[Mjmd #52 no players] Working on the Homestead

[Mjmd]

Scout will be heading west. I just want to complete circumnavigation. So sadly won't just be spectating too much either. Do I have to complete north south as well east west? I honestly don't remember.

I mean I was already feeling ok about bordering Pindicator just based on natural geography between me and him, but ya now its great.

I doubt AT would attack unless Charriu was weak or involved. It also looks like he has some expanding to do as well.

Chairriu border has been quite. I have the bulk of my spears over there just in case he tries to do something quick. My cities are actually pushing his culture, but I don't expect anything to flip for a lot of turns. I've had crazy good luck with religion spreads this game; 5 free spreads is nothing to sneeze at.

[El Grillo]

On Toroidal maps you need both NS and EW wraps, so it usually takes a little bit longer to circumnavigate.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

On Toroidal maps you need both NS and EW wraps, so it usually takes a little bit longer to circumnavigate.

map isn't toroidal.

[El Grillo]

Mhmm, yep, totally an engaged dedlurker here!

[Mjmd]

I'm not sure I ever bothered to check to be fair........ I just assumed and mind I've had Stonehenge sooooo is on me. GKC was very vocal for toroidal for PB51. Well that makes circumnavigation easier.

[Mjmd]

Turn 100!

Awkward screenshot of eastern part of my empire taken sideways. I either had to go sideways or zoom WAY WAY out. Note Chairu keeps on not improving the 6! floodplains inbetween us. You fought a war for them, why not work them. Maybe lack of workers? Likely he doesn't know I will be expanding for next 30 turns and have no interest in a war. He landed Hanging Gardens last turn which certainly boosted him. I had pegged him as most likely. What is really weird is he switched to Judaism, but NOT organized after. I would have thought if there were chops involved (likely) he should have before. I may love organized too much....... Tech path is archery > horseback riding > masonry > monotheism > construction (for safety).

Wild wild west half and Pindicator stuff. Took the cow city this turn. Wanted to wait for another axe for another promotion, but decided with the improved cow wanted now. Slightly regret, could have taken city raider on the other axe and taken other barb city sooner, it is down to two archers, but at this point I'm only waiting 8-9 turns and I don't have the workers over there for it anyways. Note: looks like Gira was actually south of Pindicator and west, so this land I'm going into was probably supposed to be contested with Pindicator. 

BTW it looks like Pindicator CRUSHED the SD stack I saw. Which is really bad actually; I wanted them both to just grind against each other. Here is a screen shot from turn 99. Must have been something, Pin got a great general and lost it the same turn. Couple of units were injured in the city as well. SD did some more whips afterwards. BTW he landed Great Lighthouse this turn. Glad someone kept it from the protective people.

Demos: forgot and did the two pop whip in Pancakes for the settler before I took. Whoops. Food and GNP doing good, despite having two cities which haven't popped for their food resource yet. Dead last in soldiers. I'm fine with it. I shouldn't be for long and Pindicator has other things to worry about and do. AT is barely ahead of me and Chairru has a lot of his power in walls and archers.

Important graphs. Sadly don't have Pin yet or Jowy (next after Pin for sure)

I think I'm going for organized religion soon and some noob wonder building out west. Mausoleum is first target. Which means that settler I whipped is going down to one of the two southern spots. Which one? Fishing village has slightly better food and would be a whip city. Crab city could work some mines and be an ok production city, but never whip. Probably fish atm?

Last turn Jowy extended a wheat for something or other I forget. Some kind of peaceful trade, which is interesting as I don't border. I wonder if he wants cooperation going after Charriu? But that would be more of a copper for copper thing.

Noob opinion of current chances of winning:
1) Pindicator - predicated on being able to crush SD, but from what I've seen thus far, that seems likely. He also then has to be able to recover from it. To note SD did build Great Lighthouse which I'm sure Pin would love to capture.
2) ME! Pindicator warring in opposite direction from me is REALLY REALLY GOOD. Also, with how lush this map is I think financial is going to be insane going long. My positioning is predicated on Pindicator NOT coming after me, but I think it is very likely he pursues current SD war.
3) Jowy, landed colossus and is the only other financial leader on a very green, very happy map. Needs some more cities.
4) Charriu - strong player and landed Hanging Gardens definitely putting him back in conversation. He needs to work on his GNP some though. I could see #3 and #4 swapping pretty easily.
5) Mr Cairo - He seems to just be doing solid if unspectacular things up there.
6) Superdeath - 5 turns ago he would probably be #2-3. I'm not honestly sure if he should be 6 or 7 now. I already wrote 6, but um Numidian cav plus a million spears, what is the weakness of this stack at this point in time?
7) AT - He choose a rush combination on a larger map and then did nothing with it. He needs to go to war SOON. I don't think it would be against me based on geography. The only thing long is that he has a high happy cap, but on this map that doesn't seem to be a problem, so its not a real advantage.

