[spoilers] Commodore's 69 Techniques

[Commodore]

I'm underwhelmed. Extra +3gpt when saving; costs a crapton. Going to make Naugrlfor hit the panic button if he's marked that barb city as "his". Going to have to transfer two cover axes + two chariots at least to capture the barbs while Noggle tries to Ginger Ginger.
   

[Commodore]

News of a the turn: Naufruhaegar RAZED THE PYRAMIDS:


He is Spanish I suppose. He's Spiritual, I wouldn't have the fortitude to burn that, particularly given he's basically set himself into Eternal Hate War with this move.

[Commodore]

Pindicator has joined in, woot.

...uh, I'm still making more spears just in case.

[Commodore]

No major battle yet up there, but Gav is retreating.

Also please note...IF YOU EVER RUIN MY GAME BY RAZING MY PYRAMIDS CITY I'M NOT GIVING YOU PEACE LIKE A GUTLESS CHICKEN.

Meh. At least I have hooked my first luxury...ninrty-five turns into the game.

[Thoth]

IF YOU EVER RUIN MY GAME BY RAZING MY PYRAMIDS CITY I'M NOT GIVING YOU PEACE LIKE A GUTLESS CHICKEN.

QFT.

[Tarkeel]

Meh. At least I have hooked my first luxury...ninrty-five turns into the game.

I think that's sooner than my expected hookup in 67. Running the early game on the default happycap is quite a challenge.

[Commodore]

Well, Pindicator is being a legit threat...
   
...because he's KILLED THE HINDU HOLY CITY.
   

[Commodore]

This feels...familiar.

I'm perhaps going to resettle, maybe. Can make a fast Protective wall, might be enough to make it worthwhile, depends on a lot.

I can't crack Praetorian stacks with my units right now, but I can definitely defeat a pair of archers. I think the math says I can safely use the chariots, with cover axes able to sweep up amphibiously. I'll sim first though, might as well not shock myself by coming up short and hand this critical city to Naugraufrauger.

Going to be tight, but capturing this and resettling Goldslager will get me to my minimum goal of 10 cities by turn 100. Some economic pain ahead, but there's only two more cities I can make peacefully anyway after that, so crash recovery will be forced by geographic as much as economic constraints. I'm not going to try and push harder into Rome right now...I have a real interest in Pindicator gaining a land border with Superdeath and/or Bing, so let's root for those horse archers of his.

[Commodore]

Always sim.

Did the low-odds no damage, so I knew it'd be dicey to try off the boat. Next turn, then, with the axes on land.

[Commodore]

Turn 101 Power Rankings:

1. Nowfrogger (Six cities, two wonders, religion)
First in score, top in tech, ideally positioned in diplomacy...this has been Nowgroffer’s game so far, and his best is still yet to come. He parlayed a Spain-on-a-lake Spiritual start into the classic religion, Stonehenge, Oracle snowball, which he wisely spent on a Monarchy bulb. Infinite happy cap and being able to swap in and out of Serfdom means that he’s got the best internal development of the field, plus easy access to potential bulb paths into the religious economy. I’m going to say Noggerfrau is accurately ranked on the scoreboard because he’s also got a wonderful expansion path in the crippled Gingerlito neighbor, and his Spiritual trait along with his Spanish civ still haven’t really gotten the chance to shine. His city count is a low for the field, but he’s got the aforementioned easy expansion path, plus the massive neighbor north and west (me) is not really positioned to fight at all. This is the front-runner.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: *****
Next Hundred Turns’ Potential: *****
PYFT Ranking: 4th Place

2. Magic Science (Nine cities, religion)
Guy who stole my Judaism: Magic Science is third in score but I’m going to edge him up to second in the power rankings. His religion is excellently spread due to his chariot quest completion and he seems to be researching at a very nice pace. I think everyone but me got precious metals and rivers. He timed things very nicely to cripple his southern neighbor Gingerlito in conjunction with Naufluru...he’s now remaining at war, but I think it’s more valuable to be on the big side of a coalition than to prisoners’ dilemma defect. Big, must have decent land, not only neighboring the beat-up Gingerlito, but also is lucky enough to neighbor the incredibly supine Superdeath. Aggressive and Protective has issues long-term, but he’s scrapping pretty well and I think he’s going to continue gaining. Close, but I’m giving second place to MS here.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: *****
Second Hundred Turns’ Potential: ****
PYFT Ranking: 6th Place

