*******Indiansmoke's spoiler thread********

[Indiansmoke]

STOP ​

if you are participating in The Return of the Sword pitboss game​

This is Indiansmoke's spoiler thread for Return of the Sword pitboss game. I will update this thread as the game develops with screens and descriptions of what is happening in the game and thoughts about my strategy.

Everyone, apart from the participants are welcome to follow!​

 

[Indiansmoke]

My leader and Civ

I will be playing Peter of Korea in this game!

Peter is expansive & philosophical and Korea will give me universities with 10% more tech than normal!

Expansive will help me....expand and philosophical will hopefully help my teching. I say hopefully because philosophical is sometimes land dependant. Some say philosophical does not work well with expansive as expansive means growing cities while philosophical running scientists, that remains to be seen.

My other 2 thoughts on leaders were Joao for super development mode and Mehmed for expansion + economy. I randomly decided to try philosophical this time!


The opposition

1. Ntenistromeros - Suryavarman II of Vikings
2. Indiansmoke - Peter of Korea
3. Voxsu _Asoka of Sumeria
4. Bemep - Zara of Mali
5. 2metraninja - Pericles of Byzantines
6. OT4E - mehmed of India
7. LDeska - Hatshepsut of Egypt
8. Penny - Hammurabi of Zulu

Everyone in this game is an experienced high level player. It should be a very balanced game and it is impossible to predict anything. OT4E has the best civ/leader combo in the game IMO so maybe he has a slight advantage over everyone else there.

 

[Indiansmoke]

The start

Spoiler :

This was the old start

Spoiler :

this is the new one




VERY different start, I must say I like my old one better as it was a classic bureocracy capital spot, this one I must plat totally different and probably move capital to a better cottaging spot later on.

 

[Indiansmoke]

So warrior is off to some exploring, I am not too hot on what I have seen so far...

Spoiler :

Thoughts on tech path and first builds

Spoiler :

My thought is go fishing, hunting, animal husbandry. the warrior will stay around to defend if needed and when fishing is teched I will start workboat and finish worker after....or maybe just finish worker first....not decided yet.

 

[IanDC]

I like your start position

There's likely to be decent spots along the rivers for your 2nd & 3rd towns as well.

 

[Indiansmoke]

More land revealed

Spoiler :

still not too hot...



Started working plains forest this turn and that accelerated worker by one turn, will propably finish him and then start workboat to improve gems.

 

[Irgy]

By the way, I've decided to dedicated-lurk you Indiansmoke. Which means I'm unspoiled and free to make comments and give advice. But let me know if you'd rather just play it yourself and/or don't want the thread cluttered with discussion.

 

[Indiansmoke]

By the way, I've decided to dedicated-lurk you Indiansmoke. Which means I'm unspoiled and free to make comments and give advice. But let me know if you'd rather just play it yourself and/or don't want the thread cluttered with discussion.

As long as you don't look at other threads It is fine with me

 

[Indiansmoke]

More land revealed....non irrigated rice is my new resource, well you got to take what you get!

Spoiler :

Warrior is staying around capital to defend if needed since I am going workboat after worker.

 

[Indiansmoke]

So....long due update! Not much exitement though!

Spoiler :

worker improved gems first and I am working that slowly growing to size 2 by building workboat. Worker is on the way to improve pig after AH is teched, and is making some mine improvementg turns on the way there.
Warrior is fortified on gems just in case defending that tile is needed.


Plan is propably BW after AH, or maybe wheel... have not decided yet

 

[Indiansmoke]

AH just teched..

Spoiler :

And there is horse north of capital. A city with sheep, stone and horse is possible.



In the meatime capital switched to working fish that just got improved and is building a warrior. Next turn the warrior on gems will propably go scout since capital will be able to build warrior fast enough to defend. I also met the first rival and it is zulu Aggressive zulu is not the neighbour I wanted!



On the tech front, whell was started to prepare roads to next city and BW will be next

 

[Indiansmoke]

Time for fisrt decisions has come! It was straight forward so far, or at least so it seemed to me

Spoiler :

So I had to choose what to tech. Bronze working was first choice for copper more than anything isnce I am not slaving capital, masonry was second choice to prepare stone settling for some wonder building, but I went with meditation....It is 5 turns, no religions yet and since powers are low generally, I thought I take a shot at it.



My land I still don't like, low food and I am philosophical I guess I will have to build lots of wonders




Some demographics

 

[Indiansmoke]

The religion quest was succesfull

Spoiler :

Now I have 1 less thing to worry about as going the whole game without religion is not pleasant. I hope though that delaying brownze working does not prove a problem.



meanwhile my warriors continue scouting to find yet more non irrigated rice and cows! oh and some sugar!




Settling spot for my next city is proving a real headake I want to settle 1 tile from stone in order to improve it and build stonehedge and TGW, I also want to settle 1 tile from sheep and I want horse in BFC as well...obviously all these cannot happen at the same time so it is giving me a headake....have not decided yet

 

[Indiansmoke]

I have met my second neigbour

Spoiler :

and it is Egypt! Having Egypt from one side and zulu from the other sounds like a horror situation



I will try and see a bit of his land


Meanwhile the settler is ready and I have decided on the settling spot. I want it all, horse, stone & sheep, stone improvement will delay abit until monument expands borders, maybe I get lucky and religion spreads!



Capital is using the overflow on another worker to help things out.

 

[Indiansmoke]

So alot has happend since last update

First odds are not friendly

Spoiler :

Egypt attacked my warrior on open land with 50% odds and won



This is Egypt land, or what I have seen of it

Zulu land looks very nice

Spoiler :

lots of nice resources


Also another interesting thing is that zulu had the chance to kill my warriorattacking him in forest with an impi but did not go for it. Is this as a silent offer to stay away from hostilities at least for now?

I have 2 more cities since last update

Spoiler :

although I was unlucky and copper poped underneath my second city....doh no more cheap warriors!


I also located OT4E borders across the sea.

So what is the plan?

Spoiler :

I am finishing pottery next turn and will revolt to slavery. meanwhile my workers are improving stone and as soon as I am out of revolt i will start stonehedge in capital with stone improved, great wall will follow and then off to more expansion.

tech wise priesthood & writting are next, will popably save some money for library in capital then and after that not sure maybe math. Archery will be inserted at some point, maybe now since I will need a cheaper unit.

I will also make a scout for scouting the center, hopefully there is nice land that way, otherwise with this land things look a bit grim.

 

[Indiansmoke]

First blood has been drawn!

Spoiler :

It looks like 2metraninja lost a city to zulu...IMPI's!!!


My warrior is keeping an eye from that side!

Spoiler :

Meanwhile my capital is building wonders to make some use of my philosophical trait

Spoiler :

Stonehedge due next turn!

overall demograhics look good

Spoiler :

I am not doing too well in soldiers though, but with this land i have to take some risks..