New Turn - 1300 AD

1200 AD -

Many, many, many changes made to production and units.

Met with Vikings and requested they remove their troops away from our cities. They complied. Viking Knight disappears from our continent.

After noticing that the Persians were already Enthusiastic, met with them and offered to share world maps. They agreed.

The Indians were also Enthusiastic, so had a meeting with them and got an updated map of their nation as well.

Since once they move their troops we will not be able to see them, I grabbed some shots of what they have.

Persian Army (the only troops they had outside their cities.)
A neaby ship dropped a diplomat and priced Tarsus and the legion next to it. 477 gold and 366 gold, respectively. The diplomat then jumped back on the ship.

Indian Mainland


Indian Navy


Another ship near the Russians prices Novgorod at 237 gold. Settler just south of the city at 280 gold. All from the saftey of the ship.

1220 AD -

Most of the Persian Army moved East towards the Russians. Persian Caravel heads East out of Persepolis.

The Indian Caravel moved NW, the lowest trireme moved East, the last trireme moved SE.

The Spanish attacked and killed the Barabarians that were on the Indian mainland with Knights. Most of the Indian troops on the mainland moved South or East.

Dellham builds Silk Caravan.
Mord builds settler

Persian Catapult near Penguin Flats priced out at 162 gold.

Rout catapult rehomed in Banana Bay then transported to Erikkson (formerly V3).

Additional diplomat dropped on Indian mainland.

Settler and pike dropped on new island in the NE.

All caravans near Elysium are held until needed for the build.

TF settler finishes mining Mulled Mine and boards ship that was sent from Rout. Heads south to establish Beachhead city on Indian Mainland.

Silver Caravan going to Delhi advances.

1240 AD -

Cold Front builds settler
LM builds Gems Caravan
Rout builds Dip
Beast Flats builds Silk Caravan
Bedfont Lakes builds Wine Caravan
Ren builds Spice Caravan

Indian trireme spotted just off coast of Elysium moving towards SW island.

Persian settler outside Bactra costs 756 gold.

Kaupang would cost 1480 gold.

Caravel moves to Elysium and picks up Dip.

Met Spanish on the way to Delhi, made peace. Indian Catapult blocking our path to Delhi. Try a desperate move to get onto the Road North of the River and make it.

Silver Caravan put into Elysium in the hopes that will allow Nemo Bay to build another.

1260 AD -

Indians have nearly completed Shakespears Theatre!

Nemo Bay builds Silk Caravan. (Silk, Spice, or Salt, no Silver option).

The other 2 caravans that were waiting outside Elysium are thrown into the city. ST costs 516 gold, which we have. Elysium Temple Sold.

RC Silver Caravan delivers to Delhi for 260 gold.

City built on Indian Mainland (and although I searched for it for about half an hour I couldn't find where we had hoped to put the city, so I picked a spot that seemd good to me).

I moved up a Pikeman and a Diplomat to give us an advanced position against the Vikings.

1280 AD –

The Vikings demanded we remove our troops from near their city.

Gunpowder discovered, troops around the globe are upgraded. Barracks sold.

Elysium builds ST, Indians abandon their project.

War purposely made on Vikings.

The discovery of Gunpowder made our barracks obsolete and thus on Catapult that was just built this turn was not veteran. Bad planning on that.

Indian Elephant found on Island SW of Elysium.

Troops advancing against Vikings.

1300 AD –

Indians unload 3 caravans. 2 near Indian watcher, one near Elysium.
Indian Diplomat trying to approach Indian watcher. I think we got their attention now….

Vikings attack Musket on Forest and lose, Musket made vet.

RC builds Aqueduct

Musket advances on Vikings, spots Viking Knight Stack.
Our Knight attacks stack on kills 2 units.
To make sure our troops won’t get slaughtered if they attack, we send in a diplomat to investigate the city. Two defenders, a legion and archer. City walls, barracks, couple other improvements…. The Crusaders charge. They empty the city and both are made Vets. City taken, 126 gold recovered. Granary left in the city.

Met with Vikings, peace forced by Senate….

I’m done for the night… just past midnight now…

We have 3 new cities to rename, tons of new stuff going on and several Caravans that we can deliver to the Indians. They are all walking towards the Elysium area (I had assumed we might want to re-home them), many units have not yet moved.

Have at it.

