eldar08: Gridlocked!

[CommandoBob]

That means I'm up.

It might be tomorrow evening before I can get anything done. I've got two other SGs that I'm up in also.

Sorta like finals, but more fun.

 

[CommandoBob]

Spoiler :

Got it, and opened it up for a look. I will probably not be able to play tonight, but tomorrow I should be able to get round to doing something.

530BC: State of the Nation (a la Smurkz)

Things are a bit messy... better to step back and take some stock, see where we really are. I wouldn't normally do this but:

Long-term goal
World domination, along very organized non-cultural lines.

Short-term goals
Remove Persia, Carthage, and the Iroquois from our continent (but not necessarily in that order).

Turnset goals
- Hook up Horses, switch Sword production over to Horses.
- Build more settlers, make more cities!
- Kill more Persians and Iroquois.
- Make more friends/victims with our wandering Galley.
- Start learning Currency.

Economy
Cities: 15
Gold: 30, +3gpt @ 80%

Research
0%, set to Currency.

Entertainment
20%, Gems, Dyes.
Silks are available, Incense too but distant.

Military
1 Settler
13 Workers
1 Scout
6 Warriors
1 Archer
18 Swords
3 Cats
2 Galleys
1 Curragh

Total: 46
Allowed: 15
Support: 62gpt

There are a number of regular warriors that can be safely disbanded for shields. There are no barbarians on this map so settlers can go unescorted into the fog, we don't need to keep warriors around for escort.

Acquaintances
Persia:
Diplomacy: WAR (will talk)
Gold: 1
Cities: 6
Military (vs Us): Weak
Resources: +Horses,-Iron
Techs: +Construction, -Mysticism,Republic
Workers: 2
Trades: Construction+Worker+1g for peace

Iroquois
Diplomacy: WAR
Gold: 0
Cities: 5
Military: Weak
Resources: +Horses,-Iron
Techs: +Construction, -Mysticism,Philosophy,Horseback Riding
Trades: Construction for peace

Carthage
Diplomacy: Embassy, Peace (permanent), MA vs Iroquois (10 turns remaining)
Gold: 0
Cities: 8
Military: Weak
Techs: -Mysticism,Republic
Trades: None available

Japan
Diplomacy: Peace
Gold: 15
Cities: 7 (known)
Military: Weak
Resources: +Horses,-Iron
Techs: +Polytheism, -Mathematics,Code Of Laws,Philosophy,Map Making
Trades: CoL+Maths for Poly+15g (probably others but this strikes me as the most sensible)

Babylon
Diplomacy: Peace
Gold: 80
Cities: 9 (known)
Military: Average
Resources: -Iron
Techs: +Polytheism, -Republic
Trades: Republic for Poly+80g, but Republic will have better trade value for his free MA tech.

Cities
Mayflower(Size 3, 4/10 food +4fpt): Settler pump, but it's got out of synch. I'll re-synch it.
Emperor Club (5, 6/20, +2): Building Swords (->Horses) but not a good number of shields, I'll see if I can micro it probably to 6spt rather than the 7 it is now.
Spitzer (5, 10/20, +2): Building Swords (->Horses), looks good to go.
Moonlight (5, 6/20, +2): Building Swords, looks good to go.
Capone (3, 8/20, +2): Building Barracks (23/40). Not sure it's a great investment - will switch to Settler.
Chicken Ranch (1, 2/20, +2): Building Barracks (1/40). Still growing, will take its time but a good build nonetheless.
Playboy: (3, 19/20, +1): Building Sword, looks good to go.
Jungle Mansion: (3, 0/20, 0): Building Swords, probably okay, will be a while before it's productive. Possibly build a Harbor there so it can grow & work water tiles for better food & extra cash.
Plain Jem: (1, 16/20, +1): Building a Catapult, okay for now, then a worker.
St Silky: (1, 14/20, +2): Building Barracks (14/40). See Chicken Ranch.
Bordello: (1, 18/20, +2): Building a worker, next up will be a worker or settler.
Golden Ranch: (1, 16/20, +2): Building Barracks (16/40). See Chicken Ranch.
Farmer's Club: (2, 8/20, +2): Building Settler (6/30). Okay, but its wheat ought to get irrigated sooner rather than later.
Rusicade Ranch: (1, 9/20, +3): Building Spear (6/20). Will switch to catapult. Getting water to its cow is a good plan, but the water's a way off right now.
Horse Ranch: (1, 0/20, +2): Building Spear (0/20). Switch to Worker right away. Get horses hooked up ASAP.

