kjn's Ryde (spoilers!)

[kjn]

T53 - 880 BC

As I posted at the end of the last turn, I received a Great Engineer this turn, as well as Math. And I think it's a flaw that I couldn't rename him while he was born, so the other players could see the proper name.

No notifications, and AT moved his WC into the fog. That means I can safely move my workers into the forests for chopping. Catwalk moved his spear to block Hurtig going NW, and I didn't feel like dancing around on open ground, so just moved 1S. The scare with AT around Alseda also means I fortified Docka on the plains hill 3NW of the city. I also used Åsa-Nisse for scouting, and sent him up the hill.

Whales and more horses. I don't think the whale will change where I place Ränneslätt - the naval techs are not that strong in this setup.

Sundbäck bulbed Machinery, and I'm in the Medieval era. Research is set to Iron Working. I wonder what the other players will think of crossbows in the BC years? Well, AT probably won't care much.

I did a micro mistake in Fröderyd last turn, when I worked the lake instead of the new plains hill mine while building the settler, a loss of -3H (due to the mint bonus). The whip will happen T54 anyway.

End turn. The close barb went NW, where Elg can kill him next turn, while the one by the spice went back into the fog.

Foreign development and C&D

GNP comparison showed that Monotheism (Catwalk) and Currency research received GNP. AT also shows 13g in the tech trade screen, so he definitely got Currency.

Demos after ending turn:

No new cities. Catwalk lost 40 points, while TZ gained 40, and there is a rival total loss of 22000 in population. Furthermore, Delhi is the only one of Catwalk's cities on the top cities screen.

So TZ grew all of his cities, to size 6, 5, and 2. Catwalk 3-pop whipped Bombay.

No techs this turn. Rival total power rose with 10000, new rival worst is 70000 and rival top is 82000. The graph tells me that TZ is rival top, while Catwalk is rival worst, since AT just trails me in power.

AT has 13g in his coffers. Would it be worthwhile to track that, and then how to best do it?

[kjn]

Some more things of note:

Sternum has 31H invested into a build.

Vijayanagara's has 5H invested into a build.

Steal Treasury indicates that the coffers of both Catwalk (0 gold) and TZ (2 gold) are near empty. I used the following equation, if anyone can confirm it's the correct one:

TotalGold = StealTreasuryCost * TotalPop / (300 * CityPop)

[kjn]

T54 - 840 BC

Still no notifications. Catwalk moved his spear back into Vijayanagara. Åsa-Nisse roads since he's up on the hill anyway with little to do, after Elg had killed the barb. He's up to 9 XP now.

IW is at 72/160 and due in 3, and I'm thinking that maybe I should delay the settler whip in Fröderyd until next turn, so I would know the location of iron when I get the settler. On the other hand, I can whip a settler in Ryd very quickly once I get the Pyramids.

I work the plains hills mine this turn, but will switch back to the silver next turn. This gives an extra 3H in overflow into the barracks.

On checking the hammers in the Pyramids in Ryd, I think I did a miscount earlier, and won't have to steal the sheep from Alseda. I can even work a cottage!

Also, I can't wait to get Ränneslätt up, with its stable non-shared +7F!

End turn. The borders of Ryd expand.

Foreign developments and C&D

Per F4, AT is at 42g this turn, 29 more than last turn, putting his economy at least half again the size of mine. I need to hurry up with my libraries, but at least that will make it much easier for me to expand.

Demos after ending turn:

I whipped away 2 pop in Fröderyd, and will grow back one next turn. TZ received 31 land points. Catwalk received 13 points (1 pop) and AT lost 27 points (2 pop). Total population shrank with 151000, and the top cities are listed as Sternum 7, Ryd 6, Lava 7, Bombay 4, and Delhi 5. Vijanayagara is also size 5 as per map visibility. That leaves a 2->1 whip by TZ to leave everything lined up.

Sternum has built a library, and Vijayanagara has a granary.

Rival total power rose with 9000, and rival worst (Catwalk) rose with 6000, probably an axe. AT's power rose with 3000, either an archer or a barracks.

[kjn]

So, some strategic planning now that I know the identity of my first GP: Prophet or Engineer.

I expect to expand to 5 cities relatively soon, and will have to rely on GPs and scientists for teching after that, ie every city will contribute 15bpt (including the library bonus), provided I land the Pyramids, from two scientists. If I can use an engineer or other specialist, it goes up a bit.