5,460,000 Pop and $569 gold

Duke, I simply do not know how you did all of that! We have Gunpowder and are researching Explosive Engineers. Maps of nearly everything. Back to 20,30,50% . Shakespeare as planned. REGIA CIVITAS Size=9 and growing! Indian Watcher exciting - we'll get used to it. Our Caravels move quite quickly now! 7 Vans and 11 in production, also building Aquaduct of Ren. NUF is #1 in Population, Manufacturing (224/turn!), Land Area & Productivity.

Marvelous progress against the Vikings, Sir! Also Settling the Boreum Isles. We'll need to plan some cities. Marl Downs is ready to Celebrate at last! Ditto Frozen Toe. Bactra worries me.

Perhaps we'll Rush the Aquaduct of Elysium for $148?
I'm at my country villa in Little Nemo, not my regular office with files, so this is an abbreviated report.

Duke, I'm impressed.
Thanks for playing!

I had expected to lose a crusader or two in the initial attack and let the knights finish them off, but the second crusader to attack was barely even hurt.

Hopefully all the cities are where we wanted them or at least useful.

I have been moving our two unit stacks near Indian Watcher to block the diplomat. Here's that situation.

I don't want to expel the diplomat if we don't have to since it will most likely lower our relations with the Idians.

We can move the ship that is just North of Indian Watcher into the city. There's an Indian Trireme that was moving North from Elysium nearby there also.

Yes, I notice now that I didn't mention that we are now researching Explosives. Also, a Persian Catapult had moved next to the settler at Penguin flats and then pulled back to the East.

Here's a screenshot of what Hladir had when the diplomat was sent in.

And then their world map as seen from the city map.

The reason I met with the Vikings and made peace is this. You can see the Vikings have a Knight and another unit just North of the city in a fort. Since the City Walls didn't stay, I didn't want to risk losing the troops that occupied the city and possibly losing it.

Sorry if this isn't what was planned with the Vikings, it just sort of happened. I had just planned on getting a pike out front to watch things better, and took advantage of what happened after that. We now have a nice path to Trondheim, roads and forest cover as well.

Here's the area around Hladir now.

I had also rehomed a Rout Crusader in Hladir

And, lastly, the report that was received at the start of the 1300 Ad turn, the weathist nations. At this point we had just purchased ST and only had around 380 gold.
That brings up another point. Do the Vikings have enough gold to instantly move their capital if we take trondheim?

I noticed I had not done some things I had planned to:

Civvium, move worker from grassland to forest to finish Market in one turn.

New Oct looks to riot when the settler is built, hire Elvis.

Civvium Caravel by Beast Flats is going to pick up settler south of Penguin flats to bring back to Beast Flats.

That brings up another point. Do the Vikings have enough gold to instantly move their capital if we take trondheim?

Click to expand...

I think I've brought this up before, but am not sure of how to do it.
If we know the cost of a city, the improvements (i.e. courthouse or not), whether they have a palace and the distance to their capital we can calculate their treasure.
I see Kaupang cost 1480, and on the old map I can see it is size 5. I don't know how to calculate the distance, but think it is about 5.
I add 1 to the size just to be on the safe side.

1480g = ((vt +1000)/ (5+3)) x 6
vt = 973g
So depending on a few things I get their treasury to be around 1000g. It would be more precise if we knew the price if Hladir, since we know they didn't have a courthouse, and if someone know how to calculate the distance better than I.
I think it's possible, and it would give us an idea whether they will move their capital or not I have noticed that they don't always move the capital even if they have the money though.

The formula was taken from the war academy.

Hmm, I didn't post that either, huh? I always price things when I can. Hladir was priced at 1309 gold, when done from the square that the injured crusaders are at. Then the diplomat investigated the city. City is size 7, the distance to the city is 6.

So, we have 1309 = ((vt+1000)/(6+3))*7

1309/7=187
187*9=1683
1683-1000=683

So, they have about 683 gold. Cool. No worries then. And that was before we took the city and got 126 from them. So, they have about 557 gold right now.

1300AD Status of the NUF Republic - 569 gold 20,30,50%

1280AD Elysium builds Shakespeare, Indians abandon.
1300AD REGIA CIVITAS builds Aquaduct, jumps to Size=9

Delhi changed demand: Silver Silk! Dye, Madras same: Silver Copper & Dye. Lahore same: Gems Silk & Coal (nix Copper).

