RBD Succession game 1 - Ghandi Tales

[Charis]

To Fanatics... hello! After lurking here, I thought a succession game was too good NOT to try, so folks from Realms Beyond Diablo are gathering for our first succession game.

CharisGhandi Succession Game 1 - Random civ, opponents, Monarch diff.
Roaming barbarians, large archipelago land mass, rnd temp and age.
First player 25 turns, second player 20, third 15, then 10 after that.
No reload, either of turn, game or battle.

Current turn order: Charis, Sirian, Hocus, Jaffa, Skandranon, Cy. In the post immediately following you'll find a zip file with the saved game. To post your game when done, you need to zip it, and 'register' at this forum to enable posting. Sirian should respond "got it" within 24 hrs and post his end-of-turn-save within 48 hrs of THIS post. Good luck all!!
Non-writers may give a description of their turn in FAR less detail than I, although from Sirian I do expect a fully analytical and expertly written report!

------

4000 B.C. (0) - Ghandi of the Indians perishes, and from his loins spring
Prime Minister Charis , a Commercial yet Religious son with great
ambitions for his people and land. His slim corner of the world
looks simply wonderful, with two patches of sacred cows nearby,
on the coast, with an inland lake, and with hills and plains and
plenty of desert visible (for as you know, India is a hot land). There
seemed no better place, and no better time, than to found the great
city of Delhi right where he stood. A happy and hard worker, Venkat, was
sent forth to . For self-defense, CharisGhandi set about training a warrior.

What thoughts did he have as he surveyed the situation, and his
background? As a Religious nation, he knew Ceremonial burial, and
had the option for early and cheap temples. What would India be
without temples? An early one would be fitting, and would help our
sense of culture. (After Burial is Mysticism which allows The Oracle. On
a lower diff I might try for this, but don't think it likely wise here).
There would also be NO Anarchy later, if we chose to switch governments.
As a commercial people the Alphabet (the Devanagari script) was known to us.
Less direct advantages, but needed for Mathematics and Writing (Sanskrit).
As a Commercial nation, we get extra commerce bonus


The special unit of India is the War Elephat. At 4-3-2, replacing the
Knight, it's very hard hitting, a tough defender, AND fast. A *super*
unit. If we end up needing to fight, this WILL be the unit to aim for,
although it requires the 'optional' chivalry. (Did I mention they're
upgradeable to Cavalry?! Or that in reality, War Elephants were used to
defeat the Greeks?)

CharisGhandi noted that under despotism, he could gain no further
benefit from mining the cattle squares 2-2-0 (nor would the cows have
approved). The inland lake he astutely noted COULD be used to irrigate,
even though there was no river. This might be crucial with the desert
to the East (too early to tell for sure). Hoping that Delhi will become
a large and prosperous city, the worker starts to irrigate that desert land.

What to research? "Such a dilemna!?" His advisors told him many different
things. His trade advisor noted that bronze working would allow us to build
the Colossus (which the trade advisor also liked). The cultural advisor
stressed Mysicism, while the domestic advisor thought writing and philosophy
the best path. Since it also led to early construction, Bronze Working was chosen.

3850 B.C. (3) - A brave Warrior, the young Rama Krishnamurthy, agreed to scout out
the territory surrounding Delhi. CharisGandhi was tempted to train another warrior,
but thought that with bronze soon available, a Spearman would be much better.
So instead he chose the optimistic path of a Temple. It would no doubt be the first
one ever built on the planet, and it would make his countrymen proud!

3700 B.C. (6) - A hut was found by the brave Rama. Cautiously he approached. A
group of Mongols were there, and were impressed by the stealth of his
approach. They offered a contest -- if they could defeat Attilarik in a
wrestling match, they would train him! Rama knew no fear, and took the
challenge. When he won, they taught him "Warrior Code." So proud was Rama!
(Much better than a kick in the teeth from Barbarians anyway)

3600 B.C. (8) - Dyes were seen in the distance! Venkat would be dispatched there
as soon as he could, after building roads for the cattle to wander

3500 B.C. (10) - Our borders expand due to high culture! Oh wondrous day!

3400 B.C. (12) - The great Temple to Ganesh was completed! Alas, with bronze
working still far off (duh, of course, it's very slow going early on), an
Archer was chosen for diversity, and for greater exploring.

3300 B.C. (14) - Rama was shocked and amazed to see a pretty young lady of
a foreign civilization. Jeanette was her name, and she represented the
nation of 'France.' (A HUGE burly warrior stood next to her). Alas, he
was smitten and likely got taken advantage of. She (and her leader, Joan d'Arc)
sought friendship and were impressed with our culture! So we traded Ceremonial
Burial and Warrior Code for Masonry and 10 gold.

