SGOTM 06 - Geezers

[markh]

We kept Alex in settling mode. He was always forced to resettle. According to my experience I doubt that he has a big stack. We should have seen it already.
The AI usually doesn't send big stacks via sea in galleys if they have a direct land route.
I agree we should consider to keep Athens. It will be accessible from one side only, so it will be easier to defend it.

 

[AgedOne]

Ok, unless anyone disagrees I'll play a couple of turns in a few hours to move onto the hills by Athens and then stop and post a pic for the team's edification.

I'll be looking out for that picture.
Hopefully we'll have another one of Athens burning a little later!
7 cats should be devastating against 3 LBs and a Phalanx. I'd guess after bombardment and then collateral hits 1 or 2 defenders will die, and the others will be in small pieces ready for our swords and axes to take care of.

 

[Sam_Yeager]

Well my guess about Athens neighbourhood was wrong. Thoughts?

Spoiler Athens pic :

 

[AgedOne]

Well my guess about Athens neighbourhood was wrong. Thoughts?

Well. The area looks more useful than it might have been, which tempts us to keep it. On the other hand, the land goes on down into tundra - for how much further we don't know - which means future danger from the south if we keep.

I would still be inclined to smash the city, raze, and be content that Alex is no more and we can forget about the south and turn to the east - start working on Hanni.

 

[The-Hawk]

Sam, how mature are those cottages? Hamlets? Villages? If they are pretty mature, then this is a decent site. I'd be inclined to keep it, although we could always come back and resettle it later.

Also, in your screenie it looks like an Alex unit(s) are sneaking up from behind. How many units? It might be a good idea to whack them before they join the city. Not sure if that is possible (next turn they should be able to move onto the hill next to you, might be hard to kill them there).

 

[Sam_Yeager]

I would still be inclined to smash the city, raze, and be content that Alex is no more and we can forget about the south and turn to the east - start working on Hanni.

Don't forget Alex has Cherokee to the NW of Kumbi. In addition it seems pretty clear that he has at least one city to the SE.

Sam, how mature are those cottages? Hamlets? Villages? If they are pretty mature, then this is a decent site. I'd be inclined to keep it, although we could always come back and resettle it later.

Mostly villages with around 40 (ish) turns before becoming towns.

Also, in your screenie it looks like an Alex unit(s) are sneaking up from behind. How many units? It might be a good idea to whack them before they join the city. Not sure if that is possible (next turn they should be able to move onto the hill next to you, might be hard to kill them there).

It's just the one C2 sword which appeared a turn ago.

EDIT: I can upload the save if people want a closer look.

 

[markh]

I am torn on razing or taking Athens, but I would slightly 50,01% favor razing. On the other side it would be a pity not keeping it.

Edit : Wait I just changed my mind. It is size 16, so we can whip some units as soon as it gets out of revolt and it has good production capabilities. I would say keep it.

 

[Sam_Yeager]

Draft turnset plan:

Whilst we decide what to do with Athens here's the rest of my plan/thoughts:

• Use forces by Iron city to raze elephant city. What do we want this force to do afterwards? Wait for some more spears?
• We now know MC. I've set the next tech to Machinery (20 turns). No beakers invested so far.
• I suggest monastery (3 turns) in London next for the additional 10% science since we almost certainly need to get Astronomy. Follow by forge (7 turns) afterwards and after a few turns? The rest of the cities keep pumping out military.
• There's an axe on the way from Kumbi to protect the worker farming the rice.
• Worker actions - Clear jungle N Iron city and cottage, mine hill SW Kumbi. Partially mine gold by Iron city?

 

[markh]

Raze Elephant city and see whether we need more spears. Difficult to decide now.

I fully agree on research. We want maces asap.

Hm, I rarely build monasteries, but I love forges.

I would not mine the gold hills at iron city, yet. We cannot work them now. I would clear more jungle and build cottages faster.

 

[Harbourboy]

Is now the right time for a monastery?

 

[Sam_Yeager]

Is now the right time for a monastery?

It's the extra 10% to boost our research rate I'm after rather than the missionaries.

