Iroquois Nation

[Krystalshield]

When I read through all of the civilizations, my first thought with the Iroquois was "Oh. Okay. I don't see how that will help them much, but okay." I honestly can't say my opinion has changed much, but therein lies the potential interest for me. Can I lead the Iroquois to a Domination Victory?

Here's what we have...

Spoiler IROQUOIS :

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The great spirits of our ancestors dictate...

Spoiler SELF-IMPOSED LIMITS :

1) Given the results of the last time the great white father was allowed onto native soil, no European, American, or Russian will be allowed to have Open Borders. [Only asiatic and african nations will have ANY chance of roaming our great nation.]
2) NO WHISKEY! EVER, EVER, EVER!!! [For the purposes of this game, we will treat WINE as WHISKEY and are not allowed to connect it or trade for it.]
3) We will not allow the white man to marry our women. We will keep their main villages (Capitals) as trophies to our strength but not their other villages. We will start separate villages with our Wigwams and Teepees after we clean their filth from the land. [I.e. raze all cities when captured]
**Potential Exception: Our ancestors may allow the keeping of the other native population (Aztec). We are awaiting word on this...
4) We will not allow the land to be destroyed! No tree shall be cut down by our workers. [Practical as well as RP, we can use the trees as free roads.]
**Exception: We will allow tree cutting to connect a luxury resource once. (I didn't realize how many resources need cutting to get access. Now I know...)
*More may get added if I think of something else that makes sense.

Information about our world...

Spoiler INITIAL SETTINGS :

Civilization: Iroquois
Map Type: Continents
Map Size: Standard
Difficulty: Prince
All victory conditions enabled, but we aim to repay the world by complete domination.

Where it all begins...

Spoiler :

We have silk right next to us and Gold close by, so we will have great blankets for our ponies and fancy beads to trade. There are Deer south of us, but they look out of reach. Perhaps our Warriors will learn more by going to the top of the hill to the west... Nope. The great spirits of our ancestors have spoken.

And once again, the Iroquois have a home amongst the trees...

Spoiler TURN 0 ONANDAGA :

 

[Krystalshield]

We must find a path to the firesticks that were our near salvation and ultimate undoing before, but there are many paths before that. Here is our initial plan:


The first action happens in Turn 1 when my warrior sees ruins in the distance. Moving a little closer on Turn 2, he finds...

So Turn 3 he steps on the northern one and finds...

And we start the Honor Social Policy track, since we will need all the XP we can get to inflict maximum damage on the world...

And the first atrocity happens then...

That's right. This italian wearing blankets shows up, ransacks OUR southern ruins, and then doesn't even have the graciousness to accept an offer to Cooperate... EUROPEANS!! Why do we even try? I will remember this... Mark my words...

 

[Krystalshield]

Sorry about not completing the first 20 turns last night. I played them. I just didn't have the energy to get them posted. Here they are though...

Seeing the rude Roman nearby, our warrior changes direction and the great spirits reward his patience. More ruins to reward the true nation.


Searching the ruins, we find maps...


Which reveals another city state north of Onondaga...

Spoiler STRATEGIC MAP :

For those who like to keep current on the maps...

We finish our first production on Turn 7 Knowing that we will soon know everything about the land around us, we start working on a second warrior to defend our borders and conquer those who would defile the land.

Our warrior to the southeast reveals a great spot for a second city... Sheep and Wheat in the immediate vicinity with more sheep, spices and fish close at hand for later trade and use. Additionally the location is along a path of forest, creating an almost instant trade route.

Our scouts proceed over to Rio de Janeiro for introductions.

Spoiler :

A flurry of wisdom rains down upon our elders...
Extensive thought and effort lead to
And the discovery of ancient pictures in ruins leads to a startling realization

Amidst our celebration of our wisdom and knowledge, we are visited by Montezuma. Initially we greet them with open arms, seeing a kinship that we hope will kindle an eternal fire of friendship. And then he talks...