Machinery and IW opens up Crossbowmen. They are relatively expensive at 40H, but can easily be 2-pop whipped with my forges, preferably with about 10 to 14H invested. WCs and HAs does well against them, but they should do very well against other ancient and classical units. I will probably build a few axes, but will switch to a mix of mainly crossbows, with some mounted units, spears, and skirmishers for backup. The main question is if I can get enough numbers quick enough that I can do a decisive campaign against TZ relatively soon, or if I will need catapults too. A decisive campaign would be one that captures or razes Sternum. If his empire is shaped like I expect, that will cut his land in two.

After IW I can think of two paths: either to Construction to get Catapults (the war path) and so the next GE can bulb Engineering, or Aesthetics->Literature for the wonders of Parthenon and TGL (the domestic path). Ideally, I can get both, but I can hardly count on that. Will have to look out for bonus beakers for those techs and try to deny marble to the other players, even if I can't secure my own source soon.

But I will probably rely on the deterrence value of first skirmishers and then crossbowmen to get my SE into gear. Though if I can manage to get a G2 crossbowman, then I probably will do a sneak attack on TZ's axe on the rice.

I will probably have to pore over the GP bulb preferences lists soon.

As for the other players, I have both a tech and a production advantage against Catwalk in the wonder races. TZ can be dangerous, especially if he can nab marble, but he seems to focus rather heavily on the military right now. The main contender is AT, but given how much he has emphasised his capital so far I expect him to head for CS and Monarchy.

[kjn]

T55 - 800BC

Again, no notifications. Hurtig went back towards my borders, and finds a dry wheat usable for the possible gems city. Not the bestest food, but it'll work in a pinch. Chops continue. Åsa-Nisse is positioned to improve the cows once Ränneslätt is founded.

Plan in Ränneslätt is to grab the ivory for 2t, then work the cow for 3t until the WB is done, then switch to the fish. That will delay the fish for 1t, but I will get to size 2 working fish and cow much faster. Then build a granary, and whip the mint.

Generally, I go all out on population right now except in Ryd, where I will start turning on growth next turn and go all out from T57 - hopefully with the Pyramids in place. Need to check how to best share the clam between Fröderyd and Ryd too.

End turn. Fröderyd grows to 4, no barbs appear. Pyramids next turn.

Foreign development and C&D

AT is up to 68g, up 26. Delhi has changed its culture delta from +3 to +5, ie 22 of Catwalk's GNP is culture now.

Demos after ending turn:

No changes in score or population. Global power increase of 7000, with AT being the new rival best at 84000. Maybe a barracks and a WC?

My check for the treasury of my opponents gives 0.67 for Catwalk and 2.2 for TZ. Pity I don't have visibility on any of AT's cities for calibration. Or I can simply get Currency myself

[kjn]

T56 - 760BC

Got the turn back early. We might get 2t in today!

Chops. The last few hammers to slowbuild. I was quite nervous about Catwalk or AT going for this.




Ränneslätt settled. It takes over the ivory until the cow is pastured. My costs went up with 6 with the city, si they're still easily manageable, especially once I can turn Ryd over to cottage duty.




Note AT's War Chariot to the west. It's wounded, so probably won't be making any moves against me soon, but Elg moved up where he could assist Hurtig anyway, and Gööt moved to cover Ränneslätt next turn.

An axe is ordered up in Fröderyd, who goes max food this turn and will grow to 5, before Ryd wants the clams back. I also note some border expansion from Catwalk up in the north - might be that he has built a fifth city...

End turn. Witness my monster score increase of 68 points.




Now... where is that iron...




Not the most convenient locations, I must say. At least I can chop that jungle around Alseda now. I think on the plains hill SE of the whale by Ränneslätt might be the best location (I haven't exposed that tile yet, but I can track the mirroring now), but it'd put the iron second-ring. On the hill with the gold is another option, but it would leave the iron exposed both Catwalk and especially AT. Or I might plant on the iron outside Fröderyd.

Foreign development and C&D

No GNP bonus techs found. AT has 49g, so he has turned research back on. Sternum has been whipped back to size 5.

Demos after ending turn:

Catwalk claimed an additional 8 land tiles and 13 in score. AT gained 27 in score, or 2 pop. TZ lost 40 score, ie he whipped away 3 pop. Total rival population shrank with 108000. No land points this turn.

AT grew Muscle to size 7 and his third city to size 3, making him the rival best in population. Sternum was whipped back to size 5. Delhi has dropped off the top cities chart. Some playing with the pop figures shows that New Scapula was whipped down to size 3, while TZ's third city grew to 2, and that fits both rival worst and the rival average, so I need not concern myself with whips and growths of Catwalk's cities.