3200 B.C. (16) - Srisu, the Archer, was trained, and CharisGhandi thought it
of VITAL importance to get about settling more cities with haste (especially)
having run into a Commercial and Industrious neighbor (perhaps a trade route
could be set up?!)


3000 B.C. (20) - Science was pushed a little to quicken the bronze research.
It was looking like we might be on the upper end of a triangle shaped
penninsula (or would it be a vast continent to the south? Gold was
found in the mountains to the east. Could sent the settler to the choke
point in the hills/mountains next to the gold, as a hill fortress... or
go to the southwest to the jungle dyes.

But wait!! No... off to the east, pass a very narrow pass in the mountains
was a land with a pair wheat squares, and grasslands! This had to be
settled immediately! This would be a gambit. Settling first at your far
expected boundary, and filling in gaps, rather than settling next to your
capitol, and going outward. But compared to the quality of land near Delhi,
this new land looked like a land of milk and honey!

2950 B.C. (21) - Hmm... the French found the dyes. Would they try to settle THIS
close to Delhi if I proceed with the wheatland gambit?? Such emotional turmoil!!
And it's so early yet in the game. It would be far too long before Dehli could
produce another settler... Gah... Well, we have friends in the area, and to
the bold go the spoils. Wheatland gambit it is! Settler Mumbai is sent East.

2590 B.C. (29) - The Civ3 time warp kicks in. Twenty five turns come and go,
and it hits 29. I had set in my mind, "end turn went second city founded",
and lost track of the turn. Rather than reply and break a different rule,
I pass on the torch here... (I promise no more over-turns in later rounds)
What happened in these years? Rama heads far East and finds the french came from
there, rather than south, as expected, and Venkat the archer goes south and
finds.... no one! Yet anyway. A fair amount of jungle. Here's the interesting
event though, in 2590. Settler finds himself right on the choke point, at
the location he plans to settle, and there is a barbarian RIGHT next to him!
In Civ 2 this would have meant city capture, but in Civ 3, your city
gets ransacked. So CharisGhandi founded Bombay right there, which
took over the barbarian tribe and netted 25 gold. One barbarian is left,
next to me, will surely ransack us next turn. Can we stop this?
No, but... we can trade that gold away before it gets stolen! Talk with the
French gets us Bronze Working for 30 gold. Then as a token of goodwill, I give
her 5 gold for free! (Rama! You smitten fool!) Parable of the shrewd
manager here -- that gold is toast next turn, let's get something from it! Obtaining Bronze Working lets us change production from Archer to Spearman too.

Thus ends the reign of CharisGhandi...

(What's that?? About time you say??! )

 

[Charis]

End of Charis turn 1, 2590 BC - RBD1 Succession Game,
Ghandi of the Indians. next up, Sirian, then Hocus, Jaffa, Skan, Cy.

-- Charis

 

[Sirian]

Hail, my children. Harken unto the campfire, settle in your blankets, and pay heed to the history of the Age of the Whip and the Scythe. For as the lineage of Wise King CharisGhandi fell into disrepute, a young farmer named Sirian did take up arms in the year 2590 BC and establish a new era. Coupe de tat. Out with the old, in with the new.

Sirian praised the divine wisdom of the line of CharisGhandi. He marked witness to the brilliance of the great leader, in training our warriors with the axe and then the bow. Peaceful relations were established with the alien French peoples, and our scouts did locate their homeland. Most brilliant of all, the bold stroke of ordering our settlers to the most distant ends of the earth, to secure the strategically vital Charis-Matic Pass through the rugged mountains, and the lush valley beyond where crops grow in abundance. This decision must surely shape the destiny of our people for all time. Setting to work building a modern road between our capital and the new settlement was set as a top priority -- the only way to accomplish such a monumental and wondrous task.

However, upon consulting with the leaders of our ancient temple in Delhi, and through divine intervention, Sirian was able to determine the false prophecy. Surely it was the evil of smoking the Pungent Weed that brought delusions to the sons of Charis. Vile demons were loosed through the smoke, corrupting the minds of Charis's great grandsons. What other possible explanation could there be for ordering the massive irrigation of a useless tract of desert while our sacred cattle forage and scrounge on the dusty plains? If Charis could only see what became of his sons! :crazyeyes:

The people rose in a huge swell against the corrupted King. They signed on to Sirian's banner, for indeed not a single man in the kingdom could speak against the wisdom of bringing water to the fields where our crops grow, instead of to desert lands to evaporate. Not even pride could explain those orders. It had to be the Pungent Weed. Sirian swept into power, ordered the retraining of the soldiers CharisGrandsontheMadWeedSmoker had ordered. We needed farmers, tillers, diggers, not spearmen. What use soldiers who have too little to eat? Who cannot even feed their women and children, needing to hoard what little food they have to keep up their fighting strength? The organizing of so many workers took an initial toll on our people, setting back their production, but within a few centuries, all the cattle fields were irrigated, and our people ate well. The younger children no longer starved, and as a result, we were more quickly able to train new warriors to the spear, as well as prepare another pilgrimage of settlers to venture forth.

