Just another SG

[Thrar]

We need a lot more workers - maybe we can switch Sparta to worker after growth? Working the corn and copper we should get one out pretty fast.
Do we need to build up military? We're at 0.2 of Joao's power and he's running out of land to settle. If we can't get him up to pleased I'm worried he might be looking for somewhere to expand soon...

NW of the oasis looks good to me to settle next, followed by 2N of silk. The NW coast has low priority.

What will we do with the next GS? Apart from Athens, we don't seem to have any strong academy city. Settle in Athens?

After Aesthetics, do we want to invest the 2 turns of research for Pottery? Hardly seems worth the WFYABTA to me.

 

[shyuhe]

Joao is not a religion lover - I think he caps out at +2 for religion modifiers. So we should start shipping him some resource to butter him up to pleased ASAP.

The Thebes warrior should go sit on the desert hill to fog bust. Thebes doesn't need military police.

Let's send the scout east. It's immensely helpful to know the lay of the land and who has long-term potential for growth.

 

[mystyfly]

No need for military - or rather - no hammers for that. Workers are important but if a city runs out of stuff to build it may do one which stops growth as well. I'd rather finish the library in sparta, it'll be very helpful for border war.

Dunno the last time I actually settled a GP. Bulb philo imo. We'll want to keep the game short and fast, bulb to a key military tech and take over. If we can trade for pottery we do so. We should be able to get at least one AI to friendly so WFYABTA is no issue - plus there's a (or 2) undiscovered civs too IIRC.

 

[shyuhe]

Are you suggesting a medieval war mysty? I think we're better off just waiting for cuirassiers. Although we'll have to trade for at least horses

 

[lymond]

the scout is heading east

 

[babybluepants]

I guess we were saving money for the academy? I would have preferred a quicker Aesthetics given the trade situation. We could have even maybe gotten something from Willem for Alphabet.

1E of sheep can actually win over wheat eventually. His city is crap and won't get going very well; Athens borders will pop onto it in 20t, as well.

I'd probably skip some Sci turns in Athens in favour of a faster settler. We have the academy already. Also skip the libraries and get more workers asap. Athens doesn't even have a fifth tile to work or a TR. Corinth is working unimproved and missing TR, as well. We can't trade resources without hooking them up either. Gold would be an extra happy, or we could even give it to Joao for 10+ turns if we keep stagnating Athens. He doesn't have rice or copper either, btw.

Scout goes further exploring.

 

[mystyfly]

Nope shyuhe I'm not suggesting medieval war I'm suggesting maximum bulbing to rifling/steel. Definitely bulb philo for now to slow down AI lib ambitions.
edit: Warring asap is what we should aim for. However: without our own source of horses (we'll cut off ALL trade routes to other civs once we DOW unless we had astro), knight/cuirassiers are not really an option. That leaves us with maces which I doubt we can assemble enough before joao gets feudalism so I don't really see us launch medieval war but rather renaissance which is unfortounate as, with our small empire, we wouldn't need much time to recover from REX... Do you see another way?

Yes we did save money for academy. Idea was that, apart from saving beakers, we could react to some AI teching aest by researching something else.

@lymond: Yes I've seen that the scout is heading east (on go-to ), I'm not saying it's not ok what you did by turning him back, I was just wondering why he wasn't far east because I missed that bit in your report

 

[babybluepants]

Do you see another way?

Get Joao to Pleased and sneak out a quick culture win?

I'm not sure. Without horses this is quite tough. It would be ok with slow AI pace, but this seems like a fast-ish game. No way any mace attack would work, so cannons it is, I guess.

 

[shyuhe]

So we'll probably need 4-5 GS's. 2 for chemistry, one for lib, one for education. One bonus for philo? If we can use the music GA to grind through a short burst of pacifism, it shouldn't be too bad. We'll also need a friendly civ to get engineering. We'll have to finish gunpowder ourselves I think.

I'm going to laugh if we don't have iron.

 

[babybluepants]

Yeah, Eng and GP are the bottleneck. Eng is kind of a crapshoot for trade. Often 1-2 AI will be ahead on it, in my experience, so yeah Friendly helps. Joao's weak on religion, and that might get cancelled on close borders anyway. HR will get us some nice points, though.

 

[shyuhe]

A short 6 turns to complete aesthetics.

Joao had a settler running around in the SE but it looks like it went back east to his core. I would keep an eye out for a settler though, in case we have to whip one in Athens.

Not much else to report. We are getting our libraries online and Athens is still working on a GS. We research alpha for a turn and trade aesthetics--alpha with someone. Then we can trade alpha--IW with Monty. We'll probably want to give aesthetics--sailing with someone else, although I'm not sure who.



Sury was sent packing for this:



And here's Joao being helpful:



Willem also infected us

 

[shyuhe]

Also, see what our resident psychopath is up to:

 

[lymond]

Good round, Shyuhe. Why did you not finish the chop next to Leiria?

Man, Monty is on wonder crack.

I fully expect to see Joao's settler heading back our way soon. At least I put him off for a bit, even though that was not the city I wanted to settle first.

Note that we can trade Aesths for Alpha with Iz this turn if we are willing to give up 30g and a possible hit to Sury. It may be worth it timing wise though. Note that Charlie does not have IW so we might get something for it in a couple of turns after trading for it with Monty.

Are we going the Lit>Music path? May want to pick up Poly in a trade possibly with things like Pot or whatever.

@Mysty - Oh..that last comment was to Shyuhe.

 

[mystyfly]

When and how did we meet monty?

Can't look at the save right now will comment afterwards. Doesn't look too complicated though.

 

[shyuhe]

We met Monty during my set Monty has 4 cities and is hands full. Unless he picked Izzy, I think he's going to get crushed into oblivion.

 

[Dhoomstriker]

Monty has 4 cities and is hands full. Unless he picked Izzy, I think he's going to get crushed into oblivion.

Well, he at least has access to his Favourite Civic: Police State. He also has a Holy Shrine to help fund his usual large stacks of units. The situation will at least make for a more interesting game (and a possible chance to join the war against Monte if you guys aren't the target, in order to capture some Wonders).

 

[shyuhe]

Well, he at least has access to his Favourite Civic: Police State. He also has a Holy Shrine to help fund his usual large stacks of units. The situation will at least make for a more interesting game (and a possible chance to join the war against Monte if you guys aren't the target, in order to capture some Wonders).

Tough to capture wonders from a civ when you don't know where they're located You can see Monty's scout to the far east but I have no idea where his actual empire is.

 

[babybluepants]

Monte will end up someone's vassal by 0-500 AD.

wtf are Joao's workers doing? Building us a freeway? I think he'll give us TRs between Athens and Sparta next turn, with a desert tile road.

I'd really like to whip a settler and get the oasis right away. We're being too casual given our situation. Still prefer fighting for the wheat with 1E of sheep, btw.

Did she Oracle Currency? That's pretty damn early for it.

 

[babybluepants]

I'd trade gold for fur with Joao. Where is he getting his copper? I guess Charlie...

Why will Izzy give us Alpha, but not anyone else?

 

[lymond]

I'd trade gold for fur with Joao. Where is he getting his copper? I guess Charlie...

Why will Izzy give us Alpha, but not anyone else?

Because she has currency and we can pay 30 gold for it on top of Aesths.

yeah, Iz oracled Currency as I mentioned in my report, which no one seems to actually read....ha