Mediterranean Adventure

[Nizef]

Here we go.
T21: Buy a Deer tile for some more production. One Scout continue to the W, the other goes E.
T22: Found a ruin and got 20 culture! Moving into position to steal a Worker. Open up Liberty as agreed.
T23: Declared war and took the Worker. Found Ragusa and pillaged Enrico´s TR for 100 g.
T24: Met Portugal. Heading home with Warrior and Worker and bought one more Deer tile. Rome is pop4.
T25: W Scout found the Atlantic shore. E Scout exploring down the Croatian coast. Monument done and I start on a Settler. The idea being to try to pick up Mt Kailash/Matterhorn.
T26: I would like to boost the production a bit and went Mining after Sailing. Found Tirana (says Genoa in the meeting screen) for 30 g. Alex hasn´t met them yet! Fourth pantheon gone. GL went, that was early! Took the "smuggler´s route" into Spain (through the Pyrenees).
T27: Chose Republic as second SP.
T28: Found Valencia (says Quebec City in the meeting screen).
T29: Exploring and found the Spanish border. Peace deal with Enrico. Will he send us a TR?
T30: Met Isabella. Met Belgrade. Their special unit is... the Mohawk Warrior??? Doesn´t feel typically Serbian... Fifth panthoen goes and the sixth goes before t31 starts.

I think that it might be worth it to settle on the Copper two tiles from Matterhorn. What do you guys think?

 

[raider980]

Ah yes, that's why Mt. Kili and Kalish are there, Vesuvius and Matterhorn. I figured maybe wonders were random but that makes sense.

Thank goodness for that culture ruin. I was getting worried about our culture.

I was thinking of founding on that Copper too. Its the best spot; its close to Kalish, we get an instant luxury so negate the happiness hit from the city., and its a hill river mountain. How many pantheons can be founded? Or can you keep founding pantheons until a religion is founded? I assume we want to buy Kalish and work it right away if there is a chance of a pantheon still at that point. And we might be able to buy those marble, or at least one of them, before Monaco gets it.

Edit. Plus that city will block Venice's MoV from getting to Monaco. No open borders for you Enrico.

 

[Nizef]

Pantheons are available until a religion is enhanced. With OwN we will most likely get a pantheon but even 1 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 15 fpt will not get us a religion, unless we are incredibly lucky.

 

[vadalaz]

Pretty uneventful. Just building some military units to protect our civilians.

T31: Finish Mining, start Archery. There seems to be a barb camp near the Crabs spot so we'll need to clear that.
T32: Barb hand-axe appears on our borders. I leave a worker bait, because the hand-axe needs to die quickly, we're about to spawn a Settler
Interim: Monaco targets a barb camp.
T33: Hand-axe captures our worker bait and takes a beating for it.
Interim: We meet Alex
T34: We get out worker back. We find Rock of Gibraltar and the lands of Portugal and Greece.
T35: Rome finishes Settler, starts Warrior. Worker finishes the wheat farm.
Interim: Alex finishes Stonehenge. Tirana targets the Crabs barb camp.
T36: Pledged to protect Tirana.
T37: Finish Archery, start Calendar. Worker starts chopping a forest.
T38: Temple of Artemis goes.
T39: Rome finishes Warrior, starts Archer.
Interim: Salona targets a barb camp.
T40: We meet Theodora. There's a barb spearman near the Copper we want to settle on. Worker starts a pasture.
Interim: Enrico puppets Salona.

***
New warrior and archer can take care of Tirana's barb camp quest, and the warrior that's escorting the settler can try to clear the barb camp that Monaco targeted.

Collective rule next turn. I'm assuming we're settling Kilimanjaro and the Crabs spot after we clear the barb camp there?

I don't know if we can afford to buy the Kailash tile here. It's usually a very expensive tile. I think I'd rather save the gold since we're not getting a religion anyway.

Tradition opener after Collective rule for border growth?

 

[Nizef]

I think that the Tradition opener is a good choice.. About Matterhorn, I would make the call when we know how much it will cost us.

 

[raider980]

Maybe we should get a pantheon that will be more immediately helpful, since we're going to lose it anyway; unfortunately, there aren't many left. Food from camps and hammers from fishing boats would have been awesome but they're both gone. I guess OwN will build up our faith supply for purchasing buildings if we have the chance. For once, I can look forward to Isabella's missionary spam. Her pantheon is not great, we don't have that many but we'll have several pastures; and even more when we conquer Venice.