Sirian wisely stayed the course with the orders of the true great leader, the original CharisGhandi, the First King. The road to Bombay was nearly completed during the Age of the Whip and Scythe. Our scouts pressed onward into distant lands. There was a brief tension with the French, as our warriors occupied lands the French wished to settle, delaying the founding of their city Lyons by several generations. They did eventually settle in the exact location they had originally wanted, as our troops pressed on in their explorations, but our truth keepers have written of this as a significant military victory without having had to shed any blood.

Continued...

 

[Sirian]

Bombay had indeed been sacked by two armies of barbarians in the same span of years, at the very start of the era of Sirian. Orders were issued to train a contingent of warriors at the first opportunity, but many years passed before the city had a significant defending force. Our scholars have determined that blame for this attack falls not on the shoulders of Sirian, but on those of the Pungent Weed and its effects on the latter Kings of the line of Charis. No further defeats at the hands of barbarians would be suffered by our people under the line of Sirian. Smoking of the Weed has now been outlawed.

Our military history during the age of the Whip was a tale of peace through strength. Our archer force explored what shall be called The Indian Subcontinent, and they came upon a minor tribe who agreed to pick up and serve our growing empire as paid warriors. (Apparently, fighting for us was preferable to starving to death, and they admired our rich culture). These conscripts have executed their duties faithfully, stationed atop the high ground overlooking the green valley south of the Endless Jungle.

The great expeditionary force sent out by the holy CharisGhandi's first Incarnation made contact with the sturdy Persian people, and through news and rumors (F11 Key) our leader Sirian has heard of the cities of London and Washington, and rumors about these strange folks as well.

The Persian people have undertaken a great project, the Pyramids. What this means, is not yet understood. Our people are still concerned with feeding themselves, not building huge monuments. We yearn to occupy the greener lands to our south, where fields of wheat grow, and schools of :fish: swim.

While Sirian at first scorned the building of roads "for the cattle to wander" (Weed-induced decision, we are told), it was later determined that these roads aided in the irrigation, and brought more commerce into the city. Paying to maintain the Temple was, well, costly. Our culture prosperred, but our treasury remained all but empty and we could not afford robust research.

Sirian changed not only the training of spearmen to farmers, but also the path of research from Iron Working to Pottery. (The wisdom of this decision will be left to future generations. Sirian was, after all, a farmer turned king, and he could not help but direct our civilization to improve its farming process at all levels). One fact of note: the French have developed Iron Working, so we may be able to trade them gold or other ideas for this knowledge, at a future date. After the discovery of Pottery, our people set out to find out about The Wheel. Perhaps we can trade that knowledge to the French, or at least improve our travel speed with the use of horse-drawn chariots. This, assuming we can locate enough horses. At this moment, we have not found any.

After the training of our irrigators, the sons of Sirian ordered a return to training spearmen. It is said that Sirian always supported the training of defenders for the city, but saw a more pressing need to be able to feed our people first. Once food was harvested in abundance from our farmlands, we trained a force of spearmen, set them to defend the city, and sent the warriors on to Bombay, to assist with defense and exploration there, on our border with France. The French Queen is said to be an exotic creature. We are not entirely sure yet whether we can trust her and her people. Sirian has issued a decree that our warriors should, at their earliest convenience, establish and maintain a garrison in the mountain passes, blocking all access of foreign invaders (peaceful or otherwise) from our heartland. This in accord with the original vision of the First King, to establish our border and defend it against all comers. No other nation can be allowed to settle their people on our subcontinent! :arrow:

Continued...

 

[Sirian]

Once the spearmen were entrenched in Delhi, another settler group was organized and dispatched to found a new city in the jungle, near the supplies of dyes. Our archers accompanied them, and our irrigators are working tirelessly to bring water to their parched farmlands. Our subcontinent has now been explored, and the line of Sirian has, after great study, discerned and laid out the best locations for future Indian settlements.

Note the white dots on this map of India. These locations have been determined to be ideal for future settlements. If this plan is followed, virtually every square unit of land will be utilized one day in the distant future, with none of our cities crowding out any others, and all on the coast, to make use of harbors and ships. The white dot near the French is in jeopardy of falling under French control. Future kings will have to deal with these problems. Before the line passed away with the death of the last of the Sirians, it was urged on future leaders to act quickly to settle more lands near the French while we still can, using people from Bombay. As soon as we have enough people to man the two main wheatfields, we should dispatch workers into the forest to speed up construction of our caravan. Delhi is simply too far away, and besides, they have to fill out our main subcontinent, for who else can do that?

