[Spoilers] Alhambram Comes Back for Moor, playing as Arabic-Moorish Civilization

[Alhambram]

Especially with his warrior wandering around, keep an eye on his military score. I'd rather build too much military now and worry about how to catch up later, than build too little and just die now and not play later at all.

I agree, I shall see if I can build couple warrior/slingers if I finishes builders (I shall put in Agoge too alongside Ilkum in next policy swap). Japper's domination score didn't change, still 60 compared with my 50, but I shall check every turn. Jester's domination did rise over 90, another military unit? I am also paying attention at his domination score since he is my neighbor.

Turn 35:
   
A quiet turn, one of my warriors finished healing and go to west to find Japper's cities. I didn't mention my slinger at east for long time, he is still fleeing barb warrior, I try to bait that barb warrior into Carthage warrior or CFCJesterfool so I can get rid of it. Currently my slinger is running in eastern direction since it is safe direction for my slinger and I might scout south soon alongside eastern area of CFCJesterfool's lands.

I shall buy monument next turn, Japper's 9,9 per turn is worrying, especially due the fact that I am second at culture ranking with 4,4 per turn and 3 completed civics. I shall get 6.4 per turn next turn with purchased monument. (CFCJesterfool has 2.8 per turn)
   
And you probably notice I am last at tech, that is because I am researching expensive tech Bronze Working and my low population grants low science per turn. But that shall change soon with completed campus.

[rho21]

Agreed that it's a big priority to find Japper's homelands ASAP.

I forget, does the UI tell you whether Japper has met Vilnius yet? If not, his warrior must have come from the southwest originally rather than the west. We need to scout both ways soon anyway.

[Alhambram]

Turn 36:

Purchased monument in Cordoba, though tile picker did choose stone tile, so I likely need to buy 4 food tile.
   
That is why I did accept proposal that Japper sent me this turn:
   
I got 25 gold and so I can purchase 4 food tile after 2 turns, the price is that he got one extra diplomatic view upon me. So he can gain bit more information from me if he constantly check my movements.

rho21, about it, it seems that UI regarding meeting city states is bugged. All of city states indicates that they met with all players that I met. I don't think and am fairly sure that they didn't meet Zanzibar yet.
   
Therefore more trusted way to check is whether they did invest envoy's in city states, for example Carthage:
   
Both CFCJesterfool and me did invest envoy in Carthage and I am really having hard time to believe that Japper did meet Carthage already as UI do suggest.

And finally to answer your question whether Japper has met with Vilnius, I don't know. But I think that he did, from either west or southwest it is hard to miss if you check settler map constantly.

[Alhambram]

Turn 37:

Next turn campus shall be completed and I shall able to purchase 4 food tile at Cordoba.
   
Japper offered me declaration of friendship and I did accept. I didn't see any reason to not accept, moreover it is now useful countdown to possible Roman rush.
Friendship shall wear off at turn 68, so I might need to be prepared before that turn. Also I am keeping eye his domination score closely, his score did raise from 60 to 70 past turn.
Also there is one more reason to accept: my other neighbor CFCJesterfool made his move past turn.

I did check diplomatic screen of CFCJesterfool and freaked out a bit to see that he already advanced to classical age. Assuming his relative high science he did research one of those three tech: currency, horseback riding or iron working. I suspect horseback riding, CFCJesterfool did got a horse resource. But he need a encampment to able build them with one resource and my watchful eye notes that CFCJesterfool's empire score did increase with 3 indicating that he finished a district. A little check upon Great People screen reveals this:
   
Yes, CFCJesterfool finished a encampment and moreover when I was checking other players a little surprise:
   
Krill used his Greece's free wildcard to put Strategos (2 Great General Points per turn) in use already. So we have a race for Great General between Krill and CFCJesterfool.

My current plan is to produce 2 builders first and then warriors and slingers. Seeing diplomatic development this turn and possible barb horses east of Granada, I consider to build some spears for defense instead warriors.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Interesting. A lot of our game is going to depend on Jester's moves over the next thirty turns. He's clearly gearing up to attack someone (maybe he wants to show he's not to be trifled with, after PBEM4), and if he comes after us we'll need to divert lots of production to military. BUT, if he goes for his other neighbor, that opens up pink dotting possibilities, and the potential to grab a bunch of land for ourselves. Best case, his war becomes a bloody stalemate. Even in the worst case, if he eats the entire other neighbor, that will make him a big target for everyone else and you can probably secure some allies to contain him (although that will be no sure thing without diplomacy).

[Alhambram]

Turn 38:

Completed campus and I start generating Great Scientist Points. Bad news:
   
I saw increase of 3 points at Japper's score indicating that he completed a district and it was a campus... 
So we have a race upon our hands and Japper got one turn advantage. So I am starting a project in Granada, however next turn I shall swap it away for a while in favor of builders and military units.
I shall see how Japper shall respond.