We going to settle the coastal tile next to Mt. Kili, and the deer? And then the one next to the sheep in the boot?

 

[beetle]

T041 sizing up the map, and i am a little surprised to find myself agreeing that settling inland copper is the best choice!
T042 open CR and send settler S; archer heads for Killi buff; Rome starts on a Settler for the boot
T043 found Antium on the copper, Kailash tile is 95 gold (which we have, but we will soon be running a deficit, so i do not buy); barb camp S spawned handaxe, so that is inconvenient
T044 meet Zurich and they have camp quest, so PoP; settle Cumae next to Kilimanjaro (I was tempted to cross the peninsula, but wanted to work Kili asap)
T045 Enrico tells us to stop settling near him, i tell him to sod off; start researching Writing
T046 Valencia (Quebec City) wants us to denounce Spain, which is fine with me, but I give POP first
T047 Hanging Gardens goes, as well as first two religions
T048 Scout gets +1 sight from barbs and backs off; more early wonders go
T049 Pyramids goes — good call to not try for that; Cumae already at pop 2; settler is out, heading S; Rome starts on Granary
T050 Warrior N has barbs in both direction, wanted to clear camp with the quest, but pull back
interstitial: decline to forgive Isabella for bullying Zurich

@raider980 you are up. I think the sheep tile itself is best for the Setter. The hill citrus tile is good too, but misses the crab. Once the camp is cleared, that is also a decent spot, but I think then Alex would settle the toe.

I vote for opening Tradition after the Liberty worker. I don’t usually bother with Tradition opener at all, since I figure I can buy the third-ring tiles. But for this map, I agree with opening Tradition.

 

[raider980]

Normally I'm fine with settling on Sheep since its not that great of a tile. But I assume we're going to get Spain's religion which has culture from pastures. Its only +1 but it still makes me hesitate. However, looking at the map, I agree that the Sheep is the best tile. It keeps the Crab and gains a grassland hill and a shared fish with Cumae instead of a bunch of ocean tiles if we settle on the plains in the boot. Too bad it can't share Mt. Kili.

I'm at work just looking at a screenshot I took with yields off. What is the yield of that Citrus/Hill/Forest? Normally Citrus is 3f but its not normally on a hill.

 

[Nizef]

The Citrus/hill seems to be 1 f + 2 h + 1 g unimproved and will only generate +1 g when it is improved.

 

[raider980]

Ouch, that is not too good, probably better to build the city on it. The luxury hound in me hates to leave a unique luxury just out of city range. Oh, and I just looked at the map. Tirana is within 3 tiles of the crab so they will get it before our borders can grow there if I found on the Citrus. The Sheep it is.

 

[beetle]

How many cities before pausing for NC?

Are we building a Barracks sooner than later?

I think Rome has a pretty heavy burden. It has to build Watermill, Lighthouse, and Library (all early, so the expos get their 25% buff) and at least two workboats (for the crabs). And right now it is the only city with production decent enough for building the army we will need to seige Venice.

 

[raider980]

Pretty eventful series.

T51. Clear barb camp for CS quest. Friends with Tirana, back into positive happiness. Antium bombards barb warrior. Our warrior attacks barb archer. There is a lot of barb activity around Antium, we'll need more troops up here. Almost dead Iberian Scout runs for his life.

Interim. Theodora offers embassy trade, we accept. Enrico offers embassy trade, we accept.

T52. Antium finishes Monument, no production so not sure what to build so start Library. Rome worker finishes vineyard, +5 happiness. . Buy Citrus in Antium and switch Antium to food to grow in 1 turn; will expand to Matterhorn in 2 turns.

Interim. Isabella offers DoF, really? We accept. Two more pantheons go.

T53 1880BC. Antium grows. Troops heal.

Interim. Maria has completed Statue of Zeus.

T54. Antium expands to Matterhorn. Move tiles to work it. We're 13 faith from a pantheon and we're generating 7 fpt.

Interim. Petra built in a faraway land. Another pantheon goes, darn.

T55. We discover The Wheel and start researching Optics, its the best deal. Rome finishes Granary, starts Library. Settle Neopolis on the sheep; better than expected 2f3h. Work the Citrus to get Monument faster since we're in happiness trouble anyway.

