Pre-Game Observations & Strategy
As I mentioned before, we have strayed from our plan of grabbing Islam using a Prophet from St. Pete. Here's where the religions stand:
- Brennus founded Buddhism. Currently he's the only Buddhist (that we know of).
- We've founded Judaism & Christianity. We, Hannibal, and Khan are Jewish.
- Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism have been FIADL, probably on the other continent.
- Islam remains unfounded. We really want a third religion
We have two cities without any religions (Yekaterinburg and Yaroslavl'), but I don't fancy hoping that Buddhism naturally spreads to either one. Especially since Brennus is Cautious at best, and we don't currently have OB with him. And if we mess around, I fear that our nemeses from the other continent will snatch the last religion.
BTW, according to the 5-best-cities screen, one of the civs on the other continent has Hinduism and the shrine, and the other has both the Pyramids and the Great Library. I'm betting that the latter is the one who's stolen Taoism, too. I think
he's the one to watch for in the religion race, and since I have no way of knowing how close he is to DR, I'm planning to go all-out for DR. Wish me luck.
Inherited Turn - 600 AD (320 turns left)
Reviewing our Empire, I make a bunch of changes:
- Brennus will take Open Borders with us. Accept, on the off chance that Buddhism will spread to us. And, 'cuz we can't afford a war, the diplo bonus will help, too.
- Assign one Priest in St. Pete. GP now Due in 11 turns. If I assign two, I can't work the gold mine, and Music drops from 5 turns to 6.
- I considered firing one or both Scientists in Moscow, but it delays Music to 6 turns. We will want the Artist and the ability to build cathedrals, plus we're more than halfway done, so I decide to finish it before DR - if I blow it, I can always change my username.
Keep both Scientists. GS or GE due in 11 turns. Gotta watch that to be sure I get the GP instead.
- MM Rostov to work the gold mine. Costs 1 turn on growth and 2 turns on the Temple, but it balances our finances (0 gold @ 50% slider)
- MM Yekaterinburg. This was just silly - we were working two plains-forests and not the plains-hill-mine or the pasturized cows. Pick up +3 food and +1 hammer for free.
- Yaroslavl' is building an Aqueduct? Hmm...oh, it's unhealthy because it's not hooked up to the trade network. Need a road here, or get Sailing. Leave the Aqueduct building for lack of a better idea at the moment, but take the local worker off jungle-chopping duty and set him to roading toward St. Pete.
- Realized that we need to have Meditation in order to lightbulb DR. That would cost us another two turns after Music, so back to the trading table. Brennus will make the following trade:
I've seen better, but every little bit will help. He already has Alphabet, and GL's been built, so giving him Lit won't hurt much. And maybe another diplo bonus, too. Do it.
- Whaddya mean 'no diplo bonus'!?! Guess I didn't bend over far enough for Brennus. B**tard.
- Note to self: We haven't revolted to HR yet, and a couple of cities are at the happy cap (Moscow is over). Don't want the anarchy while I'm chasing DR, but don't want to forget it either.
Take a deep breath, press Enter.
IBT - Hannibal comes knocking.
I deny this trade - if he doesn't have Monarchy, he can't research DR. And he's Financial, with a higher GNP. Plus we need HBR like a hole in the head.
While we're talking though...let's see if begging will get us anywhere. I politely ask for Sailing. And get it.
He still won't trade Ivory for Gold, though.
In other news, Angkor Wat is BIFAL. When I remember to check, I discover it's in the same city as the 'mids and GL.
Really starting to get worried about that guy over there.
Turn 1 - 620 AD
Crap. Even with Sailing, Yaroslavl' is still not connected. Where does that d*mn river go, anyway? Ah...off into the fog in the northwest. Great.
Workers work, cities build, and our Jewish Missionary heads toward Yekaterinburg, which is in a border war with Khan's city.
Turn 2 - 620 AD
Novgorod finishes Granary -> Jewish Temple
IBT - Brennus -> Vassalage
Turn 3 - 660 AD
St. Pete finishes Jewish Missionary, starts another. We need to get some more of Khan's cities infested. Send this one to Yaroslavl' for the building bonus.
