Matrix1 - Ziggurat Addiction

[Mikehendi]

I've played 15 turns, zigs are up.

I've gotta run, so the report will follow later

As both alphabet and our great spy are in in 5 turns, I could play 5 extra turns (in a few hours), though it's surely ok if the next player takes it away.

Bad things have happened, as 2 cities were settled in our face.

I've got a scout out to scout foreign lands, and started on 2 settlers (cap + amazingsite @ size3). I think we should build another 2 settlers immediately after these 2, we need to secure some land.

I've put in 2 red dots (thecowisours and metal boats), where I believe they should settle, and 2 white dots for the next 2 (if still possible).

I'd say settle thecowisours first with the cap's settler.

I'll be back in a few hours, so if I'm to play 5 more turns, tell me where you think our next city should go.

 

[happyturtle]

I like 1S of TheCowisOurs, for the wine and an extra floodplain. It might be harder to keep the cow culturally, but we can always take the city later after we finish off Ethiopia. After that, Metal Boats then Spicy Desert. Then we start ramping up for war on Ethiopia. He has metal though, so won't be a pushover.

Our fog busters should be moved around as some of them are now in unneeded spots.

 

[happyturtle]

Hmm... looking at the map again, I'd rather prioritize Happy Camper above Metal Boats. I think we can either block India or Ethiopia, and since it looks more profitable to war on Ethiopia first, let's block off India.

 

[MatrixTheKitty]

I agree with Happyturtle on 1S of thecowisours and happy camper before metalboats.

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

Concur on 1S of cowisours and with happycamper. Metal boats is nice but not urgent, might wanna wait until Ethiopia is invaded so as to limit their counter-offensive options.

I suggest we review our espionage spending: spying on ethiopia will have little to no value unless we plan to use spy revolts etc, and we might be better off focusing on potential tech leaders, namely Aztecs 2pts, Egypt 2pts and celts 1pt (eyeball estimate of Power + GNP - Culture, since GNP includes culture while power parallels the ability to win wars, if I remember Robi D's demographics explanation correctly).

If we are going through with the block india/annex ethiopia plan, I suggest we close borders with india when we get the settler down south. Foreseeing a war with india next, I wouldn't be surprised if those spy points would be wasted otherwise.

That is all assuming we don't use those EP's on warlike commodities, but I do think it sensible to use our EE mainly for techs, since that's what we'd be spending it on otherwise.

 

[MatrixTheKitty]

We'll probably have to use a revolt on Aksum to get rid of its cultural defenses, but that's probably it.

 

[Mikehendi]

I see a lot of "1s of cowisours", but please realize that we should then name the city "thecowwillonlybeoursafterwe'veinvadedtheindians", as they have a religion and a BIG head start on pumping culture into that tile.

I like thecowisours because the cow is in the FIRST ring, which is more important in this variant then in a normal game. The cow is a great tile to grow (whip) AND build the zig / monument early and reasonably fast, where as 1s of the proposed location isn't so hot to get the zig and a border pop online reasonably fast.

Just try to estimate the approximate number of turns it would take both alternatives to get it's first border pop, add to the difference losing the cow tile, and then tell me if you still prefer 1s of thecowisours.

Will write the report in about 7-12 hours

 

[happyturtle]

*is convinced*

*changes vote to Thecowisours*

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

Convinced as well.

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

Well, if you had any doubts, I'm a bloodthirsty psychopath.

Switch amazing to archers. and whip hard.

Ladies and gents, if there's one thing I'd like, it would be to see Agra razed.

Look at Freddie's position. He's in last place. yet, he's got that city SW of Amazing and he's up there in the NW of the jungle. He has no depth.

I suggest the time for REX is done and we need to do a vulture rush. Although I really like Metal Boats.

Hook up the copper. Whip vultures. hit Freddie. Combat settler on black.

Black secures our borders for backfilling after we deal with Freddie.

Having said all the above, I'm good with going what the team decides. I really shouldn't post, when I'm in a pissy mood.

 

[happyturtle]

War is good, and early war is better, but if we war with Freddy now, Qin will grab all the land. So I must reluctantly disagree with the call to stop REXing now. We need at least two more cities to block India before we can start the war ramp up.

