SGOTM 08 - Chokonuts

[Mighty Dwaarf]

Just checked we have approx 600 ep's on Joao and to steal tech currently approx 120 so we should get a spy asap to try and steal CS from him. I would go for Hagia would help speed up workers and only 9 in capital. National Wonders I would say Yoda has best long term poss for gp points so would save NE for there. I would go HE in capital and that would leave Oxford for Ulundi (we have a number of potential sites for this not sure which maybe best one). I would probably save Maoi for city by pigs SW of capital as that is likely to have most ocean tiles.

 

[Ozbenno]

I think capital has best GP potential as it has huge food and lots of wonders so I would put NE here. Maoi would be good here as it boosts production short term. Oxford I'm not sure about.

Once we get Shwedagon (although with our luck not sure), maybe switch to Free Religion as our tech rate needs a boost and it drops our civics cost.

 

[Ozbenno]

Without further ado, we're back running.

Research switched to Currency.

We get a quest. Keep it in mind but don't lose sleep if we don't get it.

Our first spy.

Another wonder.

Currency comes in and improves the situation by 5gpt.

I choose Compass to get closer to Optics.

Whipping a market in the holy city another +4gpt.

Our luck goes rotten again with Hagia built while we have 2 turns left.

In retaliation I take the barb city (the cash from losing the wonder will let us be able to support it).

We pop a GS. We can bulb Philosophy and have a shot at Angkor Wat or keep for a corporation.

Our spy is in place and can steal Calendar or Archery now but should wait fpor the 50% discount to kick in and we may get CS.

Compass in 1 turn away. I'd go straight to Optics and start discoverin g the AI and then Paper for Uni of Sankore.

Do we risk Philosophy bulb for Angkor Wat? Hard to say with our luck in being late for wonders. Probably best to leave for corporation later.

Mighty, you want next crack at this?

 

[Ozbenno]

National Wonders? We can build Maoi, Heroic and National Epic now.

I say National Epic in capital (already has over 10gpp). Couple with Ironworks, Oxford or Maoi.

Heroic Epic in best hammer city not going to be tied up with wonder building (ie not capital or Ulundi).

Maoi in either capital or Ulundi (ie extra hammers in wonder building cities) or Heroic Epic city (ie extra hammers in military building cities).

What do we think?

 

[mc-red]

Bad luck on the Hag We have a failed wonder economy (FWE) economy going
I vote keep the GS and don't bulb philo. NE in capital plus ironworks for late wonders seems like a good way to go. Maoi maybe for Ulundi as it will always be working those clams even though we won't get much out of it compared to a town with lots of coast.
Oxford I don't know could yoda be a science city? Or as you said earlier do we have to forget the usual way of lookng at cities because of the wierd VC.
Once we start meeting other civs free religion will be useful but for now i think it helps with diplo with Jao to stay status quo.

 

[Mighty Dwaarf]

I can take it some time over weekend.

Tech seems set at Optics then Paper. I would shy from using Gs for Philo and could even be tempted to use for an Acadamy we will get another no doubt from Great Lib or Physics to use for Corps.
I have been swayed towards NE in capital but if so I think Yoda has best cottage potential for Oxford city if agreed I would sway towards an Academy here in prep for this.

Other than that try to improve economy spread religion and steal CS. If we get CS I assume the green light for Bureaucracy switch. If so should we use oportunity to swap to Free Religion also. Bear in mind swapping to free religion would mean no point in attempting Sankore as would get no benefit from it.

 

[Ozbenno]

After suggesting the Free Religion swap originally, I think mc-red's point about keeping Joao friendly might be better. I don'y think he has built any wonders, so we should probably keep him around as a war buddy and trading partner.

 

[mc-red]

Good to see you back and your move completed Mighty. I hate moving for the very reason I lose online connectivity for some time.
On the game so I will vote in favour of the academy/oxford in Yoda as it does seem to have good potential for this. Also, can't wait to see if you pull of the CS steal. Espionage is a part of the game that I need to improve and it had never occurred to me to try this.
Oz, I am also pretty sure that Jao has no wonders from his culture standing so your suggested approach seems like a good strat.
I have never really played a game with a strong war partner but given we are wonder whoring it seems like something like that is needed.

 

[Mighty Dwaarf]

Played 10 more

Not much to report
We now have Compass + Optics + Paper. But unfortunately no CS as yet.
Rearranged the Copper trade with Jao to get a fairer deal.


Our atempt to steal CS floundered when our spy turned out to be more Austin Powers than James Bond. We didnt however lose any ep's so I have retrained a spy and they have been moved into position and should be able to retry in 3-4 turns.
We did get some good luck when a pasture and road were magically completed near Carib


Only other main things to mention:
Moved GS to Yoda to complete Academy there with long term view of this having best sci potential for Oxford.
Joao completed Mauseleum of Morsellous and Notre Dame also completed in far away land.
3 Great Generals were born in foreign land. Sounds like the others don't get on with each other!!!
Islam was also founded.
We have 2 caravels one heading west one east. Our eastward caravel has sighted land but early reconaissance says this is uninhabited.

We are 12 turns from education although sci rate will need to be toned down due to gold constraints. Maybe should trade a tech to Joao for some gold.
Held off switch to HR to wait to combine with Bureuacracy switch.

 

[cubbiesin08]

Sorry I've been away for a little while, but I'm back now.

We've been making good progress, but it seems we still have some work to do. I imagine we'll have a much better understanding of where we are very soon once we meet the other civs.

I can see we kind of have an idea here of what we are doing in the short-term, but does anyone have a sense yet as to how we might win this game long-term? Since conquest and domination would probably not be good here - especially because other teams would be well ahead of us for that already, we are probably looking at space or diplo. Not only will we need a good production city for wonders, but also for building space parts, if it comes to that. I suspect that getting friendly with the other civs when we have different religions will take quite a bit of time - be good to keep Joao friendly for now.

 

[Ozbenno]

I think domination is how to win this, taking all the wonders and shrines along the way. Head towards rifling and assembly line and start banging heads.

 

[cubbiesin08]

You raise a very good point Oz.

Mighty - forgot to mention it...nice reference with Austin Powers and James Bond...I liked it.

 

[Ozbenno]

I think you might be up as well cubbies!

 

[cubbiesin08]

Ok - I should be able to play tonight.

 

[cubbiesin08]

Played 10 more turns.

Met Pericles, Charlemagne, Boudica, Augustus, and Gandhi.
Traded Currency to Joao for Calendar
Successfully stole Civil Service from Joao
Revolted to HR and Bureacracy
Education is now 1 turn away

I started building some macemen just in case.
Note - we still have a GP in Chokocentral and will spawn another Great Person in 5 turns.

 

[Ozbenno]

Now we have met some neighbours we can do some trading and figure out who we're going to hit on. I'll download teh save later for some looking.

GP was saved for a shrine later.

I think we're back to mc-red.

 

[cubbiesin08]

I knew we had saved the GP - I just want to make sure we remember he's still there.

 

[McArine]

How about switching to free religion and removing Joao from our island?
Now that we have other potential trading partners.

 

[Ozbenno]

Joao only has one wonder I think and with shared civic/religion we can get him to friendly. We should look at who has all teh religions/wonders and attack them as it increases our variant score.

Are you able to take the next turns McArine?

 

[mc-red]

I can't play for a couple of days so it would be good if McArine can go next.
Great news about the CS steal and meeting some civs.