My Spanish opening and dot mapping and maybe a walk through..

[Gumbolt]

Rexing has killed my science although up to 6 cities. Should have done writing before sailing!!!

War has just broken out and Ragnar has sent a stack my way of 4 units. 3 axes defending but his axes have +10-25% strength. I could whip an axe?

I think he got annoyed by me pillaging all his roads connecting his cities. Its a bit worrying his city has 2 galleys in it. Putting my copper city at risk.

Shame really as i just whipped 3 libraries. Happiness is really killing me.

Spoiler :

 

[kossin]

I wouldn't build a settler in Madrid so quick or Barcelona, you need to stabilize your economy a bit. Let Madrid grow and work scientists. Turn off the slider (binary) and run some scientists where you can in the meantime. Delete obsolete troops to save 1 gold/turn (warriors in Barcelona and Corboda)
I think your copper city is safe. If you see the galleys move out then maybe move out some axes that way.
You can wait a turn at least before whipping Corboda. I think you have enough garrison unless Ragnar crosses the river, but better be safe than sorry.

 

[Gumbolt]

Okay update 320bc.

His stack just would not attack my city and it crossed the river. I moved axe up from Barcelona to help with defences and whipped another axe and attacked his stack with losses.

His stack and axe reinforcement were destroyed and a GG arrived. Now his border city had a mere swords defending it. So i attached GG to an axemen and gave it double movement and +25% melee and attacked. We now have a new city and 109 gold too. We might have a small problem upkeep wise. I think the city has iron as the hammers from the hill have declined.

Lets hope i can hold the city. Ragnar is not happy. Awww!!

Spoiler :

 

[Silu]

Open borders, man. Sailing isn't going to do you any good if you keep your borders closed. The AI doesn't send settlers through completely culture-blocked territory.

 

[Gumbolt]

Well i have a kinda open border with ragnar.

I have played on 200 years more. Ragnar keeps sending 2 units to attack his lost city and he keeps losing them. My great general is getting nicely promoted. Ragnar only has 3 cities to Alex 8!!! My power rating to Alex is 0.4 so perhaps i should be worried. Not sure he had copper hooked up early on.

I have a spare settler in Madrid to place. What to do with my first GS? Alphabet might be useful in terms of brokering peace with ragnar. Guessing academy somewhere.

I am also tempted by Alex Holy city below my horse city. I may lose the horse to culture if not careful. My beakers per turn is a worry.

I will cease play for tonight.

 

[dirtyparrot]

Open borders, man. Sailing isn't going to do you any good if you keep your borders closed. The AI doesn't send settlers through completely culture-blocked territory.

Unless they're on galleys, although I'm not sure if that was removed in the latest patch.

 

[Silu]

Still I'd rather get a ~40% science boost and just close the borders if there's a suspicious galley on the move Better yet, just settle the coast as well.

 

[Gumbolt]

Still I'd rather get a ~40% science boost and just close the borders if there's a suspicious galley on the move Better yet, just settle the coast as well.

Trouble is Alex cities are on the other coast to mine and Ragnar will only take peace if i give up his city. I could attack his final 3 cities. Hmmmm

 

[Gumbolt]

Update to 700ad. The war with Ragnar took years to end. He lost his third city to me which i raze. I sent my 3 axes around his remaining 2 cities razing whatever i could for funds.

Happiness was a real thorn in my side. That coupled with neither Alex or ragnar teching Alphabet till i teched it in 500-600ad or so. Monarchy and temples have helped improve this. Wasnt good for 600-700 years.

This followed a huge barrage of trades with Alex and Ragnar. Hunting, archery, IW, currency, calender, construction among other techs traded away in return for alphabet, monarchy, COL, Aesthetics, literature.

Strangely enough both Alex and Ragnar were happy to trade.

Alex is at friendly but I dont think this stops him from attacking. He is amassing an army.

I have built Glib in a Cordoba which I chopped 5-6 forest for. My capital has NE built.

I wasted a GS on Maths. Bulbed philosphy too.

I have 8 cities but due to Ragnar small empire Alex has expanded strongly. I suspect Ragnar will capitulate to him in due course.

I will load some images tomorrow.

 

[Loki Strikes]

If Alex is friendly he will not plan war on you, if he has enough on his hands from when he was pleased though he can be after you. The only AI that can decide to declare against you at friendly is Catherine and she needs a bribe. So if his hands are empty/he went WEEHORN when you were already friendly, you are 100% safe.

yeah I checked your save, Alex CANNOT declare war on you. He is spamming troops, but just cause he has a high buildunitprob, he is not in WEEHORN

I would get teching... looking at your continent I see very few hill cities... and you have horses... cavalry should do nicely, and I would strike no later than renaissance or else Alex will become more of a monster.

 

[Gumbolt]

Now we have some dilemas.

Theres no obvious candidate for HE!! Production city??? Madrid and NE is hardly suitable.

Next question is Oxford UNi. Again Madrid seems a weak option. Cordoba? I am 10 turns of edu. I could bulb it or save GS for liberalism and a academy somewhere. Any thoughts?

