This round, I feel like I was spinning my wheels. Which is a good thing, I guess, since things have been way too easy so far. It started with me building *gasp!*
WORKERS!
I sent my forces from the Italian front eastward, to find the remnants of the Roman Empire. They found some Praetorians hanging out in a Spartan tavern:
I knew Caesar was close.
In this world, Leif Erickson did not, in fact, explore and settle the present-day United States. No, he settled down in Berlin and made religious icons for a living:
Essentially, Berlin
is our economy.
Georgy Zhukov, in our world a Soviet Rommel, was, here, a brilliant tactician and pioneer in field medicine. His lightly armed Surgical Corps became famous worldwide:
Our Super Medic didn't see any action this round, but he'll be crucial for the great war(s) of Round 8.
In 190, Spanish forces located a Roman outpost on the Black Sea:
The city was torn apart in the search of the elusive Caesar, and, once it became obvious that he had escaped, the Spanish field general ordered the city burned and its fields sown with salt.
As reinforcements trickled through Russia in the quest for Caesar's head (for its presentation at the gates of Rome would be the only true way to quell its restless citizens), they saw many strange sights not to be seen in western Europe. First, St. Petersburg was the home of Catherine's court. The men were soldiers, not diplomats, so they did not inquire further but merely continued southeast. Back in Berlin and Paris, though, speculation was rampant. Were the Russians merely attempting to put pressure on Warsaw? Did Moscow simply lose favor with the capricious Catherine?
The real answer, discovered on the troops' journey, caused many Spanish soldiers to bite their lips in indignation:
Foul shaven-headed Egyptians strode arrogantly down Moscow's boulevards, their gilded chariots making a mockery of stolid Russian construction. The proud bear had fallen far, it seemed.
Upon seeing Spanish soldiers, axes gleaming in the sunlight, approaching the city of Cumae, the slaves of the city, mostly stolid Russian folk, rose up, tearing down the walls and welcoming the conquerors with open arms:
Sadly, the Spanish forces were too few, and a bloody stalemate set in once order was restored.
In 325, the foul Egyptians offered to share the secrets of their pagan sun god with the Spanish:
Isabella considered carefully and accepted the offer. The insolent Hatsepshut would be writhing under an Inquisitor's knife soon enough.
In 445, Spain finally consented to send a proper force against the Roman holdouts in Cumae. The city fell:
And quickly burned. Julius Caesar, for his conversion to Islam in his final years, was dispatched without ceremony, his broken body being tossed into a heretic's grave.
To commemorate this great victory, the people of Paris built yet another massive edifice in a city of massive edifices:
Now maybe our next GP will be worth a Golden Age.
And Alexander, good Christian that he is, taught the Spanish people much in the building of Harbors and the encouragement of trade:
Catherine, meanwhile, came by, hat in hand, asking for Civil Service. Her request was politely but firmly declined. Her days as a political power were over, and she was in no position to demand anything.
In 520 B.C., Mansa Musa, seeing the ruin of Rome and his own hopeless situation (see: KotW #4), knelt and kissed the Spanish ring:
With Feudalism researched, I made some civics changes:
Bureaucracy wasn't really helping too terribly much with Barcelona being an average city (for us, anyway) at best, and besides, we're building up for war.
The world as we know it:
Espionage:
Power:
Diplomacy:
Science:
And military:
So we're building up for war, but with whom? Russia or Egypt? I'm currently massing troops in both Tripoli and Warsaw. They're both ripe for the picking. I'm thinking Egypt makes better sense, both in game terms (all those flood plains would be a big boost to our economy) and diplomatic terms (she's a heretic and must die). But this is about as weak and vulnerable as Russia's going to get.
And what of the capital? Once we have our army up and running, should I move it to Paris or Berlin and return to Bureaucracy?
Any other thoughts?
I blame the longer speed. It's a big world, and Toku's forces were effectively slowed down immensely. That and the (cheesy) Warrior rushes of Paris and Berlin. I won't be doing that again. At least not on here 
).
this made my day.
), then take on Hatshepsut.
