[Mjmd #60] Why even buy toys for kids?

[Mjmd]

T95

Got peace and re-offered open borders. He gave peace to both Lazteuq and I. So really hoping he targets the obvioius target and person with currency. I'm also hoping Jowy doesn't then collapse...

I've settled 3 new cities and two of them are garbage until they pop borders. My economy is BAD. My food is bad. Jowy has currency. 

So how to get out of it. Well I have a great person due in less than 10 turns once ToA finishes.  I'm hoping merchant more now that I know exactly how bad my economy is, but prophet would be something. I kind of hope someone steals the pyramids (in 6 btw). Lack of granaries / low food can hopefully be overcome with HG. 3 people know math already (one of which is Jowy who I wouldn't expect). Last I knew only 2 people knew masonry though, so hopefully? I'm hoping for math in 6, but um it seems unlikely, but maybe if a 4th person gets math.



SO lets talk about 'Forbidden Places'. Will SD settle his own city (pretty sure hes 5th in GNP atm) or go into SD mode. I was unsure if I wanted to poke the SD, but sometimes you are just sick of the lies:



Again that's both of us attacking along the narrow long part of our empires. I mean it kind of looked like GKC was doing that and not everyone reads maps the same, but dual with SD is how I'm reading.

[Cornflakes]

Note for Thrawn. MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWAKE BEFORE PLAYING TURNS!!!!!!

SD gave me peace.

BUT I was like oh ya I was going to switch to organized while settlers are in transit........ Yes yes you were. You were going to research it first though........   I switched into religion this turn, so extra turn of anarchy for me...... This is why you leave notes as well. I then also miss clicked a worker.

Adopting a state religion always takes an additional turn of anarchy (can’t be combined with a civic swap).

[Mjmd]

Ooooo good. I don't feel like such an idiot then lol.

[Mjmd]

I got ToA which significantly dropped time for when I get my first great person.

Bad news. That early stonehenge from Lazteuq I think bulbed Theology (or partially bulbed?). It looks like they had research for something. This is a big deal. As being an industrious person who can pop out great people pretty fast (I was going to build a temple to run a priest specialist likely) I had planned on bulbing theology and trying for the monk wonders. 400 hammers is a lot. I mean theoretically I could maybe steal, but I think I would rather try for the top of the tree stuff like MoM after currency, although I'll probably just be WAY too slow. I do still wonder if I try for the other monk wonders. Thoughts for a non broke me.

Still only 3 people with math. I had missed it but I'm assuming Jowy got code of laws pre turn 100....... That is just insane. BTW Thrawn you should really check event log every turn (I remember like half the time).



My brave scouts are going to stay on the SD border for as long as possible. I think I'm sadly whipping doing a 2 pop whip for spear axe in Sand. I don't want to whip units there, but its the only point SD can attack me and I can't see it coming. Its also the city that would be worse to lose. It also doesn't have Hinduism still (working on it) so buildings will be more efficient once it does. Might even work stone size 3 to get granary I'm running ahead of whip unhappy on  it anyways. I want another trireme or two on inner sea, I just don't know where they are coming from........ I am 2nd in production, so hopefully can leverage that (although SD is first!). Also start boosting my power to look more prickly (for instance Rocks is building a Trireme to flash GKC with down south). GKC doesn't have a road network going north, so 1 trireme is basically a hard wall against him for a bit. Although again GKC please go attack Jowy like NOW. To be fair he can have construction probably at any point.

Mids in 4 turns not 5 in screen shot.

[Mjmd]

T99

I was going to wait and just do a T100 thing, but alas.

I did not get Pyramids. I did get 387 gold..... It's a lot, but its only 4 turns of research. They are important turns, but me 70 turns from now is going to regret it. I'm pretty sure if I built in Boxes instead I would have won.

T101 I will get great person, which is also when I finish math and also when I finish forge for HG. I'm actually whipping a settler next turn thanks to the fail gold. If I get a merchant to bulb currency I can then research IW for the eastern spot. If I get a prophet I will have to wait to settle. Or I can settle the Tarkeel filler spot whenever I get a missionary out.

SD had a little power spike. GKC had a much larger power spike. Jowy has lowest and flattest power. Jowy is up to 11 cities. GKC NOW!! NOW!! NOW!!

[Mjmd]

T102

Things maybe? PLEASE NO THINGS.

I'm back home so you finally get pictures. I'll assume other people showed my dismal graphs for T100. I got a great prophet and settled this turn. Wish it was a merchant but ah well. I think I forgot to update the worker count while I was up north so might just delete it. Its kind of irrelevant post T100 anyways, although it should be noted I'm getting away with 7 workers for 11 (soon to be 12 cities). My two crappy cities are about to become un-crappy with border pops.