Tech wise I need nationalism and music for MT gambit. I also need gunpowder, guilds, HA. The spanish UU looks a lot of fun. Again no production city to build any.

Ideas people???

Spoiler :

Okay techwise we are the slowest continent. Divine right and other techs have already gone. Notre Dame has been built somewhere. I could trade for feudalism but dont want to give Alex and his Vassel CS yet!!!

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo195/gummby_2008/spanish230000-1.jpg

This has to be one of the weakest capitals science beaker wise I have seen in years. I didnt even want to add an academy.

The main problem is production. Should I switch to slavery to whip out court houses and unis? I could switch out of pacifsm.

 

[kossin]

I'd farm over some cottages to at least irrigate your grain specials (corn, rice). Whipping an army will be fast here although if you decide to go Trebuchets/spies+rifles drafting can be useful.

Another option is to farm+workshop over after you hit guilds/Chemistry.

The workboat queud in Salamanca should be first in the queue.

Cottages are nice but before Emancipation they tend not be that great unless: on a river side or built really early (like your 3rd city being commerce-focused).

Unfortunately you don't have any obvious Oxford U location.
Sparta looks pretty good OTOH.

Grouping workers is ok but usually you want to keep them separate while your cities aren't completely improved to avoid wasted turns.

Try to grow your cities more and focus on their specialty, don't run so many specs in a commerce city. What I mean: your cities are running scientists while their improvements are mostly cottages.

 

[Gumbolt]

One of my main concerns was getting some GS for the lib grab as I want MT!! Its gonna be a tough ask as the other continent is ahead.

The start was hard enough. i think I over rexxed instead of getting the basics like monarchy to enable happiness. The blocking cities were not cheap to run.


Not sure what you mean by ' I'd farm over some cottages to at least irrigate your grain specials (corn, rice).' Do these get extra food when linked to irrigated terrain? Is this something I have missed?

I do think some irrigation would help the city growth.

Salamanca had an issue with a barb galley that stalked Madrid. Thats why i didnt queue this first. Without MC it was a tough ask.

Irrigating cottaged cities makes good sense. I have certainly been whipping a lot early on.

 

[Gumbolt]

Up to 1180ad.

Okay first bulb into liberalism done. I have a spare GS for second bulb. Still no sign of the other continent.

I have decided to make madrid a GP farm and I am actively working to irrigate this city. I have added irrigation around other cities to help growth.

Sparta would be great for Oxford. It would take an almighty army as I am at 0.4 to Alex.

In terms of liberalism. I need gunpowder and Nationalism before i take it. Is this doable. I suspect someone must have guild/engineering by now.

I have a good deal with Alex and Ragnar. I trch something and then I trade it off to each of them for different techs. Music for MC and music for HA and drama. I did a similar trade for philsophy. Traded for Feud and then for compass and gold.

I am reluctant to trade away paper to them as this will be tradeable when we meet other nations.

Would I be better going for optics to try and trade for techs? Caravel to explore the world.

I could take nationalism with lib to be safe. Gunpowder and nationalism = 40 turns. Dont think I can bulb them. It may still be possible. I dont think we will have a 880ad Justin in this game. (I hope )

I was lucky to get a free Great merchant in Madrid. Science is almost back to 50%. Heaven knows how I am even making 160ish beakers a turn.

 

[kossin]

You don't need Gunpowder to take MT from lib., just Nationalism and Music.

 

[Gumbolt]

Ah!!! I think you just need gunpowder to build the unit not to tech it.

In this case I will try to grab it. Then i need to decide how to grab Sparta and the holy city. Fighting Vikings and Greeks will be tough. Alex has lots of horse.

 

[Gumbolt]

Took a golden age to make sure of it.

1 turn off liberalism. What to do. Hmmmmm.

If i take MT whats my best approach? I have no HE wonder yet! Theres no obvious choice. Workshops? Whip units? Hmmm.

The unit will walk all over Alex at present till he gets guilds. He does have a lot of units though.

 

[Loki Strikes]

Cordoba and Haithabu are your best hammer cities atm, neither are stellar.... I would probably whip out on army, take MT with lib... build some spies, hopefully you have enough EP on Alex for a revolt or to. When you finish gunpowder build some cuirassers, you don't have a lot of hammers so I would whip, workshopping all your cottages seems suboptimal as you have cottaged everything for so long already and they are pretty well developed by now. Kremlin seems a good target at some point($$$buy domination), however kinda late in game so I would head rifles...

 

[CarlH]

Not sure what you mean by ' I'd farm over some cottages to at least irrigate your grain specials (corn, rice).' Do these get extra food when linked to irrigated terrain? Is this something I have missed?

If you chain irragate to unirrigated corn/rice/wheat you get 1 extra food from those resources.

 

[Gumbolt]

oooh didnt know that. I normally work them and leave them till biology. lol

Whipping a lot of units will kill my empire. I would have to take on the vikings and Greeks. Need to scout out the Vikings. They both produce insane levels of troops.