IT 750BC: Yes, I did veto the harbor. Didn't think I would at first, I wanted to trade our incense to somebody! However, Germany did not have a harbor yet, still doesn't, America wasn't interested in our incense, and Liz is too poor.
So I thought, yes, the cathedral would be best! But then I looked and saw no granaries. (Deju vu? Heh
).
The cathedral will be more useful than a library, same culture, slightly higher maintenance but same shield cost. I swapped our Fur town to cathedral.
Markets would be really really nice, but ya know... having 1.5x the population has the same effect on the cash flow, and also speeds production. Granaries got dialed up in every core city. Thebes was set to finish theirs next turn, so MM'd their food and set things up to add more irrigation. We should be able to get to the coveted 10 shields per turn, I think. With corruption happening even in our capital, we are pushing the limits of city count before hitting diminishing returns, and we need courthouses! Wow, lots to do, but first, the granaries.
Because most of all, we need larger cities.
Not much happened.
* Thebes finished Granary, then Cathedral. Now up to 10 shields per turn and growing larger, with enough happiness to support the full monty: size 12! And that's without market, the fur, or colleseum, just the current rate of luxuries.
* I did allow the war chariot to finish at Helio, then built its granary and started it on cathedral. If the AI's come soon, it's hopeless anyway. If we get some infrastructure in place, larger happier cities, we can start cranking units if desired and be further ahead.
Everything about deity is give or take. The more you gambit, the more the rewards, so long as the house of cards doesn't tumble. Postponing military to build infrastructure will lead to MORE military, after X number of years, because of higher production overcoming the later start. The question is, what value for X can be sustained? That's the judgement aspect, and it can go wrong even with good information or reasonable risktaking. I believe in this case, as Thebes will already show, having that granary and cathedral in place, it's now set to pump military units quickly if desired. Toe could build barracks and produce three vet chariots on his turn in that one city, if he wants.
Helio could be set to build troops right now, but I think it will be better to get its cathedral, and then start the troop training while the city grows and grows (try to keep at least 4 food per turn surplus, once there are some more irrigations).
Yet the AI's are also still growing/producing/maturing, and I don't wonder if in the absence of poprush loophole, if "waiting for enough military to strike" isn't rather like waiting for Gedot. There is something to be said for seizing the day, but we made the wonder our top priority, rather than expansion or military, and that set the course of our destiny.
* Engineering and Education popped out of the library and that ended that.
That was like almost immediately. America has Invention and Astronomy at the end of my turn.
* I ran zero science the whole way. We're already way out of our league, still trying to catch up on making use of POTTERY and THE WHEEL, what are we going to do with BANKING? Nothing, for a while at least. So I say sit back, wait, the other two civs will come along soon (buy contact with them ASAP) and we can catch up on techs then, for cheaper.
* Memphis spent the whole turn finishing its temple, then producing workers. Left it doing that.
* I did block the two tiles the AI has as "potential settlement sites". As Jaffa noted, they are now settling any tile 3 rows away from cities. We have a warrior sitting on one of them, and a worker improving the other. If either unit moves without being replaced, the AI's will plop down over there.
* Rushed the cathedral at fur town with 6 turns left. I figured the 15 culture might be worth 90 gold if it brings those furs to us. Rather than build granary, I started a library. That too may have to be rushed, but I leave that up to others.
We're going to need courthouses and at least one harbor (probably at Thebes). Even Thebes needs a courthouse! It's losing four shields out of fourteen!!!
The only way we could ever build an FP in Berlin or DC would be with a great leader. Corruption is already eating us alive, any distant cities would be locked in the 1/1 chokehold.
If troops are desired, Thebes/Helio are ready for the call. The others still desperately need more infrastructure, and I don't think any has barracks either.
No need to race Detroit for culture until they prove they have some.
When we get a chance to trade with Germany finally, I urge trading away our only iron (yes!) for loads of tech and money (make sure we get like a bunch of techs, at least two or three and maybe a luxury). Spend the time of no-iron building chariots/horsemen which can upgrade to knights/cav, or building infrastructure. This advice applies as a potential for all players in this game: You can trade away your locally used resources and go without for 20 turns -- sometimes that's a bargain.
- Sirian