The red dots represent city locations that won't grow much at all in the forseeable future, but will still be valuable eventually, largely because they are so close to our capital. The white dots should be settled first, but once all of those are occupied (by us, hopefully), the reds should be grabbed next.


Now, my children, you have heard of the Scythe. But what about the Whip? Sirian was a bold leader in the field of irrigation, farming, and military matters, but he and his line ruled with an iron fist, brooking no discussion, and dealing harshly with the common citizenry, at times. Never did the people rise up against their King, nor did they riot, but happiness was not as widespread as during the reign of peaceful and kind CharisGhandi and sons. The outlawing of the Weed was only part of this unrest. The rest came at the end of a cracking whip. For after training warriors to defend themselves, Sirian decreed that a temple should be built in memory of Bombay's founder, the great visionary, our First King. That particular son of Sirian was growing old and wanted to see the temple completed in his lifetime, and so he forced the people of Bombay to build and build and build, day and night, through harsh weather, without adequate food or rest. The temple was completed, but fully more than half of the citizens of Bombay perished in these few years. The temple honors the great Charis, while Sirian and his sons are hated in Bombay.

And so our empire has been divided. In the west, Sirian is hailed as king and hero, for bringing irrigation to our parched lands and doubling our rate of growth at home in Delhi. Delhi has become the City of Sirian, the City of the Scythe, while Bombay is entirely the City of Charis, now also known as the City of the Whip. It seems likely, thus, that Madras will come to honor the next line of kings? We do not know. What will that city come to be known as?

On his deathbed, it is said that the last of the Sirian kings intended to order the forced completion of the great granary made possible by the Pottery discovered in the Sirian era. This was to be the monument left by Sirian to the people of Delhi, to help them grow much faster in years to come. Something seems to have gone wrong, however. The King remanded his orders on the night of his death, or so it is said. The truth of the matter is murky. Only the next line of Kings can determine if the granary should, in fact, be ordered rushed to completion at any cost, as Sirian originally ordered, or if it should be allowed to be built at a normal pace, in honor of his final command?

Did Sirian decide at the last moment that he could not impose the Whip on his beloved city, Delhi? Or was there another reason for his last minute change of heart? The turmoil this has caused is great indeed, and only a worthy leader can discern the truth and deliver it unto our people. Who will step forward? Who has the vision to lead us into the next great era? Danger yawns, as the time of freedom from barbarian harassment has come to a bitter end. Our warriors have dug in on the high ground above a hostile minor tribe in the snowy lands to the north. The line of Sirian is no longer with us to lead us!

Sirian, our king, is dead. :skull: Who shall be the new king now?

I have heard rumors of a man named Hocus... arising out of the jungles, born of a Madras merchant hungry for the profits of dyes.

 

[Sirian]

I don't know what each team member plans, but I think I'm going to download each save file after every turn and have a look, to see where things stand and what sort of changes each player makes, and things they emphasize on their turns. I don't mind if "spectators" do the same, as long as they keep quiet about stuff that could spoil the party.

End of Sirian's Turn on Round One: 1750 BC. Next up, Hocus.

- Sirian

 

[Charis]

The scribes of Sirian have not disappointed! For great are both the records and the acts themselves, of the sons of Sirian.

The ancient records have found some pages from the diary of Charis I.

> Sirian praised the divine wisdom of the line of CharisGhandi.
> He marked witness to the brilliance of the great leader, in
> training our warriors with the axe and then the bow.

A tribute to the Amazon nations, for whom this practice is their glorious tradition!

And phew! Glad the wheatland gambit didn't backfire! From your image posts, we have a splendid position.

> However, upon consulting with the leaders of our ancient
> temple in Delhi, and through divine intervention, Sirian was
> able to determine the false prophecy. Surely it was the evil of
> smoking the Pungent Weed that brought delusions to the sons
> of Charis. Vile demons were loosed through the smoke,
> corrupting the minds of Charis's great grandsons. What other
> possible explanation could there be for ordering the massive
> irrigation of a useless tract of desert while our sacred cattle
> forage and scrounge on the dusty plains? If Charis could only
> see what became of his sons!

Tactfully done... such strong words are well taken wrapped in prose What had gone through my mind was: "Two foods and two shields on the grass squares, we can get no further benefit under despotism from mining or irrigation. Yet we WILL be working those squares from now til the end of time, so putting roads on them will give a much needed boost to our commercial exploits. Alas, he may have been taking the weed, for now I'm not sure if an error was made in assuming what irrig/mining does. I'll have to double check that. (In my first civ 3 game I irrigated grasslands continously then noted about 20 turns later that I was getting no benefit at all from that under despotism!)

