[Spoilers] Shallow Thought and Hitru's series of (unfortunate?) events

[shallow_thought]

Logged on ready to start the GA party, to find that "Mr. Attempted Pooper" Elkad had declared war on MS. However, his big stack is exactly where it was. So, either he's got another stack  , or it's a war-peace or something. I suspect WP. But why? He's just got Construction, HBR next turn, so could be about to update his army and move on someone else. We've whipped a couple of cats to completion on that border this turn, and the overflow will also go into units. Probably elephants - we too will have HBR next turn. We would have had it even without the GA. Oh, and we've sent him fish-fish for good measure.




Despite the paranoia, we have abandoned slavery for the next few turns. Bureaucracy and Caste System are in. This should let us get HBR and Metal Casing in the first 2t, then Archery while sucking in cash for a turn, then Monotheism and Monarchy easily before end of GA. This will hopefully be followed up a decent chunk of Machinery. If necessary there will be wealth builds, but we'd rather be putting those extra hammers into units or forges. Sadly, our Moai city kind of sucks in this GA, as it is being used to try to get close to a second GP (AA is being ruthlessly starved to get the first). Oh well, next GA we'll try to let it run naturally.




Nope, the star of this GA is the Bureaucadacap. I know that (particularly on the large maps that are more normal for a PB) Bureaucracy isn't always popular with the cool kids, but check out that GNP, and bear in mind that both Elkad and Superdeath are in GAs. Elkad is also definitely teching, not cashing (OK, he might not be at 100%). I almost wish that we'd been in a position to go at break-even or something, hiding the spike: we'll know better in a turn or two when the graphs appear, but this may be the sort of thing that worries other players. However, we need the build options ASAP, so tech it is.







OK, our MfG sucks, but I'm a scientist at heart, and that GNP makes me feel good.

[shallow_thought]

Unsurprising peace between Elkad and MS; we start a welly on each border. Wealth builds both preserve overflow and avoid having to drop the slider while grabbing Metal Casing for forges. Border cities may well build wealth for one more turn and then switch to Horchers. Other than that quiet turn: what does the ToA do in RtR again?

[Old Harry]

It's good for trade routes and gives a free priest. Do you need a great prophet?

[shallow_thought]

It's good for trade routes and gives a free priest. Do you need a great prophet?

Not particularly; in fact, if BeaB accidentally spawns one from Moai (rather than GSci from specialist) in a few turns we'll be faced with an uncomfortable choice. We could found the Hindu shrine, but we really planning for that GP to be 1/2 our next GA. If the lurkers are lucky that's the one that we use for vassalage and a big pile of knigs .

In any case, it's SD that's built it. I was just a bit baffled as to why. I wondered if RtR had buffed it (nope, as far as I can telll). He's got the GLight, which makes it a bit more valuable, but I feel it still competes for the title of least exciting wonder. On the other hand, in my opinion its competition is the Great Wall, and that's also been built this game.

[Old Harry]

How well spread is Hinduism?

[shallow_thought]

How well spread is Hinduism?

It's not too widespread (2 natural spreads all game, so far). Four of our cities and one of Superdeath's I think. So a shrine is  not valuable at the moment. But we'll be continuing to spread it around as we plan to be in Org Rel for a while and want the benefit.

Elkad is currently working on Machinery, saving cash for a turn, at least. I think he and we will both get that end of next turn. He might still be able to get CoL and CS in his MoM-extended GA, but I really expect him to push on for Guilds, just as we'll be doing. He'll have a longer GA, we'll have Bureau.

More immediately, Elkad has switch to Police State. With his longer GA I think he's able to switch back again, but he might have decided to go all-out for conquest. His stack has also vanished. Interesting times. Even before the switch Charriu whipped a bunch; whether he has seen something specific or is just reacting to Elkad war-peacing MS I don't know. We're getting a bit more military out, as best we can without slavery. Thank goodness for our surviving sentry immortal - it means we'll get a 1t warning even if he uses 2-movers. Now, if he has a spy, looks at how empty GG is and forks us ... ouch.




Oh, and Superdeath picked up the Colossus. Shame; we'd have liked that. He's made more progress on tech than we'd hoped.

Small note: turns out that we should have gone HBR/archery ahead of MC. Nowhere's going to be building forges just yet. Let's hope a 1t delay in getting new units out doesn't hurt us.

[shallow_thought]

I'm trying to cut down on the amount of time I spend reporting normal turns: I can't keep myself to one sentence, but one paragraph, one picture. Elkad finished his GA - getting the MoM part way through didn't seem to extend it. I have to say that tallies with a recent experience of mine in SP, but I can't remember whether that was RtR or BTS. In graphs his power and ours have gone up almost in parallel, albeit we're behind. We should get a jump next turn with Machinery, while he is still saving cash. Other than that, the story of the turn is best shown in our city production choices. Lots and lots of units.




Oh all right, two pictures. Still no eyes on Elkad's stack.

[shallow_thought]

You lurkers are probably bored of screenshots that don't have Elkad's stack in them. Have another one anyway . The power graphs continue to climb; you can have a shot of them as well. This turn we got Machinery and produced both our first horcher and our first elephant, so it will go up even faster for us. And for Elkad? Probably. Oh, and I belatedly realised why SD built the ToA. 8cpt on that gems tile   . We've just offered sugar-for-corn anyway, as we need the health at the cap, even before forges.

[shallow_thought]

We have Monotheism, and will get Monarchy next turn, giving us access to the civics we want. That will be the end of our run of 1t techs though. We should have picked up the two GP that we need for next GA by the time we need to swicth. Speaking of switches SD has got Feudalism - he's just gone into vassalage (and back into slavery). That's disappointing, as it suggests he's made more progress at the bottom of the tech tree than I would have hoped for.  Oh, and we're now ahead of SD in culture on the gems tile, although how long that will last once we drop our caste artists I don't know. Shame we still don't actually have the damn gems. Still no sign of Elkad's stack, so you can have picture of the other border.

[shallow_thought]

We have a Great Merchant. Elkad's garrison in New Rome is looking strangely sparse. I'm pushing hard to get scouts to good positions in RFS-81's lands where we can see without been seen (unless he's loggin at the same time). Hey, and we have the gems tile for a turn or two! I expect pressure from the ToA to take it back after we switch out of caste. My cat needs attention, so short report.