D+2: "The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."

[Andu Indorin]

Map: 60x165; D+2, Barb +1; 1 Settler, no techs; Shi Huangdi of the Chinese
Opposing Civs: Russians, Zulus, Vikings, Spanish, Greeks, Mongols.
Civ Restarts on. Spaceship on. Mole: Undecided.

Anyone care to start?

[Andu Indorin]

And the game!

[TheViking]

Originally posted by Andu Indorin
Anyone care to start?

Well, I can start if everyone is too scared of D+2 and if nobody protests.

We sooner or later need to determine who is the mole and another question is the participants (most of those involved in the recent D+1 game I assume).

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally posted by TheViking
Well, I can start if everyone is too scared of D+2 and if nobody protests.

We sooner or later need to determine who is the mole and another question is the participants (most of those involved in the recent D+1 game I assume).

Count me in for both categories (Participant, and Too Scared of D+2 to Start )

[Old n Slow]

Count me in as well -- but the first move looks obvious & I think that there is a site that looks good for the capital as well...

[Jayne]

Count me in too!

[Duke of Marlbrough]

I'm here for it, but will only be able to do 5 turn rounds.

If I can get it going right and have enough time, I'm going to try and put up periodic updates on the main site for this game as well as the Demogame and GOTM.

[TheViking]

Reign of Emperor Shi Huangdi I

Not exactly the most impressive 10 turns in the history of civilization:

4000 BC (0): Pop hut; 50 gold

3850 BC (3): Build road, trade is a necessity at D+2

3800 BC (4): Road finished

3750 BC (5): Beijing founded

3500 BC (10): For the first time in history, a new leader takes over from a previous one but who ??

This does not look impressive but I immediately faced a difficult choice. Getting 50 gold was great but deciding what to build was remarkably difficult. Building a warrior to go exploring was the straightforward choice because meeting the AI civs ASAP and getting alliances is absolutely crucial at D+2. The problem with this is that at D+2 Beijing will immediately revolt when we complete the warrior (I don't know why but this happens) so I opted for a settler instead. Another choice would have been barracks which would have been switched to temple the moment we discovered CB (which we are researching) and rush bought. And BTW we will need a temple in all cities ASAP after they are founded. And be prepared to be forced to set luxuries to 60% soon to keep the empire from falling apart. And Mysticism is an important tech to increase the effects of temples.

[TimTheEnchanter]

If nobody minds, I'll go next.

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Go for it. I'll take one of the next rounds (since it will fall on the weekend )

[Old n Slow]

I'll follow the Duke.

[TimTheEnchanter]

The Boring Reign of Tim The Sleepy

In the year "3500 before something big happens" a man named Tim rose to leadership of the Chinese. But Tim was a bored, for there was nothing to do. His citizens caught Pheasants for him to eat, while others prepared an expedition of settlers to claim more lands for Tim.

Tim had a treasury of many shiny coins, but couldn't figure out what to do with them, so he rested...

3500 – (0)Hit enter

...and rested...

3450 – (1) Ho-hum

...and rested...

3400 – (2) La-di-da

...and rested...

3350 – (3) Z-z-z-z-z

...and rested for 200 years. At this point Tim woke from his slumber. Frustrated that nothing substantial had happened in the past 200 years, he grabbed 44 of the coins and threw them violently at the workers preparing the settler expedition. This act spurred the workers to be much more productive and they completed the settlers very quickly thereafter

3300 – (4) Rush settler 44g taking advantage of settler not disbanding first-and-only city.

As the settlers left town, Tim announced that he had grown tired of eating pheasants. He also did not care much to be around his own subjects and did not want the people to have enough food to feed children - so the city of Beijing did not grow. The settlers reported back that they had located a great fishery off the coast north of Beijing, but Tim would not allow his workers to go there, for fear that they would find food to feed more insufferable children.

3250 – (5) Settler created
- From what I’ve seen, the 2nd citizen in a city will need to be an elvis, which we can’t support with the settler right now, so I halt food production by working ocean (giving 1 g, 2b and still producing 1s).
- Interestingly the 3 shields carried over from producing the settler are put towards the new production. That’s unusual.
- Switch to barracks (soon to be temple) losing 1s
- settler heads north to reveal Fish special (Dang I wanted a whale)
3200 – (6) Settler explore

In the year "3150 before something big happens" the 3 wisest men of Beijing approached Tim.

Wise man #1: Oh mighty Tim! We bring to you the plans of a great trick that will help you rule the land!

Tim: What is this trick, oh ye foolish nerds?

Wise Man #2: We shall bury the bodies of our dead….

