Round Objectives: Expand and develop Science Centre
The Great Library
Armstrong put us along a good course towards building The Great Library. It was suggested that getting a Forge built would hurry the process, however rightly or wrongly I just went straight after the Wonder when it came available on the same turn as Tenochtitlan’s Library was built. A Temple was built in mid-construction as Tenochtitlan’s development was stymied with unhappiness.
In the meantime, some Cottages were founded, plus a farm for whenever (if ever) the population needs an additional surge or to cover a Specialist Scientist. In time it may be decided that this could be converted over to a Cottage.
In the end I was running two extra Specialist Scientists in Tenochtitlan to encourage the popping of a Great Scientist, although The Oracle in Teotihuacan produced a Great Prophet, forcing out the
points required for our Great Scientist.
Growth
Expansion was done by settling and towards the end by force. Those Roman cities were starting to bug me, and it would be a shame for our Jaguars not to see any action
and an Iron-less Rome with what looks to be a very ordinary starting location and (The Great Lighthouse) was a bit of an invitation. It’s a shame about having to take on our Hindu brother, but that’s life I guess. Jaguars have a mix of 'general' and City Raider promotions.
I have a Settler roaming around with an Axe and a Jaguar down in the jungle, while Tenochtitlan has another Settler on the way.
Advances
Technology-wise, looking at expansionary-type advances; Code of Laws and Currency will allow a larger empire, while Construction (Catapults – prerequisite for Engineering) will allow for better city attacking. No technology trading with other tribes – Mansa was unwilling to trade Currency, and otherwise I figured that we could live without (or sue for peace, or pick up as extras with a larger and later trade) anything else much on the table.
City Specialisation
I must admit though that some cities remain somewhat schizophrenic on their roles, as I wavered between the need for commerce versus production cities in this game. Having another more objective review of the game one day later, there are some pretty debatable builds going on at 125AD – certainly Teotihuacan’s Courthouse could do with a rethink! I have made progress on The Colossus, but while the extra commerce will be very handy, it is a Great Merchant popping Wonder that may detract from our efforts to get Great Scientists.
Overall Strategy
I think that the expansion in to Roman turf was the right move (with The Great Lighthouse also in sight), while there’s at least two further settlements to be founded (provided the Settler build in Tenochtitlan doesn’t get cancelled). Getting The Great Library was a great relief, particularly given we have at least two Industrious leaders in Roosevelt and Gandhi.
The chronology;
725BC : Although Armstrong made it clear where his preference was for Texcoco, all of that jungle looked pretty uninviting, and I opted for the closer-to-home spot to the north-east (includes Oasis). This may interfere with a yet-to-be-built city to the east of Tenochtitlan in terms of fat-X overlap.
Literature > Mathematics (various motivations).
Christianity fidl.
675BC : Roosevelt builds The Pyramids and leaps into his favourite civic; Universal Suffrage
.
650BC : Parthenon elsewhere.
575BC : Mathematics > Code of Laws (founding Confucianism was still a possibility, Caste System could be handy with Specialist Artist border pops and unlimited Specialist Scientists, Courthouses to support expanding economy, Civil Service prerequisite).
400BC : Rome builds The Great Lighthouse.
325BC : Code of Laws > Currency (trade routes and Market to support expanding economy). Confucianism founded in Texcoco -
150BC : Temple build in Tenochtitlan to address a spot of unhappiness.
125BC :
Attacked Roman Empire with mini-SoD of Jaguars. Stole a Worker near Cumae, and took Neapolis.
100BC : Currency > Construction (principally for the Catapults).
25AD : The Great Library founded in Tenochtitlan. Captured Cumae (with Winery).
50 AD : Avar – a single-population jungle-bound Barbarian city is destroyed by a Persian Immortal.
A Roman Chariot steals a worker near Cumae. D-oh!
75 AD : Construction > Civil Service (Bureaucracy to bolster Tenochtitlan as the Global Centre of Scientific Excellence).
100 AD : Oracle-derived Great Prophet popped (unsure how to use!).
As we stand:
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