PH04: One Happy Family

[pholkhero]

Okay, I settled Delhi on the spot, and proceeded with our plan. Hinduism or bust! and a little warrior to defend our riverbend.

I sent our other warrior NW of the city, to see what lieth overeth thata wayeth.

In 3880 bc, our warrior pops a GH:

41g, not bad.


A few turns later, in 3760 Genghis Kahn shows up:

Hey, nice to see ya, i'm sure we'll be friends...one way or another

Our warrior continues his explorations around our city.

3640 bc: Buddhism FIDL. Also, notice our warrior popped another hut.

another 33 gold, sweet.

A few turns later, we ended up next to a panther:

Hopefully, panthers are afraid of us as lions

NO! They attack on the IT. Here is a picture of our warriors in the middle of a victory dance:


Okay, our warrior is done just a turn before Polytheism is due:

I send him SW to explore that area there. and next turn:


-- uhh, pholk, that's the same pic as before? no it isn't, say I. it has that fancy Hindu symbol now. Didn't you know you discovered it. Unfortunately, w/o Tech splashes, this is the only pic i have.

I revolted to it immediately since we're heading for a further Religion from here and we could do to spread this one to Genghis.

Okay, in 3240 bc, our 1st warrior is now east of the city and has defeated a lion and a panther on the IT.

He is now Wood I Warrior ~

And, he's healing, so there's nothing much to do on my last turn. Here's an overview of our lands:

Agriculture is due in 2 and our worker is due in around 5 or so.

 

[pholkhero]

Okay, so what should we do after Agriculture? Should we build Stonehenge and head towards Code of Laws naturally? What are everyone's thoughts on the next few sets ~ i'd rather we hash this out before we play more turns.

Roster:
01 Pholkhero >> just played
02 Karr1255 >> UP NOW
03 Robo Kai >> on deck
04 Scowler >>
05 Xerol >>

@ Karr ~ play 15 ~ and you should all play 15 to clear out the roster.

 

[Xerol]

I say after Agriculture, we should go right at Priesthood, build a temple, and run a Priest ASAP, and just make another farm or two for food. Priesthood is also on the path to Oracle, of course, which fits into the plan nicely anyway, but I think with the temple we could get our first GP a lot faster, and therefore have him in reserve for Monotheism, Theology, or another early-mid religion tech. (I don't have the Great Person Tech Lists memorised, but I'm pretty sure we're more likely to get something like Writing than Metal Casting with a Prophet.) We'd need to hand-resesarch Meditation to get anything useful out of the prophet though.

Either way, we should be running a Priest in some way as soon as we can. The question is whether or not it's "cheaper" to run the priest than to spend the extra turns building a wonder (with the would-be priest working a more hammery tile), and it doesn't seem so. 40 hammers vs. 120 for 'Henge definitely seems cheaper at least in the short run, and if we get Henge and Oracle, our first priest would be an "extra" one, and our second would get us CS.

 

[Meatbuster]

The only thing I can remember is that a GP can be used to research Civil Service, if we have Code of Laws but NOT researched Masonry. Seeing this is a Monarch game, I'd say we need the Pyramids, so this might not be a good idea. Another is to have Monotheism (and Masonry) then get Theology.

 

[Xerol]

Ok, taking a look at the list:

Great Prophet:
Meditation
Polytheism
Priesthood
Monotheism
Theology
Divine Right
Mysticism
Code of Laws
Civil Service

The only one that would get "in our way", really, is Theology. We'll need CoL anyway. So how about a 1-2 Prophet Punch (TM)? First prophet (from Priest specialist) grabs Theology, second one grabs CS. Shouldn't be too difficult to pull off if we get Stonehenge, and especially if we get Oracle as well.

