[Spoilers] Biggus Decius and the Sucking Vampires (Bobchillingworth / Calabim)

[Serdoa]

I think I remember that you did attack invisible units if you move on their tile.

[DaveV]

How do spiders work? When they don't roam, do they not attack at all? They're invisible, so can a 2-move non-hunter unit move onto their tile?

Yes. If you move a normal unit into a spider's tile or your borders pop into the spider's tile, he will move into one of the adjacent tiles. Otherwise, spiders can move only by attacking adjacent units: they will move into the attacked tile if it's empty.

[Bobchillingworth]

The really nasty thing about spiders (besides the strength 5 and invisiblity) is that they can recieve defensive bonuses from terrain, which afaik no other animal has. When escorting settlers, you should always use at least two units in FFH, in case you accidently end turn next to a giant spider (or in case a gyphon tries to snipe you by swooping in from beyond the line of sight).

[DaveV]

The really nasty thing about spiders (besides the strength 5 and invisiblity) is that they can recieve defensive bonuses from terrain, which afaik no other animal has. When escorting settlers, you should always use at least [strike]two[/strike] three units in FFH, in case you accidently end turn next to a giant spider (or in case a gyphon or lizardman tries to snipe you by swooping in from beyond the line of sight).

Fixed

[sunrise089]

Are there spiders and giant spiders, or only the latter?

[Bobchillingworth]

I'm using the term Spider interchangeably with "Giant Spider", which is the actual unit name. There are also baby spiders, which are randomly created when a giant spider kills a unit, but they have only 3 strength and are easy to deal with.

[Bobchillingworth]

Turn 24



Dammit, I was afraid of this:





This is why you never want to leave your capital with only a single warrior garrison. A lizardman has appeared out of the fog, and can strike in two turns. Thankfully I can work two plains forests and so will have 2 bloodpets in Prespur before it can attack. Losing out on the growth and commerce for a couple turns blows, but there's no way I'm risking my capital. Even my bloodpet's combined 75% defenses and the -20% city attack penalty on the lizardman, the odds just don't make the risk of doing anything other than getting that 2nd city defender out in time worth it.


Meanwhile, Chicken readies to pop the hut next turn, barring a griffon eating him between turns or something nasty appearing in his way. Pork (or is it Beef?) continues to face off with the skeleton across the river- I've moved so that I can explore a little SW if the skeleton still refuses to attack. For some reason barb units in FFH occasionally hesitate for a turn or two in place before attacking- they don't always though, so don't count on it if a city is on the line. I don't mind letting the skeleton cross the river and attack Prespur; unless I do get a dramatic loss vs. the Lizardman, I should have two bloodpets fortified by the time it can attack.

[Bobchillingworth]

I had a nice, large post typed out about this turn, but the forum ate it

So instead here's a four-picture tale of danger, discovery, and minor population growth:















I intend to keep exploring with Chicken, while Pork will scout the immediate south of my capital area. I'm not sure if it's optimal or not, but for right now the plan is to keep working three fp until size four, where I'll switch to 2 fp, the unimproved cotton, and a 1 food 2 hammer tile. I'll start another bloodpet after my current build finishes, and then go for a worker. I could finish my present bloodpet production next turn by working a plains forest and then immediatly start on the worker, but I don't like the idea of trying to protect both Prespur and a worker with only two bloodpets, or having to recall my scouting unit.

[DaveV]

I don't like ... having to recall my scouting unit.

He's not going to find a better city site than gold+reagents+3FP in the tundra. Anyway, your next border pop will grab those mountains to the south and explore the south for you. I think you need to get some workers out there ASAP, so you can build that second city and get some commerce. Are you still planning to cast River of Blood after you have the plantation on the cotton?

[Bobchillingworth]

Yes on the River of Blood after size 4 + plantation, although I will hold off for a couple turns if people still have only size 2 cities for some reason.


I have my top 3 or 4 expansion sites already revealed, I realize- the goal of scouting S / SW with the bloodpet is to uncover huts and/or unique features.


But the rationale for building a worker soon is solid. I think then that I'll finish the bloodpet in Prespur this turn by switching from one of the fp, keep the scouting bloodpet close to home, and start building a worker next turn while working 3fp.

My scout is going to die soon though, as they always do, so I will need to build several more bloodpets or scouts after the worker both to defend my first expansion and uncover more land.