Depraved Danish Debauchery - Catwalk cooking up a storm [SPOILERS]

[scooter]

Finally read up on the takeover. This may be the first time ever that I've seen somebody build the ToA BEFORE teching Currency AND in an AW game (let alone building the crappy wonder at all). That's just amaaaaazing and hilarious.

Good luck! Will be watching with interest.

[Ceiliazul]

This may be the first time ever that I've seen somebody build the ToA BEFORE teching Currency AND in an AW game

Welcome Scooter!

Yeah, there's lots of interesting bits that I'm not sure I recorded. Like Feudalism before currency or calendar. Like workers fortified in the middle of the empire while cities work unimproved tiles. Like the capital working a lake instead of FIN cottages (dry, but still...)

On the other hand, the wonders are coming in handy on this cramped map. The wonder culture is keeping my borders pushed out and helping with security very much. I don't expect to win this game, but I'm going to give it my best shot!

[Ceiliazul]

t114

Well, it's time for my big merchant gamble. Gandalf has been working only food specials and merchants for the last two turns. I did not plan this when I swapped to Caste System, but it worked out very well:



I barely avoid starving, and will get an 85iish chance for the merchant I crave. Failure wears a long robe and a white beard, so I have decreed that every man in the kingdom be clean shaven. Note the city is running wealth. My best three cities are running wealth this turn to finish guilds on time. (The mass of merchants above helps too!)



The fledgeling cities in the south are continuing their initial infra push. Remember that I'm leaving caste system next turn. If I unlock mercantilism, a fast specialist-enabler will be needed in each city. Also highlighted is the defenses. I'm standing up more defense in each of these cities, but I have no illusion that any of them could survive if attacked. Reinforcements are in short supply. In another 5 turns, with slavery and some base pop, these cities will be much more secure!

To assist with security, 3 knights will be born in the next 2 turns. My Heroic city will pump them out at 11XP, and the other cities will do as they are able. This is my best window of attack against my main rivals, and/or my best chance to seize land from KJN. I do not consider the Mali to be a main rival. I suspect the peace I've been enjoying has been at his expense, and his demos are pretty flat. In a hopeful (for him) sign, KJN swapped into Org Religion (away from Theocracy) this turn, so maybe he expects a time of peace.



In general, I feel I'm making up ground on my opponents for now. My land has not been invaded for real, and I have much better military options than I did 10 turns ago. My economy should look half-decent too after the golden age fades. Especially if my anti-beard measures were effective...

<end turn>

Even the camel is clean shaven. Mercantilism, here we come!

[Ceiliazul]

We're talking about 7 free specialists, as good as Statue of Liberty for an AW game. (except that with SoL you presumably have representation civic to go with it!)

So, my civic swap assured and my costs fully sunk, what do lurkers think about mercantilism civic? Am I too excited about it?

[Merovech]

We're talking about 7 free specialists, as good as Statue of Liberty for an AW game. (except that with SoL you presumably have representation civic to go with it!)

So, my civic swap assured and my costs fully sunk, what do lurkers think about mercantilism civic? Am I too excited about it?

In a game with no foreign trade routes and Communism presumably a ways in the distance? Sound like you're not excited enough.

[Ceiliazul]

t115

Sound like you're not excited enough.

Hey Mero, I sure hope you're right!

This turn saw some long awaited events, but others are also powering up:



My merchant came through with the banking bulb, and many teenage jocks began regrowing their beards. But take a look at that scoreboard! AT gained almost 150 points, which must mean...



Ah, but Notre Dame was built elsewhere? It makes sense that AT would build time those wonders close together, but KJN also got a big boost... I wonder if KJN got Notre Dame? Also, what's up with Stick? He LOST 130 points this turn...did he lose a city? The graphs show a significant crop yield dip. The power graph doesn't show any huge battles... Mass whipping?

Well, we've got some new army of our own to build. Knights are queued in every major city. Two knights complete this turn, three more next turn. I'm no longer last in power!



Also, Lazarus was refounded in place:



My golden age finally ends this turn. It's been great, I've knocked out a whole line of economy techs. Next up: sailing and calendar. After that, Engineering is probably a necessity.



The part of the turn that took the most time was analyzing civics:

Hereditary Rule: The only option
Bureaucracy: Naturally
Slavery: I'm sorry to see Caste System go. While flexible GPs are great (see the recent merchant!), flexible hammers are even better. I need the security that only the whip provides.
Mercantilism: Yipee!



...and Organized Religion. Here's where I was sorely tempted to take theocracy, but I need so many multiplier buildings that I had to take the building boost. I can still build 2-promo horse units from my stable cities, and other 2-promo units from my HE city. With my boosted power rating I have to hope that's enough. In the end the choice was something like this:

~20 extra hammers per turn (up to 28 on full infra mode), or 1 extra promotion on 2-3 units per turn.

I decided I'd rather take the extra hammers, which may even translate to more boots on the ground as my buildings get done faster. I hope I don't regret the choice!

[Commodore]

We're talking about 7 free specialists, as good as Statue of Liberty for an AW game. (except that with SoL you presumably have representation civic to go with it!)

So, my civic swap assured and my costs fully sunk, what do lurkers think about mercantilism civic? Am I too excited about it?

Well, given your odd positioning, it was probably the best route. I tend to totally ignore the Guilds-Banking-Economics route, preferring Education unto Liberalism, which if you manage it right can parlay into Nationalism. Then, you're only PP-Chemistry-SciMeth away from the amazing Communism. Also, Military Science is nearby for grens. But that's just me.

[Ceiliazul]

I tend to totally ignore the Guilds-Banking-Economics route, preferring Education unto Liberalism,

Yeah, I do too. Here, though, I needed some deterrence at the very least. Feudalism is the only reason I wasn't invaded by everyone all at once, I suspect, and hopefully guilds will extend my lease on life.

As for grens... guilds is a shorter path than education for pure beakers. Sadly, gunpowder would take 7t if I went for it next, so that ain't happening.

Techs on deck:

• sail/cal 2t
  
• engineering 5t
  
• paper/edu 15t
  
• gunpowder 7t
  

All subject to change, naturally.

[Commodore]

To be fair, I've sort of forgotten Education even is hand-researchable. Bulb->Oxford, Phi guy!

[Ceiliazul]

That's Parthe-phi, actually. The only wonder Catwalk built that's actually useful! And, that's the reason education comes after engineering: give me time for my limited SCI slots to push out an Einstein.