I started my round where I left the last one off, on turn 76 with a settler. I settle Hamburg 3E1N of Berlin. I later cottage the riverside grassland, and swap it between Hamburg and Berlin, depending on what Berlin is building.
Pottery comes in on turn 81, followed by Writing on turn 92. Opening borders with Saladin gives me a 3
pt boost.
I complete the Great Lighthouse on turn 99, thanks to some minor whip overflow and from clearing the pre-chopped forests.
It doesn't seem so great when you only have two cities and one neighbor.
On turn 108, I get the herbalist event, and chose the +happiness, which I don't get to use as Berlin is working on a settler.
I complete research of Alphabet on turn 115, and finish Agriculture on turn 120, at which point I saved given the kicked around idea of posting a 1000BC short round. Research was set to Currency after Agriculture.
I found Munich on turn 121, 3SE of Berlin. Earlier exploration of the island with my scout had revealed it to be a decent production site, and I wanted to get it online early. Besides, most of the commerce any of these sites would be generating would be from trade routes, which any site can offer equally well.
I met Joao on turn 125, and had my first of three fortuitous religion spreads. Hinduism spread to Hamburg on this same turn. As the photo shows, Hinduism would also spread to Munich on turn 127 (seems I left out the turn on that one), and later to Frankfurt on turn 159.
I met Tokugawa on turn 130. I gifted him Mysticism, allowing me to open borders with him. This worked to my advantage, as my scout quickly revealed a hut just north of Osaka which popped for Mathematics on turn 132. A second hut popped on the island for 31 gold on turn 134.
Currency finishes on turn 137, and I set research to Polytheism, which finishes on turn 141, followed by Monotheism, which finishes on turn 145.
I also receive this interesting news.
Looks like there are some issues with the events that need to be corrected.
On turn 138, I trade Mathematics to Saladin for Iron Working. Looking back at the screenshots, I could have offered Saladin Mathematics and Agriculture on turn 133, when he still had four turns left on it, but I don't know if that would have given me any additional +ve.
I settle Cologne 3S of Berlin on turn 141, using a 2pop whip on a galley for enough overflow into a partially built settler to complete the settler on the following turn. Munich would later build a missionary to spread Hinduism to Cologne on turn 146.
Also on turn 141, I establish trade route connections with Tokugawa. The fair & forthright +ves had been wearing off, but a timely increase in the shared faith +ve kept me at pleased with him, allowing for this trade. It was great timing, as the f&f +ve had further decayed by turn 144, dropping me back to cautious with him.
After Monotheism came in on turn 145, I set research to Compass, which completed on turn 157. On turn 156, Joao comes to me begging for Monotheism, and I deny him. He's quite annoying, and I was concerned about him until this odd turn of events.
It seems he saw the light, so to speak.
I also settle Frankfurt on turn 157, 4N of Berlin. This city will work the copper, building a granary and lighthouse before switching to growth. I start a missionary in Hamburg with the idea of spreading Hinduism to Frankfurt, but get a lucky religion spread. As I also have a planned settler from Berlin coming out around the same time as the missionary completes, I continue the build.
I open borders with Joao on turn 158, and trade him clams for crabs.
While exploring up north, I notice a grassland hill on the coast near Joao's border. Since my galley was out of movement points, I unload the scout, as it can return to the galley the following turn if nothing interesting is discovered. I was shocked to find a hut, which popped for 47 gold, but which delayed my scout/galley for one turn.
Compass completes on turn 157, and I set research to Monarchy, which completes on turn 165. I make the decision to swap to Hereditary Rule, for my third turn of anarchy. I probably should have waited until I finished Civil Service. After Monarchy, research is set to Priesthood, which completes on turn 168.
On turn 170, I make an interesting discovery.
That doesn't seem right. With my luck, however, it would have been built scant turns before I completed it had I actually pursued it, now or 1000 years before.
And I found Essen on turn 170, 2S1E of the marble. Given the spare missionary I had, I decided to settle this site first. It's distance cost is less than that of the site labeled Fish City (1SE of the fish). For now, it is working on a harbor, but will switch to a work boat in time to whip it once it hits size 2.
Joao comes to me on turn 172, asking to trade Aesthetics for Monarchy and 25 gold. I decline, but I am considering it now, as I may want to access Drama soon. With the tech trade wake up call, I remember something I should have done long before, and contact Toku for this trade.
It's no longer as major an issue with Joao having converted, but I should have provided Toku Monotheism much earlier to help maintain the religious block. His conversion to Organized Religion the following turn reminds me of the disaster I could have faced if he had converted to Buddhism.
Meanwhile, we've seen the borders of another friend we can play with. Here they are again, but this time closer to home. They're quite difficult to see outside of the game, and please forgive me for not going back and putting in some sort of marker to highlight them.
Frankfurt's borders will expand in one turn, and I'll have contact with whoever that is. I also have a Great Merchant coming on the next turn, which I will save for a partial bulb of Civil Service. Metal Casting is due soon, and Code of Laws should be quick to research.
There are two more sites in our current territory that I would consider settling. One is near the marble (1NE of it), and the other is fish city (1SE of the fish). I think I would settle fish city first, to avoid a significant increase in the colonial expenses all three cities on marble island would experience should I settle there. Once I can put some courthouses in Cologne and Munich, I'll settle a third city on the marble.
I still need to undertake some heavy exploration to the east. I hadn't prioritized it as well as I should have. I think my first settler to head east will be part of the exploration crew, though I still have some expansion to conduct before then.