Power is strangely unchanged. Catwalk gained 1000 in power from pop, TZ lost 1000, and AT should've gained 1000, but he's stayed constant. Maybe he lost a WC while building an archer or a barracks?

[kjn]

T57 - 720BC

Nice to get the turn a little earlier in the morning. Of course, with my daughter having a short vacation from school, the mornings aren't as hectic as normal, but the next days probably won't be as closely reported as normal since we'll have family visits.

Revolt to Representation, and my earlier happiness troubles are gone, allowing me to temporarily stack whip happiness to a greater degree.

Hulatorpaheren and Karl Oskar team up to road the grass 2N of Ryd, allowing them to reach the banana next turn to clear jungle and farm it. I expect I will use both of them to clear jungle around Alseda for awhile. Alfred pre-builds a cottage for Ryd, but I will use him to finish the road north of the lake, and so he can assist in chopping later on.

Docka goes to the gold to maybe harass Catwalk's new city, but he has a spear and a wounded axe there, both with promotions pending, so he goes to the forest instead.

Ryd builds a barracks with max food. I will whip it next turn and overflow to an axe. That leaves Fröderyd with no food surplus, but it can pump out a quick axe and spear before it gets the clam back. Alseda 1-pop whips its Mint. No really good tiles to work for a while, but it should get a farmed banana soon.

Aesthetics will take 5t to research at max as of now, with 90g in costs. It will take 3t to get the gold, so 8t until I can start the Parthenon. Then chop it out in Fröderyd - it needs the culture more than the other cities, and would help me claim iron and marble. I will probably do one or two whip-overflows too - a library and either a settler or worker.

That leaves the Great Library, but I'm thinking I can simply slowbuild the wonder with some help from a chop. Alseda or the city 1N of the sugar are good options, but Ränneslätt can also work. I want to have a decent stable food surplus in the city, so I can work extra scientists.

End turn. A barb appears 2SE of Alseda.

Foreign developments and C&D

The techs with known tech bonuses continue to be Currency, Meditation, and Monotheism. Sternum is back to size 6. I set all EPs on Catwalk to get his graphs in on T59. I will probably split them afterwards.

Demos after ending turn:

AT settled his fourth city, since rival top in population rose with 1000 and he gained 13 in score. TZ gained 14 points, which goes to their growth in Sternum. Catwalk gets a monster score increase of 68 points, but 55 of that is land. He also grows his fourth city from 3 to 4.

16 new land tiles were claimed, so there must be a border pop together with ATs new city, but it would fit with both AT getting all the land or them splitting it with TZ.

No new techs, but rival global power rose with 14000, with the rival top going from 84000 to 91000. I seem to be the power leader, but most of my lead is in tech, so I need more units quickly. But if that causes the other teams to spend hammers and upkeep on ancient units then I'm happy. But I need to claim a source of iron relatively soon to get a real qualitative edge in military. Meanwhile, Catwalk didn't take part in the general military buildup.

AT increased power from 84000 to 88000, and TZ increased power 81000 to 91000. In both cases 1000 of their increases were from pop.

Here are my estimates for the current power of the teams:

Player	Total power	Power from units and buildings	Power from tech and pop
kjn	100	41	59
Catwalk	77	44	31
AT	88	49	39
TZ	91	56	35

The third column, power from units and buildings, is what is important here. I have the highest power but the weakest military right now - my power advantage is very much an illusion until I can get a source of iron. This is especially true since 6000 of my power comes from forges. But the good thing here is that TZ seems to spend a lot of hammers on military. I can spend moderately on units while he has to spend heavily.

Of course, if he goes for Construction and catapults next I might be in trouble.

[kjn]

T58 - 680BC

Another turn today, with no notifications.

Docka moved NW and got visibility on Catwalk's newest city. With a spear and an axe (both with Cover, no less!) he went back to the forest, and will probably go back to the hill 1S of the iron next turn. At least I unfogged a few more tiles and made Catwalk somewhat nervous. But I can't say I understand the logic behind the city. Sure, it claims stone and incense, but it's utterly indefensible, and only has an oasis, a floodplains, and a plains cow to feed the city. And Catwalk is quite a bit away from Calendar.




The city doesn't even have a road to the rest of his empire yet!

With the barb outside Alseda and the banana about to be farmed soon I start an axe there. I intend to grow to four using the axe and a barracks, and then 2-pop whip the barracks with overflow to the axe and maybe another unit.