Spoiler Montezuma :

Unsure how to respond, we politely leave as quickly as possible. "What manner of creature are you?"??

On our way back to Onondaga, we stumble upon the Arabs.

Spoiler :

Ah, this goes much better. Of course, he wears blankets like the Romans. Should we be concerned?

North of Onondaga, our scouts send word of a wondrous crater. A crater?! This I will have to see to believe... Wow. That is wonderful! I feel happier just seeing it.

So after 10 turns, here's how we stand:
Our key reports...

Spoiler :

Pleasantly average for most things. Horribly rated for leadership, surprise, surprise. Get out the lash. We shall beat them until morale improves!

Current score...

Spoiler :

YES! The Iroquois leads the pack! Now we just need to hold onto this lead for another 490 turns...

And a screenshot of my capital, Onondaga...

Spoiler :

Nothing extraordinary here. Continuing to try to grow. I could buy the gold in the north, but I don't see the point yet since I want to keep growing to maximize what my citizens will be able to do once a worker can make some improvements. Worker will follow the second warrior.

 

[ibot66]

I am enjoying reading this.

 

[Krystalshield]

Our explorations continue, revealing Sidon, Kuala Lumpur, barbarians, and Harun of the Arabs concern over the Romans. I agree with the Arab that this European could use some additional watching and we conspire to watch Caesar secretly.

Spoiler :

We have our first taste of the benefits of our special trait, as well as noting the boundaries.

Spoiler :

I didn’t catch this until after the movement, so I don’t have the before shot. The Scout began his turn where the star was. He crosses a river, moves through 2 forests, and then onto a plains hex on the same turn. Wow. I can see possibilities. Plus this isn’t costing me a penny in upkeep. Hmm… Definitely a bit more to this than I initially thought.

One of the elders is beaten by his wife using this stuff she calls “Pottery” and the fad catches on. A couple of decades later we realize that this could also be useful for storing food!

We also discover a plume of water that jets into the sky. The majesty is enough that we name it “Old Faithful” and our people are happy because of it.

Spoiler :

Our explorers locate a wandering group of Europeans and bring them back to Onondaga.
I argue with the elders, but they feel that our ancestors will not allow us to turn away these people in their desperate need. I mention we could sacrifice a few in the fires to ask and get sent away.
I send my new warrior north to deal with the barbarian menace, only to discover that their tribe has grown. We are faced with a difficult choice.

Spoiler :

The 58% bonus doesn’t make sense to me. I get my 25% bonus from the Honor track, but where the other 33% is coming from I missed. Now that I think about it, I believe there may be a basic bonus to units against barbarians.
We begin attacking the pair, whittling them down. No barbarians shall be allowed to despoil our lands!

As we roll into turn 20, here are some current maps for our friends who like keeping up…

Spoiler :

Here’s our point standings…

Spoiler :

Ranked #1 again! We rule! Pathetic white men, you stand no chance against the might and intellect of our tribes!

Here are the detailed reports…

Spoiler :

A few notes:
1 - Yes, we have spent none of our coin. I have my reasons for this which will become clear later. <insert evil hand wringing here>
2 – Notice my population is the top of the heap, while everything else is so-so. Nothing but food in this spot currently, so that is my only advantage. And even that would be so-so if I hadn’t stumbled on the free citizen.

Here’s our Capital, Onondaga…

Spoiler :

Picked up the gold to the north through culture growth which is why didn’t waste my gold buying it. No use buying it with gold when I will get it through culture growth.
14 turns until my first worker. Turn 34 seems kind of late to me, so that might bite me later, but we will have to see.