Commentary
We're in good shape militarily and should be able to handle war on two fronts without any trouble. The large stack heading into Persia should more than take care of business there. Horses will be online soon and they can quickly get up to the front to lend support, as well as take up the strain against Hiawatha.

Once the Iroquois are gone, we should move the Sword+Cat stack against Carthage. Overall they will be more effective at *killing* Numidians than Horses, but we can still use Horses to ping them and hope they retreat.

Long-term, there's definitely a Lighthouse-navigable passage to the other continent. Carthage switched to the Lighthouse after losing the Pyramids, it might be good to keep Maps out of the hands of as many others as possible (Babs know it though) so as to give them the best chance of completing it for us. The Iros are also building it but Salamanca is NOT on the grid so we would lose it if they built it!

Domestically our cities need a bit of micro to get them in better shape, some are working at less-than-optimum shields per turn. And the settler factory is borked again

A number of obsolete/worthless units can be disbanded for shields to free up some more gold.

Trade-wise, I'm going to go ahead and trade for Poly from Japan. Construction is another matter... I've no objections to grabbing it from Persia, then immediately re-declaring, if we want to take the risk of someone on the other continent making contact before our immediate neighbours are dead. I'm inclined to wait 'til we know everyone (and possibly Currency too) and see if we can get a peaceful deal done for it.

I've copied eldar's earlier strategy post.

I can only add a few things.

We are at war with Persia and Iroquois. These wars will continue.

2N of St.Silky Jungly Mansion is a clump of silk in a jungle. Not the best terrain, but it is next to a lake. However, we need to road a jungle to connect this luxury city. This would be our third native luxury. Gems and Dyes are already connected.

Persia has no 'hidden' luxuries (cities on a luxury tile). Iroquois are clean, too.

eldar mentioned Horses coming online soon; we have two slaves on that tile (NE of Horse Ranch) and they will begin to road next turn.

 

[CommandoBob]

Two Issues

Military Great Leader
We have an MGL, Washington!
What do we want to do with him?

The only small wonder we can build is the Forbidden Palace.
We are doing well in warfare. Six turns of play and three cities are gone and two more are about to die in two turns. We have only lost three units in combat.

We pay 74 gpt in unit support for 37 over the limit units. We have 70 gold, +1 gpt.

My viewpoint:
We don't need any Army right now, but we do need extra cash. I favor rushing the Forbidden Palace with Washington.

Trading
On this turn Japan and Babylon both learned Construction. Japan has Construction, Monarchy and 188 gold. We are second richest with our 70 gold. Persia is third with a total of 1 gold.

If we offer Republic, Japan will give us Construction and 188 of 188 gold.

Good deal or not?

 

[Rodent]

AIs Always LOVE Republic Tech. I say give it to them, they will research it themselves soon enough anyways and construction allows us to grow some towns

 

[eldar]

lurker's comment:

The only small wonder we can build is the Forbidden Palace.

No culture! No FP! I may not be playing any more but I'm still keeping an eye on things Build a Sword Army.

How close to Currency are we? 'Cos trading it for Constr should be a shoo-in now, and we can keep Republic for (hopefully) Mono or Eng, should a Sci civ draw it.

 

[CommandoBob]

lurker's comment:


No culture! No FP! I may not be playing any more but I'm still keeping an eye on things Build a Sword Army.

Oops! I missed/forgot about no culture. Sword Army it is.

How close to Currency are we? 'Cos trading it for Constr should be a shoo-in now, and we can keep Republic for (hopefully) Mono or Eng, should a Sci civ draw it.