Ryd gave back the clam to Fröderyd, and whipped its barracks. It will grow back in 2t by assigning the engineer to a cottage next turn.




AT moved in a sentry chariot to my south, but Ränneslätt has its cow up now, and I have plenty of units in my southwest, and will add a spear and either a spear or an axe soon.

End turn. The barb outside Alseda went southwest.

Foreign development and C&D

Demos after ending turn:

Single pop score increases for Catwalk and TZ, but AT got a 53 point increase! Claimed land tiles increased with 16, and total rival power with 8000, of which 2000 goes to Catwalk and TZ for pop. Total rival population also rose with 117000.

I find a clue in the F8 screen: last turn it was Catwalk that held 28% of the world pop, now it's AT with 32%! Ie, he must have added a lot of pop in a hurry. 53 fits with 4 pop - can he have captured a barb city of size 4? It fits with the 32%.

Assuming that is true, TZ grew their second city to size 4, and Catwalk grew one of their cities to size 5.

I think AT clearly has managed to move into the pole position, especially with the pillage gold - he's up to 76g. Catwalk has plenty of pop and units, but little else, but I clearly need to get my cities up and growing quickly. I have a tech advantage, but it's not an advantage I can use yet.

[kjn]

T59 - 640BC

Confucianism founded. An impi appears behind the barb in the east. Fana covers the workers, while I shuffle forces eastwards. I will get an axe and a spear at EOT, which should help me with my current lack of military units.



Not much else to do. Micro Fröderyd to grow at EOT by firing the engineer this turn. Will have to decide if I am to stockpile gold for a long Aesthetics->Literature push or take the techs one at a time, too.

End turn. Another barb appears to my west, and the barb to my east suicided against the impi without it taking a scratch.

Foreign development and C&D

Another set of many score increases. I increased score with 13, Catwalk with 27, AT with 52 (of which 27 was land), and TZ with 40. Total rival population increased with 232000. I have 19.59% of the total population, and AT 30%, implying that the total new rival pop (barbs and players) were 7.

Demos after ending turn:

Certain pop increases in Sternum (to 7), Bombay (to 5), and Vijanayagara (to 6). Those leaves 48000. Rival top rose with 5000, implying that AT grew his most recent city to size 2. That leaves 43000, which fits with the rival best. TZ grew their second city to size 4 and settled their fourth city. That leaves another barb city popping up.

Those leaves 12 points for AT, a classical tech. Since Confucianism was founded, that puts AT for getting to Code of Laws first.

Total rival power rose with 8000, of which 2000 was from pop (1000 each for TZ and Catwalk). Catwalk also increased his power a bit, probably with a unit. Hopefully my power climb this turn will make the other teams nervous - I'm trailing pretty hard in pop right now. I can't wait to get the fish online in Ränneslätt.

[kjn]

T60 - 600BC

Action both in the east and the west. In the east TZ is working a skirmisher just inside my borders. I have an axe and a shock skirmisher to handle it if it moves too closely. In the west I have both the barb warrior and AT's sentry WC. At least I have a spear in the area, but I need to cover my pasturing worker with both an axe and a skirmisher.

Fröderyd sets up a library whip, but I will probably defer it until I can overflow to the Great Library or Parthenon. Alseda is 2t from an axe and growing, and I will put it to a barracks next turn, and whip it once it hits size 4, and then grow on sheep and the farmed banana.

End turn. Fröderyd grows to 6, and the barb in the west moves onto the hill 2W of Fröderyd.

Foreign development and C&D

Rene Descartes was born in far away land. Catwalk has stepped up culture production markedly: +14 in Bombay (was 12), +14 in Delhi (+7), and +14 in Vijayanagara (+7). Not sure what is up with that. New certain city sizes are Vijayanagara 4 (2-pop whip), Varanasi 2, Lava 8, Bombay 6, and Delhi 6.

The new discounted tech is Sailing. AT is down to 28g.

Demos after ending turn:

Total rival population is up 46000. Some fiddling with the numbers gives that AT grew his capital to 8 and whipped his second city from size 7 (or 8) to size 6. Catwalk has cities of 6, 6, 5, 2, and 2.

AT also gained an ancient tech: Sailing by the known tech bonus. He's obviously set his sight on Calendar and the MoM.

Power rose with 12000, 2000 of it from Sailing for AT. The rest appears to be split between AT and Catwalk.

No academy in Sternum, so it's either AT or Catwalk. Will have to check when AT got Writing, or if Catwalk might have it.