I love the screenshots, and the thought given to city placement. Those look like rather good spots. Alas, it will take some time to fill all those. You'ld love at this point to know if seafaring foes will come and sneak in. If so they must be eradicated on sight.

SUPER idea to post warriors in the mountains to FULLY cut off access to our subcontinent!! I had this thought briefly pre-founding and forgot all about it. That should ensure free reign to the entire West. A luxury I'm not used to at the start of these games.

A note to other players: this was an excellent example of both placing your own distinct mark on your reign and using your favorite tactics, changing builds orders in progress when needed, but 'keeping in mind' the long term plans of the ancestors. It's appropriate to lay out what you had in mind for doing things and some tips to consider in how to continue, but they're just that, "visions", not commands -- very helpful. I also plan to download the save files for spectating purposes, but will keep comments to myself. I can't wait to see how things turn out

Hocus... you're on deck, but the order is tentative in the first round. If Jaffa, Skan or Cy see this early and have a chance to slip in a turn, by all means do so (as it's Monarch diff, from Skan's post I expect he'll hold off slightly).

And the people cheered...

Charis

 

[Hocus]

Once nothing more than a merchant's son, Hocus was now the leader of a fertile empire, entrusted with serving and protecting the Indian people.

On the rare occasions that he was not concerning himself with the affairs of the empire, Hocus took up the ancient scrolls of the scribes of the late King Sirian, reading and absorbing the history of the people which he now ruled over.

Hocus was amazed by the writings of the scribes of Sirian. They were both descriptive and colourful in their words, beyond any comparison. Hocus's scribes could not hope to match such mastery of the written arts, but they served their purpose nonetheless.

Hocus's reign towards the end of the year 1750 BC, and henceforth it is now recounted:

1750: In honour of the dying wish of the great King Sirian, the Granary in Delhi was rush built. Although it did cost the life of one citizen, it was felt by Hocus and his council of wise menthat the end was far more important than the means.

The fortified Warrior to the south-east of Delhi was ordered to pack up and begin his trek to the mountains of Bombay, where he would be re-fortified, to ensure that those suspicious French fellows to the east did not get any ideas about the lands rightfully belonging to India.

1725: It was soon clear to Hocus that this sole warrior, although valiant, would not be enough to hold off the French on his own - should they seek to settle our lands - and so Delhi was instructed to train another, who would join him. These warriors were not especially sturdy and would not last long in a pitched battle, but for now, in this time of peace, they served their purpose well.

1700: As predicted by the wise King Sirian, the savage Barbarian warriors in the snowy north did indeed mount an offensive upon the entrenched warrior, seeking safety in the hills. He fought bravely and successfully defended against these Barbarian raiders, and in doing so reached a new level of experience, becoming a veteran of battle.

Contact with a civilization who called themselves the Americans was made by the scouting warrior to the south-east. Upon my request, I was taken to their leader and we negotiated a trade of knowledge, to the mutual benefit of both our civilizations. In return for the knowledge of letters and words, (Alphabet) Abraham Lincoln provided the Indian people with the secret of the Wheel. It was thought that in doing so, our wise men would refocus their efforts elsewhere.

Ironically enough, it was at this time that my Chief Treasurer sent a warning to me that the Indian treasury was running dangerously low. As a result, we were forced to divert less of our coinage to our sciences, but instead to our coffers. Lowering our rate of research ever so slightly, (10%) we were still only breaking even. However, Hocus was hopeful that the future growth of the Indian population would serve well to raise this, as more tax paying citizens were born.

1650: Delhi finished the training of a Warrior to further defend the mountainous passes of Bombay, and begun the training of a skilled labourer, in the hopes that this future worker would speed up the acquirement of the valuable dyes outside Madras. Irrigation work by the existing Worker began outside Madras, to ensure that no one went hungry.

1575: Our scouting Warrior discovered the outskirts of the American empire, providing insight into their whereabouts.

1550: Delhi finished the training of its skilled labourer, and was instructed to train another. This was possible due to the Granary built earlier, which ensured that Delhi grew quickly and could easily support more.

1500: As the Barbarian raids from the snowy north had long died off, the Warrior defending the area was ordered to guard the area next to the borders of France, in preparation for the settling of this area in the near future.

1475: Delhi finished the training of its second skilled worker, but instead of training another, as before, instead a Warrior was started, to complete the fortifications of the mountains of Bombay.

Madras constructed its Temple, and was ordered to train a Settler. It was soon headed for size 3 and Hocus felt that expansion was of the utmost importance.

A road network was established between Delhi and Madras, ensuring that future trade and quick movement was possible. The Workers were now instructed to build roads to the valuable dyes outside Madras, which would please the people of India greatly.

1450: Bombay finished its Settler, and since it was still size two, began the training of another. Hocus had expansion on the mind.

