[SPOILERS] PB7: Winning The Hard Way - Mao Plays Craps

[Krill]

You're EXP?



Probably deserved.

Sorry novice

[spacetyrantxenu]

You're EXP?

I've already laid out my poorly reasoned excuse. Please stop hitting me! (actually, no, it feels good, please continue. Is that weird?)

Also,

To have a good leader trait and not use it, that is surely the way to the most glorious victory. Or a more certain defeat. Look, I can't double up on protective so I had to do something!

[spacetyrantxenu]

T7 - Nothing to see here, please move along. Warrior north toward the hut, scout moved onto the gold. Will post map next time, I'm sure we'll get another turn in on Sunday.

[spacetyrantxenu]

T8 - My scout in the south found Plako's borders, so heads up, a dangerous opponent is nearby.

I have 15 forest tiles in my capital's BFC and Plako seems to have a lot, too. I could only see 8 flying around but I think he has several more than that.

I know the map isn't balanced (or isn't supposed to be), so our IND civs may or may not have similar forested starts. If they do we should see some wonders chopped out early, or maybe some rushes with chopped armies. (Except that everyone knows "early war stupid", so maybe not). I have to figure out what to do with my own forests, but I think it will be an unglamorous combination of settlers and military for defense that I chop out of my own forests.

Up north my warrior popped the hut and gave us a map that will help our seafarers when we have them. Otherwise...not much help for now, except that it shows us another hut to chase.

Miccosukee finished the warrior and I now really wish I could be building the worker already since I don't need a second warrior and am not going to slow build a barracks at this time of the game. Even so, I may need another military unit in the near term so I'm putting 3 turns into another warrior and will let it sit in the queue until I need it. I'll probably have to set myself a reminder to avoid having the hammers decay off before I finish it, but I've already started the ill-fated course to wait on the worker and I may as well finish waiting now that I'm 3 turns from growth.

Current demographics midturn on turn 8:

Current Map:

[spacetyrantxenu]

T9 - I posted a diplo message to Plako in the dogpilers thread, hope he enjoys it. Based on a true story for anyone who missed WarlordDr's inspiring performance in PB4.

Scouting moves and I'm still waiting for the capital to grow, that's the action from this turn. One thing I noticed after meeting Plako is that he is one of the two people with a size 2 capital already, so he has an unimproved tile producing 3 food already since he can't have already built a worker and improved anything yet (that would require 12 hammer yields at size 1 to allow enough time to build a worker at size 1 and get it on a tile to improve it, allowing 4 turns for an improvement. That would seem a tall task for now). Anyway, I can probably guess it's FP, corn, or similar in his BFC, lucky break for him. I wish I could use the ivory I lucked into for something useful...hey, if I rename my team to Khmer Empire can I at least build WEs?

At least Plako seems to have a lot of jungle in his land. Because of that he may prioritize IW and we may see swords out if it eventually. Long range guessing, highly valuable research there. If I was good at the black/forbiddenish arts of C&D I might be able to track what he's up to, but this is a game for fun and that stuff takes a lot of time that I really don't have. Anyway, I think Plako is #1 in MFG this turn with 5 hammers. He's working 2 GFHs + the city center tile. I guess I can infer his capital is not built on a PH, which is good to know. I'd be able to confirm next turn when my scout walks by his capital but there's a forest tile that will block a direct view of the city and I don't think I'm willing to risk having it killed this early on.

Photo dump:

[spacetyrantxenu]

T10 - minor mistake this turn, I sent the wrong warrior back toward home. I meant to have the NE one continue up the coast toward the hut my previous map found, but instead I sent him closer to the city for garrison duty. I'll probably reverse course next turn and just hope no one beats me to that hut. Of course, it will probably be barbs anyway.

In other news, my scout yet lives. We'll see if plako has any two move units or is able to legally double move me (it wouldn't be hard to do with my play schedule).

[spacetyrantxenu]

T11 - Scout and warriors moved a bit, one heading back toward the city, the other to the east toward the hut. I sighted a barb panther I think last turn but I'm not sure where it moved to out in the fog.

T12 - We've met our second opponent HitAnyKey down south by Plako's land.

Meanwhile, there's now a lion visible SW of the capital so I have a warrior headed back for garrison duty. He'll be back in town next turn, so no threat unless the RNG goes crazy on a lion attack. The northern warrior is moving east toward the hut over there, and maybe to kill the panther if it's still around. I also marked a possible city #2 site that will grab both marble and silver in the second city ring. I'd prefer to be settling toward Plako but this seems to be the strongest site immediately visible; I'd like cottages on those FP tiles ASAP. I'm also thinking about the stone/corn site SW of the capital. Maybe build on the desert to avoid a wasted tile, also would put both resources in ring one so I could use them without a border pop. That may actually be a more advisable city #2 site than the FP city until I research Mysticism for totem poles to get culture into the city and fill out the BFC.

On the tech path AH will finish in 2 turns, followed by a run to Mining/BW. I have so many forests to chop that it would be a waste to delay using them. Also I'd like to get my dog soldiers into play soon. Maybe after that Hunting/Archery or Hunting/Mysticism, depending on if I need defense or border pops. Ideally I'll build totem poles everywhere I plan to build units, along with barracks for 5 XP archery units out of the gate. Protective + 2 promotions should make me a tough nut to crack in the early game. Add on that I have stone for quicker walls in the medium term and maybe my neighbors will think I'm not worth the trouble to attack for now.

I may end up unintentionally playing like and AI Sitting Bull - slow to tech and a gob of defensive units. And eventually outteched with lots of obsolete units I hope it doesn't come to that. I just see that I've set myself up for a kinda slow start. Maybe if I can get the forests converted into workers and cities soon I can catch up a bit. (Not behind by looking at score, I just think the slow worker plan wasn't the best idea. Then again, I'm not yet eliminated! Not that I've been attacked...)

Photo dump:

I only show the top 5 cities in case this is my last turn at the top of the list. Since I don't plan to chase a lot of wonders in this game I'm sure I'll be supplanted before long.

[spacetyrantxenu]

T13 - The lion moved back off into the fog. 1 warrior is back in the city for defense, the other headed NE toward the hut. Scout is still alive in the south, will head back toward my territory in a loop, hoping to find land that I'll use myself eventually and maybe another competitor or two.

AH is almost complete but since the worker won't finish for several more turns I switched research onto Mining until the worker is one turn from finishing. No important reason, just two minor ones: First, to screw with anyone doing C&D because this game is supposed to be for fun and second to reduce the known tech discount for anyone I've met (or will soon meet) who may soon research AH. It's fairly insignificant but as I'm only generating about 11 beakers per turn I'd rather not give anyone an advantage that can be forestalled.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

Don't be scared. Animals don't enter borders.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Don't be scared. Animals don't enter borders.

Although Mao delights in the suffering of his people he didn't want to take a chance on losing the only city in his empire. Thanks for the information.

I also vaguely recall something to the effect that barbarians won't enter borders for a certain number of turns at the start of the game. Is there any truth to that, and if so, what are the parameters? Or is that in SP only?