[SPOILERS] Roland and Suboptimal Team Up

[suboptimal]

Nope...I'll have my 20 next turn and that's all I need for a single upgrade. At some point I'll likely need to get another iron mine down but I'll do that at Graceland.

Based on my current build plans I should be completing quadriremes on Turns 78, 83, 88, 93 and 98 and could purchase a sixth on Turn 99. That times well with Mercenaries as with the diversion to Theology it's currently 30 turns (T103) but I suspect I'll get the intervening inspirations as you plow ahead of me in the civics tree. I do want to hold off on completing Mercenaries until I've got the six quads complete. For budgeting purposes assume I'll be upgrading six quads and four warriors - that'll cost 1440 with Professional Army installed and I can cut the iron cost to 40 with the right policies in place. OC is going Harbor -> Lighthouse -> Battering Ram. That'll take about 28 turns to complete, plus getting the ram down to Al. If we attack at (W)odin then I'd sail down the coast to Borna Barasic and then cross the channel and attack. That's four turns to sail, one turn to position. Making some reasonable assumptions we could be knocking on his door somewhere around Turn 105. We can discuss invasion plans when we get closer but I think you'll want to have 4-6 swords of your own to act as additional invasion forces by the time T100 rolls around.

Looking at generation there will be enough to buy three more settlers before the age ends. I'll have enough faith on Turns 78, 85 and 93 for settler purchases. Counting the settler just purchased that's four cities to place. Without defogging further I think the city placements on Big Island look something like this:




That gives me three available second ring Harbors with Graceland's being the most defensible. The last one can either go on Chocolate Island, the island NW of Good Time or I can check the island SW of Nazca for interior fresh water and perhaps use that as a forward base against Russia.

[roland of gilead]

Iron won't be an issue soon i will have 2 mines and Jebel.

I can get those swords no problem.

Need to get my gold up but i can do that. Petra city is key and the settler starts for that this turn coming.

going to get crossbows by then too and one crouching tiger i suppose for the extra wall shot power.

[roland of gilead]

TURN 74

Military Training in and inspiration passed over.



First warrior finished a dpressingly slow settler started. 9 turns.



Next turn i can buy a 6 charge builder to get Mahabodi. Then i need Jebel asap for the 20-24 faith.

I am impressed i am top in culture and almost top in science with so few cities and 1 district but that won't last if i don't start expanding fast and soon.

[suboptimal]

I don't know that crouching tigers would be necessary. I don't know that anyone is going to have city defenses much above 40 by the time the jongs are out and ready to attack. They'd be at CS 60 and should be able to plow through the walls. I think crossbows would be more helpful but we don't know where Machinery is yet, do we?

My big issue will be getting my generation over 30 per turn -- six jongs and four swordsmen will cost 28 in maintenance costs alone. Lighthouse and working coastal tiles will help a little bit, as will wine/tea plantations. Might need to get out a couple of builders the hard way (ie not purchased) to get those improvements up and running.

[roland of gilead]

i am working on machinery. Will get 3 archers in place

[roland of gilead]

1 crouching tiger would increase my wall range shot strength. Certainly wouldn't build anymore than one. Not sure it's worth is so might come down to era score.

i should be able by then to support you financially at least a bit by then.

i will settle city 5 in 12 turns. by 20 turns after that i should be generating 36 gold out of that city alone.
Goldson with TOA can work the diamonds and copper.
Borna will be working 2 chocolate in 5 turns one with a plantation.

[suboptimal]

Turn 74

Political Philosophy is complete and Military Tradition is boosted. I’ve got a couple of notifications:




Top-to-bottom I can now buy a missionary, I’ve met Japan, Nazca has declared war on Norway/Phoenicia and my slinger was attacked (I skipped the bit about the inspiration). So...you can see the stats above. 49 . Gotta love that district adjacency bonus! So, where did we meet? Over here:




Huh. Must be a galley nearby. I go over to the deal screen and see what Japan has on offer:




They are in Classical Republic and are at war with Phoenicia & Norway. I wonder if there was a joint declaration and that’s why Russia/Australia declared? I send my galley at Al out for a tile or two and don’t find anything, then realize that if Nazca declared war then the meeting must have been with that Nazcan galley off Big Island. Check the envoy situation and yep – Kaiser’s got three envoys, Woden has two and Archduke has one. I suppose I should really train a heavy chariot for the freebie there. Note: Kaiser has not yet met China.

Adopt Oligarchy, slot in Urban Planning and Maritime Industries. Start Theology.

Embarked units move around. Warrior finds more turtles NW of Good Time:




There might be a monster Campus spot in the fog. I’ll disembark in two turns and find out. Settler and galley at Good Time cross the channel. Northern galley makes an interesting discovery:




We’re not first since it’s only one era score. Other exploring galley finds nothing. On Big Island the warrior upgrades to a swordsman, which gets my city defenses up a bit (and another era score). Warrior moves NE and reveals only jungle. Wonder where the camp is?




Slinger retreats across the river. I’ll move to the open plains and promote next turn, then cross back over the river to help deal with the camp.

While checking gossip I disprove my earlier assumption. The Phoenician gossip indicates that Norway/Phoenicia declared on England/Japan and then Kaiser suzerained Nazca. Regardless, this is good because it means they don’t view us as a threat (yet).

Roland, if you have the cash and iron you might want to consider upgrading that one warrior in Chao Lake – it’d raise all of your city defenses to a base of 26. You’ll also have the boost for Mathematics after my next turn. I’ve also pinmapped Big Island with settlement order and district placement. I added a southern city to the pinmap, right on the coffee. It’ll need an Aqueduct but its main purpose is to prevent a bulwark settlement by someone else and to capture some resources. I don’t know that I need to settle it, though, as C is in a pretty defensible position from any land-based approach. Graceland will be purchasing the settler for B and A will be the source of C’s settler.

[roland of gilead]

TURN 75

49 science is quite something. Nice to see our competitors at war while we quietly grow. Let's hope they can damage each other a bit at least.

Quiet turn for me.

Switched to Mathematics as will get the boost next turn and want to delay Iron working to get 5-6 warriors. Will have 4 next turn.



Bought the worker for Mahabodi should complete in another 8 turns.
Can buy the Worker for Jebel in 3 turns. That's my cut off in terms of iron working. Well a turn or two after by the time worker get's there.

Can do 2 warriors every 3 turns so that's perfect.

[suboptimal]

I just hope that the new war has a bit more teeth than the prior one against Russia/Australia. Still don't understand that war declaration.

[roland of gilead]

Yeah it was baffling. something to look forward to on the mop up at the end.

I have plenty of iron for a sword not so much gold just now but i can get that sorted.

Woden/Lubijana declaring should make it more menacing hopefully.