3 grams - Prodigal Son's

[M60A3TTS]

Until we are close to setting sail, I'd redeploy just a few of those knights closer to the core. We don't have a lot to defend with should a caravel suddenly pop out of nowhere and drop off 3 cavalry, and little cash to upgrade since so much gpt is going to dad.

We also need to be on the lookout for salt. Seems there isn't any to be had that's readily visible.

 

[RowAndLive]

Education is in. GLib is now out. Peace & techs from Joan - good. I'm thinking that we're now at war with the Celts too? Or did I misunderstand that? I don't see any Celt cities on the mini, and not a lot of room for them either.

Can't get galleys N without leaving them exposed - anyone know where we can buy a few destroyers? We'll just have to take the chance.

 

[denyd]

I got it. I'll try to play tonight (2nd in line behind SGOTM5 which should be fast).

With Education in, the GLib option is out. With 6 galleys, we've probably got enough transport power to land an invasion force. Those 12 units should be able to hold on for a couple of turns until the next 12 arrive.

I'm thinking if we pump up the research we should be able to get to Cavalry in about 15-20 turns. Cavalry should to ok against rifles. Did we have any saltpeter?

I'd like to find some way to get any remaining AI cities off our island, but that might have to wait.

 

[grahamiam]

i would keep building galleys in 2 or 3spt towns. it's an arch map and a few more will come in handy. however, i agree that 6 is enough to get started.

 

[M60A3TTS]

Just to clarify, we are not on an island. The town of Amiens that we control is right along a stretch that connects to the mainland, next to Japan. If a dozen cav show up along that route, we're in trouble, since our local units aren't much in the way of a defense.

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

core cities are building knights asap. They can be siphoned off to NW or remain in place to garrison. Not at war with Celts at this time. If saltpeter is available, I couldn't find it. Really need to keep Dad happy from here on out. As much as I like cavalry, we're probably going to get it faster from Dad than from our own research.

 

[denyd]

Turn Log 3

Turn 0 – 750 AD – Situation: At war with Mongols & Aztecs – Switch Devil’s Tower to Settler to fill in that last NE gap – Increase research to cut discovery time in half

IBT: Just watch a couple of ships sail by – Dijon worker->library

Turn 1 – 760 AD – Settler founds Onnontare – Settler founds Niagara Falls

IBT: Dad comes calling about the horses deal and we trade Horses + WM + 87g + 35gpt to Japan for Metallurgy – begin research on Military Tradition with single scientist – Those Aztec ships turn right and head to an Aztec city – Salamanca Knight-Settler – Cattaragus Knight->Settler = Centralia Knight-Knight – Caughnawage Market-Barracks – Kagoshima builds Shakespeare’s Kabuki Palace

Turn 2 – 770 AD – New Knights sent to the NW

IBT: Theodora comes calling to trade maps and I trade Gems + Silks + WM + 34g + 21gpt for Banking – Mauch Chunk Knight->Market

Turn 3 – 780 AD – Just move a couple of knights around

IBT: Mongols come calling and we sign peace for TM + 3g – Salamanca settler->bank – Viagara Falls Knight->bank – Tonawanda knight->bank – Oil Springs Knight->Bank – Oka Galley->Galley

Turn 4 – 790 AD – Move new knights NW

IBT: Montezuma wants to talk peace - Take a break here to discuss strategy

Monty will give his WM + gold for peace. I think we should take it and change our focus to the NW and Spain. We can also turn our attention to Joan. It looks like she has saltpeter and with a couple of galleys we could probably take it away from her and be on our way to cavalry. We might have enough to take all of the Spanish cities in the NW without cavalry. I'll sit on this until tomorrow night and then finish it off.

 

[Bede]

IBT: Montezuma wants to talk peace - Take a break here to discuss strategy

Monty will give his WM + gold for peace. I think we should take it and change our focus to the NW and Spain. We can also turn our attention to Joan. It looks like she has saltpeter and with a couple of galleys we could probably take it away from her and be on our way to cavalry. We might have enough to take all of the Spanish cities in the NW without cavalry. I'll sit on this until tomorrow night and then finish it off.

MA with Dad against Monte has until circa 850AD to run and it is secured with trade goods....unless he's backed out in the interim.

Can we push Isabella off the island without risking our defense against Monte?

I gather we haven't been able to put together a landing across the straits against Monte?

 

[RowAndLive]

Sounded like a good plan, Denyd, except for that MA with Japan...
If possible, we should still pursue the Saltpeter in France. What relations does she have with the world?

 

[grahamiam]

let's keep riding on Monty till he coughs up techs' or the MA expires. take & raze a city and see if we can get astronomy for peace, imho. put only one more knight in the army so we can get it back on a caravel.

