T0 750BC
Check out Sparta. It's on a settler in 3 equal to growth. Once we get the settler, I'll hire a taxman and start Tusker's model to get it.
Definately an interesting setup. I wonder if Punk boy is going to got for the horses to get his UU first of for the iron.
Changed Hopilite builds to archers. We have a number of hopilites and if we had more offensive units, it would give some more options.
Move the archer out of Athens for bait
IBT Lots of interesting movement. Babs effectively move out.
T1 730
Re-think Sparta and hire a taxman.
Found Ithaca (just finished re-reading the Odyssey). Not quite sure what to build. It won't be too corrupt yet units built will take forever to get anywhere and it is shield poor. Start a dinghy for the moment.
The exploring warriors are now obsolete but don't hurt us so start to move them back home. Maybe they can delay Punk boy's settling the horses or eventually get back to help a build.
Attack a Bab spear and win with no loss (Vet vs reg).
Move some troops to make the outpost towns strong while preparing for peace and dropping the lux slider with MPs when the time comes.
IBT Iros are building the MoM. The Babs advance pellmell. Bab bow attacks 2 archers on a hill near Sparta and dies. Love the defensive bonus.
T2 710BC
Take a Bab bow from a hill and move 2 other archers and a hopilite to defend. Pull all units out of Delphi (we have to get a temple there for style points) to draw attackers away from the hopilite and hire a clown to prevent a riot.
Kill a Bab warrior without loss
IBT ruse worked. 4 bows moved towards Delphi.
Open the save and have a look again
T3 690BC
We're waiting for a turn so keep Delphi open (a shame we can't get the Oracle there). Move units to the hill.
Settler moves to Thermo on his way to the spices.
Send an archer towards the spices to slow down the Hitties settler pair.
Check the thread for settler pump allocations. Nice work Tusker!
IBT Zulu finishes MoM
T4 670BC
Iros seem to have claimed the SE spices but there is still room for our city.
Babs will give peace and Writing for 6gpt and 71g. That's down 10g from last turn. We have the high ground so decide to attack and see if I can get the price down.
vArcher attacks a rSpear but dies (fair enough after no losses last turn)
Kill the spear (1-1)
Attack a vBow from the Mt, die (1-2)
kill it from the hill (2-2)
Kill one of the 2 warriors that cam e up near Corinth (3-2)
Kill a rBow next to Phar (becomes elite)
Settler will be in place in 3 turns
Make sure Sparta is on track
Sue for peace
I can get Writing and Masonry for 279 + 1gpt. That still gives us a bit more than 50g next turn to buy a slave if it available at 9gpt so I decide to take it.
Drop the lux 10% and only Corinth will riot. Hire a takman and we are making 16gpt (Corinth still has the same shields and gold, it just isn't growing. Currently at pop 4, but we can't inprove any tiles to get more anyway)
IBT Babs run away, Hittite settler pair continues to move away
T5 650BC
Corinth gets it's food back as the archer can return.
Move archers back to heal
Finish roading the iron and send the slaves back towards more productive towns (still 1 tile away from connection to our fledgling empire)
Zulu and Hittite warriors are milling about our new city location but hopefully it won't be a problem.
IBT Zzzz
T6 630BC
archer moves to future city location, settler moves onto the Mt. Iron is now connected and all builds change to swords and horses
Slow Thermo's growth but get 3-turn swords or horses
Sparta's about to riot. I'm pretty sure a riot happens before a build so I hire a taxman. Still get a settler next turn. Tusker's plan is good, it just requires 40% lux OR the specialist switch on the last tunr (the far better option ans it builds our bank nicely)
On that note, 74g in the bank and 15gpt with the taxman. Not bad after giving all out gold away for the techs. All civs are up Phil, Code, maps, math and myst.
IBT Zzzz
T7 610BC
Worker turns.
Settler built, send him along the roads towarsd the south.
I'm sending archers to Corinth and Knossis in anticipation of taking Shuruppak with them. Th enew swords and horses should head West for a short war with the Babs to grab some land and catch up on techs. The Iros look like a possible target as well suprisingly. They are agri so we should think about them as a slave farm. They will produce them quicker and are equally deprived of resources. The main differences is their access to other Civs.
IBT Zzzz
T8 590BC
Not much other than som eworker turns.
Hittites culture expanded their borders. It will affect the next city decision.
IBT Hittite settler pair appraes with an AC escort (first time I've seen that).
Bab settler enters out territory heading for the open area N of Delphi. 15 turns left of peace so no option.
T9 570BC
1st sword built and heads West.
Worker moves
IBT Interesting movement. The Babs decided to continue to move East rather than North and the Hittites entered on a line to our Northern Peninsula. Another Bab spear followed the settler in as well. They seem to be ignoring the wheat. Perhaps the next settler ought to go North. With our roads it will be well ahead of the invaders but should still be walking by the time we have another one to settle NW of the Wheat.
T10 550BC
Some unit movement West.
We have some decisions to make about our next city. I have sacrificed some improvements in favour of roads (we will be going to war shortly and we have 3 nicely productive cities; it would be nice for their units to get to effective positions).
We drew good opponents for this variant. We have 3 agri Civs on our continent (Hittites, Iros and Zulus). If we could become militarily strong enough to do the all war thing for a few turns and raze cities, we might be able to alternate war after that according to which civ sent settlers our way and just collect slaves. It probably wouldn't work on DG, however I think we can improve on the original harvest plan. We can alternate war between the Iros and Babs and develop 2 civs to harvest. The only thing we would have to do to make it happen would be to get control of those horses, not yet in Iro hands. Perhaps Murry could help us with that and spend a couple of his ACs.
These are thoughts that came up during the set. They aren't well thought out but bear some consideration.