1425: A French pair of Settler and Warrior was spotted heading towards the lands currently guarded by the veteran Warrior. It appeared that the Settler from Bombay was too late, or was he? It was time to make a decision. Was Hocus to allow these lands to be thieved from right under his nose, or was he to make a stand, here and now, and ambush the pair before they could establish a city?

Hocus thought long and hard about this, and finally decided that something had to be done. These French had long outlived their usefulness, and their outright thievery of Hocus' promised lands was intolerable!

The Warrior was too far away from the pair to engage them immediately, but he was closing in.

1400: Delhi finished its Warrior, and was instructed to train a Settler. Hocus wanted his lands settled as soon as possible. The Warrior began its journey to the mountains of Bombay to complete the protection of the Indian borders.

For the second time now Hocus was forced to lower his science, as again his treasury was running dangerously low. He did not like doing it, but it had to be done, for he feared that he may have to sell one of his wonderful Temples in order to pay off his debts.

It was then that the French pair founded the city of Tours, in a location that prohibited further Indian expansion. It was time to take action. The veteran Warrior laid siege to the city of Tours, and...



was successful!!!

The might Warrior smashed through the puny French defence, and burned the city to the ground. 11 gold was also pillaged, bolstering the Indian treasury to a more sustainable level. These lands were now open to Indian settlement, and for that Hocus was glad.

1375: The reign of Hocus was over, but he had set the wheels in motion for the Indian empire. The Settler from Bombay was in place and was ready to found a city next turn, with the victorious Warrior closeby prepared to be defend it, and with reinforcements from the mountains of Bombay on their way.

With sadness in his heart and a tear in his eye, Hocus passed the reigns of leadership over to Jaffa, the son of a powerful Indian Warlord who was not at all impressed with the puny French armies.

End of Hocus's Turn on Round One: 1375 BC. Next up, Jaffa.

 

[Jaffa Tamarin]

Just 10 turns? Was that right? It seems very short, this early in the game.

A great and wise leader was being groomed for the leadership of the glorious Indian nation. Unfortunately before he could take the vacant throne, a small golden monkey sneaked in and began issuing strange and contradictory commands.

No, cancel those settlers! We need more military! I want archers and spearmen, up front, pronto!

We must have more color! These new dyes are to be distributed freely to all citizens! Yes, I know the royal treasury is nearly empty. Do not bother me with such trifles.

We have a new town in captured French territory? Very well, name it Bangalore!

What? The French wish to make peace, and will teach us the secrets of Iron Working, Writing and Mysticism. Very well, disband that expeditionary force we sent to Lyons, and send the men exploring instead.

Send those workers into the mountains near Bombay! I hear rumors of rich iron deposits, and we must have a road!

The archers are ready at last? And the war is already over! Very well, send them to stand guard around Bangalore. There may be more iron in the hills there, and the French must not be allowed access!

Bangalore needs a temple! What do you mean, the citizens will not take the whip? I will have a temple in Bangalore if it is the last thing I .. aaargh!

At this point the wise men of India threw out the mad golden monkey, and ushered in the true successor to the great kings of old, the one known as Skandranon.

(Attachment to follow, since it seems I can't add it in an edited post).

 

[Jaffa Tamarin]

 

[Sirian]

Great job, Jaffa! Defended our lands, Peace with the French, BOO-KOODLES OF FREE TECH! Woo!

You only took nine turns, though. The turn that you pass when you open the game belonged to your predecessor. Check the math on the dates: at 25 per, ten will take you to 1100. So play one more. (It will still seem short, but hey, not AS short). My turn felt pretty short, too, and I took 21 turns, to even out the date, but then Hocus also took one extra turn, which unevened it again, while Charis took like a bundle of extra turns, clinging to his reign to found Bombay, the City of Charis. That rascal.

Tell you what, maybe ten IS a little short, still. If you want to take it to 1000BC, that would be 14 turns for you, and we'll be back on track for the dates to end on round numbers, plus you can whip those slackers in Bangalore into shape. 750 550 350 150, AD50 250, then a hundred years per turn for quite a while, IF everyone sticks to ten turns from there on out.

I can't wait to see what happens on Cy's turn, when our mystics have foreseen the discovery of a new grain (to be called "hops"?) from which fermented drinks can be made. Will this lead to, uh, similar decisions to that of CharisGrandson? Or will we see an unconventional yet brilliant line of kings lead us to unimagined glories, as per CharisGhandi's vision of the Valley of Abundant Wheat???


- Sirian

 

[Sirian]

If you're planning to whip Bangalore, you can get a "free" warrior first, or nearly, by just taking one more turn. 29 shields whipped instead of 20. Might help to block out the French from the iron?

