TGOM03 - Celts in Space (C3C Demi-god)

[gmaharriet]

I hope my team mates all have a wonderful holiday!!! What a true gift it's been to be given so many great lessons AT LEAST 2 levels over my normal playing level, setting me up and cleaning up after me and putting up with my unending questions. You guys are the greatest!!! Love you all.

 

[Bede]

This is the official got it.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

 

[Bede]

The good news is that Abe is falling far behind as he remains a mobilized Fascist, allowing me to strip his treasury with some impunity for both AT and Electronics, and since he is at war with the Carthage guy, there was no hope of him selling Elctronics ot Hannibal, so I happily relieved Hanni of his treasury for Atomic Theory. Also somewhere along in there picked up Espionage and some luxuries from the Abester.

The bad news is the Celts are at war with Japan. Just...had...to....do...it. Toku had a couple of cavs sitting on South Island and our natives were getting restless after the Hittites disappeared. So, Toku's cav got the boot but didn't leave, so WAR! However the population loved me for it, WLKTD everywhere. Scoutsrest remained slightly restive as someone forgot to build a Wal-mart so all the mommies were unhappy 'cause there were no cheap Pampers for all those Celtic babies.

Otherwise all went according to plan - started out with almost nothing in the treasury and barely more in income and ended with over 8,000g, +100gpt and a five turn research cycle (I think there are over 100 Celtic druids doing their thing with oak trees and mistletoe.)

Now for the newsreel:

-More-

 

[Bede]

The end of the reel:

So, what's next I hear you ask. Well, keep an eye out for Toku but he is kinda busy at home with Abe capturing his cities and Kyoto razed by a volcano. Hannibal is really, really angry right now as he doesn't much care for the idea of our little argument with the Japanese, so settle that one as soon as convenient, even to the point of giving cash or tech if Toku will talk.

Abe is busy wrecking his own economy and we are now capable of out researching him, and so long as he is a mobilized Fascist his cultural growth rate is cut in half.

Pant some spies, maybe do a little judicious tech theft if you think it warranted. We could steal Communism and revolt but the city packing in the south makes that kind of pointless, as the gains from lower corruption is offset by the loss of the extra gold in the core, and the towns in south don't have more than minimal workable fields.

 

[scoutsout]

@Bede: Drat. I got all of three lines into your turnlog before I figured out that the team spotter (you) had picked out a new target for the team sniper (me). Now I've gotta read your turnlog more carefully before applying some o' that "Tennessee Elevation" and "Kentucky Windage"....

Oh well... one target's as good as another...

Back to the logs.... before I post an offical "got it".

For those following the military metaphors... the spotter is usually the better shot than the one who actually gets to pull the trigger...

 

[Bede]

Make the best of it, but you will find that the war with Toku is an afterthought, or rather a way of delaying the peace unhappiness. We are taking luxes from Abe, but don't owe him anything, so if you prefer to open the dancing with Mr Lincoln, feel free. You could probably do it by planting a colony in some of the open land over there and wait for him to cross the border on his way into Hannibal's home.

 

[gmaharriet]

@Bede I'm wondering if I should hire your team of "advisors", since mine aren't nearly so helpful.

Wow! What a change in circumstances! and no telling what the game will look like when it gets back to me after Scout gets to doing his invasion scheming...he has the same advisors, right?

 

[scoutsout]

Make the best of it,...

Um... Okay!

but you will find that the war with Toku is an afterthought...

...and I thought the war with Inca was an afterthought! (Or was it the Maya?!?!)

We are taking luxes from Abe, but don't owe him anything

Oh yeah we do...we owe him a good ol' fashioned dogpile dangit!!!

so if you prefer to open the dancing with Mr Lincoln, feel free.

Hehehe... So I can start another slugfest "if I prefer..."

@Bede I'm wondering if I should hire your team of "advisors", since mine aren't nearly so helpful.

Take your own counsel. It works for me.

Wow! What a change in circumstances! and no telling what the game will look like when it gets back to me ...

That's the plan!

 

[gmaharriet]

Take your own counsel.

Yes, my husband might wonder about me if he looked over my shoulder and saw me studying pretty young women.

 

[scoutsout]

Okay - this is my 'official got it'. I'll start shortly... and I don't know if I'll finish it tonight. But I promise dispatches should anything interesting should develop.

 

[scoutsout]

Pre-flight check...review the troops...not nearly enough troops to invade the AI continent. But perhaps...

Abe has refining... but not steel? :hmmm: I'm tempted to try a steal, but I think I'll wait... If he doesn't have steel... then he can't have the things that follow....