SD HAS TRIREMES!!!! I mean if anyone likes being stuck in ancient era warfare its him. Maybe he was worried I would go on offense with mine? My current speculation based on only 1 axe atm is that that force is a settling force for his already broke empire...... Ya it doesn't sound that plausible to me either. But is SD I wouldn't put it past him to put a city down to grab gems and to allow a faster attacking path to my city over there. Anyways SD can't be anywhere near currency (I mean I'm not either).

Other than SD having triremes the more worrisome thing is that GKC has a praet going north in lower right of screen. I just got my trireme there to block off galleys. I do however have decisions to make relatively fast. If I see a stack beginning of next turn I probably have to call of Hanging Gardens. If not I get HG. I sent him a fish for fish. As a reminder JOWY HAS CURRENCY PLUS ORGANIZED COURTHOUSES. If GKC attacks me instead, Jowy is just going to be at rifles while we piss on each other. I can assemble a chopped stack from nothing over there (at the cost of HG mind). I also moved a couple units.

I am hoping Amica gets currency for KTBs soon. Plus if GKC doesn't attack I might do a library in Rocks. I could speed up the next great person as well for first golden age to help pull me out of this funk. If you build MoM during a golden age you get the extra turns right? BTW definitely have a settler on map for MoM building site that will happen to be settled turn before HG completes. PLEASE GKC NOT ME!!!!! I mean there is no way he would have given me open borders again if he planned on attacking me right?

[Mjmd]

T103

GKC sent back copper for copper, which is NOT the signal I wanted. I mean this war goes on long enough sure I'll settle a city, get culture in it, and take that island, but that isn't now.

I THINK he is going for Jowy though via the islands. I lost track of that praet and if it had gone north I would either see it or the galley it loaded onto. Now mind he could have known I was following and made a detour to lull me into false security. He also doesn't have a completed road network going north (again he could be ferrying, but I don't see). He also doesn't have any galleys on outer sea that I can see with Trireme. The other factor is that he is hard mining a hill up over there and doesn't have workers chopping the other forests I can see atm. Cities aren't whipped down ect. That to me smells of a more limited campaign. His power is scary, but as someone who played agg Rome in PB56, it isn't that big of spike. He probably wants to keep his pop while getting some capture gold and taking some island cities?

Anyways I'm going for the play to help keep me in this game. Whipped aqueduct. If I had the workers I think this would be a 1 turn HG, but I'm short, plus I want to settle 1 more city to benefit from it.

BTW in the land of playing in single player Amica (holder of the GLH) wants open borders to spread Judaism?????? There is a missionary at my border at least. I mean if you are playing the long game and expect a shrine maybe its worth it...... but generally for Thrawn / others knowledge, don't do this. That is production that could be spent on military and infrastructure. Hell spreading it to my cities is a little dubious being so low in power, but in the long term it will pay back the hammers thanks to organized, plus I already have my shrine up.

[Mjmd]

T103 continued. Amica logged in went and then logged out. So I did something I should do more often and checked foreign advisor AND EVERYONE HAS OPEN BORDERS WITH GLH HOLDER. I mean sure Amica is protective so it doesn't matter as much, but come on people. I guess I'll take my slight boost in income and offer open borders......

[Mjmd]

T104

I'm learning I'm bad at math. IE I forgot 50% bonus when doing math. I could have 1 turned HG this turn. At this point I either get more fail gold or get the extra city down.

GKC still shows no signs of troops, but didn't double play turn. I have to assume its Jowy at this point right? PLEASE.

SD actually played at turn roll. No stack yet. I have 2 chops on hold there that I want to use towards buildings once I have organized, but are also there for units if needed. A SD galley somehow got to the other side. Interesting journal I'm sure.

[Mjmd]

T105

There was of course a much more logical explanation for that missionary that didn't even occur to my puny brain. Its very awkward that Amica moved those chariots while we were both logged in (Amica logged in after me). To be fair I haven't moved any of the units in that city in many turns....... If SD wasn't right the F there and looking like he was about to plant / push I might be inclined to be spicy.



Settled 12th city of logs. Only reason I'm showing demo's is because I'm hoping HG shows a vast improvement. To note I switched a worker from a plains forest to 1/0/3 water tile for some more gold.......

I should probably just test the MoM question myself since no one reads my rambling posts anyways (if you build during a golden age will it extend it?). Asking for no particular reason.....

Edit: warrior scouting north saw no signs of invasion or road network for an invasion, so I'm feeling ok from GKC at least.