- Sirian

 

[Charis]

The peoples of Bombay, lovers of the line of CharisGhandi, cheer wildly at the restoration of relations with the french. Such *great* terms too They were wondering if time would show Hocus' bold move as stroke of genius or the beginning of our demise. The great 'Monkey King' has established both Hocus and Jaffa lines as glorious kings!

I thought ten might be too short at this stage too, so I like Sirian's suggestion of 14 turns to get us back on round numbers. Also a good suggestion on getting the free warrior. Whipping, as most of you know, only costs *one* population life whether 1 or 39 shields, and bumps up to two lives for 40-59. Getting the most out of your citizens is good. Speaking of whipping... the Delhi barracks... they have 32 shields to be done, and are prime whipping material, especially since they will (i think?) go into revolt without an entertainer when the population increases in a few turns.

This multinational effort seems to be helping us with the game turn length - with more player turns getting done in less time with the staggered schedules.

Point of order, as I've not played a succession before... do we pass on the save file at the 'end of turn' marker, giving the next king the chance to change some build orders? Or are they to be beginning-of-turn saves? (I'm guessing the first is fine, just want to check)

Charis

 

[Jaffa Tamarin]

Well, okay. Unless Skan beats me to it, the mad monkey will sneak back in for a few more turns

But, by my count, I did play 10 turns. Picked up at 1375, so my turn 1 was 1350, which makes my turn 10 at 1125, and I pass the game on before hitting the next turn button.

--
Jaffa

 

[Sirian]

1375? You're right! I must have caught a whiff of the Weed there.

Well, take it to 1000 anyway. You did such a good job there, and Skan can't play until tonight. In fact, maybe both Skan and Cy should take 15 turns apiece also, and we'll start in on the ten turn deal with the second round?

Cy with 15 turns in hand may be asking for disaster, according to him, but I have faith in his ability to be a good team player.

After Hocus's turn, like Charis, I too held some concern for our mere survival out at Bombay, but Hocus's vision turned out to be brilliant, and Jaffa's statesmanship simply masterful. Nothing smells quite as sweet as victory! Although... if Hocus had lost that attack (and the odds were about even), we'd have quite a different game to play.

Hocus the Bold Jaffa the Wise

What will Skan's line bring??? LOOK! It's Scan-dranon coming up next! And, ack. Sirian has gone Smiley-happy.


- Sirian

 

[Jaffa Tamarin]

"WHAT! Who let that monkey back in? He's slaughtering our citizens in Delphi and Bangalore!"

"But sir, haven't you always said that some sacrifices are necessary in the name of progress?"

"Well, maybe..."

"And the blacksmiths love him for bringing iron to our cities."

"Indeed. But have you seen where he is sending our settlers. He is completely ignoring the grand plan laid down by the legendary Si-rian, and seems intent on colonizing the eastern badlands."

"Well, apparently one of our archers reported vast herds of elephants. There is talk of the profits to be made from the ivory trade."

"Bah. We gave the citizens dyes and still they are not happy. There has been rioting on the streets of Delphi which this monkey seems unable to control. We are behind in technology. Our spies report the Persians already have discovered the secrets of inscribing maps. And now he has completely abandoned the defence of Madras! This has to be stopped!"

"Of course, you are right, sir. You take the left, I take the right, same as last time?"

 

[Cyrene]

I'm off today, so, as I haven't heard from Skan yet, I've got it.

--Cy

 

[Skandranon]

Uh, I wasn't aware of the "got it" rule...I just downloaded it and started playing. I'm not done yet, but....

...so whose counts?

-Skan

 

[Sirian]

If Cy checks in, and wants to defer it back to you, Skan, that would resolve that. Same if you want to defer it. If he doesn't, I'd presume his version to be the continuation, since Charis DID lay out some protocol. I'm certainly eager for my next turn, so anything to keep it moving along suits me.

- Sirian

 

[Cyrene]

A son of a prosperous Indian family, CyGhandi’s father had sent him abroad to receive his education at the hands of the Babylonians, as they are a Religious race, as are the Indians, yet also Scientific, and thus good teachers. I learned much, and was confident that, when recalled home for my term as Regent of the Great Indian Empire, I would discharge my duties well.

On my arrival in Delhi, I called my advisors together to give me an overview of the situation. When I saw the maps of the known lands, my knees went weak. By the great goddess! My predecessors were attempting to snatch and hold fully one third of the entire known world, and perhaps one fourth of the entire world, should its regions ever be fully explored. Eeeep! While the Babylonians were wise teachers, they were not a Commercial race, and taught to build compact, efficient empires, and they had taught me nothing of how to build, manage, or defend such a sprawling, ambitious undertaking.

Great was the vision of my predecessors, and feeble my abilities in their wake! With shaking hand, I took the reigns of power.

