AA04: Victoria’s Aggressive Adventures

Good job razing 2 cities of Brenny! Especially since it denies Celts their source of iron again

Duh on not having alphabet for tech extort .... I assume the reason we are researching Monarchy is to trade it for alphabet with Pericles. Else, there is no reason to be researching monarchy, we have enough happiness. Should be going for CS next. And yeah, we could in fact trade compass for alphabet with QSH ... he is gonna die soon anyway.

Too bad abt the barb galley (pity GW only has effect in the same landmass, which is useless now except for GSpy points). Now that we have compass, we should have some caravels to patrol (the workboat in Cantebury should wait ... it is just gonna to be pillaged again). Suggest Nottingham to get a caravelgalley/trireme out. [EDIT: mistake, thought compass enables caravel, should be Optics ]

We are in infrastructure build ... consider revolting to OR, and spam some hindu missionary.

Remembering Beijing is the designated GP-Farm, no cottages please, farm only (two workers are building cottages there ). After lighhouse, the next build should be library to enable scientist and also in anticipation of Nat Epic. Our forces in Beijing should also be moving south to attack Brenny via Greece. Pericles is still in WHEOOH mode ... wander how longs he is going to take to start attacking . Let's show him how it should be done.

Roster
>> Mystyfly == UP!
-- pholkhero == RIP
-- negyvenketto == On Deck
-- GreyFox
-- beserks01 == Grabbed us Wondercity Beijing!
-- pigswill == trying to fly, no time for Civ

Nice progress. on tech trading with Qin for Alpha or even more.

I won't be playing until friday so please swap me.

Nice progress btw

GreyFox said:

Too bad abt the barb galley (pity GW only has effect in the same landmass, which is useless now except for GSpy points).

Click to expand...

Are you sure GW only works on same landmass? I'm sure it only works on land tiles, no protection from the sea (which is realistic).

Yeah, pretty sure the barbs-repelling effect of GW works only on the same landmass ... Else it might be overpowering for terran maps (also more realistic) ... not sure abt the GG-Point effect though.

Roster
-- Mystyfly == UP on Friday
-- pholkhero == RIP
>> negyvenketto == UP
-- GreyFox
-- beserks01 == Grabbed us Wondercity Beijing!
-- pigswill == trying to fly, no time for Civ

GreyFox said:

Remembering Beijing is the designated GP-Farm, no cottages please, farm only (two workers are building cottages there ).

Click to expand...

Hmmm .... I thought that was a shared tile and the "other" city could work it. If it isn't, my bad

Got it for tonight.
Qin will give us Alpha, Meditation, Monarchy for CoL, Compass & 30 gold, I would take it.
CS next is fine.

No sure abt Mediation. Doesn't seems worth it for WFYABTA limit. Remember some habors to synergize the TGL, and I would revolt to OR.

--

There isn't much to report.



Turn 238/930AD: Pericles finally declared on Brennus.
After CS I selected Machinery. (Pericles also knows CS and researches Feudalism, Qin knows Machinery.)
What should be the next step? Pericles with Maces?

Don't be surprised, I left some workers unmoved.

negyvenketto said:

After CS I selected Machinery. (Pericles also knows CS and researches Feudalism, Qin knows Machinery.)
What should be the next step? Pericles with Maces?

Click to expand...

Dunno, could we possibly get machinery from QSH, either by "standard" trade or in a peace treaty? Peace treaty seems unlikely but we might try. I don't like researching techs the AI already knows.

Pericles NOW seems like the best thing but depends on how long it'll take pericles to research feud. If he doesn't have lbows and his SOD in foreign soil he as good as invited us to liberate some of his cities

Roster (by greyfox)
-- Mystyfly == UP on Friday
-- pholkhero == RIP
-- negyvenketto == just played
-- GreyFox
-- beserks01 == Grabbed us Wondercity Beijing!
-- pigswill == trying to fly, no time for Civ

I say greyfox should play some turns before my set comes, if he finds time. I'm still pretty busy.

Machinery is only 7 turns ... no point trading it. The good thing abt researching somethig AI knows is it cuts research cost. There is a plus to every minus. QSH has redded it out anyway.

Some specific rants on gameplay ... please bear with it

- The reason I discouraged getting mediation from QSH is the WFYABTA limit. But it makes no difference whether we get it from Brennus or QSH. In fact, I think the peace with Bennus is not needed.

- Our Army are still rotting in Beijing. They could be redistributed ... especially since QSH has now gone and settled a city down south, giving him access to iron! Why did we signed Open Borders with him??!!

- While it is good to be in OR, it makes no difference if most of our cities are non-hindu.