1300 AD Status: 5,460,000 people in 43 cities. 569 gold   1.Scientist 3.Elvis, some celebrations, Hladir.Disorder. Actual 20,30,50% F5 $91 -26, Sci 317 in 4 turns. F11 Mfg=234!, Family Size=4.2   NUF is smashing our enemies, again sweeping #1 in Population, Manufacturing, Land Area and Productivity, #2 in Family Size.

Elysium FAQ: Size=8, grows in 8, 6 Happy +2 Content
  Trade 43 - Corruption 3, Tax 13 + Lux 19 + Beakers 144

1200 AD Status: 4,520,000 people in 39 cities. 485 gold   2.Scientists No.Elvis, few celebrations, No.Disorder. Actual 20,30,50%   F5 $83 -24, Sci 308 in 4 turns. F11 Mfg=206, Family Size=4.4   NUF is overpowering our dangerous enemies, again sweeping #1 in Population, Manufacturing, Land Area, Productivity and Family Size.

1000 AD Status: 2,268,000 people, similar 34 cities. 379 gold, For comparison at 20,20,60% 1.Scientist 1.Elvis, Many.Celebrations, only 1.Disorder (FA tragedy). With download serf changes, F5 $59 -18, Sci 224 in 5.turns. F11 Mfg=158 (loss of Coal Mine), Family Size=5.2   NUF is exploding ahead of our dangerous enemies, sweeping #1 in Population, Manufacturing, Land Area, Productivity and Family Size.
940AD Formed Republic Government: 1750,000 pop in 34 cities.

500 AD Status: 1,120,000 people in 24 cities. 290 gold, 30,00,70% One Scientist, 4.Elvii, 4.Celebrations. F5 $42 -15, Sci 133 in 6 turns. F11 Mfg=99, Family Size=4.6 NUF is again #1 in Manufacturing, Land Area and Productivity, only #2 in Population, slipped to #3 in Family Size.

Download changes and Quick Observations:
REGIA CIVITAS=9: Grass serf to ocean, needs road
Elysium=8: $148 Rush Aquaduct, grows to Size=12!
TFalls: Gems van in 1, then Settler?
Nemo Bay: Van in 6, needs Road on GLS S SE of CJ
Little Nemo: choked w 2 Settlers, build a city somewhere
Gabba Gabba: Van in 1, Wine or Silk? Then grow on irrg in 9.
Bedfont Lakes: Temple in 5, but growth frozen... & Beast Flats
Civvium: forest to new road, Market in 2, then Settler (N)
Penguin Flats: Freeze growth grass to forest, Silk Van in 10
Frozen Toe: Temple in 6 ok. Or Elvis and celebrate now?
Dar Sharrukin: Settler? Elvis & celebrate? Temple? Huh?

Marl Downs=5: forest to road, Celebrates, Market in 3, Aquaduct?
Mord: serf on Plains Road, sw Van to Settler in 9
Octavia: shield to river, Elvis, Celebrates, Settler in 1
Eboracum: Silk Van in 3. Then Settler? Irrigate?
Neuma=4: celebrating, grass to Forest, Crusader? in 4
Melampyrum: fish to GLS, grows in 1, Celebrates, Temple.
Bactra: Settler? Temple? Celebrate? what to do?

Fort Anarchy: Silk Van in 6 ($4), could irrg celebrate & grow
Hipsheim: Silver Van in 2, then return DH Mine. Could grow, Mine
Monks Towne: celebrating, Crusader? in 3
Mulled Mine: serf to road, Dip in 5, Temple (N!)
Legendary City: Market in 3, Road? Aquaduct?
Castle Jayne: Market. Needs Roads desperately.
Indian Watcher: Dip in 6, needs Musket & Settler to Irrg

Udal: cut food until Temple in 11?
Banana Bay: Fruit to Whale, growth crisis?
Routskilde: Dip in 2, Or Settler in 3?
Skara: locked, needs Road and Irrigation.
Erikkson: grass serf to Forest, Temple in 20.
Hladir: 2 serfs to Forest, Temple in 6

We own 7 Vans +10 in production... Own same 16.Temples, 1 Market.
Building Aquaducts of Elysium & Reneaux.
Building Markets of Marl.Downs Civvium Legendary.City and Castle.Jayne, started REGIA.CIVITAS.
Building Temples of Fort.Anarchy Udal York.Downs Frozen.Toe, started Hladir Viborg Lindow.Moss Bedfont.Lakes Beast.Flats Cymru.Straits Erikkson Cold.Front. And Melampyrum? Harbor of Lone.Bison?