After careful consideration of the map, and a review of all our cities, I decided on a two-pronged approach for my Regency. First and foremost, I would stick with what I knew best, and focus most of my energies on consolidating our known empire so that we would indeed control all the lands the ancients intended for us to. Secondly, and using few resources, I would maintain the spirit of my forefathers and mount an expedition into the northern tundra where none had ventured before me.

My first acts were to send a strong expedition North through the tundra, and to direct a settler party started on their way by my predecessor to a spot pre-ordained by the wise Sirian, far south of Madras and through the treacherous jungle. Still, there was much good land down there, and fishing banks offshore. Egads! The settling expedition sighted barbarians! I ordered them to retreat, as the value of the settler outweighs a few turns, and ordered a Swordsman south from Delhi to deal with the infidels. The arrogant Xerxes sent an emissary to trade maps. I told him I had no interest in pathetic Persian maps, but if he wished to waste his gold, he could have a fine map of India for 16 gold. By the time the old fool can read my map and plot perfidy, I will have consolidated.

In the year 925 a settler party sent out by Jaffa the Erratic , settled the town of Calcutta on a nice bay in sight of great herds of elephants, and I sent workers to connect this town by road, and then build a road to the elephants. Soon thereafter, the swordsman from Delhi defeated the barbarian in the south and the settlement party left the protection of Madras again to expand glorious India.

850 was a dark year. In this time, mounted barbarians on horseback attacked our southern expansion effort, while swarms of barbarians on foot ambushed our northern expedition. Our southern troops vanquished the evil horsemen, but the vanguard of our northern force, after slaying the first attacker, was overwhelmed by numbers and fell in defense of his native land. I ordered both parties to find the source of these incursions, and show no mercy. The year 750 showed the fruit of these labors, as both a northern and southern barbarian encampment was defeated and razed, with each contributing 25 gold to our treasury. The people are so overwhelmed by this retribution for the long-ago sacking of Bombay (our people have a long memory), that they offered to expand our palace.

In 710, our glorious folk founded the city of Lahore in a spot foretold by the ancient leader Sirian. Upon learning of the name of this noble city, there was much merriment among the uncultured French—why, I do not know.

My time as Regent was growing very short. I set two more settling parties forth with orders to establish cities on spots laid out by Sirian, and with either an escort or, in the other case, a military unit is dispatched to meet them at the appointed spot. Likewise, there are two more settling parties due to be ready to go, one in 3 turns, one in 4. These two could continue my vision of consolidation on the plan of Sirian, if the next Regent so desires.

In closing, I have a few comments for the next Regent, to be taken to heart or discarded entirely as he sees fit. The Bombay and Madras production queue were set as placeholders for the next Regent, please produce what you see fit, it might well be time for more military after my expansion mode. Calcutta is set for a worker, as we have much jungle road to build and much jungle to clear, but that, too, was an impression and not set in stone. The workers there should soon finish the road to the second herd, a colony there might be appropriate to produce excess ivory for trade goods. Beware the French! Notice Joan founded Chartres to attempt to wrest Calcutta from our grasp with culture, or at least isolate it. Note the nearness of Paris and the distance to beloved Delhi—a future leader might need to waste a city to tie Calcutta more firmly to the empire and maintain communications.

Finally, a note to all future Regents. In my dreams last night, I was visited by a spirit from the future. He took me to a battlefield in times so advanced as to be inconceivable. Huge engines of war clanked across the battlefield, emitting clouds of dust and smoke and slaying men by the hundreds and thousands with loud noises and monstrous explosions. Once I conquered my terror, I looked closely at them. In my dream, they were huge, and complex, but not beyond the power of our best smiths to craft out of bronze and iron. The mystery was how they moved, for no source of locomotion could be seen. Indeed, they were far too bulky for the stoutest war elephant to motivate. I said to the spirit “Truly, you have shown me a vision both terrible and wondrous, but, how, oh spirit, are these great metal beasts powered?”. The spirit just smiled, put his finger to his lips, shook his head, and slowly vanished. Yet, while this was happening, we were gradually transported to a vast snowy wasteland, with few trees, and the sound of the ocean in the wind. Then the spell was broken, and I awoke. I do not know if this dream be true or false, good or evil, or even the product of too much curry. Still, so haunting was it, I ask this of future leaders. Consider closely the barren tundra my hardy warriors explored. Note the herds of migratory beasts, and great fishing banks offshore that could sustain a small city in the frigid north. Consider, please, if this dream be not false, one day, perhaps, a method of driving huge mechanical beasts might appear in those frigid lands of snow. Perhaps we should risk a settlement there as a hedge against the day when the land we now consider most foul sprouts resources we might find most necessary.

--CyGhandi

ps—Skan, only saw your reply on preview, we’ll iron this stuff out. Sorry, though.