I got it. Here is what I am going to do:

- Revolt to HR + Bureaucracy
- Close border with QSH
- Kill QSH
- Position our troops for war with Greece (by the way, the log and the top 5 cities screen reveals that Pericles had thoughtfully built the Chicken wonder for us)

On the last point, Pericles is going to get Feudalism soon, and is currently stronger than us by the computer's way of counting military strength. So I would be cautious. Probably I would turn research off temporarily after machinery to get money for mass maces upgrades.

We are also getting a GP in this turnset. I would settled him in Beijing if he is Merchant or Spy. If artists, he is gonna to trigger a golden age (so revolt to CS+HR will wait to see what we get).

You are right, I was unaware that galley could carry a settler
I thought one of the reasons why we get alpha was extort a tech from Brennus. He is more backwards than us, Meditation was the only choice. It's a cheap tech now (around 1000AD) shouldn't cause WFYABTA by itself.

Sounds like a plan GreyFox

negyvenketto said:

I thought one of the reasons why we get alpha was extort a tech from Brennus. He is more backwards than us, Meditation was the only choice. It's a cheap tech now (around 1000AD) shouldn't cause WFYABTA by itself.

Click to expand...

EVERY tech, regardless of cost, counts towards WFYABTA !!

Right, WFYABTA is a counter of number of techs traded, not the number of beakers. So it is more optimal to trade for high beaker techs.

Anyway, I fire all the citizens working on mines in Beijing and employ some specialists to hasten the baby-making process of great people. Also go 100% on machinery, and canceled the open borders.


Then, the computer must give me a laugh with the outrageous suggestion of us returning Beijing with 1 turn to a GP born


I responded with a declaration of war.

And is rewarded with a Merchant.


Well, so much for golden age. The merchant was settled where he is borned, and we revolted to HR and Bureaucracy (2 turns of anarchy ).


Well, anarchy is a time of disorder, encouraging violence. Result is the capture of Xian.


Order is restored with machinery coming in ...


Research is turned to 0% ... Say hello to maces ...

... and the election of a confused pope.


End turn, we are looking at the single longbowman in the new Chinese capitol ... who somehow boast the promotion of cover ... stupid AI.


Next player can choose to attack with forces there (have to wait one turn though, since two of them have just landed), or wait for the arrival of the brand new shiny mace who is 2 turns behind.

Some demographics (it is from 1020AD, not 1040AD, since I initially stopped then, but realized I only played 8 turns, and thus played 2 more).


We should have enough gold to upgrade all swords to maces. So consider turning research back. Suggest go for engineering and start back-stabbing on Pericles once we have trebs. However, there is also the warrior that we have who has leadership promo (what irony, the only leader unit we have is also the weakest). So may need more gold if we want to upgrade him.

A little re-ordering of the roster:

Roster
-- GreyFox == just played
>> Mystyfly == UP
-- beserks01 == on deck
-- negyvenketto
-- pigswill == trying to fly, no time for Civ
-- pholkhero == RIP

Got it ....

Played 15 turns

IHT
Adjust esp ratio -> 4:1 in favour of Pericles (we can use some city revolts)
Demand Brennus' 120g
Whip court @ Hastings, Granary @ Shanghai

(1) IBT
Our Galley gets sunk by the chinese

(1)
Raze Chengdu, losing a phant
Pericles is about to settle in our backyard


(3)
Slave revolt.


(4)
Start Moai in Verlamion

(5) IBT
Pericles wants Compass...


... which he doesn't get as we're about to declare on him and don't need a peace treaty.

Also, Pericles captures Vienne and Brennus capitulates.

(6)
raze barb city (S on that island QSH's last city was)


(9)
Machinery in > Paper


(12) IBT
Pericles cancels this deal


(13)
GS born in Beijing (awaiting orders)


(15)
Meet 'n Greet Joao (confucian)


---

I spread Hinduism to Verlamion and York.

I whipped often, we now have 2 medium stacks lacking siege mostly and 3 spies for revolts. BTW I found Sparta, home of the 'mids.

I didn't upgrade our medic spears to pikes and I think they should stay spears so they don't get funny ideas and defend their stack

Do we want to chase liberalism? I think we can still get it, Joao looks strong and has only philo. If we research paper, trade for philo and bulb edu we should be fine. I don't want to use our GS for philo but that's up to the team, I'd have it build an academy in London (where we should build some more cottages as we're in buero)

Lastly, try to get a Great Prophet, I whipped a temple there and we should run a priest now as a shrine really would help.

View attachment AA04 AD-1190.CivBeyondSwordSave

Great turns. Couldn't have played any better.