Researching Explosive Engineers (due in 3 turns), 37 known: Alphabet, Astronomy, Banking, Bridge, Bronze, CBurial, Chemistry, Chivalry, CodeLaws, Construction, Currency, Engineering, Feudalism, GunPowder, HBR, Invention, Iron Working, Literacy, Map Making, Masonry, Mathematics, Medicine, Monarchy, Monotheism, Mysticism, Navigation, Philosophy, Polytheism, Pottery, Republic, Seafaring Harbors, Gravity, Trade, University, WarriorCode, Wheel and Writing.

New Barracks where & for what?
The Engineers come just in time. We need many Roads, some crucial irrigation, and more mines. 17.Settlers but merely 6.in.production.

-GaryNemo, Deputy to the Domestic Advisor.

Good Morning, NUF. I have many questions:

• Shall we Rush Buy Elysium Aquaduct for $148? Or PRB=Harbor $108 and wait 3.turns?
• How much treasury is $Enough?
• Bribe some cheap Foreign None Warriors? Dip.Captains?
• Hladir, consolidate how? Advance? Kill or bribe fortress Knight? Need more units? Dips? $Cash?
• Found New Cities up here? Safe ones? Lindholm Isle?
• Barracks. Where can we rehome units? Where to place Barracks?
• We've taken some territory in India. I hope we agree we should reinforce Indian Watcher with a Musket & Dip?
• One Indian Dip has pinned down 4 units. Democracy?
• Settler with Dip on Elysium Island? Name?
• TFalls just built a City. Van in 1, then Settler?
• Engineers! How about another Mine for Hips? LN is choked. We now need to Irrigate for Bedfont Lakes. Guard?
• Penguin Settler, go irrigate Beast Flats at last?
• Crusader or Knight guard for Aonia RC? Elysium already has a None.Knight.
• Boreum Islands?
• Bactra? Persia? Guards? Settlements? Trade?
• South Pole?
• RC demands Silk & Silver. Civ LC & Hips supply Silver. Nemo Bay Silk to Civ, rehome into RC? Hips Silver to Elysium, rehome, into RC? Another Silk rehome RC or Elysium? to India
• Guard Dip plan?
• Long Term. List of cities for Markets and Aquaducts: Reneaux Civvium & Marl Downs. Then Castle.Jayne Legendary.City & Dellham. Neuma? TFalls?
• Monks Towne and Octavia seem best for Settlers?
• Oceans. Magnetism? Amphibious Port Veterans?
• Democracy? Theology Bach Science?
• What else? Caravans, Build Qs, Settlers, Caravels, Dips, Units, IPRB?

Please comment or plan for any of these.

DoM wrote: So, we have 1309 = ((vt+1000)/(6+3))*7

1309/7=187
187*9=1683
1683-1000=683

So, they have about 683 gold. Cool. No worries then. And that was before we took the city and got 126 from them. So, they have about 557 gold right now.

Click to expand...

I hope it didn't take you too long to work out. I just noticed your screenshot of Hladir had their treasury on it! I'd never noticed that before.

It said $686. Minus $126 leaves $560.

Actually, it took me longer to find where I had written down how much the city cost to bribe. I never noticed that it shows their treasury either.... weird.... It's not something I normally do, but since we had concerns about pikemen, I did it this time. They really give a lot of info for investigating the city. Too bad the diplomat is lost when he does that. Was it 2.42 that you could actaully change the city name when investigating it?

Nice to know the formula works. I wonder why the cost can change depending on where the diplomat is coming from. Maybe it counts the distance of the diplomat, not the city....?

Oops
Well, there's always something you don't know.
It probably is the square you stand on and not the city square where you count the distance from.

Perhaps the formula needs work.

I don't have much time. About playing, let's see... If the T6 government takes office on the 4th of January, should I plan to play again? I'm free all this week except for New Year's Eve and Day.

Yep, plan on one more round, perhaps on the 2nd or 3rd?