Tim: Ye-gads won't that stink? Guard!!! Off with his head!
Wise man #2 finds himself a bit less top-heavy than before.

Wiseman #3: Um, your greatness, if I may humbly explain, we will say we are burying the bodies so they may go on to a greater life after death!

Tim: But won't that mean everyone will want to go on to that greater life? They'll all kill themselves and no one will be left to work! GUARD!!! Send that one to his "greater life" with his friend.
Wise man #3 bites the dust.

Wiseman #1: Ok, before you cut my head off too, here's the deal...We tell the people they only go to a good life-after-death if they work incredibly hard all their life. Also, we will build temples where they can pray to the powerful ancestors who have made you their leader....

Tim: Guard!!!
Wiseman 1 calmly closes his eyes and raises his chin, allowing the guard a clean swing at his neck

Tim: ...take this man out into the city and give him the finest food and women in our city. Then arrange for him to study whatsoever he chooses for the rest of his days.

Tim ordered the building under construction in Beijing to be changed to one of these temples. At this time, Tim went back to sleep. His settlers continued to wander and work in the wilderness, but Tim cared not about them. He only wanted to sleep.

3150 – (7) Ceremonial Burial -> Alphabet (HBR) Move settler
- switch barracks to temple
3100 – (8) Start road
3050 – (9) build Road for new city

150 years later, word came back from the settlers that they were prepared to build a new city, if that is what Tim wished. One of his guards went to wake Tim and found that he had died in his sleep.

3000 – (10) Move settler to potential city square.

Well that was uneventful. Hopefully I wasn’t out of line taking advantage of the free settler exploit. It’s not among the disallowed items in the GOTM rules. If it’s a problem, go ahead and shoot me and I (or someone else) can play the turns over.

The settler is at the potential site of our next city. But that’s a choice for our next fearless leader.

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Okay, maybe it won't be the weekend....

But, since these early turns are quick, he we go, 10 of them even.

2950 BC – Founded city of Shanghai. Initial populace is already angry, so they are allowed to entertain themselves. Temple started. Beijing worker moved to Pheasant to speed the production of the Temple.

2900 BC – Worker pulled from the fields for impending growth in Beijing.

2850 BC – Beijing grows, one worker to Pheasant.

2800 BC – 2750 BC – 2700 BC – Slow progress towards the temple in both cities is done.

2650 BC – Discover Writing. Mysticism started.

2600 BC – 2550 BC – 2500 BC – We have two ways to finish the Temple in Beijing:

Way 1:
Put second worker on Pheasant to give the needed shields to finish the Temple next turn. This will give us 12 gold, 6 beakers towards Mysticism, and 2 food in the box.

Way 2:
Spend 10 of our 12 gold and rush buy the Temple while letting the workers be on the fish and ocean. This way leaves us 3 gold, 8 beakers towards Mysticism, and 1 food in the box.

I’ll leave it up to the next person to decide, but I think Way 2 is probably better.

[Jayne]

I'll follow Old n Slow - if I'm not too scared!!

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally posted by Duke of Marlbrough
2650 BC – Discover Writing. Mysticism started.

Alphabet, not writing...no?

[TheViking]

I notice that it is possible to fix Shanghai's unhappiness by setting luxuries to 60% and working an ocean square (this 60%/ocean combination is the only way to get rid of Elvis there). This is typical at D+2. Whether doing this is a good idea or not is a different matter.

EDIT: Building closely packed cities is probably a good idea.

[Jayne]

I've not played at this level, but would I be wrong in thinking: lots of trade, lots of luxuries, lots of happiness Wonders and improvements?

[Old n Slow]

Have the save & will play tonight.

Jayne, I'm also inexperienced with D+2 (and only slightly experience with D+1) -- so we'll just have to practice & be careful.

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally posted by Jayne
I've not played at this level, but would I be wrong in thinking: lots of trade, lots of luxuries, lots of happiness Wonders and improvements?

I've only played a few turns on D+2, so I'm no expert, but from what Viking has posted about his experiences, we can't expect to beat the AIs to any wonders.

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Originally posted by TimTheEnchanter
Alphabet, not writing...no?

Oops. Yes, Alphabet.

Setting Lux to 60% didn't seem worth it to me just to get Shanghai content. I figured the gold and science from Beijing was more important for now. Once we get a little more cash and can rush buy the Temple, it should go a little better.

If there are any AI anythwere near us, we may have some serious problems. Having no units is never a good thing. We may have to try and build a settler with the intent of exploring and hoping to find some units or something.

Just remember that if we build a warrior the city will drop a happiness level. I'm not sure if once we get Mysticism if that will help cover that situation or not.