RB Pitboss #1 [SPOILERS] Willem of Persia

[Sullla]

Wow, only a little over 10 turns to build the wonder. That's quite fast. Good luck!

[shadyforce]

Thanks Sullla! I'm amazed how much I've managed to reduce the ETA bit by bit with little improvements and sacrafices. It was at T80 a while back!

Carthage has indeed researched Sailing this turn. My exports/imports ratio is 0, someone has 2 and someone else has -2. My guess is that Carthage has 2 trade routes from me and a 3rd to the other civ and this other civ has 2 trade routes with Carthage.

I'm still not sure ZPV is going for the GLH but the evidence is there to suggest it (though it's impossible for me to appreciate if I'm being paranoid or not.) But if it turns out that I get the GLH and ZPV is left with a lump sum of gold all because he opened borders allowing me to see his roaded forest/hills and because he casually mentioned his ETA on Sailing when we were discussing the trade route money I was getting off him, then he can consider himself etremely unlucky!

ZPV has been pretty nice to me in this game so far. He didn't sneak into my undefended capital, has been liberal with his map info and pointing me in the direction of unmet civs, opened borders allowing me passage and trade routes, etc. If he misses the wonder to me because he told me about his research and let me into his waters then I'm going to feel SO guilty!

But I'm getting ahead of myself... it ain't built yet. I'm getting quite absorbed in this game and I'll probably be having nightmares about waking up, checking Civ and the GLH getting BIDL.

[shadyforce]

Also... word on the grapevine is that Team Krill/Memphus declared on Sunrise and nicked a worker. If it's true then the cheek of them!

I don't know much about those guys but the impression I got from people commenting on their pairing up in this game is that they are very good. The fact that they are such a threat combined with the cheeky worker steal might not go down well in the diplomatic community and they might up alienated.

I haven't heard much about any Praetorian rush from Ruff, though when I had a brief chat with Kodii a few turns ago, he mentioned that they were definitely paranoid about a certain unnamed neighbour who they were pouring most of their EPs onto.

[shadyforce]

What a beautiful city. Note there is copper on that plains hill tile. Also note the anti-immortal spear fortified in the city.


The land between myself, Carthage and India. Belkar is on his way home for MP duty.

[shadyforce]

Unless I'm mistaken, Carthage (the city not the civ) has 73 hammers invested in something. The Lighthouse costs 60 hammers. Could it be that ZPV is not going for the GLH? Am I just a big stupid paranoid dumbass after all?

73 shields could be Pyramids, Stonehenge or Great Wall although Library seems most likely given that he got writing 7 turns ago.

No need to jump to any conclusions just yet. In 1 turn, or maybe 2, I'll have a better idea what Carthage is building. If it's a library then I'll see it on the map and he can't beat me to the GLH anymore. I'll still fast build the GLH but I might not have to double-whip for those 2 extra turns. T69 is still fast, but there is at least 1 other Civ out there with Sailing. I suspect it's sunrise since he has open borders with ZPV. (regoarrarr does as well but claims to only be getting Sailing in a couple of turns.

[shadyforce]

I understand that the game is paused. In the event that the game gets unpaused before I get back, could a lurker please log in and do the following (basically continue the plan in post 50):

T59:
Ensure that Blacksmith and Chef start chopping
Ensure Central Command is working the Fish, Ivory and 2 mined hill tiles
I've queued up actions for Justin Specting and Magellan's Folly but their mission brief is to explore west. But if you aren't allowed to move them because of spoiler info then just ignore them and end turn.

T60:
Set Central Command to build the Great Lighthouse.

T61:
Not much to do. I think Pottery is done this turn, so set research to Writing.

T62:
[Very important]Switch off the governor and reassign citizens in Central Command to work the 3 mined hills and the Ivory.
Also move Chef and Blacksmith to the remaining 2 forest tiles as outlined in post 50.

Edit: I'm back. Game is not yet unpaused.

[shadyforce]

Turn 61:
- Central Command completes Lighthouse (T60) and starts a Settler, due in 5 with a chop on the way which will reduce by a turn.
- The Factory continues to build a Settler, also due in 5, also due a chop which will probably shave a turn off it.
- Baker continues to mine/chop the hill near CC, due in 2.
- Chef has abandoned his chop near CC and has returned to finish the mine/chop on the hill near The Factory. I can't remember how much turns were left though so I'm not sure if it will be quick enough to speed up the settler.
- Blacksmith has started a road to the city location of The Bank. By the time it's done, The Bank's borders will have popped and it can start a Pasture on the cow. Baker will probably tag along to camp the Ivory and help start a few cottages.
- Magellan's Folly and Justin Specting continue their exploration west. I believe Justin has found the borders of a barbarian city.