 

[Krystalshield]

Writer&#8217;s Note: At this point the game starts stretching out a bit, by which I mean, that there will be a bit less coverage of each ten turn span because most things get repetitive. I have no definite gameplan for how often I will make these updates (i.e. every 10 turns, etc&#8230 but suffice to say I will make sure you get the highlights. It is safe to assume for now that the army is exploring and we are beating on barbarians regularly.
Oh, and I&#8217;m a dork. I deleted the pictures off for turns 21 to 35 off my thumb drive, so I&#8217;ll have to add them later.
In the north, our gallant warriors earn a promotion and spend about 100 years (5 turns) defeating the barbarian menace, eliminating the filth from our presence in 3080BC and adding trinkets to our collective funds.

Of course this means that my scouts discover barbarians to the south. In the process of going around them, he discovers ruins equidistant to the north and south, the northern one being closer to the barbarians.
A tough choice, our scout remembers his mandate to stay alive and look around, so he moves away from the barbarians and gets made into an Uber-Archer.

With mystic guidance, he moves through terrain as a spirit while raining death on his foes.
We are informed that our production is a little low.

Spoiler :

The Russians present a beauty who deserves rating among the wonders of the world&#8230; And then she opens her mouth.

Spoiler :

&#8220;lesser nations.&#8221;? Does she forget how powerful our nation is? How dare she! Again our ancestors warnings echo in my ears, &#8221;Beware the white men. Don&#8217;t take their beautiful women as squaws. And don&#8217;t touch their fire water!&#8221; Perhaps I will make an exception for this Catherine, if she annoys me too much. Or if I decide to take another squaw.
Turn 35 sees our first worker starting to work on the gold while we begin building our first Settler. Only 12 turns until our nation will grow. Glory awaits!

Spoiler :

As of turn 35&#8230;

Spoiler :

We are falling behind! NO!!

Definitely not a good report card for Turn 35. But my plans are coming to fruition. Just a little while longer&#8230;

FIRE WATER! NO! Tell the warriors to flee, now!
Tribal fires burn bright as BRONZE WORKING is discovered. And in the southeast our warrior discovers a poor, helpless worker being viciously attacked by barbarians.

Spoiler :

The odds weren&#8217;t great, but our noble braves knew their duty. Of course, the workers wished to join our fabulous nation rather than returning to the Roman empire that failed to protect them before.
On the opposite side of the continent, the Arabs and our braves approach another barbarian encampment.

Spoiler :

I defer to the Arabs, but they choose to wander away. Our glorious warriors scalp the barbarians and clear the way for our second village.
That&#8217;s right! More villages! And yes, you read that correctly. For on the same turn that Onondaga produced a settler, we also purchased one.

Spoiler :

This will allow us to start&#8230;

Spoiler :

The dark blue indicates the circle of hexes extending out two in every direction with the hatched area one that will probably be annexed as &#8220;road&#8221; as well.
The Pink circle marks Old Faithful for anyone who has yet to see it in game.

Please notice the turn in the picture (54). Osininka got started on Turn 50 and Grand Rapids on turn 53.
Now look at turn 58&#8230;

Spoiler :

The Arabians are attempting to divide our nation. When confronted, they respond by denying any wrong-doing. Exactly how we would expect a European to act. And we thought the Arabians would be different.

Spoiler :

Sorry, I was actually angry enough that I forgot to screen shot the dialogue with them. The next turn they also cancelled our Pact of Secrecy against Caesar.

In the midst of all of this we unravel the mysteries of the wheel and start noticing other civilizations &#8220;entering the Classical Era&#8221;. Someone named Alberti also sends word that we still don&#8217;t have as many &#8220;pointy sticks&#8221; as the Aztecs. This time we do kill the messenger.

Spoiler :

We do start seeing improvement in our demographics at this point&#8230;

Spoiler :

And the Iroquois leap back into the lead on the scoreboards of life&#8230;

Spoiler :

To close this chapter, our capital of Onondaga finishes the production of Stonehenge and establishes a permanent mark for the Iroquois people in the annals of history.

