blid02 - The farmers shuttle

[sooooo]

So anyway, as I was saying, I was talking bollocks last night. I continue with the 3Gorges because I didn't realise that most of our cities don't have coal plants and were relying on it. Changed Rostov from the UN to Scotland Yard, but back again when Hannibal and HC researched Mass Media. Revolt to emancipation.

Elizabeth converts to Free Religion. Once out of anarchy, I sack most engineers unless they are building research institutes and hire scientists and merchants.

Cyrus begged for industrialism and I agreed. He has a large army. Our DPs are working really well. Elizabeth has the highest power currently, and when you hover over attack cyrus or hannibal, she says "Surely you must be joking". Not seen that one before.

Probably the important move of the turnset was begging 1000 gold from Hannibal. That let us frun 100% science for its duration.

So techwise we finished Robotics, then Sattelites, then started Fibre Optics. We got another great scientist from Moscow, making 3. I blew 2 of them on Fibre Optics, leaving the other for a golden age. Next GP is from Delhi in 5 turns - odds to be a merchant or priest.

UN complete on last turn. We finished Apollo Program too - cities are finishing off Research Institutes before we start the parts.



There should be about 3 turnsets left, so this is my last. Fun game all! No one knows any techs we don't except divine right. We are up Robotics and Sattelites on HC, and up Computers on Hannibal. Lizzy and Cyrus are behind them.

The Save

 

[blid]

Probably the important move of the turnset was begging 1000 gold from Hannibal. That let us frun 100% science for its duration.

Man you abuse your friends Seriously, I didn't ever imagine you can ask for such lump sums

Elizabeth has the highest power currently, and when you hover over attack cyrus or hannibal, she says "Surely you must be joking". Not seen that one before.

Yeah they added that when you ask for illogical war declarations, like on a DP partner. I think it's the same about your vassals


I didn't know about the new sattelites pre-requisite for elevator either. Makes sense ... in the real world. But it just makes the wonder less attractive. Just like the engineer from fusion. We can couple them to get that little boost on the parts production. I guess hoping for an AI to discover fission for us is too much to ask. Do we go refigeration first to give them a chance or chase fusion right away ?

On minor considerations, Bangalore can use a grocer (2 turns). That would let it use the whole BFC

Up to GreyFox

 

[Sirloin]

Probably the important move of the turnset was begging 1000 gold from Hannibal. That let us frun 100% science for its duration.

Lurker / Novice Question: I never beg money from my allies because I'm unsure if there is some penalty in doing so unsuccessfully (or successfully). Is it possible to just open trade and ask for random sums of money from allies without consequence? Or are there factors I'm not aware of that guide your decision to ask for cash?

 

[sooooo]

The way I understand it is:

Pleased AIs increase the amount they will give you every turn. It's a begging pot. If the money you ask for is less than the begging pot, you get it. Whatever their decision, the begging pot is reset to 0. So you don't want to ask every turn, best to leave it until they have enough worth giving. The rate of increase of the begging pot increases the later in the game it is and for friendly civs compared to pleased. So asking for 1000 gold is fine this late in the game.

For cautious or worse AIs, you have to extort, and that depends on your power rating difference.

In SGs I will normally beg when there's something worth begging because it makes me look cool when I announce it in a turnset report. If they reject me, I don't say anything and no one is any the wiser.

Kidding.

Well, half-kidding.

 

[Jet]

If you ask for stuff the diplomacy text will make clear whether you're asking nicely or extorting. There's a diplomatic penalty from the civ you extort, no penalty for asking nicely except possibly that you can only ask nicely so often. About that, there's a recent thread in Strategy & Tips: Gifts and Demands: Answers in SDK?, but so far it's inconclusive.

Also, if you successfully beg a tech (rare, I think you have to be behind), or extort one, I think it counts towards "We Fear You Are Becoming Too Advanced."

 

[Jet]

I usually do Biology/Assembly Line, then Computers, then Satellites/Robotics. After labs I usually build wealth or research until the space elevator. The parts all go down fast while researching the last couple techs. Research was usually the overall bottleneck. I don't know if that order is really optimal but that's what I do out of habit. After Biology and Assembly Line, the order of techs doesn't usually seem to matter much for my game except for how it affects the end date. If I have a small empire with few resources I might do Medicine for Environmentalism after Biology. If I'm threatened I might do Assembly Line before Biology, trade for Combustion, and do Robotics before Satellites. That's not to say I think we should wait for the space elevator this time. I'd be more interested in something other than what I usually do.

 

[sooooo]

We might possibly want to build the internet here. With so many high-production cities, the bottleneck will certainly be technology, not production. If we ignore, for example, refrigeration we may be able to pick it up from the internet. Depends on how long the internet takes to build I guess.