Interim. Colossus built in a faraway land. Spain founds Catholicism.

T56 1760BC. Cumae finishes Monument, starts Granary.

Interim. Isabella declares war on Maria. An unknown civilization founds Islam.

T57 1720BC. Barb galley near Rome. Got a pantheon! I decide to go with Sun God. It will benefit all our cities since each one has wheat or citrus or both. Move tiles around to adjust to our new pantheon. Meet Bucharest, Cultured, Neutral. Scout snipes the LaCorona barb camp to complete the quest, Isabella will not be happy. The Mt. Kili promotion on Scouts is amazing, I was able to come from 3 tiles away to get it.

Interim. Great Wall built in a far away land. Isabella bullies Valencia; I tell her that's not very nice.

T58. Social Policy: I take Collective Rule, we're hurting for workers. Rome gets second wine. Trade embassies and Wine for Salt with Isabella. Happiness ok now. Iberian scout heading home for swimming lessons.

Interim. Enrico completes Great Lighthouse, thanks Enrico.

T59. Troops heading north to help with Antium barb camps. Workers heading south to get luxes.

Interim. Buddhism founded.

T60. Antium Warrior heading back to heal, there is a barb swordsman that spawned at that camp NW of Antium.

Interim. Discover Optics.

That was a fun set of turns. At some point early in my set (don't remember when exactly) I switched production in Antium to a worker since I realized I should wait for Rome to build the library before building it in an expo. Sun God is helping with our food but our production is really lacking; we really could have used the production from fishing boats pantheon, oh well. I have our warrior and archer that were down south heading to Antium because it needs help with those barbs. Workers are heading south to work on the wine and citrus so we can get it for trades, there are several luxuries available from other civs.

Regarding the extra rules, are we only not supposed to accept gpt from the AI so are allowed to pay gpt for a luxury?

 

[vadalaz]

Regarding the extra rules, are we only not supposed to accept gpt from the AI so are allowed to pay gpt for a luxury?

Yeah, paying the AIs is fine.

 

[Nizef]

Here we go:
T61: Moving the Archer up N, other units healing. Started to research Masonry.
T62: Exchange embassies with Alex.
T63: Library done in Rome, I start on a Lighthouse. Expands switch to Library.
T64: Next tech Philosophy.
T65: Cumae pop4. I sent one Warrior to explore the islands.
T66: The exploring Warrior found another Mt. Kilimanjaro (Etna this time around) on Sicily. The island has no new luxuries, only Citrus and Wine.
T67: Our Warrior found a ruin and got to know about some barb camps. There is one right next to the ruin and one that seems to be on Sardinia.
T68: Lighthouse done in Rome. I start on a Caravan. Our Warrior got some unhealthy company so he will swim to Sardinia instead.
T69: Starting to deal with the camps near Antium.
T70: Our Sea Warrior ran in to a barb Galley but the barbs got scared and backed off.

At the beginning of t71 we have one turn until Philosophy and Antium and Neapolis will need 2 turns for their Libraries while Cumae still need 5 turns. I expect us to fulfil the barb camp quest from Monaco in a couple of turns. Spain is about to conquer Porto. Athens is pop15 and Constantinople is pop14, while our own capital is only pop8. It will be much better once we get to work all the sea tiles. Trapping will improve our production.

 

[beetle]

Got a pantheon! I decide to go with Sun God.

Please tell me that OWN and the other faith-generating pantheons were no longer available?

At the beginning of t71 we have one turn until Philosophy and Antium and Neapolis will need 2 turns for their Libraries while Cumae still need 5 turns.

That is very decent timing on NC!

 

[Nizef]

I think OwN was available. However, it would still not have been enough for a religion. Alex has hammers from Fishing boats, so that might be a decent religion for us.

 

[beetle]

Point of OWN was that we would have had 100s of faith points when faith building first became available. Without OWN, it is fairly safe to predict that we will not be faith purchasing more one or two GP. But on the other hand, the only GP we might have an option for is GS. Still, the third GS would have been nice.

