: The T54 Espionage report:
167 [+4] spent by Willem against us
17 [+0] spent by Shaka against us
0 [+0] spent by Elizabeth against us
208 [+4] spent by us against Willem
208 [+4] currently required to see Willem's Research
100 [+0] currently required to see Shaka's Research
84 [+0] currently required to see Elizabeth's Research
Willem has 24 [+11] Hammers into a build item.
Willem is 5 [-2] turns away from learning Writing.
Foreign Advisor: So, shall we
Open Borders with Elizabeth?
X King: Make it so!
Ambassador Milquetoast: It is worth noting that Shaka is still +2 Annoyed toward Elizabeth, but someone else is his Worst Enemy. So, Shaka has indeed met another AI!
Foreign Advisor: Shall we also gift a Gems Resource to Elizabeth?
X King: That idea sounds good to me. She has nothing that we can receive in trade and the sooner that we get started on our gift, the sooner that we can cancel it in the future to renegotiate for a better deal.
Foreign Advisor: Oddly, Elizabeth gains +6 Commerce from Opening Borders with her, even though she only has 2 Cities. What's also interesting is that no other Foreign Trade Routes exist in the world.
Turn 55, 1800 BC
Foreign Advisor: The Great Wall has been built by an unknown Civlization. By building that Wonder, that City has climbed to the third ranking on the TOP 5 CITIES page, as London was at third place last turn.
Warrior 2: The Barb Archer has showed up again.
Warrior 1: Perhaps he'll make his way toward me, where I've built myself a spectacular hilltop, forest-surrounded, river-moated fort!
Work Boat Captain: We have made contact with the citizens from York!
Head of Intelligence: The T55 Espionage report:
171 [+4] spent by Willem against us
17 [+0] spent by Shaka against us
0 [+0] spent by Elizabeth against us
212 [+4] spent by us against Willem
211 [+3] currently required to see Willem's Research
100 [+0] currently required to see Shaka's Research
84 [+0] currently required to see Elizabeth's Research
Amsterdam (Willem) has 35 [+11] Hammers in a build item.
York (Elizabeth) just completed a build item (likely, a Work Boat).
Willem is 5 [-0] turns away from learning Writing.
Foreign Advisor: The Rival Best for Soldiers climbed from 76 000 to 82 000, while the Rival Best for Population went down from 259 000 to 254 000.
Turn 56, 1760 BC
Science Advisor: We have learned how to more accurately Chop down the Forests!
Warrior 1: And, we can now build proper Forts!
Science Advisor: Our toiling in the labs has paid off! We can now share technological secrets with other nations!
Ambassador Milquetoast: Shaka likes Elizabeth a bit better, being +2 Cautious instead of +2 Annoyed.
Foreign Advisor: The same can be said of Willem, with him going from +5 Cautious to +5 Pleased toward Elizabeth and him going form +3 Pleased to +3 Cautious toward us.
Science Advisor: And now, the moment of truth; let us see what other nations have learned.
Foreign Advisor: Masonry is NOT available in trade, but each of Sailing, Animal Husbandry, Mysticism (20% boost on learning Masonry), and Archery are all up for trade.
Financial Advisor: We could save up Gold for 2 turns and then push the button on Masonry research if it is still not available for trade.
Science Advisor: We should test if Masonry will still be 2 turns without the overflow Flasks from this turn.
Financial Advisor: Feel free to do so, but don't forget to account for the possibility of getting Mysticism to boost research on Masonry.
Foreign Advisor: Wow. Over the course of 1 turn, the Rival Best for Population jumped from 254 000 to 344 000!
Science Advisor: Here is some info on the options available to us.
Possible Trades:
Sailing + Mysticism from Willem <-> Bronze Working + Writing
Sailing from Willem <-> Bronze Working
Sailing + Archery from Elizabeth <-> Bronze Working + Writing
Sailing from Elizabeth <-> Writing
Gift Writing to Shaka, although Elizabeth might not be too happy, since Shaka is still her Worst Enemy
Impossible Trades:
Sailing + Animal Husbandry from Willem <-> Bronze Working + Writing
Sailing + Archery from Willem <-> Bronze Working + Writing
Sailing from Elizabeth <-> Bronze Working
X King: Before we sign off, let's take a quick overview snapshot.
Here is your Session Turn Log from 2000 BC to 1760 BC:
The test game is not accurate in terrain that is a bit further away from our empire. It is also most certainly not accurate in terms of techs, as getting the techs right is nearly impossible, especially how, when removing a tech in the World Builder, only 1 Flask is removed from the tech for said AI.
The test game IS accurate in terms of Food, Hammers, Flasks, and Gold, though, in terms of unit placements (except for the Work Boat), and in terms of Worker placements and Worker actions already performed.
Masonry would barely take 3 turns instead of 2 turns without the overflow Flasks from T56 and without Mysticism. But, with Mysticism, Masonry is back to being a 2-turn tech, even without the overflow Flasks, which gives us the ability to go for a 0% Science Rate for 2 turns on Currency, then a 100% Science Rate for 2 turns on Masonry.