This is a Spoiler thread - Dreylin, PB28

[Dreylin]

The Stone.

I've been checking the little islands around the map because I've been a bit miffed that my SW doesn't have any food available (for the record, it's not the only foodless one, but there can't be many others). This Stone is a significant departure from the general format, which has the only Stone and Marble at the centre of the larger shared islands.

Edit: I'm willing to bet most of my cities that wetbandit will be the one to build the Pyramids; and a half price to boot.

Bonus edit: my HG would have been significantly cheaper, too.

[Dreylin]

t106 -

I really can't see the sense of this TBH:


Apart from the likelihood of pissing me off (check), it's also extremely vulnerable (there's a reason I didn't settle the area) in the event we go back to war (made more likely by settling here).

I sent him a note expressing my displeasure; arming will commence shortly. <sigh>

[Dreylin]

t107 -

I thought that I might be able to get a new map through Borsche:


It makes me sad to see how hard Whosit has pushed towards me without any emphasis on backfilling his own territory. I guess he's decided who his enemy is and sees no situation in which we could cooperate to advance us both. That make me sad.

OTOH, how he expects to be able to hold Crab Cove in the long run I have no idea.

Good news for me is that the economy is roaring back and I should be able to start on Currency in a couple of turns. I am working quite a few lake tiles, but that can change once I can start building Wealth.

[Dreylin]

A few pictures from last turn to illustrate the situation:


Accumulating a small stack of 2-movers to take out Crab Cove when the opportunity arrives. Also bringing a Galley around to pick up a pair of Axes as support. Not sure whether it helps or anything, but I almost feel I need to burn it just because.

I suspect my 3rd-ring border pop may have interfered with his settling plans...


I might settler that spot after all.

Dotmapping out the Island:


Going to plant on the Southern Sugar in the next couple of turns and then fill in from the top.

[Dreylin]

Edit: I'm willing to bet most of my cities that wetbandit will be the one to build the Pyramids; and a half price to boot.

I'll get 76 failgold.

[Dreylin]

OMG, hell just froze over; not only did Jowy play after the turn roll (I guess he & Adrien/Mardoc must have decided a brief Peace is in order), but Whosit has actually played before me for the first time since our war!?!?

I'll probably get 2 turns myself tonight!

Edit: I might even do a proper update!!!

[Dreylin]

Wetbandit didn't roll the turn until very late. I'd gone to bed but couldn't sleep and was up so played the turn but didn't take any shots. For now I have chosen the Path of Peace over sniping off some of Whosit's edges ... for now.

I do promise a proper update within the next couple of of turns.

[Dreylin]

OK, I've finally had some time to write an update. Pictures are a few turns old, but not much has changed in the meantime.

The Core:


Still a couple of filler spots to settle on the coast, but Schist and Hornfels are getting up to speed and sucking up the Worker time at the moment, besides right now I have Markets & Courthouses to build. Obsidian is still plugging away at the Moai (sans Stone).

Whosit Border:


I've thinned the ranks here a bit as I've decided that war in the near-term is unprofitable, although I've got a Galley in the area ferrying advance troops across to the SW Island. Breccia is stagnated at the moment putting out a GS - due in 3t now. I've got Alpha in hand so I could bulb Philosophy, but I don't know that there'd be as much value to that as to an Academy. I've got Confucianism ready to go, and wetbandit Shrined Buddhism, so he's unlikely to build a second.

The Central Zone:


Small force here to support the imminent settling of this frontline spot. As you can see Whosit isn't being very careful with his Workers here, but a war at parity would stagnate us both ... again.

The East:


Stable zone with Grimace.

The Island:


Getting up to speed slowly; Grimace has since settled on the SE Plains. Making sure to keep a critical mass of defenders here, as it will be slow to reinforce. SE and N coast to settle and then switch over to filling up the SW Island.

City Builds (2t ago):


Rotating Markets and Courthouses through the builds, while keeping up a trickle of troops and Wealth builds in the queue. Military is mostly Archers and Sentry Chariots.

Demographics:


Not great, but improving. Power had been top since the War, but someone's recently crept past it. Not one of my neighbours though.

Power:


Slowly working to get Jowy's and then I'll push to get Grimace's Research.

Research:


Calendar's the next "economic" tech on the list - to grow the next few sizes - and I need IW soonish to clear the Island jungle. I'd also really like to grab MC to get some Triremes in the water, but I probably need to get Construction instead since Whosit is now showing it.

[Dreylin]

t125 -

Ugh, this game could be over before much longer:


On the other hand, he might be too distracted to put full emphasis on the completing MoM, so maybe my Marble and I can slip in there. Or more realistically, I'll get a pile of failgold.

[Dreylin]

Second Yuris city fell this turn, so I'm not feeling positive about the long-term competitiveness of the game.

OTOH, I'm moving up the score ranks as my new cities come online and my old ones concentrate on growth again. 3rd in CY this turn!

2 Iron revealed; first on a hill between Gneiss & Schist (to be mined) and the second on the flatland by Dolomite. I probably have to Mine that as well for the addl. yield, but the loss of food there will hurt. Well no rush to get it done I suppose.

MoM in ~14t by the city screen, but will go down by ~3t when Arkose finishes growing and I switch back to Prod mode. Also trying to find a couple of cities to switch to Settler builds for the SW ... might be a couple of turn before I find those.