R&L02 - The Missing Fleece

[rrau]

Highlights

1300ad: settled New Ta-Ta, moved some cannon and troops towards Chinese border.

will build some troops.

1320 upgraded all muskets.

1325ad ibt: Renewed deal with Mao: wines for gems + 56 gpt. Started palace prebuild for Hoovers in Moscow

approx 1340 started Army prebuild in Karakorum for ToE.

We now have an "Average" military compared to China.
We have 15 more turns of our lux deal with China.

 

[Bede]

Got it.

Looks around for an opponent to kill.....

 

[Bede]

And I found 2.

Abu and Wang are now part of history.

It is time to remove Korea and the Arabs from the face of the Earth.

Position the cavalry armies and Korea is gone, no casualties.

Now for Arabia

In 1365 declare on Arabia. It takes two loads of cavalry to finish the Arabs by 1385. Now for the Indians and an alliance with the Chinese hoping they will pull troops away from our borders.

Made a deal with Mao for Medicine to keep the science rate up. He's learned Industrialization and Replaceable Parts and I want to take his gpt away.

When SciMeth came in put the heat to Industrialization as Mao had no interest in selling for anything then lots of cash and I don't feel like feeding his research machine.

China now has Infantry showing in the garrisons on the border.

I would be tempted to use the Palace pre-build at Moscow for Universal Suffrage. I have been building lots of temples because once the fight starts with China we are going to lose at least one luxury. Our military is up to average against the Mao-ster now.

I think a declaration against India and an alliance with China against them will move Mao's troops off our borders. We have enough troops on the island that India shared with the Arabs to take those two towns. Then a Right of Passage with him so that we can reach Japan and Toku's wines.

 

[Elmarae]

Nice set Bede... I'll see if I can get Wine for our own.

What are peoples thoughts on ICS the totally corrupt areas, like the Arab lands, then irrigating every square getting what food we can, bulding only workers or wealth in those cities and the excess pop set to Scientists or Taxmen?

When ever a productive town reaches max pop we build a settler in time we would be able to research at 0% science, giving us more money to rush build units as needed.

Well I've got it will play in a bit.

 

[Bede]

Nice set Bede... I'll see if I can get Wine for our own.

What are peoples thoughts on ICS the totally corrupt areas, like the Arab lands, then irrigating every square getting what food we can, bulding only workers or wealth in those cities and the excess pop set to Scientists or Taxmen?

When ever a productive town reaches max pop we build a settler in time we would be able to research at 0% science, giving us more money to rush build units as needed.

Well I've got it will play in a bit.

I am a firm believer in the ICS, tax farm/science farm for corrupt areas of the empire. Even wrote an article about it....

It is a time consuming endeavor, however, but the approach is sound.

 

[jb1964]

Pack 'em in, get 'em fat and happy and put them to work researching and collecting revenue. It is a bit of work but worth it.

 

[RowAndLive]

I concurr with the above statements. on!

 

[Elmarae]

You have suffered an embarrassing defeat!



I hope none of you had weak hearts.

Well first of all... I only played 9 turns, because turn 10 I think requires some discussion.

The turn log:
Preflight
A little MM to hire Scientists in highly corrupt cities.
Changed Temple builds to Uni/Lib/Marketplace or units. (I am pathological with temple builds, don't like them... sorry )

1405 AD
Started some settlers in cities just completing builds and at max growth
A supply of Saltpeter just ran out.

1410 AD
Industrialisation > Replaceable Parts in 5 (256g -56gpt) 24g deficit...
ToE in 6
Moscow changed to Universal Sufferage in 8
Sell World map to India (1g) Japan (30g) China (10g)

1415 AD
Able to drop Science to 70% (Replaceable Parts in 4, ToE in 5)

1420 AD
zzz

1425 AD
Mansura Riots (will have to hurry the harbour there next turn)
Started changing the mines around Baghdad to irrigation (too corrupt to get any benefit from shields, but with growth can hire more Scientists)

1430 AD
Wine deal with Mao ran out. Traded Scientific Method for Wines, 27g and WM.
Mao is building ToE in Seoul

Mao is building Universal Sufferage in Macao

Replaceable Parts in 1, ToE in 2, Sufferage in 4 (Do we want to make that the Hover Dam?)

