[SPOILERS] naufragar and Rusten get nickel-and-dimed

[thestick]

Where is Cairo on the tech tree?

[naufragar]

I'd be able to see if he has Paper because his techs would be visible, so I know he doesn't have that. I don't think he had Engineering 10 turns ago, based on his roading when he retook AdolfTwitler, but I could be wrong. When last Superdeath and he fought, I didn't see any caravels. I seem to remember thinking he was chaining irrigation somewhere, so I suspect he has Civil Service and that's the way he'll get to Paper. Long answer to say, basically, I don't know. He's trip-whipped courthouses everywhere, so it'll be some time before I get graphs back.

[naufragar]

Now that I have Paper, I can sort of track techs.


Magic Science can also research Horseback Riding and Engineering. Cairo doesn't yet have Optics.

I have no one but myself to blame for my position in this game. I have played really, really, really poorly. As evidence, I have pointed out where the Japanese empire are getting their first domestic horses.


44LuftBalloons stops revolting next turn. I could have pastured the horses on the mainland in Superdeath territory this turn, but a pig took priority. It's silly but also damning.

[naufragar]

For the longest time, I planned to settle on the X. I think it's roughly a million times safer to found where the settler is now. I've placed many, many signs in the area to remind me to build the road before founding the city. Someone can plant a city 3W of Fenris, but otherwise this invalidates a lot of stuff and gets vision on a lot of stuff. The extra luxury is nice, I guess. I'll be cranky if Cairo plants in between the spices next turn, but I'd be very surprised. Edit: For what it's worth, Cairo has vision on my cities via espionage, so he has seen the settler.

[naufragar]

Only four players left and yet our turn pace is worse than a PBEM. Nobody's fault. There's a permanent war between two players in incompatible time zones. After noticing the bad turn pace, I then see a flurry of lurker thread activity despite none of the players posting updates. Please don't call this game. It's not done.

On to the report. Here's my south:


Chopping walls in Kagoshima before granary. Probably unnecessary but it's there for a psychological deterrent. A sentry chariot completes next turn and I send it down, so Cairo can never one-turn the city from the fog. Magic is a different story. Gonna settle two more cities in the next 5 turns. Tech choice is a little weird. Haven't finished Feudalism yet. Cairo has Optics now. One Privateer should be enough to lock that area down. That arrives by Cairo in ~7 turns.

You can see my defensive stack in the middle of the cities. Samurai and cats. As far as I understand espionage, even though Cairo has city visibility, he shouldn't be able to see this stack.

Here's the East:


You can see Magic's stack in the bottom left. Xbows and cats. So long as it doesn't get much bigger or more advanced, we're unconcerned.

I suspect Magic is worn out. This means, paradoxically, I probably shouldn't attack him. So long as he thinks there might be an opening, the game doesn't end in concession. If I hit him, I worry that Cairo and he bail. Here's the power graph.


Edit: It's not shown on the graph, but Cairo is nipping at my heels for soldier count.

[superdeath]

[naufragar]

[superdeath]

[naufragar]

[AutomatedTeller]

Only people who can call this game are the players