Touching on Some of Gary's points:

Founding cities up near Vikings..... No, I think we would benefit more from better infrastructre on our main continent. This gives us time to secure the Vikings as well.

Barracks.... I'm hoping we will gain veteran status on most of our units by taking out the vikings. By the time we rebuild a barracks, it may not have much use against the Vikings. If our next goal is to visit the Spanish, then a barracks may have some use.

Definately reinforce Indian Watcher.

Democracy? I don't think we are ready for Democracy. Maybe once we have Bach's, have finished off the Vikings, and perhaps even bought a nice NONE army then Democracy....

Remember, there is an Idian Elephant on the island SW of Elysium, unless we want to risk angering them by demanding they remove their units or buying the Elephant, we should use caution with the idea of building a city there. I would be tempted to send down a Dip and settler, buy the Elephant and go from there.

Magnestisim would free up some of our cities to support military units. All our caravels would upgrade to Galleons and not be a factor for city unhappiness. Once we have Explosives, Theology would be good, then perhaps a straight shot to Railroad and The Corp? Maybe a slight detour to Elec for Hoover Dam? This is the fun area of techs.

Originally posted by Duke of Marlbrough
I wonder why the cost can change depending on where the diplomat is coming from. Maybe it counts the distance of the diplomat, not the city....?

Click to expand...

It does, IIRC. I had a spreadsheet somewhere, that let you calculate where the capital was based on this observation....


Can we get the map shots up somewhere too please

Ok, then, I will move on the 3rd of January, between 7-12 pm US Eastern Time, or 1-6am 4th January GMT (If I converted the time correctly...)

Settlers - 1300AD

Our Duke has seen fit to start Temples in Bedfont Lakes and Beast Flats, since we are about to have Explosive Engineers. We need to plan some irrigation for those cities. In a few turns, Engineers can Road like crazy! And they can build needed Mines on Hills quickly. What a New Year!

FIRST: Clear.Orders Cold Front & Mining N of CJ!? Click on these before you do anything else, so they can move this turn, rather then complete current project. I can't believe we intend to Mine this fine CJ Irrigation, right?

None W of RC: Fin Irrg GLS, then Roads for growing RC!
LN NE of LN: Road, then Irrg for BFL? or for TFalls?
LN Set near Civ: Fin Irrg, to Civ Rehome & charge,
  NW N along road charging, to Bedfont Lakes Irrg
Penguin Set: Sail to Beast Flats plains, R & Irrg.
  move Penguin's grass serf to forest.
Cold Front: Clear.Orders, S Road on GLS
CJ SW: SE charge, E to GLS, Road! (for NB, for RC), DON'T IRRG
CJ N: Clear.M.Orders !?   S NE River Road?

Marl Downs=5: forest to road, Celebrates, Market in 3, Aquaduct?
YD NW of MD: E and Irrg with, team w Mord. Then Roads for MD
Mord NE of MD: Fin Irrg, N N charge, N Road in plains (N)
Melampyrum: N Irrg Wheat?   then W Mine (N)

Ren W of Wine: N NE River Road, then SE SE Green River Road
Ren W of Ren: E NW charge, NW Road on Irrg River GLS (92,44)
  Generally Road all River Serfs, then help Dellham
DH W of Wine: N NE River Road, then NW N NE Road Green Irrg (N)
MT on River(90,48): S W Irrigate green for Neuma
MT S of MT: N NE charge, NE Irrg River for MT?
  then head N: I plains N of FA, I 2SW of Udal

Udal NW of Routs: Road, N Road, W Road to Skara
Uppsala: Dip 6/30 in 4, hire Elvis and celebrate!
Lindow Moss Settler: Charge to Viborg, Road N thru Forest.

That is all 17 Settlers. Only 7 in production And we still haven't considered another Mine for FA or Hipsheim, nor Irrigating NE of TFalls ... next week.

TFalls: Gems Van in 1, then Settler?
Little Nemo: switch to Settler 0/40, Puhleeze!
Mord: only 1 Sett, sw Van to Sett in 9
Octavia: Sett 35/40 in 1, then another Sett (N)
  Sett E N charge, N NW charge, N Mine for Ebor?
Bactra: Sett 34/40 in 3 ??? Or switch to Dip?

Are these all clear? Refinements & changes, please.