We're running at 80% taxes, 20% luxury and 0% science; the same as when the game was handed off. Even so, our cash has been tight. So we have had 6 turns of 0% science, and I haven't thought to change that. My bad.

 

[CommandoBob]

Preflight from eldar's notes
Emperor Club: work the unimproved grass; net 6 spt and not 7.
Capones' Club: barracks -> settler in 7 (grows in 6).
Rusicade Ranch: rSpear -> catapult in 7.
Horse Ranch: rSpear -> worker in 10.

Japan wants Code of Laws and Mathematics for Polytheism. We deal, but get all 15 Japanese gold in the process.
save game.

Hit Enter.
[IBT]
Babylon is upset with our troops being inside their borders. We agree to move.
Carthage is just as touchy. We respond the same.

Emperor Club vSword -> vSword in 5.
Bordello Bluff worker -> worker in 10.

1 0510 BC

Eight Swords, an Archer and a Catapult move adjacent to Perseplois. It is guarded by a vSpear.
Soapland is founded between Moonlight Bunny Ranch and Horse Ranch; grows in 10, worker in 10. Soapland is not the name of a place but is fascinating in it's own way.
​

[IBT]
Spitzer's Shack vSword -> vSword in 6.
Tad's Jungle Mansion vSword -> harbor in 9.

2 0490 BC

Battle of Persepolis (3), Persian capital
catapult misses.
vSword vs. vSpear, Archer in the city shoots and misses, Sword wins (1 of 1).
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins, though red-lined (2 of 2).
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins (3 of 3).
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins (4 of 4).
eSword vs. rArcher, Sword wins (5 of 5).

Good News

Persepolis is now American.
We now control The Colossus.
But, this city is not on the grid, so it is razed instead.
We net three slaves, they start making a road on the ruins of Persepolis.

Battle of Grand River (1), Iroquois
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins (6 of 6).
rSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins (7 of 7).

More Good News

And Grand River is no more.
We gain a slave; it begins a road where Grand River once was.

Minor Skirmishes
eSword vs. rHorse, Sword wins (8 of 8).
rSword vs. rArcher, Swords wins and promotes to Veteran (9 of 9).
​

[IBT]
Two Iroquois Archers die on the ruins of Grand River (11 of 11).

Plain Jem Mansion catapult -> worker in 5.

Wonderful News

The Great Lighthouse is built in Salamanca, Iroquois.

Carthage is building the Mausoleum of Mausollos (Philosophy).


More Wonderful News

The Mausoleum of Mausollos is built in Carthage, Carthage.

3 0470 BC

Horses are connected.
​

[IBT]
Iroquois settler pair moves next to the ruins of Grand River, where we have 3 Swords.

Moonlight Bunny Ranch vSword -> vHorse in 4.
Playboy Mansion vSword -> vHorse in 5.

4 0450 BC

Minor Skirmishes
vSword vs. rWarrior (Iroquois), Sword wins (12 of 12).
We capture 2 slaves.
​

[IBT]
Mayflower 871 settler -> settler in 5.

5 0430 BC

Minor Skirmishes
eSword vs. rSpear 2/3 (Persia), Sword wins (13 of 13).
Our Curragh is sent to explore the great ocean, sailing due East from Salamanca.
​

[IBT]
Emperor Club vHorse -> vHorse in 5.
Capone's Crib settler -> worker in 10.
Rusicade Ranch catapult -> catapult in 7.

6 0410 BC

Battle of Bactra (1), Persia
vSword vs. rSpear, Spear wins (13 of 14).
vSword vs. rSpear, Spear wins and promtes (13 of 15).
vSword vs. rSpear 2/3, Sword wins (14 of 16).
eArcher vs. vSpear 2/4, Spear wins (14 of 17).
vSword vs. vSpear 1/4, a swing and a kill (15 of 18).

Good News

Bactra is destroyed, costing us 2 Swords and 1 Archer.
In turn, that saves us 6 gpt in unit support.