 

[Mikehendi]

I agree with happyturtle. If we build an army now and raze the place, we'll lose 3 or so other city sites.

 

[Mikehendi]

Finally the report!

As no one objected (or approved, actually), I played another 5, which led to a decision point.

Turn 120: Change ALL builds to Zigs!
t121: zzz
t122: zzzzz
t123: ZZZZZZZ
t124: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

But then, on turn 125:

Spoiler :

NOTHING HAPPENS!

t126:
Time to get to work, lazy basterds!

Spoiler :

.

Both cities get whipped this turn, I waited with whipping the amazing site until the overflow could complete the granary.

T127: I trade Ivory to Qin for Fur (remember to cancel once we settle Happy Camper)
Also, I've opened borders with everyone for starting some diplo and more foreign trade routes. Except with washington, as I certainly not want to piss off Shaka when we have no army at all!

T129: I fit in a scout in Eridu to start exploring the foreign lands.

t133: Eridu scout --> settler

t134: Frederic settles in our face!

More zzzz

t140: Alphabet is in! Time to switch to the EE!

Before SY:

After SY:

More bad news: Spicy desert is gone! As we've GOT to have a desert-named city I dotted Winey Desert on the map! I know most sites have overlap, but for an EE, the more cities the merrier!

The settler has arrived on Thecowisours, but I haven't settled it yet. We might want to change our minds. I said the cow would be great for getting the zig/mon. up, and it is, but we'll lose it anyway in 10-15 turns (we'll get it back 1-3 turns after our borders pop though, but that's "too late" for getting the early builds up.

We could use a fogbust warrior to scout out ethiopian lands. He'll be our first target likely, despite badly placed cities and crappy lands. Or maybe it will be the indians, I don't know yet. (delhi looks GREAT, and we've only seen half of it!)

Indian lands:

I've divided EP points so that we can see everyone's research in 3-4 turns. It's usefull to see what techs everyone is researching, so that we can prepare to steal a key tech the turn the AI gets it.

For settling, I'd settle thecowisours OR winey desert first (can borrow cow), and metal boats next. Happycamper grabs nice resources (at least I can sometimes spell it right ), but it's a crappy site, as it doesn't have any food. Metal Boats is great for spamming units with the copper and double fish for whipping.

 

[MatrixTheKitty]

Why not settle Metal Boats first to start spamming units earlier? Then we can get Winey desert second.

Also, our northern copper should be hooked up already so that

A: we will have redundant sources in case of pillage

B: having copper and thus a few vultures before settling metal boats, getting a bit of a headstart on making them compared to getting metal boats' copper hooked up first.

 

[MatrixTheKitty]

Oh btw:

MtK
HT
MH - just went
B - up
IO - on deck
AK
kol (hiatus)

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

Hmmm... we don't have enough cities! Look, we have 3 cities, while some people have as many as 7! If we could settle at least one more before declaring war... damn, I've never been behind the AI in cities before. On the higher levels, I always tend to do a REXing Rush. (REXR!!) In other words, REX + Axe/Sword/HA Rush.

Oh well.

Beorn, I trust that you'll begin the war preparations. If you don't, I'll try to during my turnset. We need some war and quick...

 

[MatrixTheKitty]

The rexing is in progress. Both Uruk and Eridu have settlers on the way.

Metal Boats, Winey Desert.

Then come vultures and spies, maybe even another settler to go to Happy camper if Freddy doesn't snag it. Actually, I doubt we will need that city - we'll just take Qin's horses and fur!

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

Got it. Finish REXing, zig-mon with a penchant for in the new projects, connect copper, employ the axe smiths. Get a spy in Aksum whenever convenient. Also, see to it that we reach tech visibility as much and as soon as possible.

I'll play later tonight, so that's 6-8 hours for more PPP comments.

 

[Mikehendi]

If a city >= size 6, a spy is obligated per the rules

Plan sounds good, let's hope the AI doesn't settle another 3 cities in our lands in your turnset

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

Hmm. B is up. IO on deck. maybe I get to play with vultures? <cackles gleefully, rubs hands together, says "excellent Smithers" and runs off...>