[SPOILERS] Four Score & Seven Dynasties Ago: Pindicator plays Lincoln of China

[pindicator]

I'm increasingly upset at myself for backing down from HG. I didn't tell you guys earlier, but the turn after I originally backed down I almost switched course and went after it again: would have had a t85 HG with the settler that settled Bob-Omb settling on the stone. But I talked myself out of it again for some damn reason.

That settler in Goomba is going to settle on the stone. I'm going to grab all 4 of my eastern workers in order to be able to road to the city site in time. 3 of my western workers are going to Goomba to line up chops. We'll get the aquaduct to 39/100 and 3-pop whip it on T88. Hanging Gardens on T89. Maybe I'll lose because of delaying, but dammit, just sitting back and waiting for someone else to build it is so much worse than losing a race, I just feel physically sick that I gave in to such cowardice. I can't just let it go out as a whimper like that.

[waterbat]

no worries, Pindi, judging by the diplo thread, noone reacted to the Ichabod post. Of course, someone still trying to beat them to it would be coy about it.

[pindicator]

no worries, Pindi, judging by the diplo thread, noone reacted to the Ichabod post. Of course, someone still trying to beat them to it would be coy about it.

Well, keep in mind I didn't exactly post in response to their initial declaration either. I just panicked and shot myself in the foot Maybe other people did too? Maybe other people are sinking too many hammers into hot wars to think about it? But I know I'm not the only isolated person, and I also know I have a below-average GNP. So it's up in the air.

But whether I get it or not is not the issue I have. The issue I have is that I let something like that panic me and scare me off my plans. Oh well, lesson learned: don't trust the diplo thread. And I'm going to go for it out of principle at this point. If I get it then it's gravy; if I don't then at least I made amends for backsliding and I can move on from there.

[Ceiliazul]

But whether I get it or not is not the issue I have. The issue I have is that I let something like that panic me and scare me off my plans. Oh well, lesson learned: don't trust the diplo thread. And I'm going to go for it out of principle at this point. If I get it then it's gravy; if I don't then at least I made amends for backsliding and I can move on from there.

[pindicator]

Turn 085

Here could be another reason why sunrise isn't quick to throw me under the bus:



He's not far behind when it comes to top food

Also, I found out that he was not lying when he said he wasn't #1 in GNP. With the upgraded graph this turn, look who passed them by:



I'm pretty sure Moogle turned his scientist into an academy and that's what we're seeing with his spike. So all the people yelling at each other about who's winning are ignoring the food leader, the production leader, and the GNP leader

I spent a good 2 hours with the save when I got home from work, to make sure I had figured things out correctly. A lot of what I posted earlier was figured off of memory, and it turns out a few details were off.

First off, I had some build completions off: the settler and my 9th worker finished the end of last turn. So I worked at it a bit to see if I could either get the wonder built a turn earlier, or if I could settle the stone city 1W of the stone, in the better defensive position. I couldn't immediately find a way to do either, but because of the extra turn I only need to bring 2 workers east instead of 4. So I don't have to stop developing tiles altogether



Green squares are the trees I'm going to chop; two of them already have workers on them. I've circled the 3rd worker in green and he started moving west right away. Purple & red are the two workers who will be moving east to help road to our stone city. The red square will get roaded on T88; the purple square on T89, and the settler will settle on T89.

The extra turn of production in Goomba means I'm going to build an aquaduct for 2 turns, an then 1-turn a scout to get a little more overflow into HG. The net result looks a bit like this:



So on that last turn we are getting chops, overflow, and base production of 90 + 45 + 15 = 150. Multiply x2 for stone and it's a 1-turn Hanging Gardens.

Need to keep an eye on that barb axe. Most likely my chariot needs to take it out next turn. Also not pictured, there is a barb warrior 2N of where the chariot is in the screenshot. I'm trying to figure out how to get additional military over here to help out. But as you can see, there isn't much to choose from:

[pindicator]

Turn 086

Most of my fighting continues to be with barbarians; another axe came out of the fog, but I think I can still handle things. The S and Ws mark where the Settler and roading Workers ended turn.



The chariot took out the barb axe to its south and found another warrior SE of where the axe stood. We retreated the chariot back to its original location. My axe on the road is going to heal up a bit and hold the road, ideally taking out the warrior. My northern axe took out the barb warrior up there, no trouble, and he'll double back towards the undefended spiny.

I whipped a barracks in the unhappy Hammer Bros this turn. Overflow is going to go into a chariot. Barracks aren't exactly the most necessary thing right now -- barbarians get you xp easy enough at this point -- but it makes too many hammers each turn to get a productive 2-pop whip on an axe and its unhappy. I'll have the overflow 1-turn a chariot next turn, and the chariot will be able to intercept that southern axe before the southern barb axe can.

Demos: I'm no longer #1 in production. I have a sinking suspicion that Moogle is the one who took that over; his production last turn shot up. No longer tops in demo population either.

[pindicator]

Turn 087

2 turns to go. Part of me is hoping someone else builds HG before then just so I can have the lesson sink in more. Just a small part, don't worry; I'd rather have the wonder. Or the fail gold if it comes down to a coin flp. 300g would power me to Currency easy.



Military support out east is getting tricky. I'm betting the barbarian axe heads towards my vulnerable city of Spiny. But if it doesn't then things get tricky. I should have looked ahead to this possibility before and set up a chariot to be whipped this turn in Spiny, but I didn't really plan out the military escort portion of this micro plan.

The barb warrior should suicide against my shock axe (4.4/5). That will bring my unit up to 8/8 xp and give it another promotion. If it goes W instead then I don't think it'll be a big deal.

But if the warrior goes north and the axe goes NE... In that scenario the chariot finishing in Hammer Bros does not ride to the rescue in time. So I think I need to play defensively: the chariot covering my lead worker needs to scout ahead to make sure there aren't barbs approaching from that direction. So that leaves my shock axe to move NE and cover the worker as it finishes it's road. But I dont' think the barbarian AI will be this smart so we should have a 8/8xp axe to promote next turn.

You can also see that I'm building my scout in Goomba. Next turn we 3-pop whip the aquaduct. So if someone is going to beat me to HG I prefer they do it this turn

Sunrise settled his 7th city, so I'm no longer alone in that club. If I'm right he's #2 in food, just 3 behind me in crop yield. And with his GNP being double mine I would gladly swap stats with him in a heartbeat. I just hope Serdoa and those Romans can all work together to mutual set each other back. Like Commodore is doing with mackseven with another one of his prolonged ancient era wars.

[pindicator]

I'm not posting this in the diplo thread because I want to stay on sunrise's good side, but...

Rome, China, and Mali are all not number 1 or 2, nor am I. Since we seem to agree Lewwyn's GNP is high due to culture there's probably one "hidden civ."

I think someone just admitted to being #3 in GNP this turn. He didn't mention England because he doesn't have contact with Moogle (last a checked, which was 2 or 3 turns ago).

Re: the peacefest, there's been combat between Rome and I, and no one has signed NAPs. That said, some of us are unattractive to attack for unit reasons, and others are just trying to actually build units to deter aggression

In other words, Mali, Rome, and Egypt all have their UUs in play, while China is just trying to actually build units to deter aggression.

I think it's time to get Archery. My border city needs a garrison of 2 spear, 1 archer, 1 axe before I feel safe that way. Probably can't have too many spears.

[pindicator]

[pindicator]

And if that wasn't enough, I guess I missed a barb axe last turn



Then there's yet another new guy this turn



I think I am going to need to do some whipping next turn.