Preturn:
Nationalism is now known. I think it worth the trade for Steam Power. Songhai will trade straight up for it - Nationalism for Steam Power. The ability to draft and Riflemen make this seem worthwhile to me so I make the trade. Since Songhai will just trade it with the other civs, I trade for full price from China (266 gpt and 400 gold) and India's gpt (147 gpt + 1370) and Zulu gpt (107 gpt). Note that I do these deals because they already have Riflemen. If they didn't have that tech yet, I might attack them to try to get them before they had the stronger defenders. Now they won't get any worse until Infantry so we have time to deal with them. Science goes to 100% and we have 165 gpt per turn and 6468 gold. I set science toward Rep Parts next so Electricity in 13 is next.
I also think this is a good time to build factories since I won't attack a major civ for the 20 odd turns we are getting gpt from them. Finally, I use 1920 to upgrade 32 Muskets to Rifles. This is what I get using shift U to upgrade all of them in towns with Barracks.
Rush a few libraries in towns bordering the AI. Without an expansion there is a flip risk I will be doing other musket to rifle upgrades and some rushing of buildings in key towns.
The Mongols have many units in our lands. They could easily take Tyre if they wanted to next turn, Sounds from Lee's report though that isn't their plan but have turned around and are heading back. Wouldn't mind getting a better defender into towns like Tyre though, just in case.
Of the Asian civs I might attack we are average to India and China, and Strong vs Mongols. Likely I will start a war with the Mongols once our Rails are looking better. They are also behind in tech
We could attack India or China if we wished but will lose gpt, so no attacks from me - I think we can wait the 20 turns.
IBT: Lose Galley to privateer.
1355 AD: Turn spend roading. We don't yet have roads to the towns we need to have them to declare on Mongols
1360 AD: Finally getting roads to border towns for Mongols. May be able to attack next turn.
1365 AD: Declare war on Mongols and kill off a bunch of units on the front line. Not yet moving on their cities
IBT:
Egypt suddenly declares war out of the blue. They capture lightly guarded Samarra.
1370 AD: Egyptian attack was bad timing - we now face an initial rush from 2 civs at once. This also switches my plans. I will play defensive for the Mongolians for 1-2 turns while I capture Egyptian cities on our side of the African choke point, and then switch back again to the Mongols. I will not go into Africa at this time.
I capture Nippur, the Egyptian choke town. I will want strong defense for the town, so I may replace next turn with our own town.
Also capture Ellipi which isn't guarded by Rifles yet.
I was also planning on building the factories. Instead I rush factories in all but soonest finishes and switch back to Cavalry for a bunch of other towns where the shields are still low enough to switch.. Only a few will continue on Factories.
Attack Uruk which is now guarded by a Spear on top.
Finally our MDI Army is next to Ulaanbaatar. I attack and capture the town.
IBT: Well the Indians and Egyptians made an MPP this turn and
now we are at war with them as well. We lose 3 units on defense.
1375 AD: Raze Uruk. Also abandon Nippur. Build Egyptian Front on a Hill - Rush Walls.
Bombard and clean up enemy units. Do not advance due to new war with India. Got a Leader for our 8th Army
Lowered science to 70% to get us +39 gpt. I have been doing rushing and unit upgrades so we are short on gold again. I think the decent number of Rifles from upgrades was worth it.
Notes:
Stopping here. I don't think I will have time this week as work will be heavy, so going to 10 turns would take another weekend.
Two armies are healing in the Capitol. Others stayed where they were this turn.
War with India cost us. I thought about making alliances last turn, but decided not to. China is the one we are getting the most gold from so we may want to consider it now. If Egypt/Indian MPP had held off one more turn we would have been ok as I don't see us entering Egyptian lands after this. We own the Choke now, so we basically got unlucky there.
An alliance of China against India seems a reasonable idea. We can get one for 30 gpt.
The next turns could get rough. We really don't have enough defenders or attackers for so many wars starting at once. After we deal with the initial rush though, we should be ok to advance again. We might lose a border town along the way.
Egypt:
Chaotic Mongol and new Indian front:
