[Spoilers] Pindicator accepts his fate

[pindicator]

It should also be noted that Mr. Cairo has a very clear path to victory here. Tech up to rifles and then just take over his hub. They've fought among themselves so much that Mr. Cairo should be able to pick and choose where he wants to attack. And us attacking chumchu or Nicolae wouldn't help matters, but i don't think we have a choice.

[Rowain]

Mr.Cairo graphs are impressive. Is he in a GA? 
He is also on par with OT4E on power.
If this are not GA-enhanced values then either you and OT4E can organize a combined attack on Mr.Cairo or it is GG.

[pindicator]

Mr.Cairo graphs are impressive. Is he in a GA? 
He is also on par with OT4E on power.
If this are not GA-enhanced values then either you and OT4E can organize a combined attack on Mr.Cairo or it is GG.

He's not in a GA.  The boost is from when he swapped over to his latest set of civics.  On turn 150 he swapped into Organized Religion, Caste System, Environmentalism, and Representation.  Add Mercantilism to that and it's pretty obvious where the crazy GNP is coming from:  35 cities worth of free specialists that all give +1c and +3b.

Pretty much, Nationalism -> Constitution was the One Right Tech Path and Mr. Cairo identified it and got there faster than anyone else.


Turn 155




OT4E on the other hand is following through with his strategy for the Monk Economy.  It fits with his wonder traits, but I fear it's going to be too slow.  He's been saving up for some tech for a while now, something expensive enough that he's amassed about 1500g so far.  Divine Right doesn't seem like it would cost him that much, so I'm a little tempted to try and snipe that -- and yet I have no aim to build any religious buildings, so I think not.

This turn had 2 main themes to it.  One was filling in some of the city areas that I have nearby that I still need to claim:




Two settlers started this turn in the northeast, each going to the marked location.  I need hindu missionaries here badly to help get these new cities up and running and defenders to put in them -- right now I'm just banking on chumchu not wanting to attack me with galleys, and I do have galleons near enough to pick off any invasion fleet, so I'm okay skipping on those for now.




In the far southeast we have 2 spots to fill as well.  There's a settler being built in .... I have too many cities, I can't remember all their names any longer ... well, in a city that's just outside of the screen to the northwest, with a galleon waiting for the settler to jump on.  He's going to take the spot marked as The Sellets. And then Far Toby is going to build a settler after it's longbow to grab the spot right up on chumchu's border. That will fill out the southeast, although I found an island even farther out that I can try to grab still....

The other half of the turn was finding every city that I could have start a Swordsman build one. After Philosophy we're going Civil Service -> Nationalism (the only reason I'm not going Civil Service first is because I want to try and cram as many of these guys out as possible right now), so I figure I have about 4 more turns total for building swordsmen. Maybe 5 if my economy isn't all that.

By the way, how about all those orphaned seafood tiles to the east? I feel bad for them, never able to be hooked up.

EDIT: Maybe I should send the settler from Far Toby to pick up that gold...

[pindicator]

Turn 157

Actually, I think Mr. Cairo is in a continual Golden Age.  He's generated 7 total great people, which I find hard for him to do outside of a golden age.  Plus look at the timings and varieties of them:

• 86 - Scientist
  
• 114 - Scientist
  
• 121 - Merchant
  
• 123 - Scientist
  
• 126 - Artist
  
• 132 - Merchant
  
• 146 - Priest
  

If you go back and look at the turn 152 graph I posted of MFG:




It looks liek a pretty clear indicator of 3 golden ages, between 2 noticeable dips.  Keeping in mind that he also built the Taj, then I think he is likely winding down towards the end of his 4th Golden Age.  Another indicator is that he made another civic change last turn, swapping into Pacifism, and I can't see any reason why you would do that if you were not in a GA.  Plus no dip in mfg shown for that turn.  So who knows, maybe we can still take him down later on.  A large map gives lots of room and time for comebacks.

OT4E is still not out of it.  And honestly, I don't think we are either.  Although our odds are considerably slimmer.  But after recounting tech, and finishing Philosophy last turn, we are indeed ahead of OT4E and #2 in the beaker count.  Though our demographics still lag behind, so I don't think the lead will last long.  Also, OT4E has been saving up gold for a run at Divine Right and possibly other techs - he's turned on his tech rate and will finish DR in 2 turns.

As for us, it appears that we are going to be able to 1-turn Civil Service next turn:




Putting us on full tax nets 355g, so this will be the last turn of swords.  Perhaps I shouldn't be in a hurry to finish it though?

Here's our current sword count:



And our city list:




So we will have 15 swords to use for the rest of the game.  They'll come in very handy for the upcoming naval invasion.  I'm still not sure if my main invasion force is going to be knights or if I'll have time to get over to Gunpowder before I want to attack.

[pindicator]

Turn 161

Settled my 32nd city, finally claiming gold. It's only 29 tiles away from my capital.




And back in my core, Notre Dame is likely going to be mine.




Mr. Cairo just got Gunpowder and is just a tech away from Rifling. He's probably building wealth but nobody is challenging him. This map is too big.

We're 6 turns away from Nationalism.

[Commodore]

This map makes my stomach hurt.

[greenline]

Hindsight is 0/0

[pindicator]

Turn 163

I somehow accidentally put my EP at 20% last turn. So chumchu and I were racing EPs but now I can see that he's a turn away from finishing Constitution.

Kim Jong Nicolae and I are having a race and I'm about to lose.




So I decided to take a page from the mackoti playbook and use a show of force. And yes, I will declare, because I have EP vision on half his cities and know he has nothing in the area. While I have 4 galleons loaded full of swords for mischief and fun.

OT4E is about to finish Nationalism. Pretty sure he's going to come at me with drafted janissaries. I'd rather he went after someone else, like Mr. Cairo, but I've been finding spies in my lands. And he's moving his stuff away from his coastal cities. I decided to bait him a little and move my empty galleons in our inner sea towards his cities. Want to see how he'll react.

Nationalism in 3 turns, with some Wealth Builds. After that I think I need to head for Grenadiers.

[pindicator]

Meh, didn't attack. Maybe I'm losing my heart for this game, but attacking for a shitty border city against a player that is hopelessly behind when I'm not ready to really get bogged down in a war doesn't seem smart. I put the settler on a boat and sent it south.

[pindicator]

Ah shit




I was going to play the turn tonight and half asleep but not now.