 

[raider980]

When we didn't buy Matterhorn right away I thought we abandoned all attempts at a religion. I did think of OwN to stockpile faith for buildings but figured we weren't even guaranteed to be able to build any. And since we can't bulb GS I figured no point in buying those with faith. Then I thought of the Wine pantheon but there's only 4 Wine and figured early food would help more. But that's why I'm not very good at the game, I don't see the details and minutia. (Don't look at the building Alex has now, turns out OwN would have been better, sorry (but at least its not Pagodas)).

 

[vadalaz]

I think Sun God was a good choice. Anyway:

T71:

• I don't think it's safe for the warrior to be embarked so far away from land without a Trireme shield. He's coming back home for now.
• Monaco has a Sheep tile in the third ring, 2 tiles away from the barb camp. That's a potential worker steal for the barbs, I think it can pay off to be patient with this camp. Moving the Monaco scout south to go explore Corsica.
• I think the other scout can get to Tirana before we lose friends status with them to get Embarkation and swim past Constantinople.
• Will chop a forest in Rome to build a quick Worker before starting NC
• Slammed a warrior into the mountainside barb camp, it's going down next turn

T72:

• Tirana wants a trade route. I think I'm building a Cargo Ship in Rome instead of the worker then.
• Finished Philosophy, started Bronze Working.
• Cleared the mountainside barb camp, but it spawns a trireme
• Another barb trireme near Cumae

T73:

• Rome finishes Caravan, starts Cargo Ship. Neapolis finishes Library, starts Trireme. Antium finishes Library, resumes Worker.
• Sent a trade route to Venice
• New SP: Tradition opener
• We meet Carthage and trade embassies. Dido has top food and hammers, and the city of Carthage has Pyramids, ToA and Colossus. And Dido's building Oracle there as well. Now that's a good city to take.
• Embarking a scout 2 tiles away from Corsica, seems pretty safe

T74:

• Bronze working finished, started Trapping. No immediate Iron, but our borders will grow to two 6-iron hills eventually
  
• Barb trireme is annoyingly blocking our water tiles in Rome
• Scout lands on Corsica and finds a unique lux and a ruin.

T75:

• Trapping finished, started Mathematics
• Scout gets a weapon upgrade. Corsica looks good: Wheat, 2 Fish, Spices, 3 hills, 2 of them with forests to chop. Scout sees another ruin on Sardinia.

T76:

• Eastern Scout made it to Tirana just in time to get Embarkation.

Interim: Enrico offers friendship, I refuse. Porto falls.

T77:

• Cumae finishes Library, starts Worker..
• Ruin on Sardinia is adjacent to two barb hand-axes and there's a barb trireme unaccounted for as well. Scarcher waits for now.
• No longer friends with Tirana, down to 1 happiness

T78:

• Finished Mathematics, started Construction
• Neapolis finishes Trireme, resumes Granary
• Barbs and Monaco's units skirmish, seems like we'll have to clear the camp next turn unfortunately and won't get to return a worker

Interim. Venice allies Tirana and they have 57 influence more than us, so we won't ally them with a trade route now. We get some influence with Valencia for researching a lot of techs.

T79:

• Antium finishes Worker, starts Settler. Rome finishes Cargo Ship, starts NC.
• Moved Cargo ship to Neapolis
• Trying to block Monaco from clearing the barb camp themselves. I still want barbs to capture a worker from that Sheep tile.

Interim. We meet Morocco and trade embassies. Dido finishes Oracle.

T80:

• We meet Babylon, trade embassies and Wine for Sugar.
• Scarcher collects a ruin, it's 20 culture. Sigh... a pop ruin for Rome would've been really good.
• Traded Wine for Whales with Morocco. We're at 0 Wine now, but we have one more that we can improve.
• Sent a trade route to Tirana

*****
What do you guys think about going Engineering -> Compass here? We can probably do some damage to the AIs with Galleasses here. Carthage in particular looks like a fantastic city to capture.

We can pick up Iron Working along the way to finally unlock Legions and maybe start working on Venice as well. It'd be nice to steal Tirana from them before we attack though. Metal Casting before Compass could be a good option as well.

 

[Nizef]

What do you guys think about going Engineering -> Compass here? We can probably do some damage to the AIs with Galleasses here. Carthage in particular looks like a fantastic city to capture.

We can pick up Iron Working along the way to finally unlock Legions and maybe start working on Venice as well. It'd be nice to steal Tirana from them before we attack though. Metal Casting before Compass could be a good option as well.

Interesting situation. What about Engineering - Iron Working - Compass?