Part Seventeen: V for Vendetta
1866 AD - As I resume the game, the default unit selected is the Archer guarding Avignon. I remember the rather ominous situation facing the city:
Well, there's really no two ways about it, if I want to defend that city I need to damage the Cossack below the Musketman. Without that, the Archer to Guerilla upgrade isn't enough. So I bring in the Cavalry.
He attacks the Musketman, and unexpectedly but most satisfyingly defeats the musketman. The Cossack is exposed. I then bring in an Infantry to attack said Cossack.
The Infantry continues the trend and achieves victory. I then send for an Elite Guerilla to destroy the last unit, a Medieval Infantry.
AK-47s easily defeat maces. The threat no longer exists. The Archer will not be upgraded, as it'd be a shame not to have arrows whizzing through the air when there could be.
A good part of this turn had been played in the previous post, so I now turn to the Netherlands, where combat opportunities remain. It is time for my Longbows to attack.
The Longbows are victorious. Macemen then attack Maastricht from the west, and are repelled by the few defenders. No more Greek units can target Maastricht this turn. Just two hitpoints from annihilation, the Dutch will die another day.
Before ending the turn, I remember that I'm running a rather gigantic surplus. I increase science from 50% to 80% and entertainment from 10% to 20%. I'm still making 683 gold per turn. Oh YEAH!!!
1868 AD - Massive We Love the King Day celebrations since the last turn. The people sure love their bread and circuses. 92% currently approve of my rule. Ah, how sweet is approval.
An Egyptian naval convoy unexpectedly appear near Java over the last turn. Although at first its presence made us nervous, it does not appear to have invasion as a goal. More likely, it is heading to fight Egypt's enemies in Rome, Celts, or Persia.
Speaking of that war, I remember that I now have tons of money, and plant a spy in Rome. Their unimpressive army is as follows:
I then fail to plant spies in America and Aztecs. And the bloody Aztecs declare war on me, costing me 308 gold per turn. Now that's just asking for it. I'm so upset I forget to take a screenshot. Well, they'll pay for this, in blood.
So I try to plant more spies to figure out whom to align against them. Bad idea.
I didn't know so many people hated us this much before. Oh well. The Aztecs will still die.
The first step is establishing an embassy in Chichen Itza. The Maya have a lot of Riflemen, Longbows, and Musketmen. Nothing too impressive, but we need their help against the Aztecs.
That's one ally.
There's two.
I then proceed to sell the Maya Electricity and Replaceable Parts at rock-bottom prices, to help them fight the Aztec menace. A gift of 500 gold then allows them the funds to upgrade their military and improves our diplomatic standing to Polite.
So that's how the espionage is going. Decidedly worse than how James Bond does it. Our agents are rubbish. Always failing on the most important missions. That Aztec loss is huge, and the Greek King (me!) is more than upset. But it's not just the spy's fault. The Aztecs obviously don't understand the concept of a proportional response. You don't start a war AND cancel 5700 gold in payments over planting a spy. You demand a World Map and 52 gold or something like that.
See, here's why. The world doesn't like it when you use unproportional response. If they had asked for small reparations, they score diplomatically and Greece loses. But they just shot their credit rating with a battleship shell. If they'll cancel 5.7 billion in loans over one spy, you better believe no one's going to trade with them. Now, Greece is the victim. Yes, Greece made a mistake, but the Aztecs threw diplomacy out the window.
So, back to the diplomatic front. I'm still quite
at the Aztecs, so I decide to stick it to them a bit more. It's time for massive embargoing. I sign the Zulu, Iroquois, Maya, Germans, Romans, Celts, Americans, Egyptians, Babylonians, Mongols, Persians, Hittites, Inca, Byzantines, Carthaginians, Koreans, Indians, and Portuguese in trade embargoes against the Aztecs. Only the Scandinavians refuse. They will not sign it for anything. They're exporting either iron, coal, saltpeter, or incense to the Aztecs. But then I think, hmm, maybe they'll declare war on the Aztecs. And what do you know...
That's one further ally. Of course, what I really care about is that it's one fewer trading partner for the Aztecs. A survery of the Aztec lands show it's incense that the Vikings were exporting. Hopefully this deal will cause a big stink in Tenochtitlan.
I then establish embassies in Japan and Spain just so I can sign more embargoes, which both agree to.
Well, by now you've probably realized just how annoyed I am at the Aztecs. But it's time to move on. It's time to go back to the home front, however much I want to keep stirring up more anti-Aztec sentiment. It's time to conquer the Dutch.
And that we do.
Back on the Australian front, we have a slight problem near Marseilles:
A Cavalry defeats one Cossack, and the other is neutralized by drafting two Infantry. Crisis is once again averted.
By Yekaterinburg, the time for Pyrrhus to lead the charge has come again.
He wins. The Elite Infantry east of the town then attacks and loses. Another Infantry defeats the wounded Musketman. A Conscript Rifleman now stands guard. Pyrrhus charges. It is no contest. Yekaterinburg falls.
We're still royally ticked at the Aztecs. The only Verdict is Vengeance, a Vendetta, held as a Votive, not in Vain, for the Value and Veracity of such shall one day Vindicate the Virtuous. And the Virtuous, of course, are the Greeks
!
I've been planning to play tonight. Last night I was at a friend's house playing games and watching movies until midnight. Good times. Tonight I'll have the energy to play Civ afterwards, even I'm out until midnight again.
I'd enjoy seeing you do the same map but Sid with Corruption sometime.