I was thinking the way after fibre optics would be fission and fusion, to start that expensive engine somewhere and get the engineer to settle in our ironworks city.

 

[GreyFox]

Got it, report in 24hrs (most probably sooner ... much sooner).

 

[GreyFox]

Fired engineers? Apparently you missed one

HC came asking for open borders ... hmmm ... okay. Anything to spite Lizzy.

But he later came asking for the unreasonable, and dropped back to Annoyed.

Okay so be it. With friends like Hannibal, who need Huayna?

With the UN, here are the votes:

I decided to try our luck with diplo:

Uh-uh, ok, back to building space parts.

Next round, we banned ICBM.

In the other news, we got the Gorgeous:

We also popped a merchant:

We could trigger a golden age, but I suggest burning the scientist for Fusion. Then the free engineer should be used to rush the Jack's Beanstalk. Yarsloval or St Pete should produce another GP just in time for a Golden Age.

Oh, by the way, i have a spy heading towards England which should reach the next turn. Lizzy and Hannibal (I think) completed the Apollo.

>>> The Save (1790AD) <<<

 

[Jet]

0: 1790

Gee willikers! We're very close. I switch some specialists to engineers and workshops to bring down the time for some parts... to 15 turns or less, not that there's anything special about the number 15. Workers scurry around converting farms to workshops. It's hammer time.

7748 beakers remain on Fusion. The scientist can lightbulb 3384, leaving 4364. That's about one turn of research. With aggressive great people generation (modest starvation), Yaroslavl' can produce a great person in 4 turns. Hmm. I take GreyFox's suggestion and hit the lightbulb.

The power of the farm:

1: 1792

Yeah, Elizabeth... we just need to dock this, uh, empty troop transport in Yue-Chi this turn.

But she's so far behind I could really care less.

2: 1794

I realize we still need to research Refrigeration, foiling my plans for a slick 15-turn completion. I believe the honor will go to our OP. I start Refrigeration -> Genetics, leaving Ecology for last, because the Ecology part has a Copper multiplier whereas the Genetics part has none.

4: 1798

Raphael is born in Yaroslavl' and starts a golden age along with Wang Anshi in Delhi. Now the Engine is due in 10!

6 - 15 (1800 - 1815):

I sell Refrigeration and a couple other techs for all our missing techs and a big pile of gold to run research at 100%. We finish all the space techs and have Composites in 2.

We vote in Single Currency and Open Markets, and in 1815, Free Religion is up for a possibly score-boosting research nudge.

In 1815 I notice that mother Russia has engulfed a cottage from Bactra. Distasteful! A Cossack promptly pillages it.

Novgorod and Bangalore are each scheduled to finish one of the last 2 parts in 4 turns. It's possible that with chopping in Bangalore and clever starvation in Novgorod they could finish in 3. Will they? Tune in next turnset!

Obligatory Billy Bob Thornton cameo:

Suzy Jo, don't ever let anyone tell you you need cottages
for a space victory. If you farm hard enough, and dream
big enough... the sky ain't even the limit. Da!

10...
9...
8....
7....
6...
5...
4....

 

[blid]

3...
2...
1...

You could just have finished it Jet. It was a nice report BTW.
I starved the cities hiring engineers to make sure I finish in 3 turns.

Here's the beakers output at the end of the game

6 turns for future tech and nothing more to research. One word comes to mind : "neat". It's not like I'd pull a space launch at this date anytime using cottages. We had financial civs on the other continent going wonder happy. We didn't have the pyramids. But still SE was too strong for them.
Nice game all and thanks

warlords replays extension is prohibited
Replay

P.S : I'm looking for players for blid03 which would be quite a bloodshed compared to this one. If some of you are interested, you'll be quite welcome

 

[Bede]

Wowzer, a nice introduction to the wonders of the Specialist Economy. Thanks for the opportunity.

 

[sooooo]

Nice work everyone. This game has certainly changed my beliefs about specialist research.

 

[Jet]

In celebration of yesterday's stellar completion of the farmers shuttle, Warner Independent Pictures is pleased to announce the theatrical release tonight of

 

[GreyFox]

where did you get that picture? Awesome!

 

[Kikinit]

Grey, it really is a movie.. http://theastronautfarmermovie.warnerbros.com/

 

[GreyFox]

Hey, Kikinit! Good to see u around ... been awhile. How's the newborn?

Never knew it's really a movie

 

[Kikinit]

Grey, I never left but have only had time for one SG and it's generally been the SGOTM. In fact I've struggled even with that. Work and the baby take too much of my time these days.