[SPOILER] Victoria of Babylon - Greens - seifer_md

[Serdoa]

SL I think that was patched out of the game and doesn't work anymore. Beaker overflow gets recalculated when you start a new tech. Basically the same as hammer overflow.

[SevenSpirits]

Interestingly, I believe the beakers overflow with the bonuses of the tech you have discovered too.

For example:

You generate 10 raw beakers.

If you research a tech with 1 pre-requisit bonus (BW) you wil be putting 10*1.2 beakers into it: 12.

Lets say that you have 1 beaker to go on BW and your next tech is fishing which has no pre-req bonus.

You will overflow 11 beakers. then on the next turn you will only put 10 beakers into the tech. At these numbers it is fairly insignificant but it can be a boon later on in the game.

You are missing one step: that 11 beaker overflow gets divided by 1.2 on the way out, so you end up getting only the expected 9 beakers overflowed.

Production works this way too; the difference is that it DOES have an overflow limit equal to the cost of the item.

[Square Leg]

ah - I didn't realise it was patched out.

Interesting that production is still in though... those forges!

[seifer_md]

T92-95. No point beating around the bush, Kyan and Malakai both declared war on Cull this turnset. Malakai asked me to keep his intentions out of my forum until he had actually invaded (really an unnecessary precaution with hindsight) and Kyan had cancelled open borders with Cull and had been amassing a large army. It's almost as though Cull didn't see this coming... Perhaps he has given up much before this point. Anyway, let's look at some of the damage.





I had a warrior on scouting duty handy to capture Kyan's force moving north. He had a stack of 10-15 horse archers and wouldn't have even broken a sweat passing through Cull's border cities. Cull had named Konya to GG Kyan and Kyan immediately took this city and razed it. He could have easily held the city so I assume he wasn't happy with its placement.

Cull had completed the Great Lighthouse in Ankara which he had probably been working on for awhile. This is annoying because Kyan then took Ankara (renamed to No Vice City) the following turn and essentially got a free wonder (but at least this wonder wont be too strong on this map with little coastal cities). All this warring has earned Kyan a Great General.





On Cull's eastern front Malakai had pushed through over a few turns and taken Istanbul with little effort (it was originally on that plains hill). Looking at Cull's forces, it looks like he had more units towards his southern front and I'd say Malakai has an easier run, except Cull is hardly going to stop Kyan's 10+ HAs.

Cull has 4 axemen and 1 warrior in Edirne, 2 spearmen and 1 warrior in Imperial Center (capital) and last time I checked, nothing in Bursa. It's now a bit of race between Kyan and Malakai who can take the left over cities the fastest. If Malakai can keep moving without delay, he should be able to get the capital first. For our sakes, I hope he does.


Back home I've managed to continue plotting along and working on infrastructure and wonders.





I landed the University of Sankore (although I was in little doubt I wouldn't), so that's 1 out 3 out of the way. I completed Monarchy (so I can finally hook up my wines) and Divine Right will be completed next turn.

Kyan discovered Taoism (through Philosophy) and it is quite obvious he'll be going to Nationalism and the Taj after this. He got the MoM so he'll get good value out of another golden age. There is really nothing I can do to stop him from getting there first, especially after spawning a Great Engineer (he wouldn't need it but I hope he does use it to finish the wonder). He's somewhat focused on the top part of the tech tree and I've chosen the bottom half. This means I can likely beat him to Liberalism, although I don't know how much value I'd get from it at this stage. I would like to get Printing Press for the extra commerce from villages and towns. Unfortunately it has some pretty bad pre-reqs like Alphabet (in a no tech trading game).

Elsewhere Strike/TT has adopted Organised Religion, Vassalage and Hereditary Rule. About time really! Although Vassalage and his growing power rating definitely has my alarm bells ringing. Jowy is his likely target so I'll make sure he's well aware of this and see what I can do to cover him if need be. The good thing about Kyan helping Malakai remove Cull from the game (sorry Cull!) is that we can now potentially have a 3v2 if push came to shove. My power rating is atrocious at the moment. I just want to get these wonders out of the way, found my 4 last cities and then spam military like no one's business. Might take 20 turns but I should be able to survive that long without too many hiccups. =)

[novice]

Kyan then took Ankara (renamed to No Vice City)

Can't argue with good taste.

[seifer_md]

T96-99. So I found myself at war during this turnset. Well at least I opened up the save to find Kyan offering me peace in game. I wasn't really sure what that was all about but on further investigation I discovered he had destroyed one of my scouting warriors. He claimed my warrior was in a position to seriously disadvantage him so he needed to be removed so I wouldn't have the moral dilemma of deciding to act against him or not. No surprises, this really infuriated me and for a number of reasons. I don't believe he gets to be the one to decide my choices for me firstly. Any jeopardising situation he found himself in was purely a result of his own play, not mine (I was simply watching events unfold in Cull's territory). I have never acted aggressively or in a way to hurt Kyan previously, so why should he have that prejudice against me? And I guess lastly he didn't even try to make amends by offering compensation. Naturally I responded angrily and refused to accept his apology on these grounds and would remain at war with him. Kyan then decided to offer me a replacement unit (turns out it's a chariot) so I signed a temporary peace treaty and acknowledged that once the replacement unit had been received this matter would be put to bed. It should be the next turn when this is the case. There may not have been much I could threaten Kyan with since his army is much greater, not to mention his score and demographics. Still in this savage simulated world you can't let someone push you around. =)