 

[denyd]

The nearest Aztec cities across the strait are size 12. I'm not sure knights against fortified rifles in size 12 cities is very promising.

I discovered the stash of galleys just before I completed the last turn. We've got 6 ready to go. I could probably land 12 knights in about 2 turns and then 10 more knights & the knight Army 2 turns later. The problem is once those first knights offload they're probably going to get hammered by Aztec Cavalry. Without SP, our best units will be absorbing the brunt of the Aztec counterattack.

Joanie has nothing to offer the rest of the world for an MA and is only a couple of cities in size and behind us in tech.

We could probably have 10-12 knights on Spain's front porch in about 5 turns. That should be enough to take a city or two.

If I position our available knights in the NW, leaving behind a solid defense force in the NE, our troops should be in place to attack about the time the MA with dad runs out. We might be able to enlist dad in the war against Spain (or gain a tech) at that time. I'm actually expecting dad to sign peace with Aztecs early (the AI seems to do that a lot). On peace is signed, I should be able to move the galleys into position to support an invasion of France (at the end of the Spanish war).

I'd like to firm up our plans in the next six hours (playing again in about 12).

 

[grahamiam]

well, your reasoning is sound so i have no problem with it. i was thinking that you would wait and land the army 1st, so the stack would be avoided, but a 1 unit army will probably get attacked right away.

 

[RowAndLive]

Your plans sound solid. No complaints about waiting and changing targets.

 

[M60A3TTS]

Where is the salt that we think Joan has? If she's just importing it, that doesn't help us.

 

[denyd]

When she came asking to swap TM's, it listed Saltpeter(0) in her resources. Since you can't trade a resource you're importing, it must be native. Her visible terrain, has 1 mountain and others seem likely to the SW between her two cities.

 

[M60A3TTS]

I do have concerns with the galleys. First, it's such a long trip, it will take a lot of time to get into position and make our move, and time isn't on our side. Second, we'll lose some to privateers, never mind that maybe someone declares on us in the interim. I know we built our fleet, but it's in the wrong place at the wrong time for this change in mission. IMHO we should rush buy a couple near where we're going, load the knights, maybe make a return trip so we have 6-8 knights and head for the target. As soon as the peace treaty is up for renewal, declare and get our salt. Build harbor and get MT. End of phase 1.

Phase 2. Make MPP with Japan and immediately declare war on the rest of the world. Casualty rates will shoot up across the globe, and drive everyone out of Democracy. Get cav armies as AI makes feeble landing attempts against us, and we get MGLs. Dad will eventually make peace with everyone, but they won't give him sweetheart trade deals the rest of the game.

Phase 3. Glorious victory and write memoirs.

 

[grahamiam]

above all, we must start provoking havoc (see my post after 250AD) so in general, i like M60's idea. however, we also need to sign peace to get tech concessions. therefore, we will basically have to endure about 20 turns of all war in order to stay on dad's good side, then get our concessions.

switching directions is very much a PITA, but that's just because we didn't plan properly when we went to war with France the 1st time (finger is pointing at me as well). we needed to go after the Aztec's then, and that meant getting ready during that war. unfortunately, France had our full attention during the GA and now we are too weak,

or are we? Japan borders the Aztecs, right? why can't we assume that the aztecs are riddled with Jap units?

with the PITA switch, though, we will have our units going N. sign an RoP with Japan and we can get to the Byz as well, without galley hopping.

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

Seems like we're fixated on keeping the army boat transportable. Consider we're behind in tech with enemy cav on most of the horizons. Why for are we saving this puppy? Load it up and hit 'bella or Joanie. buy in Dad. Last three posts are appropriate. Although I was the first to do it, feel we shouldn't p.o. Dad from here on out. Give him things and buy from him. Don't make Theo mad. We're not gonna self research better boats. We'll either buy them from Dad or get them with pointy sticks. It appears Dad has Monte fully engaged since we haven't seen naval landings. If'n we gets enuff money peeps start building embassies with us. Stealing anyone? Long term think we need to go commie.

 

[Bede]

"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war"..... has a nice ring to it. Think somebody could make something of that.

All of us, yours truly included, have forgotten that the landmass bends around to the NNE out of old France in the NW, then SSE into Azteca across territory controlled by Dad.

So if we are going to hurt the Aztecs seriously, an RoP with Dad is a requirement.....and an MPP will send the world into a snit-fit. Just what we were looking for.

The M60 plan has my vote.

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

My idiot parts keep wandering off so I have trouble remembering stuff. Don't we need nationalism or some other tech for MPP? In principle I agree with M60 and Bede, thus my prior comment about loading the army. Kill 'em all and let (insert appropriate diety name here) sort it out.