n0x-01 -- I Wonder...

[Kikinit]

I think then that we should be using both the prophets for the 2 missing shrines and going on a missionary spreading craze. We will then be able to out research the AI's by a long way.

We've probably left a culture win too late, although we do have loads of wonders... I am leaning towards a diplomatic type win. We have to build the UN at some stage anyway as it's a world wonder.

 

[Sina]

Please use the Scientist for an Academy in Delhi unless Kikinit vetoes this. I used the last Scientist we had for research and still feel guilty for that.

About victory...I don't think Diplomacy will work, but agree on trying for it on the way to Space which should be a given with the tech lead we have currently. If we don't mess it up and fail to get a wonder, that is.

On the Prophet thingy....I support Kikinit in whatever he decides. I am still undecided what's best and trust his judgement.

 

[Kikinit]

Now you've put all the pressure on me .

If we create a number of missionaries, we can start to run research at a higher rate and increase our tech lead, buying us time to build the wonders. I don't think there are a lot more left anyway, not compared to the number of techs.

We can think about some of the national wonders that we have ignored soon and start to gear up our production for a space race at the same time.

I am happy for the scientist to go to an acadamy in Delhi. No need to feel guilty about anything Sina. There is more than one way to win this game and I've never done this variant before.

 

[GreyFox]

Lurker:
Abt Liberalism, why would you want to delay it unless there is a particular tech you want to grab using Liberalism which isn't available until a requisite tech is researched? You lose all the benefits you enjoy with Liberalism: +10% research, +2g from towns, etc ...

 

[Kikinit]

Grey, I think the aim was to try for democracy for free. Problem is, constitution will take too long from what I can see. I am starting to think that it's best to just finish nationalism, then finish liberalism and take constitution. We would then research democracy by ourselves.

We could get a 10% bonus by switching to Free Religion as well as the +2commerce from towns. And switch back to OR when we want to build the statue which will take us a long time.

 

[Kanga_DU]

Can't finish turns till I'm home from work, however bear in mind with going the shrine option with the Prophets that those two religions (Christianity and Islam IIRC) are spread only in 2 and 1 cities at the moment. So the income boost would be a delayed onset, possibly for quite some time. Printing Press will give an immediate cottage boost. I'm completely abivalent about which option to take, just playing devil's advocate.

 

[Kikinit]

Kanga, it's a good point. Maybe we need to go 1 for each and spread all the religions and we'll surely get another prophet which can then be used for the shrine... So we would then only need to concentrate on one religion to start with.

It's not going to kill our game either way as far as I can see.

EDIT: Upon re-reading the above, it doesn't make sense. I meant going for 1 shrine and 1 prophet for tech. Then spreading the religion of the shrine we build first. Spread the other as we have time and then when we get a prophet in the future, we'll build the missing shrine.

 

[Kanga_DU]

Well so finishes the most nerve wracking ten turns I've played. Constant fear of making a mistake. What in the nine hells have I signed up for?

1340 Inherited turn. Sweaty palms already.
1346 Switch tech to Nationalism. Bombard Chengdu. Prophet @ Bombay.
1352 Use sleepy Artist on Nationalism. Library started in Lahore. Sue for peace w/China = pocket change + 5/turn.
1358 Still up Divine Right and Paper across the board. (Don't worry, I was checking this multiple times a turn. )
1364 Shendong is razed by the Mongols
1370 Move Prophet to Madras for christian shrine. Scientist builds academy in Delhi. Note the space below Karachi now.
1376 Still up DR and Paper. Build christian shrine. Small profit @ 70% research now. Constitution in 12.
1382 Gengy asks for dyes for fish. Decline for now. Start Taj in Delhi. (This might of been the move). Start Library in Guangzhou. Vers in Bangalore 9 to go.
1388 + 1394
1400 Workers focusing on Nanjing and environs (have been for a few turns). Still up DR and Paper. Consititution in 8.

No screenies... (but plenty'o smilies). Towels the nervous sweat off.

 

[Kanga_DU]

I'd strongly encourage holding the line on Consitution and then finishing Liberalism. All AI's have to get Paper-Education and then finish Liberalism. I'm doubtful that even if you assume one has most of Paper down, that they would get Education-Liberalism in under 9.

Following up with going for Economics and getting an GM might be a loooooong shot though.

Oh and Hatty is willing to trade for copper, though she wanted stone/marble from me.

And Oh again. There is still a spare Prophet, which I didn't bother using on Printing Press yet.

Da Save:
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[Kikinit]

Sweaty palms... You should have tried the earlier turns when we had 3 or 4 wonders to build at one time and only that many cities. Good work Kanga. I'm still at work so I'll load up the save when I get home and see what we should do next.

If we've still got that monopoly on paper, then we have no fear of losing liberalism. Free Democracy will be cool... 6000+ beakers worth.

 

[Kikinit]

Hang on... there's a snag, we need printing press for Democracy anyway.

We'll have to burn that prophet on Printing press and then finish printing press too... so it's not quite as forgone a conclusion as we might have hoped.

