Turn 80-89

[1889]

Aloha has accepted open borders, but I thought they were supposed to tell us about the barb city in return. Anyway our warrior got a good look but Aloha isn't around. It's only protected by two warriors and has a barracks.

Two cottages finished and are being worked, costs us two food but growth in Ploughland and settler production in Wheelville were unaffected.

 

[1889]

Also, discovered a tribal village in the great white north.

 

[dutchfire]

Tribal village has been there for 2 turns or something,

send an axeman there as soon as possible, it would be a great city site, and it's almost for free.

 

[1889]

Lets send two axemen to take the barb city first (It should grow to size 2 by then) then the third can liberate the village.

Also how about open borders with Loco?

 

[dutchfire]

They haven't offered it, have they?

 

[Theoden]

No they haven't. In fact, they still haven't responded to the message we sent them two weeks ago...

 

[dutchfire]

resend one?

 

[1889]

Just played.

Loco has built a new city.
A barbarian warrior has appeared in the east (no danger to us).

Lets ask Loco for Open Border.

Sinsburge is building an obelisk, but maybe we can switch to granary. Religion will give it border expansion.

The warrior in Ploughland can be upgraded to Axe for 80 gold, we have 170, then they can start marching to the barb city next turn.

Looks like clam city will be next so I started roading to that spot, other worker is roading to Sinsburge.

 

[1889]

Loco's new city and a barbarian warrior.

 

[1889]

We are starting to fall behind, but the new cities should catch us up.

 

[Theoden]

I basically agree with everything 1889 said

And I'll send another message to Loco...

 

[Theoden]

We are starting to fall behind, but the new cities should catch us up.

We are well placed in food output and soldiers and in a decent position regarding land area and population, so I don't think it's that bad. We could use a higher production and commerce income though.

 

[1889]

Already sent so things to maybe do next time:

Switch Sinsburge to Granary.
(Now that it has grown to 2 how about worker instead?)
Offer Open Border to Loco.
Upgrade Ploughland warrior to Axe and march both toward barbcity.
(I would suggest working the copper mine to build another Axeman)
EDIT: I need to look into this more closely first.

The upgrade will leave us with 80 gold in the treasury and we currently pay 4 per turn in upkeep. In short order we will have 2-3 more units and 2 cities to support so I'll do some experimenting later today to make sure we can afford this plan.

 

[1889]

Innovian economy 450 BC

In 10 turns
Wheelville will have the Hindu Shrine (+2) and the cottage will have grown (+1). When the settler is complete it can stop working pigs and work a coastal tile (+2) while building a library.

Clam city will have been built and connected (-2, projected upkeep, +1 trade route, with the shrine religion should spread here fast but, so eventual +1)
Working the pigs will have grown the population and let them work clams (+2)
The city can begin a work boat and the worker can mine those hills.

Ploughland’s cottage will have grown (+1) the other cottage will grow in 13 turns.
New population will probably work copper mine and produce two more axemen. Lets not upgrade that warrior, we need him for happiness and we have other units with experiance that can upgrade

Sinsburg will have a trade route (+1) and the worker will have built a cottage (+1). Can change production to worker.

Summary:
Clam city will cost 2 upkeep and we already pay 4,
But growth will give us 11 gold over the next 10 turn.

Assuming upkeep from number of cities will stay 1 and civics and inflation stay 0.

Should be fine building another worker and two more axemen, new city should increase free unit support enough to keep them free.

Capturing Barb city will cost at least 3 in upkeep but considering growth and improvements should also be affordable.

 

[1889]

Not much to report..but anticipation!

The Arabs stood firm atop the nameless hill. Before them stretched the barren wastes of trackless desert, a desert that they imagined someday filled with the cities farms and roads of their descendants. The barbarian horde climbed the small mound not to take their land but only to take their lives for they too had a vision of the desert that they wished to deliver to their descendents, that of a land free from Arab cities, farms and roads.

The viscous horde moved slowly but steadily forward. Like a force of nature they had no inclination toward bravery or courage nor did they suffer doubt or fear. The Arab defenders outnumbered and far from home felt all this and more as they waited for the enemy to get within range of their clubs.

The first swings smashed heavily into the first barbarians to reach the top, but most never had time for a second swing before being subducted under a wave of melee. What followed that wave was the main body of the Arab band, hidden amongst the rocks they sprang on the barbarians from behind…

 

[1889]

Also some routine junk:

-Open Border offered to Loco.

-Only a few people were in favor of changing production so I just left Sinsburge alone, it will finish Obelisk in 8.

-Axeman finished next turn, with luck we may be able to take barb city with just the one.

-Alphabet in 5 turns. Should we start shopping for tech trades? We also have some very nice choices for our next research.

• Masonry - Monotheism for organized religion
• Monarchy could be a happiness solver.
• Math will lead to Calendar, and many others, so we can get plantations on our sugar and future tobacco and silk.
• Meditation allows monasteries but may be available from trade.
• Literature opens a couple nice wonders.
• Sailing for galleys, but no trade routes yet.

 

[dutchfire]

check what the others have first, Theoden, are you going to send some messages?

Leave the obelisk there, we don't have monastries or missionaries yet.

 

[Theoden]

I think we should try to capture the barb city with just the one axeman, the chance is very high so not much of a gamble.

check what the others have first, Theoden, are you going to send some messages?

I will do when I get home, about 3 hours from now.

 

[Lord Parkin]

I think for the next tech, we should go for Monarchy (unless a trade is perhaps possible, if some other civ has it). I see we have a lot of food potential within our borders, but our low happiness cap is limiting our growth. We are last in both GNP and Manufactured Goods, which is not good. The only way we can rectify the problem is to put our excess food to use to boom our cities to incredible sizes, and either work a whole lot of extra land or put some specialists to work. (Specialists will be extra useful since we are Philosophical.) Monarchy is the way we can do all of that.

We are also desperately in need of some more cities - I see we have a Settler near completion, perhaps another soon would be good. We of course don't want to stifle our economy, but we don't want to leave ourselves weak either. As a side note, Polynesian will be razed if it does not reach size 2 before we attempt to capture it (just in case you didn't already realise).

Perhaps, thinking into the future, a wonder for our glorious innovative civilization would be of great benefit? I see we have a source of marble to the north... if that could possibly be hooked up through another city, then we could perhaps get to the Great Library first, which would be truly excellent for us, improving both our research and Great Person generation rate dramatically.

In the short term, more cottages would seem to be the best idea... we don't appear to have many (three in total, I believe). Let's get spamming them all over the place. Build an extra Worker if needed, perhaps. We also need a few more Axemen, methinks (especially since this is vanilla Civ4, so Axemen are basically invincible units for the next hundred or so turns). All these Warriors making up the bulk of our army makes me a bit nervous, especially with barb Archers and Axes sure to start appearing in the not too distant future.

Okay, I think that's all I've got to say on that for now. Those are just some random thoughts of mine after taking a first look at the save just now - feel free to take or leave my opinions.

 

[Mauer]

Great ideas Lord Parkin *mumbles to theo "show off"* Keep up the good work