3. Bing/Civac (Nine cities, one wonder(ish))
I hereby regret predicting bad things for Bing this game. I’m sure a huge part of this has been the close dedlurking of Civac, but whatever the reason? Great. Job. Bing. Carthage has grown very fast despite some loon razing his border city...his economy is healthy, he has a big territory with a lot more back-line claimed thanks to those pinkish dots on My Inner Sea. I’m genuinely impressed. He looks to be building infrastructure very well while managing his expansion with care, keeping power high, and Financial means he’s only going to get better. Bingac is a huge threat to his neighbors (like, uh, me) to be able to get a huge economy lead and turn a technologically superior empire into an army...which hey, he’s got Superdeath as his gimmie loot pinata neighbor. He’s third only because I don’t see him easily being in a solid diplomatic coalition.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: *****
Second Hundred Turns’ Potential: ****
PYFT Ranking: 3rd Place

t4. Commodore (Nine cities, one wonder(ish), religion)
Your friendly neighborhood protagonist is doin’ okay but it’s going to be an uphill struggle I’m sad to say. As my internal overview will show, my fairly good expansion is causing the ole’ economy to smoke, throw off sparks, and darn near die. I’m on the good side of a 2v1 right now, but I’m not exactly going to gain much (any more) land from that, and it’s Rome in the Classic Era, tough nut to crack even with just two cities remaining, plus I want Pindicator to have an outlet. I have two more good cities on the Peaky Peninsula, then a couple fillers on the fringes. Which is good I guess because I am making about 1gpt on 0% right now. I’m five turns from a 60% shot at Christianity, or a 40%...uh...something. I was going to cheerfully say “Code of Laws bulb”, but I’m a little worried about trying to make my way past Metal Casing. My Spiritual is having an issue getting going, while my Protective is pretty much fully used up. I’m also in the center position, so while Pindi-Gav management has been my primary concern early on, I’m going to have to manage Bing and Nowfle a lot more going forward. Hard hard economic times ahead. At least a lot of cities are down.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: ****
Second Hundred Turns’ Potential: ***
PYFT Ranking: 1st Place

t4. Pindicator (Seven cities)
Pindicator has precisely the opposite problems from me. He appears to have an intact economy, Financial being what it is. He’s got a very safe position, seems to be in the northern corner with his westward expansion a dangerous but very crippled enemy, so diplomacy is easy…but he’s got growth problems. Either he can try to go over nasty hilly brown land to attack somebody with greater strategic depth than him (me), or he can suicide masses of units onto Praetorians. It’s tricky long term. For all that, his future isn’t terrible. Hinduism will never spread naturally again, but it is “his” if he takes Rome, and his size is enough to get to knights if he wants to go that route. He’s got a simple set of paths, success is difficult, but he’s got the tools.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: ****
Second Hundred Turns’ Potential: ****
PYFT Ranking: 2nd Place

6. Gingerlito (Six cities)
Ginger, after rushing to a very impressive start, just doesn’t care after these last few battles. He lost the Pyramids as well as some small presumably new cities to Magic Science. Joao can compensate for a lot, but those blows are probably ultimately too crippling. If Ginger was active and engaged, I could see him working some angles, trying to stall his border with one of his enemies to ally with someone else, but he apparently just left the planet for a week without bothering to tell anyone, so unless his dedlurker takes over entirely I think the Celts are toast.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: ***
Second Hundred Turns’ Potential: *
PYFT Ranking: 8th Place (but Honorable Mention Miguelito)

7. Superdeath (Six cities, one wonder)
What happened to Superdeath? He’s not really ever been impressive, but at least he has impact in his earlier games. Now he’s just...inert. He expanded incredibly slowly, he’s not used his special vultures at all, he built the...Great Lighthouse? I’m sorry, he’s just a little pinata at this point.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: *
Second Hundred Turns’ Potential: **
PYFT Ranking: 5th Place

8. Gavagai (Two cities, religion)
Gavagai chased religion as Chm/Ind Rome, neglected his power, and now has two cities. His pile of Praetorians only lasts until his enemies hit cats. The end.
First Hundred Turns’ Snowball: *
Second Hundred Turns’ Potential: *
PYFT Ranking: 7th Place