Reviewing the posts above, we need:

  1. Consolidation and War Plan for Vikings
  2. Science Poll and agreement
  3. Bactra, Indian Watcher, Isle SW of Elysium
  4. Misc Build Q plans for more Dips
  5. Duke is tied up. Ainwood wants a picture.

Oct X, do you live in Denver?
  Are the plans above and elsewhere clear? Questions?

You have been making good progress since last time I checked in here.

Founding cities up near Vikings..... No, I think we would benefit more from better infrastructre on our main continent. This gives us time to secure the Vikings as well.

Click to expand...

Agree. We still need much more terrain improvement.

Democracy? I don't think we are ready for Democracy. Maybe once we have Bach's, have finished off the Vikings, and perhaps even bought a nice NONE army then Democracy....

Click to expand...

Corruption is becoming a problem. If we are not ready for democracy right now I think we should aim to be as soon as possible. I think we are too far from Bach's to wait for it.

Looks like the war against the vikings are going well, if we get a musketeer to 92,10 I think we could capture Kaupang from there with our crusaders with minimal losses. Hmm... btw looks like we have peace with the vikings now, guess we need to bribe more senators. We can't have simple-minded voters interfering with our foreign politics, can we?

Aqueduct in Elysium should be rushed, maybe not right now, but we can't waste any growth there. We also need to have all Elysium squares fully improved, this is by far our most important city. A trade arrow in this city is worth more than in any other city so we need to get maximum output here. More food -> more pop units -> more squares worked -> more trade -> more science.

Also check serfs in: Elysium, Uppsala and New Octavia.

Cymru straits: If we get a unit temporarily landed on the indian continent we could "steal" their improved plains - the grass actually is greener on the other side in this case

We should also use our engineers to make our own grass a little greener and we may not have to sneak over to indian at night to steal apples to feed our people.

Build Queues - 1300AD

Oct X is playing Friday. Here is how I see the Build Q's.

We are building 20 city improvements! Generally when the current build is complete, start a Caravan. Specific Temples Markets and Aquaducts are detailed below. No Barracks. Currently 2 more Crusaders are nearly complete, also building 7.Settlers 5.Dips and 9.Vans.

REGIA CIVITAS: Start Marketplace, serfs at max trade w ocean
Elysium: Buy Harbor $108, so Aquaduct 60/80 in 3 turns (A)
  serfs: Silk Gems Whale, 4 Roads and Scientist, 7 shields.
  We want an Aquaduct here, not really a Harbor. Clear?
TFalls: Gems Van 45/50 in 1, then start Settler (see Civvium poll)
Civvium: 2 Forest Serfs, Market in 1, then Aquaduct (A)
  1320AD serf on new Plains road, max trade & 1 Forest
Little Nemo: Rehome 1 Settler in Civvium, sw to Settler 0/40
Gabba Gabba: WINE Van 46/50 in 1, start another Van, serf to irrg
Marl Downs: serfs max trade, Celebrates, Market in 3, Aquaduct
Mord: only 1 Sett, sw Van to Sett in 9 (Listed)
Octavia: Sett 35/40 in 1, then another Sett (L)
Eboracum: Silk Van in 3. Then Settler? Irrigate? (L)
Neuma: Crusader 26/40 in 4 (Forest), then Caravan
Bactra: Sett 34/40 in 3 ??? Or switch to Dip?

Monks Towne: Crusader 33/40 in 3, then Caravan
Legendary City: Market 63/80 in 3, then Caravan
Hipsheim: Van 42/50 in 2 SILVER!   then another Van
Banana Bay: Fruit to Whale, Spice Van in 3, then Temple?
Udal: reduce food, serf to Plains, Temple 18/40 in 11
Uppsala: Dip 6/30 in 4, hire Elvis and celebrate!

I don't see anything else worth voting on, but comments and changes are welcome.

Talar has stressed the need to improve near ELysium. I agree, and here is a Settler plan: The 2 CJ Settlers build a River Road for CJ, and a long overdue road for Nemo Bay and CJ. They will become Engineers while Elysium is completing its Aquaduct. The Food Box is nearly full, and it will Celebrate Shakespeare up to Size=12. The 2 CJ Settlers can come down and build the 2 needed Roads, then one might stay to irrigate. New Celebration serfs onto ocean, use existing irrigation so Food+1 continues Celebration Growth.