Great Prophet with a market in 12 turns in French Toast, yum yum yum. I'm going to cottage those plains river tiles there soon as well. With the gold and the silk and the shrine that city is going to be nuts.

[Mjmd]

Made a mistake last turn, I should have turned the settler going south to go north. I saw Mr Cairo roading. Anyways DECLARED WAR THIS TURN!!!!! And instead of sniping the warrior I moved my warrior to the jungle inbetween his archer and the warrior. 

I am trying to send a very clear signal of not down that far buddy, but without being super aggressive. He had that archer sitting on the plains hill, so he clearly meant to go down that way. I mean sure its way closer to his capital than mine, but its a pretty key choke. I also have dreams of moving ships all over the place. By the way it looks like there is a landbridge down south leading to Pins Gira holdings (so maybe both Gira and Pin were supposed to contest that area?). Anyways as long as I have the below spot I can move ships between both lakes and the southern ocean, which should allow for naval superiority vs AT and Mr C on that lake.

5 ish turns until settler settles, I don't really have to delay Mr C too long. Hopefully me not sniping his warrior makes my intentions fairly clear.

[Mjmd]

Made peace with Mr Cairo after only two turns, no actual action. He was DEFINITELY going for that spot. He also had an impi parked on that hill when I came back down. He had started roading past the gem, but even if he double moves me I think I won that race.

Both Jowy and SD want me to stop trading with Pin. The problem with AI diplo is that I'm not going to do that unless EVERYONE else does (or he captures GLH). No point provoking the 100lb gorilla when I'm trying to rex real fast into land that he probably should have been contesting if he hadn't been involved in wars other directions for the past 60 turns.

Doing some relationship glancing, looks like AT has declared on Charriu. Jowy declared against him. Jowy and AT just made peace. There are clearly areas of conflict built into this map. I'm pretty sure I'm expanding into one of them unopposed

Speaking of, here is an updated dot map. I don't think there is anything shocking in those last 3 fogged tiles. P = production; C = Commerce; M=mixed. Not saying commerce cities won't get barracks, but they might not get stables. Production cities won't get libraries (for a long time at least). C cities will contribute short term to military at first. For instance some trees is currently building some MP archers.

Diverting the settler north means I won't have marble for Mausoleum for a bit. I can prechop some forests though. Question being do I settle an inferior crab location for faster marble hook up, or just let it ruminate for a bit. I don't really extra workers for a chop project anyways. Think I'll settle fish city next (which requires just 1 chop for a workboat and marble hook up and no other worker turns and those not for 10 turns). After that settler will build at least 2 more workers. Most of the eastern workers have started heading west, so I'm not in that bad of shape worker wise. 1st horse archer and a city raider axe headed to the barb city along with my combat II axe and some other junk.


Edit: tech plan is still go to for organized religion. The next question is do I then go for Metal casting for forges, then go for construction, or do it in the reverse order. Problably depends on power at that time. I would like to do forges first if I can while people are still expanding. Also, I would get more known tech bonuses that way.

[Mjmd]

Settled waffles at the contested site putting me at 2nd in city count at 11 (vs Pins 13). As a bonus it blocked Charriu's scout. Remember how AT and Jowy made peace last turn? AT is probably regretting that; Charriu declared on Jowy later last turn! Jowy has ballista elephants though, not sure if Charriu knows that.......

Everyone but Mr Cairo has closed borders with Pin, but again don't poke the big monkey atm. I have 8 more cities to peacefully settle, 4 of them are real cities too. But ya just keep ignoring me and warring amongst yourselves please. Pin has not YET taken any cities off of SD. Speaking of SD did a military build up building not only GLH but also the mids...... Man that sounds like a stupid thing I would do.

Organized next turn > I think next is metal casting, use organized and everyone else warring to build a production base of forges > construction for safety.

[El Grillo]

Could you please take a screenshot of the F1 screen when convenient? For the Construction vs Metal Casting question, how much longer do you estimate it’ll take the second tech after the first? This position clearly has a lot of potential to boom into the midgame, but please note that settling 8 cities is all well and good until one of your 4(!) land neighbors decides to call you on your ability to defend it all