Spoiler :

 

[Set]

The 58% bonus doesn&#8217;t make sense to me. I get my 25% bonus from the Honor track, but where the other 33% is coming from I missed. Now that I think about it, I believe there may be a basic bonus to units against barbarians.
We begin attacking the pair, whittling them down. No barbarians shall be allowed to despoil our lands!

you get plus 33% for attacking them on flat ground but there in their encampment so I am not sure if this applies

 

[Krystalshield]

you get plus 33% for attacking them on flat ground but there in their encampment so I am not sure if this applies

That might be it. I'll have to get a calculator out at some point and verify which side they are taking the modifier off. My assumption has been that they adjust on the side with the bonus or penalty, in which case the 33% would get taken on the barbarian's side, but there I go with an assumption.

 

[Krystalshield]

Pictures for turns 21 to 35 in the earlier post have been added. Will try to update the next set of turns soon.

Its about time to start kicking some Arabian butt away from Iroquois lands!

 

[Krystalshield]

Our ages BC continue to fly past. We discover the secrets of the bow (i.e. Archery). The natives begin to get restless. Kuala Lumpur is the first to complain about “Singapore”. While our nation would be willing to help, we don’t know these “Singapore” and therefore must pass.
It is about this time in the game that our ancestors inform us that we must relent, slightly, on our strictures against cutting down trees. We are reminded that care of the land is the most important thing. With great anxiousness, we permit the cutting down of the woods near Onondaga in order to allow access to our fine Silks for the best Pony Blankets… EVER!

Spoiler :

And in addition, the author hadn’t realized how many luxuries are placed on forests… Just about any improvement that gives access to the luxury requires cutting down the woods. So our rule is changed. We are allowed to chop a forest to gain access to a luxury, but only one. Bye-bye trade with other powers… Oh well…

We become nervous about the prospect of our people being unhappy. North of Onondaga we send a small tribe to found Akwesasme (and no, I didn’t misspell “Awesome”, this name came from Civ 5.)

Spoiler :

Yes, we spent gold immediately to buy the Dye’s space. It would be a bit of a waste to start a tribe up there and NOT ensure the acquisition of one of the two main resources. And we only had to pay with a handful of beads!

With the establishment of our northern presence, take a look at how we stand…

Spoiler :

And some demographics…


Our nation begins to overwhelm!
Of course, there’s always someone standing by to criticize. In this case his name is Ibn Battuta.

We are asked by our Maritime neighbor to the north to kill off Sidon, a Militaristic City-State. Sidon’s access to Whales and a desire to befriend someone with food prompts our invasion, with a paltry pair of warriors and one Archer. This might take a while.
While battle rages to the north, we learn how to sail and the art of masonry… and mathematics… and have a Golden Age begin… Until, finally, SIDON falls. (So, in other words, taking a city without a siege engine SUCKS!) Of course, the addition of another city, highly developed, makes our score increase again, but at least the others appear to be getting caught up a bit… For now.

Spoiler :

And our demographics…

And a rundown of our tribal villages…

Spoiler :

Akwesasme:
Onondaga:
Osininka:
Grand River:
Sidon(Note-this is a later screenshot because I’m missing one, but the only real differences are the lack of the recently captured fist and some flaming wreckage that I repaired):

Our smartest have discovered Iron, but we have no nearby resources besides the one just outside SIDON’s southern border. We begin working feverishly to connect a Grand River to a space of Iron within two of their current border, an undertaking which cost about 600 gold coins and ten or so turns.
In the meantime, we send our army south, to prepare for the imminent invasion of Arabia’s illegitimately claimed holdings between Osininka and Grand River. As turn 100 arrives, we have our armies in place and a worker feverishly building mines to our newly acquired Iron. War is imminent and unavoidable. Soon the atrocities of the Arabs will fall in flames!

 

[Krystalshield]

No update today. Too many non-Civ5 responsibilities.

For some reason the boss seems to think his computer should occasionally be used for WORK-related reports...