Now, I came to a decision point. If I really want to play for Islam, I'm going to have to go whole hog. The upcoming Prophet is going to get us less than 1100 beakers for DR, and it costs 1932. We're only making 60 or so per turn running at 50%, so it'll be 14+ turns before we can lightbulb it. And the AIs are going to start discovering our 'trade techs' (e.g. Theology) on their own sooner or later. So...time to roll the dice.
I sell Theology to everyone else on the continent. For it, I get:
- Khan:Currency & 210g. Gets +1 trade routes and some money for 100% research
- Hannibal: Calendar & 150g. A couple more happy resources opened up, plus more research funding.
- Brennus: Construction. Not the best deal, but we need cats to take that barb city in the SW (good site), and I don't want the others to sell it to him instead.
So...a hefty beaker profit, plus 360 gold to fund research. I turn the slider up to 100%. Losing 40gpt.
We'll have Music in 1, then DR in...17. At this rate, we should have enough to lightbulb DR after about 7-8 turns. So, I hire another priest in St. Pete. GP now due in 5.
Cross fingers, press Enter.
IBT - Khan converts to Buddhism.
Maybe I should have sent missionaries there sooner. Ah, well, we'll get him back.
Turn 4 - 680 AD
Music is in.
Where's my Great Artist!?! Checking the logs, I see that GAs were BIFAL in 300 AD and 325 AD. Looks like both Pholk and I were
on this one. At least we can build cathedrals.
Start Divine Right. Hope this mess didn't cost us Islam.
Yekaterinburg finishes Library -> Catapult. I will take out my frustrations on that barb city. Or at least set it up.
Switch Novgorod to a Jewish missionary so we can go convince Khan to rejoin the One True Faith.
IBT - Khan wants to trade (his) silk for (our) gold. Sure. We need the happies.
Turn 5 - 700 AD
One of our swords down by barbtown whacks a wandering Archer. Free XP.
Take St. Pete off no-growth emphasis. Moscow is no longer unhappy.
Yaroslavl' is now connected to the Empire by a road and is also Jewish. It's much happier and healthier now.
Turn 6 - 720 AD
St. Pete finishes Jewish missionary, starts another. Send this one to Khan.
Whack another archer by barbtown.
Turn 7 - 740 AD
Yaroslavl' finishes Aqueduct. Start a trireme to do a bit of exploring.
Turn 8 - 760 AD
Yekaterinburg finishes a catapult, starts another.
Our Prophet has arrived! He will lightbulb 1082 beakers toward Divine Right. We have 532/1932 now. A few more turns should do it. Fire the two priests in St. Pete and put their lazy butts back to work.
Novgorod finishes another Jewish missionary (for Khanland) and goes back to building a Jewish Temple.
Turn 9 - 780 AD
Moscow finishes a Settler. More on builds in a sec.
I decide to check the math on Divine Right. We need 1932 beakers. Prophet will give us 1082, leaving 850. We have 664 built up, which leaves...186. We're generating 139/turn at 100%. BUT, since I want to get Islam myself after all this work, I MM the snot out of everything. Build research, hire Scientists, the works. I get to exactly 186 beakers per turn.
So...burn the Prophet. Yep - Divine Right in 1 now. Press Enter.
Turn 10 - 800 AD
Divine Right is in.
At least
that worked out OK.
Start on Code of Laws. Feel free to veto, but I think we need CoL and CS soon. I also undo all my MMs from last turn. Still running 100% science, but we can only keep that up for another turn or two. We're -3 at 60%, +7 at 50% .
Start Cathedrals in St. Pete (Jewish - 23 turns) and Moscow (Christian - 50 turns
), since these are two of our three culture cities. Again, feel free to veto if we need something else first.
Still haven't revolted to HR, but we should soon for the happiness.
Two missionaries are wandering into Khan's territory, and there is a settler up near Rostov. Our third culture city might be a new one up there - a good site with a few hills and acres of grasslands for cottages. Let's discuss that one.
We'll get a GE or GS in Moscow in...13 turns, if we keep the two Scientists there. Odds look like 60% Scientist, 40% Engineer now, and it'll swing more toward the Scientist if we keep the specialists on.
And, of course,
the save.
! 