 

[markh]

I cannot look at the save now. How many beakers is London producing ? In any case I think I would prefer a unit over a monastery or immediately start a forge. The 10% science does not really emphasize me to build a monastery. IMO we need units to overcome the AIs. We will lose some units on Athens and the sooner we can replace the lost units the sooner we can continue on our mission. Infra can come later.

 

[The-Hawk]

I cannot look at the save now. How many beakers is London producing ? In any case I think I would prefer a unit over a monastery or immediately start a forge. The 10% science does not really emphasize me to build a monastery. IMO we need units to overcome the AIs. We will lose some units on Athens and the sooner we can replace the lost units the sooner we can continue on our mission. Infra can come later.

I think I'm with Mark, although 3 turns is not very long. I think we should build a forge, then units. Quicker Machinery would be nice for maces, but the monestary will not impact Machinery. The quickest way to Astonomy is to build our economy by capturing cities (versus adding 10% in London). We should be building all units until our continent is clear. I'd keep building cats until we have maces, then I'd build a mix.

 

[Sam_Yeager]

What are people's views on Athens? So far AgedOne is for razing and mark is for keeping. I would like a bit more input on this subject before I play.

 

[markh]

Before the game we talked a lot about focus. I think we should keep our focus. A forge is ok IMO as it increases our hammer output -> faster completion of units -> faster conquest. However I also would be ok to just continue building units.

 

[erikthecelt]

I've been out sick for a few days, so I'm just catching up a bit.

Athens - It has Chicken Pizza and probably has an Academy - If we are going to take it, we should try and keep it. It will take a lot of whipping, starting with a courthouse. I think we'll need to clear the coastal fog before we can open a trade route to our other cities.

London Monastory - it only adds 3 beakers per turn at a cost of 1.5 cats - London is our major military production city. The cost of the forge is 3 cats. Let's keep spewing out cats.

I think we should consider keeping elephant city this time. Elephants make a nice counter to crossbows and maces are useless against them. After taking that city we should start in on Hannibal, there should be a city SE. eventually we can link the Athens contingent and the new units.

Why did we put worker turns into the rice between London and Iron City? I can see no use in that at all?

Our workers should be roading toward Elephant city now to speed up the reinforcements.

 

[The-Hawk]

What are people's views on Athens? So far AgedOne is for razing and mark is for keeping. I would like a bit more input on this subject before I play.

I'm on the keep-it list.

Before the game we talked a lot about focus. I think we should keep our focus. A forge is ok IMO as it increases our hammer output -> faster completion of units -> faster conquest. However I also would be ok to just continue building units.

Yes, the only reason for a forge is it will give us quicker units. I think the payback (in the sense of number of units produced) is pretty quick.

I think we should consider keeping elephant city this time. Elephants make a nice counter to crossbows and maces are useless against them. After taking that city we should start in on Hannibal, there should be a city SE. eventually we can link the Athens contingent and the new units.

I've got mixed feelings. I like the idea of phant's but Alex's choice of location may not be optimal. I do not have access to the save at the moment, from a previous screenie, it looks like his city is on the SW phant? I would prefer a little further south (to get the cows). However, Thebes was also a decent site, so maybe phant city can be more to the north. Maybe someone can take a screenshot of the whole area (from Athens through phant city) and place some dots? Let's figure out where we want to end up, might help us decide whether we like phant city.

 

[The-Hawk]

Wow, four Geezers on line at the same time... get ready for some crossposts!

 

[Sam_Yeager]

I think we should consider keeping elephant city this time. Elephants make a nice counter to crossbows and maces are useless against them. After taking that city we should start in on Hannibal, there should be a city SE. eventually we can link the Athens contingent and the new units.

Interesting idea. Anyone else in favour?

Why did we put worker turns into the rice between London and Iron City? I can see no use in that at all?

Agreed. It wasn't me wot did it guv.

 

[markh]

Just checked a pic of phant city from erik's set. I do not like that location. It will have a lot of overlap with iron city. I would resettle it in a better location once we got Hanni out of that area or enough units to defend it properly.