1435 AD
Replaceable Parts > Atomic Theory (Science reduced to 0% as ToE will be built next turn, netting 855gpt)

1440 AD
Build ToE > Atomic Theory > Electronics
(China didn't casade to another Wonder so I guess Seoul is back to building normally)
Trade Atomic Theory to China for The Corporation
Research started on Refining (in 5 @ -3 gpt)
Every City with spt of 10+ is building a factory

1445 AD
Working on the railroad
Universal Sufferage will be built next turn, do we want to change that to Hover Dam?

- Roster -
rrau - In the back room
Bede - Cooling his heels
Elmarae - Just done
jb1964 - UP
R&L - On Deck

 

[Bede]

Finish Suffrage, build a factory, then Hoover. Mao is at least two behind and has lost the shields for ToE and Universal Suffrage.

Elmarae, sounds like you may have read the "Infamous Temple Rant". I too have "issues" with temples in the early game but I have seen too many Republics end up in inconclusive wars because of War Weariness, which is alleviated somewhat by temples and cathedrals in pop12 cities. Also, they are somewhat cheaper than libraries so make a good cultural buffer in the outlying towns.

 

[jb1964]

Got it. Reading the turn log now.

Hoover has a compounding affect on all our cities w/ a factory. Most of our cities will finish factories in ~10 turns and Moscow would finish a factory in 8 turns after Hoover's giving Moscow ~60spt to build US in ~14 turns. The ~23 turns to finish US would come in under Macao's 34 remaining turns and force Mao to purchase a very expensive factory since there isn't another wonder to be had until the Modern age. And he ain't getting there in 23 turns. He's at least 7 techs away so assuming he can get one finished next turn he's a minimum of 24 turns away and I doubt he can crank off six 4-turn techs.

I'm sorta leaning towards Hoover's.

Besides, US would finish early in rrau's turns and we know that she'll need the reduction in WW.

PS: By borrowing the cow from Batshireete for a few turns I can get the factory in 7 turns and they still get their factory in 9. And Mao gets to purchase a 650 sheild factory. A bargain at any price.

 

[jb1964]

Turn 0 – 1445 AD: Switched US to Hoover’s.

Turn 1 – 1450 AD: MM for factory in Moscow in 7.

Turn 2 – 1455 AD: Grouping workers into teams.

Turn 3 – 1460 AD: We’ve railed the mountains on the Sino boarder.

Turn 4 – 1465 AD
Refining -> Steel in 5 at (-2gpt)
I’m still giggling about the prospect of Mao purchasing a 650s factory.

Turn 5 – 1470 AD
Steel in 4. Mao hasn’t learned a thing in the past 5 turns.
Upgraded rifles and ran down the bank account.

Turn 6 – 1475 AD: Looks like Mao learned Electronics.

Turn 7 – 1480 AD
Factories beget stock exchanges.
Disbanded Captain Archer.

Turn 8 – 1485 AD: Miscalculated Moscow’s production (71) so we get US in 12 turns.

Turn 9 – 1490 AD: Steel -> Combustion. Pull research way back to recharge the coffers.

Turn 10 – 1495 AD: More building and laying rails. 600g worth of upgrades.

Turn 11 – 1500 AD
Fustat just finished a courthouse and it’s still at 1gpt.
Upgraded all rifles and many cannons.
Remaining cannons are gathered in a single location.

 

[jb1964]

Worker notes for a non-industrious civ

After Replaceable Parts...

Plains/Grass/Flood (Worker/Slave)
Road (2/3) *
Rail (3/6)
Mine (3/6)
Irrigate (2/4)

Hills (Worker/Slave)
Road (3/6)
Rail (6/12)
Mine (6/12)

Mountain
Road (5/9) *
Rail (9/18)
Mine (9/18)

* economy to be had w/ slaves or a mix

 

[RowAndLive]

I see it, and shall pursue it, with hopes to set up rrau for a nice invasion.

I'm not quite sure why Mao would have lost all of his shields in Macao. He could have salvaged some from a switch.

 

[jb1964]

I'm not quite sure why Mao would have lost all of his shields in Macao. He could have salvaged some from a switch.

You're correct. In 9 turns we'll have US and Mao will presumably use his 650 accumulated sheilds to purchase the most expensive item on his menu.

Not that it was magic or tremendously insightful, I was just getting a kick out of setting up an AI to fall short of gaining a great wonder given that I have been on the receiving end of that one several times.

 

[RowAndLive]

Yes, it is certainly enjoyable to do that. I should be starting tonight.

 

[RowAndLive]

RL is particularly fierce at the moment, and I won't get back to this for this set. Please skip me.

 

[Elmarae]

Hope it's nothing serious R&L, just take things easy and don't get stressed over a game.

Guess it's rrau's turn to get us into a war.

 

[rrau]

got it, but don't know if I'll get to it today or tomorrow.

 

[RowAndLive]

rrau, are you out there?

 

[rrau]

yeah, didn't get to it last night. I'm getting ready to start now.