 

[evrett37]

I've really enjoyed your "voice"..its reminds me of Flouzemaker! You've really created a connection between the Iroquois coulture and the reader.

 

[Krystalshield]

I've really enjoyed your "voice"..its reminds me of Flouzemaker! You've really created a connection between the Iroquois coulture and the reader.

Thank you.

Hopefully I'm not offending too many actual Iroquois...

 

[Krystalshield]

Alright, so where were we... Oh yes, we were preparing to cleanse the land...

So as of 375 BC (turn 100), our braves have rid the world of the Sidon infestation and are now moving south to deal with the Arabian incursion. We discover the secrets of making our braves even more ferocious while stalking the woods and teach these secrets to a handful of our most experienced braves.

The buildup around Medina clearly indicates the coming massacre, but our ancestors' wishes are plain. The insult to our sovereignty must be addressed!

Spoiler :

The picture is a little cut-off at the top, but there is another Mohawk Warrior northeast of Grand River.

I don't remember why I left the diplomacy menu open in this shot.

In position, we send our elders to inform the Arabs of the end of their folly and it brings them to the verge of tears...

Spoiler :

The first strike...

Spoiler :

For some reason the sight of that string of modifiers on the mohawk makes me smile.



And just like that the battle of Medina comes to the ending...


Notice it is turn 105.
The first town is set to the torch, the flames lap at the skies as our braves chant their cries to our ancient ancestors and the spirits of the defiled woods, calling for them to return to this place.

Spoiler :

For those who haven't noticed, this is the city screen when a city is being razed. It presents the possibility that towns could be razed down to 1 population and then allowed to grow. Could that help with captive city unhappiness?? Hmmm...

Our brave forces move south to deal with the other encroaching city...

Spoiler :

As you can see, many things happen... We become quick friends with Monty, who recognizes our superiority. We set out, our minds and hearts made up about the Russian beauty, surely our ancestors were wrong. Our initial inquiry is hopeful, a negotiation begins. While away, our elders discovery some secret of fire and metal which seems momentus... Or so they tell me. But, the largest news is the completion of our campaign to eliminate the evil ones defiling our land.

Utterly defeated, the Arabian prince offers everything he has for our assurance that we will not attack again. We decide that the land has had its fill of blood and accept his offer.

Spoiler :

 

[bestrfcplayer]

Great job so far! Can't wait for you to conqure the world!!!

 

[Krystalshield]

Thank you for the compliment. Sorry about another delay...

Why did Civ 5 have to come out at the beginning of Open Enrollment Season? Don't they understand that this is the sole time of year that I CANNOT take time off?

Anyway... The Iroquois saga continues...

Our victorious army takes a turn or two to rest...

Spoiler :

I find it interesting that over 100 turns into the game and Aztecs are showing no additional cities and Romans are only showing one new city. Seems a bit low considering PRINCE is supposed to be the "average" setting.

We discover the secrets of using pieces of metals to indicate how much power we have to buy things. So 160 shiny things indicate that I can have a group of braves ready to explore the world. Europeans are big fans of it, so we'll give it a shot.

The excitement of our recent victory and the close proximity of the lovely Catherine push me to make my decision about taking another wife. I send my braves to lay out the case for her acceptance of my gracious offer.

She is flattered, but plays hard to get...

Spoiler :

My braves express my undying affection and desire for a union of our two great peoples. They describe the joys to be found as she is the most favored squaw, raising our four children to take their places of honor, awaiting my return with eager anticipation... Giving her a glimpse of the life ahead.

Her voice says no, but I understand her true feelings... We must prove our strength. My braves begin defeating her strongest men, evidence of the virility of the Iriquois.

Spoiler BEFORE(TURN 118) :

Spoiler AFTER(TURN 119) :

In the midst of the display, our elders figure out how to string together squiggles to make "writing". The conquering of Petersburg becomes the first written record of our accomplishments. This record and the elder writing it is quickly burned as I dislike the idea of someone being able to read in ages to come about the flames of purification that sweep through the city.

