Sorry to hear about your computer problems gunning. Let us know when you can play again. Anyway, that makes it my turn, so here goes:
PreTurn - I veto the war chariot in Memphis, changing to a barracks; we really need at least one of our cities to have a barracks. Play with science rate to get it down to 2 turns at +0 gold. I really don't think getting the Colossus in Alexandria is a good idea (or was that just a prebuild?) so I change it to an archer to go after the barbarians.
meldor, as far as I can see, no city was built on shielded grassland.
1725BC (1) A Roman archer and warrior appear out of the fog, advancing towards our war chariot, and Heliopolis. I retreat our war chariot a little. I honestly think we're going to have to forget about trying to time our golden age; it's going to happen really soon now. Elphantine is roaded up and I change it to building a war chariot from a spearman. The chariot will try to go after the barbarians. Science slider is MMed to give us 2 gold. I change Heliopolis to building a war chariot - that's going to last alot better than a spearman against roman archers.
1700BC (2) A barbarian warrior attacking Alexandria almost kills our defending spearman...but he just survives. We discover alphabet. Mysticism is the cheapest tech to research, but I am seriously tempted to go for mathematics; we need catapults badly! Heliopolis completes its war chariot and I set it to build a barracks; but this can be changed to a unit if needs be. Our exploring warrior in the south east spots the border of a Roman settlement. Our war chariot near helio waits around for the Roman archers to come onto the desert, where they can be run over. I start hooking up the silks in the north. Our other war chariot destroys a barb encampment, and spots an *incredibly* fertile region. It's on a river, with two floodplains wheat. Bit far though :/
1675BC (3) Thebes completes a settler, who is sent west to found a city. Thebe's garrison is sent with him, since there are barbs in the area. Set Thebes to build another warrior, and set its food production to max.
1650BC (4) I'm not sure exactly what the Romans are doing, because of the fog, but they seem to be meandering about a little. Our exploring warrior is trying to check out the Roman settlement. In the fertile region to the south west, there is also a source of ivory.
1625BC (5) hmm...I see what's happened with the Romans now, their warrior and archer went back south to fight someone else; I didn't see who, but I assume it was barbarians. Our warrior discovers Antium which is *undefended*. However, their wounded archer is right next to it. Sniffing the potential for an early raid, I also dispatch a war chariot towards the area.
1600BC (6) ok, the Roman archer moves into Antium, and now the question is to attack or not attack. Antium is on grassland, and the warrior has 2 health. The warrior has 4 health, but has to attack across a river to attack this turn. What to do? I think that attacking this turn is better than moving and attacking next turn, not across the river. A war chariot could attack in 3 turns; but that's too long, and we want to delay the golden age as much as possible. I attack, and we win 2-1! We auto-raze Antium and take 4 gold. How'd the Romans like *that*? The border to their next city is to the south east.
1575BC (7) trying to found another city, but barbarian warriors keep showing up. Our settler waits, while our military clears out the area. Silks hooked up; this should be good for happiness.
1550BC (8) Thebes finished a warrior; set to build another settler. war chariot in the south pops a goody hut full of barbarians; I hope he can survive. The Greeks have founded a city to the south west, in the very fertile looking region - Delphi. However, we have not yet made contact. We will withdraw from the area until we want to make contact.
1525BC (9) our war chariot bravely fights off 2 barbarians and promotes to veteran, but sadly, is defeated by the third. Out warrior/war chariot pair spots a spearman escorting a settler out from roman territory. Should we start pushing our luck and try to attack? It's tempting. Our war chariot spots the city of Rome. It's defended by a regular spearman. There's also another city nearby to the north-east. We could see if it's only defended by a warrior, or we could go after the spearman-settler pair. Giza is founded, there is a barbarian camp nearby, and our warrior moves towards it.
1500BC (10) we manage to destroy the barbarian encampment, but now the newly-founded Giza is under threat by a warrior who recently emerged from the camp. Our nearby war chariot can't attack, since he's in jungle. Do we let Giza be plundered, since it's a new city and has very little of value, or do we risk our war chariot defending it? I'm dubious as to what's best here, but I decide to move the chariot back to defend the city.
All our build orders should probably be reviewed. We need to keep steadily expanding. There is an iron source to the north of the Romans that we want to do our best to deny from them. There's also a barbarian encampment on the mountains in that area, so our war chariots can't attack it. Snaring a roman settler would be nice, as two extra workers would help us out a great deal right now. The Romans are our only enemy at this stage, and we really have them on the back foot.
now, since Maple is out for 2 weeks, and gunning it out until further notice, that leaves meldor and I. If anyone wants to join this game, please let us know. (Lee, you seem to be hanging around a bit...can we tempt you?
)
So, the order now looks like this:
1. Sirp <--- Just batted, but also, still on deck
2. meldor <--- UP NOW
Maple <--- Away with leave
gunning <--- Away with leave
Elephantine founded northwest of Thebes, to claim the closest pair of silks and game, and another barb warrior appears on the horizon. Lux rate moved back to 2.8.0, with +2 gpt.