So a genericised plan would be this:
-Research: Priesthood, Masonry, Monotheism, then go for worker techs and Writing, and use Oracle for CoL. Maybe slip BW in before Masonry, so we can chop Oracle sooner.
-Building: Invest partly in a settler while priesthood comes in, then swap out to a temple (and grow with the newly farmed corn), then finish the settler, then chop Oracle. (Not sure where to fit 'Henge in here.)
-GPs: Pop one on Theology, second on CS after Oracle->CoL.

 

[Meatbuster]

Great ideas! Let's see how it all pans out. Hope Karr gets here soon.

 

[karr1255]

Got it. I will play tomorrow.

The plan sounds good so far. But if chasing the oracle won't work i'll skip the masonry tree and then the prophet can pop CoL and the next one civil service. Of course all this changes if we can research CoL ourselves but i guess i have to make that up as i go along.

 

[pholkhero]

well, for starters, we need to find neighbors to preach the word to and spread our holy faith. We need to explore as much as possible AND grab the circum nav bonus especially. I like the use of the Great Prophets to pop religions, but if we research Masonry, we won't be able to use the GP for Civil Service.

I say we forego that particular move at this point, and aim instead to out-tech our neighbors.

I think we should go Masonry>Monotheims in hopes to snag Judaism, too. Afterwards, i like the Priesthood>Writing>Alph>CoL w/Bronze Working before or after Priesthood (preferably before i think, no?) Pehaps chop the oracle adn take CoL with it. after all this, we can head towards Optics.

buildwise, i think we need some warriors and settlers, no?

 

[Xerol]

I like the use of the Great Prophets to pop religions, but if we research Masonry, we won't be able to use the GP for Civil Service.

The idea I had was to get TWO early prophets to get both the Masonry tree and Civil Service, but then I realised that it probably won't work on Monarch (at least not easily) because the second GP would probably come out well before we could research CoL. Or not, I'm just not sure.

 

[karr1255]

I don't think we can get judaism, the oracle and still bronzeworking along the way, so i had to make a decision. Here is how it went:

T1 - zzz

T2 - agriculture done -> set research towards priesthood

T3 - zzz

T4 - worker done -> start another warrior

T5 - i spot Khans border to the east



T6 - zzz

IBT - our Warrior kills a lion

T7 - Khans first archer approaches



T8 - Delhi grows and the farm completes

IBT - We make contact with mansa. He is usually easy to get along with.



T9 - Priesthood is done and i set research towards bronze working. A. So we can chop the oracle and B. being helpless with Khan next to us seems risky

T10 - Warrior is done and i start a temple but after growth i will switch to a settler

T11 - zzz

T12 - zzz

T13 - Dheli grows and i switched to a settler who is done in 10 turns. The worker build some more mines

IBT - We make contact with the founder of buddhism




After that nothing happens for the last 2 turns. BW and the settler will both complete in 8 turns, though when the mine is finished the settler will speed up. Then the oracle is ready for chopping.

 

[karr1255]

Forgot the save.

 

[Meatbuster]

Got it, will play shortly.
And Mansa Musa is easy to deal with... IF you share the same faith

 

[Meatbuster]

Turn 0 (2800 BC):
Seeing all is fair, I let the hands of time do their work.

Turn 1:
Judaism is FIDAL (Founded in Distant A-Land).

Turn 2:
Found Mansa's place north of Delhi.

Turn 3:
GK adopts Slavery.

Turn 4:
Mine finishes. No Bronze Working yet, so build a farm.

Turn 5:
Spotted Mongolia's second city.

Turn 6:
First barbarian warrior spotted near Delhi.
OH PLEASE HAVE BRONZE PLS PLS PLS PLS...

Turn 7:
Barb warrior escapes, doesn't engage Mansa's Skirmisher scouts.
Found Mansa's second city.

Turn 9:
Delhi: Settler -> (delayed Temple) -> Warrior
Broze spotted, but it's in a good city site to the east of Delhi. Move settler slowly, accompanied by guard.
Farm the rice now.
(10 minutes later)
Research: Bronze Working -> Wheel
Reason: NEED BRONZE
Revolt to Slavery for free. Yes, yes, I know we're Gandhi, but we'll reserve the whip for... "extreme circumstances".

