190 AD continued-Mostly re-positioning of units for the upcoming war with Persia. I'd like to keep their monstrous stack away from the city of Carthage. I have 107 knights now, and 32 muskets. I'm still not sure I'm ready for Persia, and I hope Military Tradition shows up here soon.
210 AD-The Heroic Epic completes. Sumeria and Greece have Military Tradition. Greece has 194 gold in their bank, so it appears they learned it. This really couldn't have come as better timing! Persia strangely has some gpt available, which I obtain. They haven't had any in a while, and they're running a Monarchy. Their large stacks moved north away from Carthage off roads into the jungle... this might just work. It almost makes me think Persia might want to attack Sumeria in the north.
I have no understanding of this now... I have Military Tradition. So, saltpeter should cost more than anything right now, even though once you have Steam Power iron should cost even more, right? But, no, iron costs more even
now. I guess iron allows you to train pikes, medieval infantry, and knights, while saltpeter only gives you calvary and muskets. I figure out a little more about the diplomacy system. Greece has a ridiculous amount of gpt. So much that I simply can't obtain it all via two pillages. But, then I notice the advisor tells me some deals would come as "insulting". Others come as "they will never accept this deal." So, Greece gives me 224 in the first deal, and 235 in the second. 88 gpt for 15 gold Greece comes as "insulted". 89 gpt for 15 gold the advisor tells me "never". Since, Greece has both extra saltpeter and spices, I get my cash back via spices. Then I pick up the 88 gpt with my cash (no more, because that might result in putting free money into the economy... I'm still shuffling some 73 gpt to Greece for spices). Then I get my cash back via the saltpeter.
I built a special city in old Carthaginian territory for upgrades:
Aw snap. I forgot to change my builds to horses instead of knights before pillaging this turn. I could still pillage out my capital and do this, but I don't want to risk losing trade routes, so I won't do this. I have 68 calvary, 43 knights, 51 cannons, 4 trebuchets, and 35 muskets by the end of the turn.
230 AD-Carthage Leo's flips. As does Citra. Korea and Greece now have Physics. And my golden age will end this turn. I manage to waste some more gold by buying knights. I should have just swapped those builds to horses, but oh well. I recapture Carthage Leo's. I could attack Citra with my army, but I decline to do this to protect my cannon stack next turn. Luxuries go all the way up to 90% this turn, as I don't know what will happen exactly next turn with the GA finishing. I have 102 calvary and 15 knights by the end of the turn... and the military advisor tells me I have an "average" army compared to Persia! Actually, I'm strong or average compared to everyone else on the planet!
250 AD-Russadir flips to Carthage. So, the basic goals of the first turn against Persia comes as to capture Sulcis to try and keep all trade routes in tact, even if the old Carthaginian cities flip:
To capture Ura Tyube:
To pillage out Persia's horses and saltpeter (they have iron on their tundra island) with explorers, which promptly will get disbanded so they do get captured (if I played as a Monarchy, I might not bother disbanding them):
And to start target practice on their stack. Unfortunately, my cannons come as one too many tiles away from reaching their stack. Theveste will get gifted to Germany as I'll attack them next, and I don't really have the ability to keep it (I guess I could park my calvary stack in there after attacking Persia's units and keep it, but this would cause a lot of attacks and losses, and it might flip.)