EDIT: Printing press is a cheaper tech than Constitution so we'll just have to keep on going and watching for Education to be finished by any of the AI.

 

[Kikinit]

The prophet will do 1728/3432 towards Printing Press. We'll have 5 turns left on it. At that to the 7 turns left on constitution + 1 for liberalism and we have 13 turns. The AI's all don't have paper... or at least that's what the tech screen shows. They then need to research education and liberalism so we can keep this going for a bit longer yet.

Anyway, who's up? Ralph, you want to have a go?

 

[Sina]

Very nice Kanga.
Kikinit is right on the earlier turns. That wasn't good for my nerves, at all. Very exciting and fun though.

I'm confident about getting Democracy if the AIs still don't even have Paper. Education usually takes a 2-digit number of turns even on normal speed.

Then we can start the Statue in Delhi right after the Taj Mahal finishes and get the bonus into it. If I see it right, we won't build any other wonder during that time, so we can trade with Hatty for Copper. Just cancel it right after the Statue is done.
Then we could save the Engineer. I really like having that guy around.

What's the next wonder to research for after Democracy? I think we need to figure out the smartest tech path for the rest of the game. I'll look at the wonder list (somewhere in this thread) and the tech screen later/tomorrow and make some suggestions.

My mother-in-law did decide not to visit us as planned, so I have some unexpected free time tomorrow and can grab it if nobody else has by then.

 

[rddc05]

lurker's comment: Probably Kremlin, followed by Broadway, etc.

 

[Sina]

These are the wonders to be build after the Statue:

Electricity -> Broadway (?)
Radio -> Rock'n'Roll (?) and Eifel Tower
Communism -> Kremlin
Facism -> Mt. Rushmore (or is that national?)
Assembly Line (?) -> Pentagon
Plastics -> Three Gorges
Mass Media -> UN and Hollywood (?)
Robotics -> Space Elevator

Anybody got a plan?

I'm always late on Kremlin, Pentagon and Mt. Rushmore meaning that I never build them. So my usual tech path is off and I need to rethink.
Will do that tomorrow....first time I tried G&T tonight and it's growing on me...once you accept that you drink the smell of your Christmas Tree. Time to get a new one

 

[Kikinit]

Thanks Sina.. without studying it properly, I would think that we need to go the Communism, Facism route first.

Having said that, I think we will need to pick the line that the AI has a chance of getting first so I'll have to study the tree. We really have quite a good tech advantage on them but we've spent a bit of time here going deep into the democracy line.

 

[Kanga_DU]

My liking would include Communism asap, one as we need it for the Kremlin wonder, but IIRC it opens up a national wonder (whose name escapes me) that allows spys. The ability to keep a check on others shouldn't be underestimated.

 

[Kikinit]

That'd be scotland yard. But we must make sure we are first to ALL the wonder techs (or at the least very close) so we can build the wonders. That will mean not ignoring any one branch at the expense of another. We do have lots of trade material but don't very good offers as the AI is too far behind.

We will want to start down the Electricity line soon and not ignore Industrialisation while we are at it. Have we got a city on a river to build the three gorges??

 

[Sina]

I got it and will be playing very soon.

 

[Sina]

(0)1400AD
Looks very nice.

(1)1406
Lahore: Library -> Courthouse
Something just costed us 8 gpt. I have no idea what, but guess it's city maintainance therefore I'll order Courthouses now. We'd need them anyway at some point.

(2)1412AD
Nothing.

IBT: Genghis asks for Bananas for free. I give it to him, of course.

(3)1418AD
Calcutta: Library -> Courthouse
Harkuf is born in Machu Picchu and Mao adopts Theocracy.
Peace treaty with Mao is canceled and that costs us another 5gpt.

(4)1424AD
Mao and Genghis had enough and make peace.

(5)1430AD
Ling Lung has been born in a far away land.
Genghis and JC have Paper now, but still no Philosophy.

(6)1436
Versailles is in!
Imageshack is not working right now, so no screenshot of Versailles
Bangalore -> University

(7)1442AD
Constitution -> Printing Press which will take 5 turns after I used Ananda.
Madras: University -> Courthouse

(8)1448AD
Bombay: University -> Islamic Monastery
Alex has Paper as well...and Gunpowder.

IBT: Alex wants us to cancel deals with Hatty. I decline as she's our copper source for the Statue. I knew this would be coming and it is the reason I didn't want to trade with Hatty at all before absolutely necessary.

(9)1454AD
Guangzhou: Library -> Courthouse

(10)1460AD
Nothing.

Taj Mahal in 7, Printing Press in 2.
Nobody has Education yet, so our plan will work out.

I suggest trading DR around now. It would get us Optics, Guilds, and about 600 gold. I'm afraid that if we don't do it now, Hatty will trade for something else with her gold.
Then we should research Banking/Gunpowder before going further on the wonder chase.
We can't afford to fall behind in Economy and Military. I haven't built any Military as I thought the hammers would be better spent on Knights.

The Save:
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