Re the war, I am just a bit worried abt our defenses and navy. Most cities has only one archer defender, including Xian where a Greek phant looms nearby. Pericles has also a far greater navy than either of our previous adversaries, we certainly can't go by with only one galley and one trireme. At the very least, we need two more trireme in Beijing to protect the clams. (The fishes in London need no protection, since enemies vessels can't touch them).

I say we need at minimum get one more defender in Xian, Cantebury, Notingham, and Verhamion, plus one trireme in Beijing before declaration.

Re: Liberalism chase: we should have a chance if we bulb and trade smartly, like what Mysty suggested. I'm only worried abt the impending war dragging us down a bit.

--

Some SG administration:
- This SG is now officially the only SG I'm in that is still unpatched. What do players think abt patching it now?
- We are currently running an effective 4 player roster. While I find the speed comfortable, I am not sure if you guys finds it a bit too demanding or not. If you so, let it be known and we could probably try to entice/seduce/abduct someone to join.

Roster
-- GreyFox
-- Mystyfly == just played
>> beserks01 == UP
-- negyvenketto
-- pigswill == trying to fly, no time for Civ
-- pholkhero == RIP

Greyfox said:

Re the war, I am just a bit worried abt our defenses and navy. Most cities has only one archer defender, including Xian where a Greek phant looms nearby. Pericles has also a far greater navy than either of our previous adversaries, we certainly can't go by with only one galley and one trireme. At the very least, we need two more trireme in Beijing to protect the clams. (The fishes in London need no protection, since enemies vessels can't touch them).

Click to expand...

I also found that we need more ships for protection. Thing is, our coastal cities are (apart from london) pretty hammerpoor so we need to whip them out. This gold/fish city could build some ships and the ex-china cities surely wouldn't mind being whipped hard... But I found it a waste to have london build ships as they get extra xp and with naval battles being so luckdependent (even more so as the land battles...) I prefer to be my land units high-xp.
I disagree, however, regarding city defences. With our stacks we can strike every border city pericles has and he'll be busy fighting our stack and only counterattack weakly. These units can be easily killed by our reinforcement.
And make sure you use those spies and inflict revolts. Why not use the EPs we have??
BTW, Beijing has been protected by 2 axes (i upgraded iirc) and moai-city whipped an archer (for overflow into moai) that is on the way to beijing (on goto i'm afraid ). When he arrives, you can put those maces into one of our big stacks.

Some SG administration:
- This SG is now officially the only SG I'm in that is still unpatched. What do players think abt patching it now?
- We are currently running an effective 4 player roster. While I find the speed comfortable, I am not sure if you guys finds it a bit too demanding or not. If you so, let it be known and we could probably try to entice/seduce/abduct someone to join.

Click to expand...

As you say, most games are now 3.17 so let's be no exception.
I think we really could use more players (up to 2 at least).

GreyFox said:

Re the war, I am just a bit worried abt our defenses and navy. ...

I say we need at minimum get one more defender in Xian, Cantebury, Notingham, and Verhamion, plus one trireme in Beijing before declaration.

Click to expand...

I agree, if the counter only attack our stacks and not cities those troops can join to the invasion, if needed. But we should be prepared for the worst scenario.

Re: Liberalism chase: we should have a chance if we bulb and trade smartly, like what Mysty suggested. I'm only worried abt the impending war dragging us down a bit.

Click to expand...

I feel going for Feud. would be better (vassalizing Pericles) followed by Guilds (knights, groceries).

Some SG administration:
- This SG is now officially the only SG I'm in that is still unpatched. What do players think abt patching it now?
- We are currently running an effective 4 player roster. While I find the speed comfortable, I am not sure if you guys finds it a bit too demanding or not. If you so, let it be known and we could probably try to entice/seduce/abduct someone to join.

Click to expand...

-I just patched.
-It's my only running SG (1 more stalled), so the speed is fine for me, but won't mind having more players either.

negyvenketto said:

I feel going for Feud. would be better (vassalizing Pericles) followed by Guilds (knights, groceries).

Click to expand...

I'd rather finish pericles completely as he's creative and his cities will have "motherland" forever. Also I don't see us finishing him in one go so we can take feudalism for peace. I'd rather get that free tech.

Okay, I have already posted in the registration thread. Any lurkers who want to join, please voice out!

I disagree with your assessment re defenders, Mysty. Xian is clearly vulnerable (our stack is not protecting it). Plus Pericles can easily land some troops in out backdoor. Horse archers could also easily bypass our attacking stacks. I am not suggesting all cities needing strong defenders, but only those near the borders. I prefer that they have ample defenders, which can be moved up as we capture cities.

Let's all patch to 3.17 then.

--