In more constructive news I managed to put down another city, this one named Raiders Camp:




The sight picks up a lot of riverside cottage spots including a couple of flood plains. It also has some hills for production as well as allowing me to work two wine resources that have otherwise gone unwanted. Not the world's most awesomest city, but it will definitely pay for itself and then some. I have two settlers currently being built for further cities. I have about four left to plant and then I really need to focus on military (I'm now last in that regard).





Divine Right came in and Islam was founded in Raiders Camp. Christianity spawned in The Glow so I don't know if religions have a thing for newly founded cities, or perhaps just cities with the fewest already present religions in them? Regardless, I'll send the missionary to my capital so I can build another monastery for a further 10% beaker bonus.





Oh I also managed to land the Colossus as well. I wasn't very serious on this wonder, and up until a couple of turns ago I thought Kyan had beaten me to build it (based on sabotage costs in the EP menu). Turns out he had actually completed Moai Statues, but they both cost just about the same number of hammers and can only be built in coastal cities so I don't feel so bad for misreading that. Still, being financial and having another commerce per water tile means I should be able to gain a fair bit out of this wonder, even though it's not much of a water map (there's less pressure to build cottages so my workers can re-prioritise).





Here's a screenshot showing Cull's capital burnt to the ground. I'm pretty sure that city had the Great Library and a few other decent buildings in it but I guess Malakai either didn't get lucky with what survived the attack, or just decided he could fit more cities into the area he has now drawn up with Kyan.

Next turn is T100 and worthy of a decent state of affairs report. I will say that I am two turns away from completing the Apostolic Palace and Spiral Minaret. I should then be looking to finish off those four cities I need to place and then military, military, military. Recently TT has adopted Vassalage (instead of Bureaucracy most importantly) for the extra XP for new units and his power graph has begun to saw. I expect he has intentions to fight someone then. He currently has a NAP with Jowy (according to Jowy) which lasts for awhile longer, so maybe he has intentions to attack me. After the next 10 turns he may change his mind however. =)

Kyan is still in his golden age which I was expecting to finish this current turn. I'm not sure if he burned two great people to extend it, but it now looks like he'll land Taj Mahal for a further extension. I actually did some research into ways to try and stop him getting it. I worked out I could complete it on T103 with the help of a great engineer coming out of my capital. It would catch Kyan completely by surprise (except he may be able to see I was teching Nationalism), but ultimately I calculated I would be one turn too late. His golden age allows him to put too many hammers into the wonder, and had it ended this turn I would be in for a shot. Instead I've decided to concentrate on getting Education for universities and Oxford, and then to get Printing Press for extra commerce from villages and towns. I think that will benefit me most right now. Unfortunately that leaves Kyan to land Liberalism but there isn't too much I could reap from that tech and I would need to go out of my way to research it, and Philosophy prior to that (which I don't need). It's been a little frustrating since it feels like I'm the only one who was even in a position to compete with Kyan for the Taj and Liberalism... what exactly are all the other players doing...?

[seifer_md]

T100. Although not a particularly exciting turn, I'll take this opportunity to go over my empire's standings for comparative purposes once this game is over.


Core cities:










Western border:


Developing cities:








Southern border:







So I have the AP and Spiral Minaret to be built in two turns now. No reason why I shouldn't land them. Then I'll be looking to build Confucian buildings in all cities for the commerce, science and production bonuses I will then be getting. A great scientist was born in Shady Sands this turn which built the academy in that city. Once Kyan comes out of his golden age(s) we should be fairly close on research rate I hope.





In more concerning matters you can see just how tiny and pathetic my current army is. Sure no one would have any troubles ripping through me as stands. But with current NAPs standing and the ease I could switch over to military production while my enemies move through my neighbour's lands allows me to live this unprotected without too many worries. Obviously once my wonders finish and I found all my cities I can solely focus on redeeming myself in this department.





Finally the demographics for a quick comparison. I'm doing my best to keep up with Kyan in GNP. I imagine I am quite far ahead of everyone else playing. I am very average in food and production, but hopefully as my new cities develop that will be fixed. Soldiers you already know I suck there, land I have a decent claim to, population I am trying to grow and I am currently reaping the most from foreign trade routes.

Aside from Kyan in his golden age, I believe I am quite competitive. I know T100 is a good time to do an overview, but I think I'd rather look at where I am in the next 20 turns when hopefully I've rounded out my Civ a little better. But really I'm just happy I've managed to stay in this game for 100 turns! =)

[Ilios]

But really I'm just happy I've managed to stay in this game for 100 turns! =)

And congratulations to you for that my good sir!

Your core cities seem well under the happy cap?