RB PBEM #1 - Gandhi [spoilers]

[Ruff_Hi]

email from mh

Ruff.Hi wrote:

mh - not much really. Best to start early.

What I am really hoping for is to try and see how the 5 of us will match up and to see how (if) any pairings will come about. I know that sooooo is a strong player so I don't want to make him stronger - also, I have a feeling that he is close to me. I know that you will have lots of insight into the game and the opponents. Dreylin is in the middle which is either very good or very bad ... depending on how the game goes. I have no idea about Athlete but it seems that he is close to you.


Yes, seems to be correct.
However, I want to have a much better picture of the world first. Especially those dead end canyons, Sullla created can have a big impact on the strategic situation.



So ...

I am hoping that we can build a tech conglomerate, freely trading tech and tech intentions between us. I don't think a 3rd party would suit either of us (Athlete might be too close to you, sooooo might be too close to me, Dreylin in the middle might run away with the game).


Certainly a good idea.
What we have to keep in mind, as being in a similar situation location-wise, is that if Dreylin teams up with either soooo or athelete they will share a border making military cooperation much more efficient, whereas I am not sure there is a quick way for both of us to come to each others aid. As I said, I need a better picture of the map. I got some bad luck with having one of my scouting units being killed by a hut-warrior.



BTW: I will sign a Mutual Friendship Pact with you. What do you want in it?


Phew, if you want to dradt something formal, feel free. Otherwise, I just consider the on-going communication as a MFP.

btw. congrats on landing two wonder already. Popped Masonry by any chance???

mh

and my reply ...

mh,

That all seems fair enough ... and, no, I am not about to draft a MFP ... how about I just send you a smilie and that will do? You comments re military support are noted, and - YES - it would be difficult if not impossible for us to come to each others aid, unless it was Dreylin causing the mischief. I also note your comments regarding 'getting a better grasp on the map' and I would suggest that you start scouting with stronger units than scouts and warriors. I will be doing that over the next few turns.

I think the map is very craftily designed with only a select few military passes. Any war will be difficult to execute.

On the tech front, I am starting writing next turn and thinking at a run for alphabet. What are your immediate and short term tech goals (if you don't mind sharing)?

Masonry pop? No, all I seem to get from huts is maps.

Ruff

[Fenton Denton Smith]

Not sure what I would do with the prophet... Save him for a golden age later on? Save him for Theology later on... Sacrifice him to the RNG god for a spy next time!

[Ruff_Hi]

Here is the list of techs I can lightbulb (with their beaker costs). Med, Poly and Mono add up to 263. Alphabet is 265. Hmm - maybe there is a trade possibility that I can set up here. But that is at least 20 turns away and my next GP comes in 17 turns (50/50 Spy / Prophet). I am pretty sure that I will settle this GP for the +2H, +5G.

Great Prophet
Meditation - 70
Polytheism - 88
Priesthood - 52
Monotheism - 105
Theology - 442
Divine Right
Mysticism
Masonry
Code of Laws - 309
Civil Service - 707
Monarchy
Literature
Music
Writing
Philosophy
...

[Ruff_Hi]

mh and I are discussing tech trade options.

I also sent the following to sooooo and I will also send Dreylin a copy. Is this double dealing with mh already? No, I don't think so - just trying to get a feel for the lay of the land.

Sooooo,

Greetings. I think that all parties have met, or a close to meeting each other. I wanted to discuss how you see our two nations developing. From the parts of the map I can see, we will share a border, but, it appears that the majority of that border will not cause tensions (formed by mountain ranges and lakes from what I can see).

I would also like to discuss the possibility of tech trades - are you interested in setting up a long term partnership, short term goals or opportunistic trades as and when techs become available?

Regards,

Ruff

[Ruff_Hi]

email back from sooooo

Ah, the first "alliance" email arrives . I was wondering how long it would take.

I've decided in this game to try to be as honest as possible in my communications. From our starting positions I don't consider us to be natural partners in a long-term alliance. That in no way means that I'm studied on killing you or anything like that or that we cannot work together. Of your options, probably short-term deals is most appropriate. For example, I'm planning on starting research on alphabet in the near future. Do you think you have anything you could give me for that? Or even if you delay researching writing I could trade that to you for some religious techs or fishing/sailing. If you do want to do that, let me know and I'll get you an eta for when I'll get alphabet.

and my reply ...

Sooooo,

I am also in some discussions regarding techs with others and we are tossing around the possibility of alphabet. This is a NO TECH TRADING game, so if I pick up alphabet from you, then I cannot trade it to others. As such, I will need to try and co-ordinate this a little bit.

That said, trading with you for alphabet does appeal to me. I don't have any of the religious techs (excluding myst) so that isn't going to fly. I'll take a look at things and see if I can work something out. I am teching writing now (3) so we have some time to work something out before alphabet becomes an option for me.

[Ruff_Hi]

I also emailed this to mh ... and included a copy of my email to sooooo / dreylin from post #94

mh,

I want to keep you in the loop on most things, so ... I emailed Sooooo and Dreylin (I haven't met Athlete yet) with the attached message (below in green) - they got exactly the same email.

Sooooo said that he doesn't see him and me as 'natural partners' but he was willing to discuss short term tech goals. He is talking about researching alphabet and seeing what I have for offer. I replied that I was talking to 'others' (did not mention who) about this and implied that we might need a three way tech deal in place. I said I would take a look at the numbers to see what can be arranged.

My thinking is that we pick up alphabet from sooooo, with each of us supplying techs of equal value and the we also swap those techs. As I said to sooooo, I'll see if I can work something out that is about equal.

Are you interested in participating in this 3-way deal if we can work it out? If so, the techs you know would be valuable information in working out what would be fair.

Ruff

[Sullla]

Muhammed Shah is a Great Prophet in this game? Heh, I never knew that. 18th century Indian history is all around us, it seems.

Ruff, isn't your best option merging the Prophet into your capital as a super-specialist? Getting the bonus shields and commerce this early in the game is a major advantage - almost certainly more than holding him for dozens of turns to pop a religion, IMO.

[Fenton Denton Smith]

Ruff, isn't your best option merging the Prophet into your capital as a super-specialist? Getting the bonus shields and commerce this early in the game is a major advantage - almost certainly more than holding him for dozens of turns to pop a religion, IMO.

Only problem merging in capital is further dilution of the Great Spy pool - it will only be 33% instead of 50% if merged here - another option would be to merge in 2nd city - the 2h would be useful for troops...

[T-hawk]

sigh - any suggestions? I am miles away from a religion.

Golden Age!

Settling him seems like a fine option. 5 gold per turn (worth 6+ beakers thanks to the skew effect once you get a library) will add up to the value of a lightbulb in less than 100 turns. And the hammers are just gravy, equivalent to two free grass forest laborers.

edit: crossposted with Sullla and Fenton Fenton, settled Great Specialists do not create further Great Person Points, so it does not tip the GP scale back towards another Prophet.

[Ruff_Hi]

yeah - 6 turns of GA is not one of the options that I will be using.

Been some emails flying around this morning - mh and I traded our known tech list. mh is also interested in a 3-way tech deal with sooooo (but he has yet to met him).

I looked at the techs and look at this ...

Alphabet - 265
Mathematics - 221
Aesth - 265
Monarchy - 265
HBR - 221

That is 5 techs of almost equal value and there are 5 people in the game. I wonder if we can organize a 5-way tech deal. I might just post that in the 'open' thread.