[PB65 Mjmd] Off to Sea Once More

[Mjmd]

T71

One of the things most people don't know is that even well calked ships leaked pretty much contantly. Not so well maintened ships / ships in storms...... This is at less depressing than Lowlands in PB63...... (I mean what isn't)




Anyways, Its an important city both against Cornfalkes as well as a linchpin of the entire area. That specific location get some key vision tiles. Mountain to the east and 3rd ring I can see all of Pins tiles. Also just a fantastic city. Originally settler was maybe going to go NE, but I realized that spot was 'safe' and this city is more important by far. 



You can see just letting some cities grow a bit, 1 happy, 1 more cottage, and my gpt is already higher than when last city was founded. Betting get back to work pumping out my economy or it will be down to Davy Jones.

[Mjmd]

T75

I always do a T75 overview. So how do I recover my economy with 1 happy while also continuing to expand? I'm joining the Masonry crowd!!! The only reason I can finish it this turn was that a 2nd person researched it (also I'm working some janky tiles because I did 2 whips this turn). I have no doubt one of the two is Cornflakes trying to get mids. Who is the other? One person has had for a while. I was the first to sailing, but that was SOOOO long ago I have no doubt someone could have built a lighthouse by now. I do have a max whip overflow barracks UB. I believe* it will be 7 turns mainly because my worker movements were predicated on not finishing masonry until 1 turn later, but its possible will be 6 turns. If nothing else chopping out some fail gold may be more beneficial in the short term. 



I've often noted the number of cities you want to be at on T75. We are kind of low this game, but most people are at minimum 6 I've noted prior. SD and Bing JUST got though, so clearly they are low. Pin I know has a settler (saw last turn in Suschi Co). Cornflakes is clearly leading this game just based on GNP although some of that is culture, but still I'm hoping someone else gets mids. 

I am growing capital to produce another settler and have some long term plans for more as well. I've vastly increased worker force, have 1 more planned, but after that probably only settlers for a second. BTW something I didn't mention in moving James Craig to the south is it MAY* open up another city on the coast. Even if I don't settle now I may still leave open spot up there for I have no doubt eventually Bing will be divvied up.

[Mjmd]

T79

I really really hope this isn't a fake war. I have emergency units in queue every where, but that power bar is pretty nuts. I could have done some efficient whips but I really don't want to. SaC logged in not during his turn though literally as I was debating and I went from being 85% certain to about 99% certain. I think its the right play anyways though not to panic here. If its a fake war I lose 1 city, if its not I probably get to settle 2-3 soon.



Cornflakes did build mids. Not in border city luckily. Maybe that early war was good for something (ie getting rid of a couple of forests).

BTW SaC GNP graph is pathetic. Like  truly bottom of the chart. I'm extra glad I settled a fairly safe Pin border and honesty with how strong Cornflakes is looking I can't imagine Pin invading me.  Bing looks to be settling that cow in the west, so that aggressive spot is probably off the table. Which will leave me with basically one neighbor and crippled SaC (its ancient era warfare; I'm not sure even Cornfalkes can elim someone with 8 cities no cats).

[Mjmd]

T81

Cornflakes made peace with SaC. SaC lost a city and Cornflakes gained one, but it wasn't Bombay. So, I have to assume SaC settled another city near him?

Anyways, just in case I whipped two cities I was hoping not to for units this turn and worked some awkward tiles to both grow capital to 6, but also finish the axe there. I'm not sure where Cornflakes army is, but as they say a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, although it does hurt.

Units may be needed anyways. Bing has an axe and chariot advancing past the where I would put a cow city if i was him and he may be headed NW of James Craig. Its the only spot that makes a lot of sense. I don't see any roads or settler mind you, so maybe he has some kind of war pact with Cornflakes? Shall see.

[Mjmd]

T84

Got GLH with exact hammers mind!

 

So things are happening, but first if I ever build Moai it will be here. Whichever spot I had selected built wants to work the fish, but problem is if it was the spot 3W then this city just gets the whale, where as this way the other city gets a clam, IE an actual food source. This is also closer and doesn't require protecting which is becoming important.



