[SPOILERS] PB20 Lurker Thread of Perfect Hindsight

[Gaspar]

I generally am against the idea of paying someone blood money because I think by the time you're weak enough that you need to pay it, better to just get the game over. That said, I paid a blood city to TBS because I was just strong enough that paying the city meant I didn't have to fight an ugly, bloody, time-consuming war I was certain to lose.

I think the thing re: mackoti and reporting is that almost all of his reporting is indeed done with the intent of impressing an audience of future opponents while providing very little information that could possibly slip out to current opponents. That, more than the language barrier, is why he reports so infrequently. He knows the value of this because he scouts his opponents thoroughly through reading their past games - obviously, as alluded to above, there are some who believe that he also reads their current games. I once belonged to that school of thought but that was born of frustration from losing, not any real evidence. Having talked to him a good bit subsequently, I think he really just pays very close attention both to the game at hand and what he's read about your tendencies previously.

[retep]

I wasn't defending that well, as shown by my six minutes turn, so mack is just making himself look worse that he actually was. Although the rep of good defender might help me in the future, so I guess no reporting this game has paid off after all.

[Ichabod]

Hats off to Seven. He had a very bad start (no copper while everyone else had it; not a good second city spot, at least in opinion; not very good expansion options before IW), but he managed to somehow get into a commanding position with it. He made a lot of good strategic choices (medieval conquest that payed off, for one) and showed that he also shines in macro, not only micro.

Not that it matters much, but I think he's the best Civ 4 player that I know.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

On T195 I received this -

150 gpt for all my happy resources. Last turn he offered a similar trade offer with a defensive pact as an addition. I turned down both of them, without any re-offers cause I was not sure what it means.


Also, he set his units in a line from his city of Foible to my capital and gifted me a galley in my cap.


Anyway, it keeps bothering me all the day, Seven really made some effort to say something. This is probably the point, where my post becomes entertaining for the lurkers - its always fun to read how people can misunderstand each other with those diplo screens

Ok... 150 gpt for all my happy. First thought was whether not to accept it - I have a big surplus of happy in most of my cities . Then I realized it makes no sense as a trade (Seven already has all those happy), so it must be signalling. My second thought was, that it may be some kind of decoy - if I accept he would have an excuse to break it and to cancel my scouting within his borders. Yeah, looking at the scoreboard it is so hard to believe Seven could want from my anything other than my cities

It took me a while to consider other options. 150 gpt - all my happy. I'm not experienced with this kind of AI diplo, but I saw in PB13 people were using gpt to signal the number of turns. Signalling something to happen in 150 turns doesnt make sense, 150 turns back... same thing. Anything significant happened in turn no. 150? No, but wait... on T147 Grimace declared war at me, on T152 he took my first city. The one I'm able to to take back from my culture right now.

Give away all my happy. Unhappy? Something that happened at ca. T150 caused my unhappy? Could it be pointing at Grimace?

Now, the unit setup. A line of units from Foible to my capital. Warning about an attack? Well, its probably o good line to attack but... from Seven's side, so I guess he wouldnt want to signal it. Gifting a galley at my cap gave my another thought - he was moving next to Grimace's city of Giraffe, where Grimace had 5 galleys and just finished Astro. Could it be warning about the potential naval attack at my cap? Maybe. Now, some other trace - Seven double pointed at my capital, but it might not the city to be the real target. I have an artist inside. Using an artist at hitshowers would push the culture (I didnt do any sim, but my experience tells me this land is so newly settled after GermanJojo's gone, that the artist would have no problems with pushing culture) to the tiles adjacent to Grimace's city of Yak, where he has 17 units. So, basicly on the first turn of war, I could hit from my culture 2 cities of Grimace killing a total of 35 units (I barely have enough hitters to do it). If Seven also engaged (on the correct side ) it could be something.

Taking all these together - could it really be an offer to a common attack at Grimace? It's just so hard to believe, taking my current position and tech situation. Also, I have a specific plans regarding my Artist. I'm plannig to fire GA in 2 turns and finally get to drafted rifles. My overall production is pathetic, but even the poorest cities can by drafted and 1-pop rifles are just soooo good.

This ridicule brought to you in an earnestly good-natured sort of way. Keep trying!

[TheHumanHydra]

I don't think I'd have the faintest clue what Seven was signalling, either (this was my thought just when reading Seven's explanation, too). I keep re-writing this post to figure out how to say this without giving offence or stirring up an argument, but I just want to register that I disagree with this use of the trade screen - no disrespect to Seven or anyone else intended.

[Commodore]

That's one hell of a lowball, too.

[Ceiliazul]

Not sure about that, 1500g doesnt strike me as the "accepted value" of a gp, but 1500 is more research power than an artist would provide. Often artists are even unwanted, and selling one for 1500 would be sweet! But in this case I dont think the guy is for sale: theres a plan for him.

[Gaspar]

Yeah, its really hard to place a flat value on a generic GP. It really depends on the situation.

That said, I don't think there's any amount that would convince me to sell a GP to the game's leader at this stage of the game.

[Ceiliazul]

That said, I don't think there's any amount that would convince me to sell a GP to the game's leader at this stage of the game.

Well yes, there is that... but the novelty of it is attractive, you gotta admit.

[Commodore]

Yeah, its really hard to place a flat value on a generic GP. It really depends on the situation.

I hear for some MoM teams, 400G and a smile will net you a Great Scientist with two cities on top!