Minor Skirmishes
eSword vs. rArcher (fortified on a mountain), Sword wins (16 of 19).
eSword promotes! Generates Washington! And is renamed *SwordOne*.
Move Washington into St.Silky Jungly Mansion.

What to do with Washington?
We are paying 74 gpt in unit costs and right now we are at +1 gpt. Building the Forbidden Palace would give us more cash flow by reducing corruption.
An Army would either be a Sword Army or a Horse Army. We don't need an Army to finish off either Persia or Iroquois. It would help, yes, but they are doomed anyway, Army or not.

Stop, post and ask the team.

eldar reminded me that there is no culutre aspect of this game. No FP, no libraries or temples. My bad.
We make our first Army, named Washington I, but we have no units to fill it.

At 10% science we have -7 gpt and 50 turns to learn Currency. We need to hire a geek but no city is really large enough.
​

[IBT]
Iroquois and Carthage make peace.

Plain Jem Mansion worker -> catapult in 10.

7 0390 BC

Minor Skirmishes
vSword vs. rHorse (Persia), Horse retreats (17 of 20).

Hire a geek in Moonlight Bunny Ranch, now at size 6.
​

[IBT]
Spitzer's Shack vSword -> vSword in 5.
Moonlight Bunny Ranch vHorse -> vSword in 4.
Golden Ranch barracks -> vSword in 10.

Japan is building The Hanging Gardens (Monarchy).

8 0370 BC

Battle of Arbela (1), 2nd Persian capital
Catapult hits.
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins (18 of 21).
vSword vs. rSpear, Spear wins and promotes (18 of 22).
vSword vs. vSpear 3/4, Sword wins (19 of 23).
eSword vs. cArcher, Sword wins (20 of 24).

Good News

Arbela is destroyed; we get 2 slaves.

Battle of Allegheny (1), Iroquois
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins and promotes to Elite (21 of 25).

More Good News

Allegheny is destroyed.

We can trade Republic to Japan for Construction, Monarchy and 109 of 109 gold.
Persia will give us Contstruction for peace.
Iroquois will give us Construction for peace.
I see no reason to trade with Japan in order to get Construction.
I think we should reduce either Persia or Iroquois down to one city and then get Construction in a peace trade, while that city lives another 20 turns or so.
​

[IBT]
Persain Horse dies to our vHorse (22 of 26).

Playboy Mansion vHorse -> vSword in 5.

Our Curragh was lost at sea, though it did find some greenish borders.

9 0350 BC

Landed two units onto the Persian island of Tyre; two more to land next turn.
​

[IBT]
Iroquois Archer dies attacking a wounded Sword (23 of 27).
Persian Warrior in Tyre disembowls themselves on a Sword (24 of 28).

Emperor Club vHorse -> vHorse in 4.
St.Silky Jungly Mansion barracks -> vSword in 8.
Horse Ranch worker -> settler in 30.

Babylon is building The Hanging Gardens (Monarchy).

10 0330 BC

Battle of Tyre (1), Persia
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins (25 of 29).

Good News

Tyre is destroyed; we get a slave.

Shady Lady Ranch is founded, 3N of St.Silky; grows in 10, settler in 30.

Battle of Niagara Falls (5), Iroquois
vSword vs. rSpear, Sword wins (26 of 30).

Good News
(but no screen shot )
Niagara Falls is not on the grid, so it is razed. We gain 2 slaves.

Minor Skirmishes
Catapult hits Persian settler pair.
vSword vs. rSpear 2/3 (Persia), Sword wins (27 of 31) and we gain two slaves.
vSword vs. rSpear (Iroquois), Sword wins (28 of 32).

We meet the Zulu on the far side of Babylon.
We have Republic and 74 gold.
They have Monarchy, Construction and 9 gold.

Hire a clown in The Emperors Club.
Hire a taxman in Spitzer's Shack.
Hire a clown in Moonlight Bunny Ranch, which is not a good thing; city will starve.
​

[IBT]

 

[CommandoBob]

Persia 330 BC

We have plenty of military forces to easily defeat Persia. Those forces are scattered and some are wounded, so we need a turn or two to get everyone organized. We have three units still on the island of Tyre. We have two catapults and a lot of Swords, plus an understrength Army to use.
Neither Sidon or Gordium are on the grid.