Fiddle with the cities... swap GOC to a Bank, because we rather need one there. Swap a couple of productive cities to factories.... (We sorta need factories to make use of Hoover Dam, team. )

Rush a Factory in Nemausus for 564g. And in Harrietsburg for 500g. Swap Scoutsrest to a factory, and rush it for 560. In Lurkersville for 528. In Last Resort for 408. Short Rush the Bank in GOC with a worker, then finish it for 600g. Rush a court in TheRathus. That should put us in a better position to beat plowshares into swords.

I prolly should've warned you guys...

Q: How do you get a pile of 4,000 gold?
A: Start with a pile of 8,000 gold, and hand the game to Scout.

Okay... a full hour has passed. Time to press <Enter>

...but I just can't... not ... yet...

A little math first. We're spending 524gpt on research. The cost of a safe steal for Refining is 2916g. So the actual cost of the steal is... more like 1,344g. Let's see... Abe wanted 4k gold, 2 luxes, and our map. I think 1,344g sounds pretty cheap, whaddya think, team?

Too late.

Oooh...now why would I want to steal Refining? Gee... then I'd know where Abe's Oil is. And why would I want to know that?

I set the science slider on a hard burn towards Flight. Steel in 4 at 100%, -53gpt. Considering the 3 turns I just knocked off Refining...that seems more like...

Steel in one.

And by the way, we've got oil at Hubishina. Or more precisely... under Hubishina. Funny how those AI always found those cities on those strategic resources, eh Bede?

Unfortunately, Abe has two sources of oil... and they're not on the same landmass.

...more to follow....just as soon as I press <Enter>

 

[gmaharriet]

...more to follow....just as soon as I press <Enter>

Why bother doing that? You're making great progress just staying between turns.

 

[Whomp]

lurker's comment: Somehow I had a feeling that the 'muricans would be Scout's steal target. That looked like a immediate steal too. @ Gram...put your helmet on. Things look to get more and more interesting.

 

[gmaharriet]

lurker's comment: @ Gram...put your helmet on. Things look to get more and more interesting.

Helmet?!?!?!? Something tells me I'll need a set of full-body armor.

 

[scoutsout]

Turn 1/1255 - Playing in the other city (home away from home) and note that my friend's kid has discovered Snoopy's terrain. Screenies will look different tonight.

I must've renewed a spices deal with France last night...upgrade some cannon...worker moves... Chase down our navy and do some thinking...Dial up Hannibal and sell him Iron for 15gpt+140g. We've got to stay on good terms with France and Carthage.

IBT - Joanie calls, wishing to renew our peace treaty. I oblige, and give her a peck on the cheek. Whoops...another SG flashback. (TM)

French start Universal Sufferage. Good luck, baby.

Turn 2/1260 Mostly worker moves. Firing the scientists at Camulodunum does not reduce the amount of science coming from that city. Go on a mining-fest there and at Last Resort and Entremont. We have some cities that can be made more productive. Start repositioning the Navy.

IBT - Richborough trains a grunt, starts a University.

Turn 3/1265 - Science down a notch. Spend 552g rushing a factory in Camulodunum. Abe still lacks steel. Spend 160g rushing the Market in Scoutsrest.

IBT - Steel comes in. All else is strangely quiet. All the king's candles can't get Combustion in 4 turns. Scoutsrest finishes its market, starts a... Library?

Turn 4/1270 - We have Steel at Monopoly. Abe is willing to pay WM+31gpt+570g. It's a pity that his culture needs clipping so badly, or I might take him up on it. Dial up Tokugawa and sign straight-up peace. Then I sell him Industrialization for WM+25gpt+4g. Since he is not faring well at all in his war against America, I give him Nationalism. Fiddle with the specialists to get the cash flow positive again.

At least I've settled one tactical problem: The fleet shall depart from Hattusha. Soon. But first...

It's defended by three grunts and a couple of artillery pieces. I could use a few more tubes...I think I might try to capture those.

 

[scoutsout]

 

[scoutsout]

IBT - Carthage starts Universal Sufferage.

Turn 5/1275 ... a bunch of worker turns... I take a little time from that to rally the troops.

Is our reputation busted? Or are Hannibal and Tokugawa Furious with us for "General Purposes"? Since they will only offer a pittance for a lux...and since Hannibal has Atomic Theory, I sell it to France for WM+22gpt+32g. Based on Joanie's map, someone's been pillaging Abe's supply of Rubber. In an effort to get Japan a little more productive, I sell him Silks for a pittance of 4g.