Our brave youths move south to the home of fair Catherine, to further prove their might. En route, I am visited by Montezuma with a request for us to enter into a Pact of Secrecy against the Arabs. Given our recent war with the Arabs, we feel this agreement would benefit us.

Spoiler :

Our elders come to me as the battle for Catherine's heart enters the next stage. They tell me that they have a new "philosophy". Apparently my burning one of them a short time back is not part of that "philosophy".

Our braves pour through the town of Moscow, facing any who would test their manhood against the might of the Iriquois. The results are... sad. I refrain from commenting fully, but you can tell that even Catherine is disappointed.

Spoiler :

She does appear to radiate pleasure at the demonstration of virility and strength from my braves. I feel certain that she will relent at any point to my offers.

Spoiler :

Vienna asks us to eliminate their enemy Stockholm and we agree. We also discover that the Arabs are encroaching on the forests to the west and we send a force to renew hostilities and establish again the dominance of the Iriquois and the forest.

Spoiler :

Sorry, missing about ten turns of screen shots. I'll keep looking but I might have deleted them when I cleared some space last weekend.

Stockholm falls and Vienna becomes VERY friendly. So friendly in fact that Catherine becomes jealous! Ahh, she may try to deny it, but true love can not be suppressed! It finds a way to make itself known. Even if it is the seeds of jealousy and envy!

Spoiler :

We eliminate the second Arabian city trying to destroy the forests and discover secrets which our elders swear are important. I don't see how, but I'll leave it with them.

So much time in the woods hunting our enemies, I return to our capital to relax under... the... trees...

Spoiler :

Okay, AI note: Don't automate AI if you are playing Iroquois and intend to utilize their Unique Ability. AI doesn't "know" that those forests are also roads which need to be protected. I had to stop a few automated workers from cutting up my "roads." When I first returned to my capital I got nervous and had to pull up old screenshots to assure myself that the automated workers hadn't messed up my improvements.

Spoiler IROQUOIS ASSESSMENT :

I took a screenshot on turn 123 which I will update a couple of times over the game.

As of this point, I have 7 cities, 3 of which are connected by jungle, forest, road, or a combination of the same. I am generating 20 from Trade Routes while only paying 6 to maintain the miscellaneous roads that connect my forest and jungle paths.

Essentially the Iroquois Unique Ability to use forests and jungles within your territory like roads, including to establish trade routes seems like a fairly powerful way to avoid some of the maintenance costs that can drown a civilization over time.

There is the added benefit of being able to consolidate your armies after capturing certain cities since being surrounded by forest or jungle immediately makes all of that road for your troops after the city falls. In addition, if your civilization is built in the right areas, response to almost any point in the kingdom becomes much quicker, especially with 1upt where a manufactured road can quickly get congested.

Of course, the first thing to remember is the fact that not just any forest will do. The forest must be in your territory. Eventually this might be less of a problem, but during the early stages of conquest this can get tricky.

The other thing to recall is that every Mohawk warrior automatically gets a 50% bonus to fighting in woods. Therefore a Mohawk warrior taking three Shock promotions, will get +60% to attack on open terrain & +50% to attack in wooded areas. Essentially there should rarely be a time that this STR 11 unit is not fighting at STR 16-18. A nasty little customer. Now add to this the fact that you upgrade him later and the nastiness has huge potential...

And given how early a player CAN get their mohawk warriors started, the potential to have 5 to 8 of these guys ready for upgrade is significant.

But that's just my two cents...

 

[Krystalshield]

Spoiler Additional realization :

I realized that one other detail was overlooked in my assessment. The impact of NOT needing to construct roads is quite huge over time. Sure, two or three cities and the time involved is relatively minimal, but over the entire empire the turns used to build roads adds up. This is especially huge when the Iroquois take a city in the middle of forest and suddenly get “roads” instantly, a point mentioned above. All sorts of little plusses here.