Turn 10:
I'm positive the AI is right about the city placement for now.
Settler cautiously advances...

Turn 11:
Found Bombay on recommended site with 2 wine, bronze and cows. Start on Monument.

Turn 12:
Delhi: Warrior -> Hindu Temple
Warrior guards Bombay now.

Turn 13:
Barb Archers spotted now. I fear for the safety of the warriors.
IBT: Warriors prevail!



Turn 14:
Promote immediately to Woodsman II and fortify-heal.

Turn 15 (2080 BC):
I decide to move worker to forest to chop-rush monument. Here's what our empire looks like now:
EDIT: On second thought, instead of chop-rushing the monument, choose to chop-rush a Hindu Temple instead since, I didn't notice that Bombay is now Hindu.



And here is a diagram of the recently discovered real estate owned by our riv... I mean, brothers.



EDIT: I almost forgot THE SAVE:

 

[Scowler]

Got it. Will either play late tonight, or (more likely) tomorrow morning. If anyone has any comments or suggestions, please feel free, and I will check before I start playing.

 

[Meatbuster]

I really should make more dotmaps. Where can we put a third city?

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

@Scowler, is your screen name taken from the way the Trantorian's pronounce "scholar" toward the end of the Foundation series?

 

[Scowler]

@Scowler, is your screen name taken from the way the Trantorian's pronounce "scholar" toward the end of the Foundation series?

As a matter of fact, yes it is! (among other things)

Just my little tribute to classic sci-fi
Which reminds me, it's been far too long since I last read the Robots and Foundation series...

Back on topic...
I'm about to play my round, so I should hopefully have the report up later this afternoon.

 

[pholkhero]

Okay ~ we'll eagerly await your report.

next city ~ perhaps NW of Delhi near the wheat and cows ~

 

[Scowler]

First of all I vetoed the Monument in Bombay. The city is already generating culture due to the spread of Hinduism, and the borders will have expanded by the time the Monument is completed. So it is not really worth it for 1cpt extra. Instead I start another warrior, which can guard either the city or the copper, or it could be used to escort the next settler.

(1) 2040BC
- Northern warrior goes further into the forest and...

​

...damn, I hate it when that happens. Hopefully the river will even things a bit; I promote to Wood I and cross my fingers.

(2) 2000BC
- The warrior survives to fight another day. Wheel is finished so we switch to Writing. Delhi finishes its Temple so work begins on the Oracle - worker is already in place and begins chopping.

​

(3) 1960BC
- Stonehenge BIFAL. Somebody else will be popping Prophets soon...
- Herodotus publishes his latest page-turner...

~ chop chop chop chop ~​

More barbs...

​

...and yet more barbs

~ chop chop chop chop ~​

(9) 1720BC
- The new warrior is ready at Bombay so he is sent to guard the worker, who has now finished chopping duties and is starting work on the copper mine.

​

(12) 1600BC
- Writing -> Masonry. Oracle due next turn!

(13) 1560BC

​

(15) 1480BC
- Road to copper should be completed next turn so we can start building axes whenever we want.
- Great Prophet due in 3 turns. Note the technology in the picture below. I wasn't paying attention, starting thinking cow without pasture = bad, and switched to AH
Next player please change back to Masonry.

​

- You will also see that a settler is in production. I found a very good possible site while exploring to the south; however, I suppose it would be better to expand northwards first before we get blocked in.

​

Overview of the surrounding area and diplomatic status:

~ Save ~​

 

[Meatbuster]

Great moves with the Oracle. Thanks for vetoing the Monument.
With all those religions, we might actually win by culture? Hmmm...

EDIT: Alternative idea: don't get Masonry yet, we can pop Civil Service, if desired. If we get Masonry, we're gonna have to research Monotheism then pop Theo.