Iroqouis 330 BC

We have six units approaching Salamanca. The last two Iroquois cities had only one defender each. Our forces have to walk two more turns before they can attack. Salamanca is size 2; it could draft a Spear if it needed to. I expect this to be a quick fight.

Once Salamanca is gone, I would suggest making peace with Iroquois in exchange for Construction. Oil Springs would be their capital. Currently it is size 1. In twenty turns it might be size 3. Placed where it is, rather close to our core, we should have no trouble dealing with it after the peace treaty is over.
Neither Salamanca or Oil Springs are on the grid.

General Stuff
There are 4 workers ready to clear the jungle due South of Shady Lady Ranch. This will take four turns. On turn 5, two workers can start and finish a road, connecting Silks to Shady Lady City. The two other workers can move 1 south; on the following turn they will start and finsih a road and Silks will be connected to the empire.

We have 7 slaves draining a marsh NE of Golden Ranch and they will be done in 2 turns. This really needs to be 8 slaves, not 7.

The galley north of Persia has a slave and wounded Sword aboard. They can unload next turn, and then we can began to evacuate the 3 swords on the island of Tyre.

We have a settler 2N of Golden Ranch. It can move N next turn and build a city the following turn.

We have a great military. But it is costing us a lot of gold each turn. Once these two wars are over, we should consider reducing our military. Or maybe add some of our workers to our cities.

Next War
By the end of the next turnset either Persia or Iroquois will be gone and the one that remains will live, at max, another 20 turns. Carthage is the next target. Only the city of Carthage is on the grid; everything else must be razed.

 

[choxorn]

lurker's comment: Tough luck on Carthage not beating Salamanca to the GLH- in fact, there's now really not much reason for not destroying Carthage anyway to prevent flip risk.

 

[eldar]

lurker's comment: Yep, shame about the GLH. Could do with it Suicide ship chains vs. Astronomy now... Once again I have to question, are these really Emperor AIs?! They really have been rubbish. Though I expect Carthage to be tougher, but only because of their 3 def Mercs.

 

[CommandoBob]

lurker's comment: Once again I have to question, are these really Emperor AIs?! They really have been rubbish.

Maybe,



just maybe, the Persians and Iroquois are too busy "visiting" the establishments our cities are named after to be effective fighting units?



wink wink, nudge nudge

 

[Othniel]

I was about to bump this game to remind the slacker who's playing next...when I realized I'm that person.

eldar (de-militarized; lurking)
Tad_Empire_O_o
CommandoBob <- just played
Othniel <- UP
MooseWarrior <- on deck
Rodent

Is there still interest in finishing this game? I'm going to assume so even though no one has posted in a while. I'm still up in the SGOTM13 so it'll be a few days before I play this.

 

[vmxa]

Lurker:

Othniel here is the last response dates:

Tad 4/26
Cbob 5/17
Othniel today
MW 4/16
Rodent 5/16

 

[CommandoBob]

I'm still in.

 

[Othniel]

Thanks for the list, vmxa. We'll keep on with this game, even though it's been creeping along.

 

[Rodent]

I am following

 

[MooseWarrior]

I've been here, just not posting.

 

[CommandoBob]

Othniel must be very busy; he hasn't yet posted any turns in SGOTM 13.

I don't think he would mind a skip.

MooseWarrior, are you ready for some turns?

 

[Othniel]

Othniel must be very busy; he hasn't yet posted any turns in SGOTM 13.

I don't think he would mind a skip.

MooseWarrior, are you ready for some turns?

Please! I am very busy and a skip sounds wonderful.

 

[Othniel]

MooseWarrior, can you take the next set? I declare a skip on myself.

eldar (de-militarized; lurking)
Tad_Empire_O_o
CommandoBob <- just played
Othniel <- skip
MooseWarrior <- UP (if you can play)
Rodent <- on deck