Abe's culture: 39,806. Ours: 7,553.

IBT - we put another boat in the water.

Turn 6/1280 - I spend 320g rushing the University in Richborough. Task Force Manifest Destiny moves out. Seven Galleons, with a compliment of 5 Infantry, 3 Guerillas, 8 Artillery, 7 Cavalry, and a Combat Settler.

Abe's culture: 40,058. Ours: 7,651. If you do the math, you'll see that the road to Alpha Centauri goes through Washington.

IBT - We build some stuff.

Turn 7/1285 Richborough is now a 2-turn Artillery pump. Camulodunum is now spitting out Galleons every other turn. Harrietsburg and Nemausus are beating plowshares into Cavalry and Infantry every 3 turns.

Just before ending this turn, I note that Kagoshima has fallen into American hands.

IBT - Carthage starts Hoover Dam. We should get it next turn. Last Resort is now beating plowshares into artillery.

Turn 8/1290 Dial up Joanie and sell her Electronics for WM+17gpt+20g.

Though I would prefer more troops, the time has come. Abe does not yet have Combustion, so we might be able to get our toe-hold in before he can get Destroyers. I dial up Abe and declare war. Joanie climbs on board for Corporation, while Carthage and Japan sign the alliance straight up. I throw in some saltpeter for Japan.

Bracing for Abe's counter-attack, I press <Enter>

IBT - Combustion comes in. That's it? No counterattack? I expected better from a runaway AI...

Well, that wasn't entirely "it".

We complete our Palace expansions despite the fact that WLTKD ends seemingly everywhere...

Turn 9/1290 I cannot get Flight any faster than 5 turns, though I can get it in 5 with positive cash flow.

*****Siege of Baltimore
After a reasonably successful artillery preparation, the first Cav retreats after an enemy volley. 2nd dies after redlining a 2/3 grunt. 3rd retreats. 4th dies. 5th kills a 2/4 grunt. Guerilla kills a grunt. Elite Cav kills a grunt. Elite Cav kills an American Cav, and the first of many "See Rock City" road signs are added to the American countryside. The Cavalry retreats to the safety of the stack after collecting the American artillery pieces and slaves.

Auda City is founded on a hilltop next to the rockpile. Queue up a Temple and rush it. Our navy returns homeward with nary a scratch.

IBT - No counter from Abe.

We build some stuff... mostly stuff to hurt Abe with, but we also finished this one:

...come to think of it, we might be able to hurt Abe with that too!

Turn 10/1300 - short rush the harbor in Auda City with a worker queue. Do some worker stuff, and sail our navy. Rest the troops.

Well...that's it! Time for the next better player.

 

[scoutsout]

After Action Review:

The good: I got the dance started. I was tempted to call it the Saltpeter Waltz, but it's more like a Mosh Pit. We've got a fair foothold in Abe's backside, and Abe's got himself a good ol' fashioned dogpile on his hands. I also got us some more techs.

The bad: We're going to need to fight this war a bit carefully... with a bit of terrain adjustment we've got some powerhouse cities coming on line ... but a few of them are woefully behind in infrastructure. (We're just now getting around to building a Library in Scoutsrest...) We will have a steady supply of reinforcements, but they won't arrive in waves. Don't stop building Artillery; keep at least one productive city building Artillery until we have about 20 on each continent.

The ugly: Poor Abe doesn't seem to have much to counter with. Provided we use good stack discipline, our casualties should be light.

Finer points:

• When the borders expand at Auda City we should claim another saltpeter. France needs it.
• Again, after the border expansion, there will be 2 American cities that should be quite sack-able. I recommend sacking the one to the west first.
• When Flight comes in, use the captured American workers to build an airfield. Build a few airfields at home to ease logistics. (Good luck finding un-used tiles at home...)
• We have 3 Combat Settlers. We will need more.

For the next better player: >>> The Save <<<

Let's expand the "See Rock City" advertising campaign!

 

[Bede]

Task Force Manifest Destiny moves out. Seven Galleons, with a compliment of 5 Infantry, 3 Guerillas, 8 Artillery, 7 Cavalry, and a Combat Settler.

But judging from the results it appears that you timed it right. Several thousand years of warfare can give a DG AI iron poor blood.

Mrs Thatcher, did you take your Geritol tonight?

And don't forget the body armor!

Have fun, gmaH!!!

I hope you don't think it's all a plot.....

 

[gmaharriet]

Having just awakened from a very long winter's hibernation (yawn), I look around and... O M G !!!

Got it. I'll take a look at the save and probably be back with questions.