Turn 190-199

[dutchfire]

I didn't forget starting a new thread

I upgrade two Cavalry. I think we should upgrade some more Cavarly with the money we have now (+/- 300 gold), and start researching things again.

I didn't see any Epsilonian galleons, so I think we're pretty safe at the moment.

Offered a map trade to Aloha.


Settled a new city, called it Powderton (Hopefully someone can think of a real name ). Started Lighthouse so it can work some tiles in the future. It didn't cost us much gold actually, about 1 gpt.


Did some micromanaging too, changing scientists to merchants in most places for better rounding.

I've thought about some city sites, what about these (is it actually possible to settle on ice?):

 

[1889]

Let’s upgrade the rest of our camels before continuing or research.

If we want Frigates we need to settle Iron (we can settle on ice but ice tiles can not be worked by our citizens). I'm not sure how much use Frigates will be for us though. Considering that Epsilon can always out run them, an effective defense will require a much larger fleet to patrol our coast. If Frigates are not going to be worth building then there are much better sites to settle.

 

[dutchfire]

Well, we'll need it for cannons etc. anyway.

By the way, we could adopt Representation soon (next turn if loco doesn't screw up), but we should first check if we don't lose too much HR happiness.

 

[Provolution]

Ignoring iron for frigates only, does not make sense. I stand by Dutchfire there.
We should build a strong navy, but rather build ports at key chokepoints where we can marginalize the Global Circumstance advantage by Epsilon.

Tile utilization is one thing, but maximizing port placement in a map like this is critical. Given that any enemy fleet will have that extra move, all we need to make sure of, is that we can hit and run, and retreat to port. In this way, we can wear them down. We simply need to go more frigates and better port placements in order to stay in the game. This map looks like Indonesia, difference is we got 5 Singapore locations, not only one.

 

[dutchfire]

RE: upgrading, it might be better to upgrade the rest of our camels later, when we're upgrading our other units to rifles/grenadiers

 

[Provolution]

About upgrades, all we need to do, is to make sure we got the gold. This is a way to hide our relative power in the power graph, one of the favorite gauging devices by mediocre analysts. We upgrade when we have to, not before, but allow that option to be there.

 

[1889]

I don’t see how Frigates can do us much good on the west coast but 4 frigates or so in the gulf between us and Loco could protect most of our core.

I think we should go ahead with the upgrades the extra power is meant to help deter invasions. Upgrading 6 camels and building 10 muskets gives us almost 400,000 troops, probably even with Epsilon.

 

[dutchfire]

Well, I think that getting Rep Parts and Rifling earlier would be great too, as we'd be able to build rifles, the cavalry stopper.

 

[1889]

It would be nice to wait but Chowderton can has only 3-4 turns to live should Epsilon decide to attack and Rifling is maybe 20 turns. So while it is less efficient I'd rather improve our security now, especially when you consider how valuable Chowderton is to us. Besides military improvements now may have a deterrent effect.

How about rather than 10 musket like we planned we just make 4-6 for now?

 

[dutchfire]

It would be nice to wait but Chowderton can has only 3-4 turns to live should Epsilon decide to attack and Rifling is maybe 20 turns. So while it is less efficient I'd rather improve our security now, especially when you consider how valuable Chowderton is to us. Besides military improvements now may have a deterrent effect.

How about rather than 10 musket like we planned we just make 4-6 for now?

That sounds like enough.

 

[1889]

1310 is here but not yet played. Aloha has finished Engineering and offered it to us for Education, is that a load of $%^&* or what! That trade is more than 1100 beakers in their favor and we already gave them 100 gold to help with Engineereing. The trade should be Engineering and Divine Right for Edu, a trade 572 beakers in our favor but like I said we already gave them 100 gold.

 

[dutchfire]

I'll ask BCLG, wait for a moment please

 

[1889]

I'm guessing this is all some kind of mistake. I'll just send the deal back as DR and Engineering for Edu.

 

[1889]

1310 AD, turn 191

Next turn we should have the money to upgrade the last 3 camels in our territory so science can go back to 80% just a slew of new universities and libraries come on line.

We've also finished our first musket and Chowderton is set to finish one every turn that remains of the GA and then every 2 turns after that until we get the 4-6 we feel good with. Power gragh is already showing our improvments and should look very nice once we finish.

We got Aloha's map but am not sure if we traded with Loco. No matter we are making a few discoveries on the edge of Piffle so can trade around when we finish there.

Loco finished Constitution so I asked for that. Aloha is a little confused I think, so I rejected Engineering for Edu and instead asked them to throw in Divine Right as well, its garbage really so it shouldn't be a problem for them.

 

[dutchfire]

Played it. Upgraded a couple of camels and started high research on replaceable parts again. No sighting of Epsilonian ships.

Adopted Representation.
I think we should start building the Forbidden Palace in Polynesia next turn.

 

[1889]

Also any interest in Spiral Minaret? Half price with Stone which loco should be getting over the next 10 turns. Then I suppose they will want to build it though.

 

[1889]

1330 AD, turn 193. Back to Reality.

The Golden Age is over, but we get another scientist in 6 turns. Should we save him this time?

Tropicana is building a missionary for our iron city (the settler is due in 5), One of the workers roading to Powderton, our newest city, will head north to start prepping.

Also sent one of the Muskets to Powderton, It’s a long walk and that place is quite vulnerable right now.

Polynesia started the Forbidden Palace.

Our camel scout has discovered a barb city near Piffle. Let’s try and raze it before they capture it.

We are almost 2nd place in score, just 4 points behind Piffle, but still 315 behind Epsilon. No wonder when you look at the demographics. Their population is 30% larger and land area is 50% bigger than Innovia!

We’ll have Replaceable Parts in 1 more turn. That nearly closes the tech gap; they are only 2000 beakers ahead, but look at that bank account! That makes war much more likely think, so let’s keep up the re-armament program. We’ll do riffling next I think?

Oh also, we can't maintain 70% science.

 

[1889]

1340 AD, turn 194.

Updated maps with Aloha.

Nothing much, Powderton will grow next turn so we can begin the sheep pasture as soon as the road is done. Have a cavalry unit clearing our barbs near Iron and a worker is in Magadan to start roads to it. The missionary will be done in 2 and settler in 6.

Only Epsilon and Aloha have Iron. So Epsilon must have traded to Piffle to build those frigates.

We just got RP at the end of this turn so we’ll start Riffles next, right?

Piffle is already at the barb city. We can only destroy it if they have a single defender so we might as well just keep mapping.

 

[Nomad Bryce]

I am rooting for you guys! Keep up the good work.

 

[1889]

Thanks Bryce.

1350 AD, turn 196

Replacable parts to Aloha and Loco, Started Rifling - 7 turns. We can now see that neither Piffle or Epsilon have it, although a cannon on Epsilon's east coast means that they do have Steel.

Port Tropicana has just finished the missionary for our Iron city. What's next: a settler to keep the expansion going or some ships? Another Caravel can go on patrol in the western ocean or a Galleon can take te place of our old Galley. Piffle could show up on our east coast and we'll need some way to get troops there from the west.