I sort of guessed that because Sullla felt safe posting about the GLH, I was either going to definitely get it or never get it. Mali completed the Great Lighthouse last turn (T59) in their second city (formerly Timbuktu, now renamed Isengard). I never expected they were building it, I ruled it out because their capital was inland (I think) and they should have easy trade routes with Carthage if they had Sailing. Maybe somewhere deep in the demogs had the answer but such is life.

This is very disappointing news as I thought I had a good chance of getting it. As it happened, someone did go gung ho for it and I never had a chance. Even though no shields were invested in the actual GLH, many worker turns, production into a Lighthouse of dubious benefit and research into Masonry are wasted. As somewhat of a consolation, I get 1 extra food/turn in Central Command which has grown 2 sizes (now at size 4) and has 5 improved tiles to work.

Regarding the Colossus, the other wonder I was interested in, I doubt I will go for it. The person who lands it will probably already have Metal Casting at least half-researched by now. I still have 5 turns of writing (which I consider necessary) and I don't have any copper to help me build the thing.

I think my next Tech will be Iron Working. I need it to start on the jungle city nearby and also metal will make me fairly safe militarily and also give me options to be aggresive if I need to. For example, I was wondering what my chances of catching Mali with their pants down and amphibiously capturing their cities with immortals if defended by only warriors. But as cool as an amphibious assault with galleys would be, Sullla is not on the coast which means I need a few landed swords/axes which means they will have time to build cities 3 and 4 which means I need a million galleys. Logistically too expensive and speculative unfortunately.

Sorry lurkers but as much as I'd like to make things interesting, the situation just isn't right for it right now. Go bug Ruff/TAD in their thread to do something what their stack of Praetorians.

In other news, Broker's warrior Ranger Bob has wandered over in sight of my city (he's beside Isengard). Only Krill/Memphus left to meet and I'll complete the set.

[Sullla]

I sort of guessed that because Sullla felt safe posting about the GLH, I was either going to definitely get it or never get it. Mali completed the Great Lighthouse last turn (T59) in their second city (formerly Timbuktu, now renamed Isengard). I never expected they were building it, I ruled it out because their capital was inland (I think) and they should have easy trade routes with Carthage if they had Sailing. Maybe somewhere deep in the demogs had the answer but such is life.

Hey, I just meant exactly what I said: 10 turns to build the Great Lighthouse was indeed fast. Don't blame me for metagaming the comments!

You don't need to worry about making the posts here interesting. Just letting us know from time to time what's going on is plenty for me.

[shadyforce]

Haha, I'm only teasing. You gave little or nothing away, but second-guessing the lurker-comments / mapmaker / etc is half the fun. All inferences are taken at my own risk.

Anyway, unless I'm mistaken, it seems that Rome has indeed attacked someone, albeit with what appears to be an unortunate and weird movement bug. I was always curious what happened if you declare war while your units share tiles in neutral territory with an enemy. It also seems that dsplaisted has a front row seat (he maybe has a scout in the area or something). I must dial him up and see what he's willing to tell me.

I also notice that my 3 immediate neighbours are the top 3 in score, and me 4th. I wonder if it's coincidental or if there is some geographic or political reason for that.

[shadyforce]

Turn 64:

- Central Command has 1 turns left on the Settler which will become The Bank.
- Baker and Blacksmith are building the road towards The Bank's city site and will have enough road done for the Settler to found the city on the turn after it is built. The timing has worked out rather nice. CC will then build a workboat.
- The Factory has 2 turns left on it's settler which will found the Maoi City city. I've decided I'm going to call it The Harbour. I'm sticking to my British English spelling.

I haven't decided what to do with The Factory after the settler. Probably a unit of some sort while it grows to work the grass/mine.

Anyway, some more pictures:

ZPV has Numberless the warrior fortified on a hill near India. I wonder why he is there? Maybe marking an intended city location though it seems a bit far away especially since every other city has gone back into his peninsula.


This is the current exploration status of Magellan's Folly:


And finally, here's the Barb city that Justin Specting has found on his travels: