[Spoilers] rho21 follows the works of Homer... D'OH!

[rho21]

Turn 190

Score tracking
The Aztecs discovered a tech, taking them into the atomic era. It was probably plastics.

Kongo discovered Scientific Theory.


Military
Failure to pay adequate attention to positioning allowed the Aztecs to snipe a privateer in the arctic (using their great admiral as spotter and a field cannon to shoot). Oops.

My bombards, now both upgraded to artillery, continue to advance towards Undertow. I'm uncertain I should be risking them before observation balloons give them range 3. On the other hand, that's probably beyond the end of the game, as things are going.

Other units are redeploying towards Bryson in the NE, in case the Aztecs plan to land there next.


Housekeeping
Discovered Replaceable Parts, which gives farms +1 per adjacent farm and lets me build infantry. Next up is Plastics.

Some graphs to mark the round number:

[rho21]

Turn 191

Score tracking
The Aztecs built a district and a couple district buildings, so as to give them 1 more point per turn towards great generals, admirals and engineers.

Military
Nothing much on my end, just some shuffling around. No sign of the Aztec battleships, but Undertow has a caravel and a musket in, so I doubt they've gone far.

Kongo is making another push near Diminished. It won't make any progress and will probably cost them a unit.

Housekeeping
Field cannon complete at Bryson, which starts an infantry next.

Quiet turn, all told.

[rho21]

Turn 192

Score tracking
Kongo built another couple of Mbanzas. One of them even earned them an apostle.
The Aztecs finished a civic.

Military
No sign of the Aztec battleships, but the caravel remains in Undertow, so I'm guessing they've not gone far. Alternatively, they might be moving to attack my fleet in the arctic or to trap my lone battleship just exiting the southern straits.

More Kongolese units have died near Diminished I think. Well, that'll happen moving forwards in dribs and drabs against overwhelming defences with low tech units.

Housekeeping
Pythagoras has finished a field cannon and is building a quick market next.

Diocles is one turn off completing its monument, so I harvest the stone for 169169 and get started on a reduced cost encampment (216), due in 6 turns.

[rho21]

Turn 193

Score tracking
The Aztecs recruited the great scientist and finished a tech. They also built a district and a building, to provide an extra engineer and scientist point between them.


Military
I take the opportunity to look at how effective artillery are against Aztec walls. With defence strength in the 70s, my artillery will require about 5 shots to take the walls down. They simply won't have that many goes without being destroyed by the city defences and any battleships hanging around the area. What's more, the tanks barely scratch the walls at all. I think I'm going to have to wait for observation balloons, sadly.


Housekeeping
Qiu Ying (Great Artist) recruited. He creates a great work immediately, giving me 3/turn.

Mobilisation is complete. Next up is Conservation, due in 12 turns at full price. That makes it time for a government switch.

Newly unlocked is Levée en Masse, the replacement for Conscription that's twice as good (2 reduction on military unit costs).

Gold:

• Levée en Masse: 59
  
• Triangular Trade: 369
  
• Merchant Confederation: 22
  

Science & Culture:

• Rationalism: 36
  
• Trade Confederation: 99
  
• Meritocracy: 17
  

Production:

• Grande Armée: loads of production wherever I build units
  
• Press Gangs: 19
  
• Craftsmen: 10
  
• Skyscrapers: 7, but more importantly 2 turns off the Ruhr Valley.
  

Utility:

• Liberalism: 7 amenities
  
• Retainers: 10 amenities (with some units shifted about)
  

From this lot, Levée en Masse, Grande Armée, Triangular Trade, Rationalism, Meritocracy and Merchant Confederation seem automatic. That leaves me with 1 wildcard slot left, which I feel should go to Press Gangs or Retainers.

Right now I'm 16 amenities short, with 4 of those about to be fixed by Euclid's zoo (finished next turn). Ships are nice, but I simply can't get them out past Hairshirt right now so they aren't all that useful. Retainers it is.

[rho21]

Turn 194

Score tracking
Nothing to report, for once.

Military
My scout in the eastern ocean has recently been exploring the passage NW of Hairshirt. The strait means it can't get past the city, so it was heading back to the open ocean again. However it's just been found and red-lined by an Aztec battleship. In many ways, that's good news as it tells me the Aztec fleet is coming this way. Well, 1 battleship of it at least, but I suspect all the other battleships too.

Why is that good news? It means I could consider an attack on Undertow without worrying about battleships destroying my units. It also means my lone battleship in the eastern ocean can start doing some irritating things. It begins by pillaging an oil platform off the Aztecs' SW coast, gaining 70. Maybe I can bring it over towards Undertow next and support an attack there.

On the minus side, despite the advance warning, I'm going to have trouble keeping the fleet in the arctic ocean alive. Perhaps it can take down a battleship though. Perseus will also be difficult to defend, though Geneva should be pretty safe as it defends at 101 strength now.

Housekeeping
Plastics is discovered. I get going on Combined Arms next, for the ability to upgrade my ironclad into a destroyer. I should be able to put together 3 field cannon armies to boost it in the next few turns.

With plastics discovered, I can place an offshore platform in the lake at Meton, which is now a pretty strong city.

The zoo is complete at Euclid, which starts an infantry. The amenities mean I now have 5 happy cities, 3 content, 1 displeased and one (Xenocrates) in revolt. Silly war weariness. Mentioning which, war weariness increased this turn for no obvious reason. I certainly didn't lose a unit.

[rho21]

Turn 195

Score tracking
Kongo researched Economics.
The Aztecs built a new commercial hub.


Military
Not much going on. My scout will die in the Arctic passage this turn, as it can't get past Hairshirt.

Kongo seems intent on sending more units to die against Diminished.


Housekeeping
Meton has finished its campus and immediately begins a library.

A sheep is harvested at Aristaeus, giving 186186 and more importantly clearing the hill for a new mine.

[rho21]

Turn 196

Score tracking
Nothing to report.


Military
An Aztec tank has appeared between Kapsalon and Waffles. Kongo has lost more units and appears to have been caught out of position by the tank. I guess I'll deploy a few units down that way to see if I can drive it off.

Elsewhere, my scout in the arctic died, as expected, and I've created my first field cannon army.

Housekeeping
Not much happened in this section either. I did send a trader towards Geneva, now that science is looking more problematic than culture.

[rho21]

Turn 197

Score tracking
Kongo discovered Civil Engineering and adopted Grande Armée policy.
The Aztecs completed Petra and a science building.

Military
That Aztec tank near Waffles has done ~50% damage to the city in one attack. My response units will not be in time to save it.

Housekeeping
The Aztecs managed to scrape together enough envoys to level my number in Geneva again. Ugh, that's worth most of 40/turn to them. I'm expecting 3 more envoys in 8 turns when Conservation finishes. Change of plans: Scorched Earth first for 2 envoys in 5 turns.

Diocles finished its encampment, Pythagoras its market.

I made a couple more field cannon armies, boosting Combined Arms which will be finished next turn.

[rho21]

Turn 198

Military
Waffles was indeed conquered, and renamed to (Don't Go Back To) Rockville.

My battleship in the eastern ocean was destroyed by an Aztec battleship or two. Oh well.

Housekeeping
Combined Arms discovered, revealing Uranium. I don't have any. There's one in the desert near C16, another off in no man's land between me and the Aztecs.

[rho21]

Turn 199

Score tracking
Kongo built a commercial hub.
The Aztecs finished a tech and a civic.

Military
Not much going on really.

Housekeeping
Library finished at Meton. I immediately purchase a university for 500. Universities are insanely good for me (20), and I really should have been building more campuses just for the purpose of holding universities.