Our national culture continues to grow and the elders tell me about something called Discipline, which our braves can use to be more effective facing the Europeans. I heartily approve of this policy and we instruct everyone immediately.
After Medina falls to our brave warriors, we decide to plant our next city in a different location. I am surprised to discover that the citizens decide to name the city Genesse River. Perhaps a view of the conversation that ensued would prove helpful:

Spoiler :

Hiawatha: Ah, Elder Sees-Through-Glass. I am honored by your visit. What word of our newest tribe.
Elder Sees-Through-Glass: The tribe has finished their wigwams and has immediately begun discussions and plans to create a grand market where Sugar will be traded to the other villages and nations. Soon Genesse River will be known throughout the land for our confections and sweeteners.
Hiawatha: This is great news! A market. Amazing… But, you said Genesse River? Where is this?
Elder Sees-Through-Glass: That is the village. We have selected a name.
Hiawatha: Did you select a different location for the village than we initially discussed? Or do I forget a river?
Elder Sees-Through-Glass: No, we went to the place amongst the trees. There is no river, that is merely the name we chose for ourselves.
Hiawatha: Genesse River? But you have no river?
Elder Sees-Through-Glass: Yes.
Hiawatha: <Stare>

As I try to comprehend why a village in a forest is named after a river, I am called upon by the blanketed one… He complains that our new village is too close to him and accuses me of breaking my word!

Spoiler :

I call the elders and we quickly agree that the blanketed one must be punished for his insult. He takes this like a true warrior…

Spoiler :

The war rages for a mere 60 years (6 turns) and the roman nation ceases to exist. Their legionaires prove formidable, but no match for our braves. Blanket man takes his ultimate defeat well, although Catherine appears less pleased. Perhaps this European was special to her?

Spoiler :

Legions were tough. Perhaps even better than the warriors, but since my Mohawks had experience behind then, they won easily. 150+ turns into the game and Rome only had TWOcities. That seems really low, especially for PRINCE level.

During the war, our elders finish their research into “Civil Service” and “Horsemen”. The prospect of warriors racing across the plains on horseback while our braves slip through the forest appeals to me. As we begin talks about how to use these new warriors, the elders bring me to watch the testing of a new device, the Tree Bucket (trebuchet).
Using the new marvel, we remove the Arabians from the land completely and cause the other blanketed one to break down.

Spoiler :

He had a good twenty or thirty turns and had 2 archers to defend his capital and last remaining city... Disappointing...

Beyond his realm we discover another thing of beauty, the Rock of Gibraltar.


As we begin to integrate Mecca and Rome into our culture, our elders bring me something they call STEEL. Our braves become much stronger as we make weapons of steel. Some of the braves even wear steel plates on their chests and steel bowls on their heads. They look ridiculous if you ask me…
About the time that they start getting ornate with the steel, we hear this loud boom from across the village. Racing over, we find Talks-Like-A-Blanket-Man trying to put out a fire while holding a smoking stick. Come to find out that the stick booms and a tiny arrow made of metal without a shaft flies through the forest until it strikes something, a hit which can be every bit as deadly as an arrow or a sword. He calls it “Gunpowder”.
State of the Empire:

Spoiler :

 

[Vellis]

Fun read overall.

Considering your courtship, I feel compelled to tell you that I've read that Catherine has been known to make suggestive comments towards male leaders after being conquered. One time she introduced herself to my Alexander by saying "If you're as wise as you are attractive we should get along fine". I don't know who or what triggers it, but I thought you should know =p

 

[Krystalshield]

Yeah, I spotted a screenshot with something similar in another playthrough. Unfortunately Russia seems to have triggered the always peace bug that I have read about so defeating her completely may not be an option.

We'll see. Our Iroquois Cassanova still has time to make up his mind...

 

[cman2010]

nice read. I think I will use him on my next play through.