So Pin sent both of us war with Cornflakes, whos GNP is just crazy. This has a couple of problems. 1) I don't have a good invasion path for slow movers. 2) I don't have happiness to whip much. STUPID JUNGLED GEM!!!!! Seriously I might be straight winning (or at least tied) if it wasn't for that single jungle. 3) Related to #2, but money is still tight. 4) I have expansion spots without going to war. I have 4 more cities that I can settle safely and that is without settling a 5th over by Bing.....

Speaking of Bing... .   There were two obvious spots for the cow spot for him. I hadn't planned on bothering him except to vulture a bit when Pin declared on (nothing personal just has been behind a bit entire game so seemed like easiest area to expand). However Bing is expanding to a spot I have to respond to if I want my armies over by Cornflakes and don't want to keep a defensive stack on that border (which I don't). He also doesn't have workers roading and has been moving units where I can see them (scout was seeing). Now its possible I shouldn't have moved my scout in there this turn as I already knew what units were there. But I just couldn't quite believe it.... Now maybe* there is a galley with reinforcements coming, but there had better be. I plan on razing and just settling the other spot up there although. Not sure if that settler is coming from capital or Come Roll Me Over or when necessarily.

[Mjmd]

T68

Basically there was the obvious spot I had marked forever ago. But the more I looked at it, the more I hated settling a filler down by Pin. Not least because there wasn't anything stopping him from settling said filler.

Anyways, I still want a great border with him as it is likely to be very long, so trying to get 3rd ring border safety net across most of it.

I'm having PB62 flashbacks where I try to settle a city only for people to completely ignore what I'm trying to do with the border.....  

I figured there was no way anyone in their right mind would settle a city that doesn't get its own first ring borders RIGHT?!?!



Now Pin sent fish for fish which I accepted as I wanted a deterrent to Cornflakes invading while I'm on the other side (although I have mainly units in queue everywhere ugh, think I'm doing walls next). I of course hadn't seen this antagonizing plan of his for what a dry sheep and a single river tile? I mean I guess he can share/steal his own pig as well.... But ya this is a ballsy plant for very little gain. I was specifically trying to avoid this situation. Sure my solution wasted a few tiles, but it gaves both of us an extremely safe border. James Craig didn't have a unit in it until Bing started moving that way.

Anyways I demanded sheep from Pin. Hopefully he gets the message. I mean I'll still have vision into it and at any point can invade it on short notice; its a stupid city for practically no gain. I'm probably still just popping Bings city next turn and will leave it alone as I do kind of need Pin. But if Pin sends back antagonistic enough diplo......

BTW the cottage > rd sign was from prior to this whole thing. Now I may be stuck wondering if I can cottage or even should the 1 river tile that city has.

[Miguelito]

T84

Got GLH with exact hammers mind!

Nice, but... why? As in, why get it?

[Mjmd]

Its a way to turn hammers into gold. It allows me to keep expanding without being negative. Have you seen my gpt? Edit: if I have time I might add up how much my UB is saving me, but you can see my next turn +6gpt is the amount from the GLH.

I guess the only nice thing if Pin does settle is it gives me leave to eventually settle a little filler city in the south (post currency). I mean its not as bad as PB62; I'm just being dramatic. Pin doesn't get a vision advantage vs me. If he settles I'll probably just ask for open borders and try to be peaceful like.

[Mjmd]

T87

Decisions are getting harder.

I did what I said I would do and declared war vs Bing. The only diplo Pin sent back was war with Bing, so not close to antagonistic enough..... BTW I may look light in the south, but I can have 2 axes, 3 impi and either another axe or walls there in time if I need to. And I'm hoping either A) his main army is near his captured SaC cities or B) He didn't notice the culture flip was going to happen. Now I noted his UB library when it was built so I would pay attention. Then I didn't



Let me be clear this is only one reason I'm going to let that city exist:



BTW only third in GNP due to culture. But ya GLH is literally all my positive gpt. Not sure exactly how it rounds, but my UB is saving me 4.5 gpt. Have I mentioned I have 3 more settlers in the works? Two will be coastal.

[Ginger()]

The spot you want to settle on the coast near SAC, have you considered splitting it into 2 cities because GLH? or is the extra infra for another city too high a cost without other city-multiplying wonders or civics?