[Spoilers] Commodore bakes a double entenada.

[Commodore]

Owlcat is a meme from somewhere lost to the sands of time.

I'm a giving man. TBS need not worry about me fighting him on his island...I'm going to be settling this little slip of a thing twice instead. I hope for seafood/whales to the west, but each city will be able to grow on a clam at least. Plus the benefits of copper to build the minimal granary/lighthouse/library. Hope plako ain't focused here, cause my newborn Praetorian Guard is all coming here. 

Astronomy beeline is life, man.

In the jungles, I'm going to try and just run a line along the river. Sugar Bunker will probably shift a touch to the east; Calendar might as well be next, it's on The Beeline so it's a fine choice. Silk, spice, and incense are all going to be within my culture so it's worthwhile. 

SO MUCH WORKER LABOR is needed. But as barbarians make crappy infrastructure, those workers will be very busy in the New World. I'm expecting to see black borders enveloping the western fish shortly...this is a big map that we're fogbusting hardcore here in Playerland. So the New World must be getting PACKED right now.

[Commodore]

Well shucky-darn.

[Krill]

Do a Whosit.

[Commodore]

Offer made.

Going to be war if he refuses and settles.

[Commodore]

Plako didn't settle. Good deal.

Cya dude!

[Commodore]

Well, we're going to see what Plako does. He's got a galley coming back, either to pick up his chariot or to reinforce it. I am hoping he lets me keep the island without trouble, but if he's in the mood to rumble I'm game. Fifth in power now, above him as the Praetorian Swarm comes online. Strength 7, they'll be good for a long time. Crop is solid so if I need to mass whip, I can mass whip.

I'd be do very well if Superdeath hadn't ganked that settler for no damn reason at all. Maybe Pindicator won't tilt in my direction when he hits chucklenaughts and inevitably does tilt; he might opt for TBS, who is clearly winning now with his solid Hanging Gardens build. If I can reach Astronomy, I should definitely burn every Superdeath port to ash.

[Commodore]

I've more or less reached the natural extent of my borders this side of Astronomy.

Any questions about the local area? Gavagai is spiking to max power rating, I suspect Bandit isn't long for this world. I haf predictions.

[Mardoc]

I haf predictions.

Anything else to predict? Any blood incoming on your borders? Any adjustments that need to be made, or that you expect your neighbors to attempt? Or are you all peacefully coexisting, by being too much trouble to eat?

If the plan is Astronomy, can you give us any details? How many turns of 'grew peacefully within my borders and teched' before you have interesting stuff to tell us about?

Any idea how much profit plako and/or Gav are getting from Bandit? Will they be able to invade you before Astro?

[Commodore]

Woof. That's a nice list of queries.

Anything else to predict?

Well, plenty, but a lot of the them in the wide world I'm sure are kind of obvious:
-Mackoti will finish eating Aretas.
-Gavagai will eat B4ndit with plako nibbling.
-TBS will eat superdeath (YAY).
-OHFINARYSHALLOW will eat WLP and OT4E too slowly to matter.

Any blood incoming on your borders?

Not only are my border bloodless, they are *extra* bloodless. Barbarians are gone, the settlements are settling into a perfect puzzle of border pieces, and everyone is smart about things.

Any adjustments that need to be made, or that you expect your neighbors to attempt? Or are you all peacefully coexisting, by being too much trouble to eat?

We're all coexisting peacefully by being mega-badasses inherently. Absent black swans, the next worry on the horizon is going to be PIndicator. He's prone to tilt, and he's going to be just as squeezed as me. He's about to land himself chucklenaughts, and I fully expect he's going to want to try to get something moving in that era. He's got then three directions to go to:
-Gavagai (plako aids him?)
-TBS (I aid him along with someone?)
-Me (plako and TBS pile on?)
The math looks pretty nice to go towards me. Not that this saves him ultimately, of course...that just winds him up nastily stretched. But he's going to default to tilt my way. So that's going to be what's up next.

If the plan is Astronomy, can you give us any details? How many turns of 'grew peacefully within my borders and teched' before you have interesting stuff to tell us about?

The plan isn't exactly ripe with details yet. Grow super tall while working on making another Great Scientist or two (academy incoming, 4t). Clear the chaff, bulb Astronomy, have half a dozen galleys ready to be upgraded the turn Astronomy lands (loaded with a worker, settler, praetorian each).

Then frantically research Code of Laws because we're going to need courthouses faaaast.

Any idea how much profit plako and/or Gav are getting from Bandit?

Not a ton yet. B4ndit has vultures and isn't an idiot, just new. Gavagai is going to keep cranking his power way up high for a while more before taking it. He wants to both take B4ndit and keep the spoils away from plako.

Will they be able to invade you before Astro?

Absolutely. I don't think they will. Plako is probably going to get on a fast Astronomy beeline as well. TBS, OHFINSHALOT, BGN are my top picks for the other beeliners. So this is going to be kind of sucky.

Plako is my bane this game, for all that he's the least aggressive neighbor.

[Commodore]

...and then I play my turn and change my tune. Plako landed the Great Lighthouse.

Now he's got a lot more attraction to this island. And his power might be answering Gavagai, but it's also once again surpassed me.