Also Pindicator did complete another holy site bringing his Great Prophet Points per turn to 5, he shall get religion at turn 46. So I might hurry up with Astrology a bit to make use of Arabia's power in case that someone is building Stonehenge already. At this moment I don't get any signals of someone building stonehenge, Krill and CFCJesterfool seem to chosen warpath and Japper build up similar as me. Krill is currently only one without districts. 

   
Next turn State Workforce complete and I shall research Mysticism a bit and when Early Empire is complete (next turn Cordoba shall reach size 2 and 3 quickly with purchased 4 food tile), I shall research Political Philosophy. After Political Philosophy I shall hurry with Mysticism since it have Inspiration policy card which gives me 2 extra GSP per turn. Without doubt Japper is planning same and he is in better position since he got much higher culture. So I might wait with finishing project till Japper almost got Hypatia then I can steal it away. Also optional is build library anyways for one GSP per turn extra and I can use Hypatia at second campus.

After 2 turns Bronze Working complete (or maybe next turn if increased science per turn from project helps me), if there is iron nearby then I shall research wheel till half for much needed watermill at Granada. Otherwise start Astrology and after that Archery (by that time I should produce couple slingers already).

[Alhambram]

Turn 39:

Finished State Workforce, policy swap to Ilkum and Agoge. And as hoped campus project forces Bronze Working to be finished this turn, nice!
And it reveals iron next Cordoba! 
   
There is other source at west, probably in contested area between me and Japper, also one next Carthage. 

Well then my slinger ventured further in east and....contact!
   
So Krill is CFCJesterfool's neighbor. Japper's diplomatic screen still indicates that he met unknown neighbor, so that means that Pindicator is Japper's neighbor.

I swapped to builders in both cities, I still want grow Cordoba to size 3, so low production over there for now.
   
As planned I shall research wheel till it is over 50%, then research Astrology which shall take merely 6 turns now with campus. I am going finish Mysticism and put envoy in Zanzibar so finishing future holy site shall make me its suzerain. And I shall finish Military tradition till one left and after that Early Empire is likely finished and I shall research Political Philosophy then. I can use one turn left Military tradition for policy swap at good moment.

For Chevalier and rho, a list to see where everyone are relative

Scores:
Japper: 44 points
Pindicator: 38 points
me: 35 points
Krill: 35 points
CFCJesterfool: 34 points

Science:
Japper 9 6 tech
me 9,5 (inflated by campus project, normal 8 ) 5 tech
CFCJesterfool: 9,2 (met a science city state) 5 tech (one classical tech)
Krill 7,1 5 tech
Pinidcator: ?

Culture:
Japper 10,2 6 civic
me 6.8 4 civic
CFCJesterfool 5.3 2 civic
Pinidcator: ?
Krill 4.3 4 civic

Domination:
CFCJesterfool: 91
Pindicator: ?
Japper: 70
Krill: 64
me: 50

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Krill being Jester's neighbor is great news - Jester can't take his military and throw it at us without leaving his back open to Gorgo, and the two are getting locked into a race for the early GG/military builds. With Japper's DOF on the other side, that makes our current situation feel a lot more secure. I also like the demographics - we're still reasonably competitive, despite the slow-ish growth at first.

After this round of builders, do you think a small military is in order before pushing for the pink dot?

[Alhambram]

Turn 40:

A quiet turn, nothing special happened this turn, just more scouting and no real change at other player's score's.
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 41 and turn 42 came when I was about to start write about turn 41:

At turn 41 a barb camp spawned east of Vilnius and barb scout took a peek of Cordoba, I did plan to send my warrior to Granada, now he is returning to Cordoba.
   
Also east of Granada a wounded slinger of Zanzibar appeared which indicates that Zanzibar is getting hit by that barb camp with potential barb horseman. I plan to build couple military units in Granada after builder.
   
And wandering slinger nearby China found Hattusa city state (they request me to train a Archer, simple just upgrade a slinger if I completed Archery), it provides me with little dilemma. 
   

I completed Mysticism and got a envoy. My original plan was to put it in Zanzibar and become suzerain if I completed holy site. But now with Hattusa I can send it for extra science.
But after 2 turns I shall complete Early Empire and start right away with Political Philosophy. With Political Philosophy completed (completed around turn 50) I can put in Diplomatic League policy card to send 2 envoy for 1 to Hattusa and combined with finishing request I can become suzerain of Hattusa, more importantly all of my campuses shall get 2 science extra.
So shall I save up my envoy now or use it right away for 2 science now which mean no 2 for 1 envoy and no extra science from campus? Or stick with original plan to put it in Zanzibar?
My feelings say to save my envoy for 4 science boost after turn 50 instead a 2 science boost next turn. Being suzerain of Hattusa I get free copy of iron and horse if I don't have hooked up them yet.
Weakness is that CFCJesterfool or Krill might invade Hattusa to make my work for nothing, Hattusa is too far for me to protect it. Also at least one of them shall get Great General soon.
Chevalier and rho, please think about it and point out if I did overlook something?