RBP3 [SPOILERS] - Friendly Kittens (Ragnar of Maya)

[Maniac Marshall]

Inside the tortured dreams of Maniac Marshall, OR how to keep your wit about you at all times.

I've just woken up from a dream where I was, for some gawd awful unknown reason, attending at Convention on government civics. I've been to a rather boring panel about how to write a story about corruption in politics, which the guy running the panel tells us must be set in Chicago Well, it makes sense, but I objected to the idea that it HAD to be in Chicago. No, I'm not a Chicago resident. Nice place to visit, but I would NOT want to live there, but I digress.

Anyway, the next panel was the wrap up of the convention panel, and they ask if we have any ideas for next year. I look down at my list of panels for this year's con and say "We need a panel on representation because we had two different panels on taxes this year, and taxation without representation is not fair."

This got a laugh out of the room. As this is so bad of a joke, it's probably what broke the "bullshit" factor of the dream world and caused me to wake up.

[RefSteel]

I look down at my list of panels for this year's con and say "We need a panel on representation because we had two different panels on taxes this year, and taxation without representation is not fair."

Clearly it should have been a panel on despotism. All the cool kids are despots.

I have just discovered that watermills take eight worker turns to build. Um ... gack. As such, I think we'd best wait a bit longer before building one at Pride Rock. I seem to be building a fairly extensive worker plan (I hope this is all right...) to get Savannah and MGZ up and running ASAP without causing problems for HV's microplan or sacrificing Thundara's development. It would help to know the plan for getting workers from FS though. How/when do you expect these to complete?

(Also, note that the worker plans I post, assuming I get a chance, will represent my suggestion only.)

[Maniac Marshall]

But we don't tax people either... well, except for that Priest you made me hire, but we keep that real quiet like.

Watermills do, in fact, take a long time to make, but eventually we're going to have to bite the bullet and make some, as well as workshops, if we want to win, because, in the end, it's all going to come down to who can build the spaceship the fastest I'm afraid.

Honestly, once you get those spreadsheets done, probably the best use of your time will be figuring out the optimal way for us to try to outlaunch everyone else, which will probably include having 3-4 cities making every single last hammer possible.

As crazy as it sounds, Rocketry may only be like 60 turns away!

BTW: I just wanted to point out the insanity here. We're talking about starting the Apollo Program on T200 in an Emperor game. Where do you think we'd be techwise in a NOBLE game? Hell, we might be talking about 10 turns to ROCKETRY not Rifling now. I almost wish we HAD played on noble now because the frenetic tech pace might have really made this game interesting.

[RefSteel]

Watermills do, in fact, take a long time to make, but eventually we're going to have to bite the bullet and make some, as well as workshops,

Oh, absolutely: Eventually. Right now, we're hurting for worker turns, and we can't afford 8 for the watermill. After MGZ gets its initial rush out of the way, we can start working on the slow non-farm improvements again.

Honestly, once you get those spreadsheets done, probably the best use of your time will be figuring out the optimal way for us to try to outlaunch everyone else,

No. I know the optimal use of my time, and it doesn't involve this game. Even within the context of time I do spend on this, trying to figure out how to out-launch everyone 100 turns in advance is neither productive (assumptions will change) nor fun (for me).

because the frenetic tech pace might have really made this game interesting.

Wait, it's not interesting (or tech-frenetic!) enough for you already?

[Maniac Marshall]

Played most of the turn. Left the 3 workers by PR and one by Savannah unmoved if you'd like to suggest a plan for them, feel free. Also did not conduct the trade mission yet, as it only gives us 1100. I emailed the alliance to make sure that was still preferable to taking 1150ish beakers for Representation.

You can log in and look around. I won't finish the turn till tomorrow

[Maniac Marshall]

No. I know the optimal use of my time, and it doesn't involve this game. Even within the context of time I do spend on this, trying to figure out how to out-launch everyone 100 turns in advance is neither productive (assumptions will change) nor fun (for me).

I'd assumed that "optimal use of time" implied that I was referring only to the time you had to spend on the game. I'm aware that things will change. I'm referring mainly to where we think we can maximize things for building.

Wait, it's not interesting (or tech-frenetic!) enough for you already?

Oh, it's plenty of frenetic, but it's still not reached the "modern age in 590AD" kinda thing from early Civ 3 =)

[Maniac Marshall]

BTW, yes, the plains farm at FS is intentional. It needs 1 more hammer than a cottage provides, and 1 more food than a hill provides.

[RefSteel]

I have most of a ten-ish turn plan semi-ready, depending on when and how we're getting workers out of FS. I guess I could post it here, but I wouldn't ask anyone to attempt to estimate its quality on the basis of an endless stream of worker action descriptions. Instead, I'll just make some suggestions for T141.

Koivu, Chmeee, Thomas O'Malley, Marie, Shun Gon, Peppo, and Billy Bass have already moved as I write this (back when Maniac logged in at the beginning of the turn) but as for the rest:

I would move Bagheera and Simba 1E-1SE to Temminck's final unimproved grassland, put a turn into a cottage, and CANCEL orders. This should give some of the other workers a chance to help out a bit more in the east. This cottage should NOT (repeat NOT!) be finished next turn (by ANYBODY!) - but will be finished in time for Temminck to grow onto it.

I would move Sarabi 2S to a river grassland forest that will be in MGZ's first ring, with intent to road the tile. Sir Charles Perrault might want to head down that way first to make sure the coast is clear, but it should be. The idea behind this move is to threefold: 1) Prepare a tile for convenient chopping after MGZ is founded. 2) Allow faster access to the second-ring plains tile 2S of MGZ. 3) Start a road that will someday link MGZ and Ornata.

I would move Mufasa 2E to a plains forest that will be in Savannah's first ring. The idea is to road the tile, thereby enabling us to chop the forest at convenience and speeding access to the wheat.

[RefSteel]

BTW, yes, the plains farm at FS is intentional. It needs 1 more hammer than a cottage provides, and 1 more food than a hill provides.

I believe you, and I wasn't going to ask about it. Since you mention it though: I assume this is part of the plan to get those FS workers. Can you tell me what the plan is (no details required) just so I know what to expect?

[Maniac Marshall]

We're getting a 1 turn worker from FS next turn from the whip overflow. FS will grow back to size 12 in 2 turns. I was going to double whip it for 2 workers over 3 turns at that point.

Note, it's size 10 now, so it'll grow next turn AND the following turn. From Size 10, it grows every other turn after the whip till size 12.

If you'd prefer we not do the other 2 workers, we don't have to, but we do need the workers, and that city does grow fast.