[PB78] Dreylin boldly goes

[Dreylin]

T33 -

Gavagai solved his culture generation with Stonehenge rather than religion - though I'm sure the latter will come eventually. So 2xCRE, 1xCRE(lite), 1xCHA (cheap Monuments), and our fingers crossed and hope for a Religion spread.

Thrawn's Settler is out (Slavery revolt), as is our own. Superdeath's Warrior is still holding point on the Pigs, so I'll hold the settler out of his sight next turn. I don't think we're in a race yet; his size3 growth was a couple of turns behind ours, and I haven't seen the tell-tale revolt yet (though he has yet to play this turn).

I had a look at the terrain between ourselves and Magic Science and there's no super-tile there, so I expect he'll settle in a different direction. Zooming out and taking a global view, I think this is definitely the near borders for the 4 of us and there are larger backlines in the other directions.

[Dreylin]

T34 -

Bad news, Superdeath has founded in our direction; good(-ish) news, Our preferred site(s) is still available:


I held the Settler back out of range of his Warrior, but still in range of nu-Pink and original Pink on the Ice Hill. If he wanted to be an ass, he could move onto the Hamlet and declare on us and block the route, which is why I moved both Quechua to be in range of that tile and to cover the preferred spot. However there's a high likelihood that due to play windows I will get to the turn before him anyway.

Last chance for alternatives: as pictured loses the hill plant but secures the pigs first-ring, IceHill has security, but almost certainly loses the Pigs unless we pop 3rd ring fast (religion), or 1N of Pigs which loses the supertile first ring and screws up the dotmap, but is hillside ... and actually just sucks too much to consider because the Worker won't get here for min 7turns.

We are 5t away from having our Horses connected, and maybe 10t before we can have a Chariot in the area. I also wonder if we should consider going Archery next instead of Bronze Working, but I guess we'll need the whip soon. Mining on the interturn; we'll need to save gold for at least a turn before starting the next tech, so have a little space to make the decision.

[coldrain]

I like the idea of getting BW soon: can use the whip, reveal copper and can chop + mine the gems for pink.

It's a real dilemma where to found the pink city. Maybe we just hope that there are so many super tiles to expand to peacefully, that Superdeath doesn't go for very early Vulture invasion? Of course, build a chariot or two ASAP for patrolling and as counter attack force. Would be interesting to see where SD has his copper too.

[Dreylin]

I imagine that SD’s copper is at his new city location. If we’re really lucky it’s second ring which would delay the hookup; especially unlucky if he founded on it to secure it.

Edit: he seems to have founded on the Fort; I doubt Scooter put Copper under them for the rush potential.

I think BW -> Archery -> Pottery has to be the tech path.

I’m still procrastinating over where to found Pink - I even started looking at the merits of founding on the Pigs, but … ewwww.

I think it has to be the flatland to secure the Pigs to disincentivise settling up, and then we just have to maintain a credible defense to forestall an attack. Walls & enough PRO Archers should get us to Construction at least.

[Dreylin]

T35 - The Search for Spock

Founded on the flatland:


Superdeath's Warrior was bumped out of borders. I positioned one Quechua on the Pigs, though it will be 6t before the Worker arrives.

Started a Barracks (to be whipped) as I'll need the extra promo on the Archer to feel safe(r ).

Founding has done nice things for our Demographics:


The added 8cpt (4 from Trade Routes, 4 from the supertile) will help research nicely: BW is now a 7t tech (1t saving, then 6t at max), and Archery is down to 4t at breakeven. On that note someone finished Archery this turn - probably thrawn for his Totem Poles - which gives us a nice notch of KTB.

Finally a note on the NE, where there seems to be a lot more space than the cramped South:


I am still yet to find thrawn - and they have yet to found their second city. I did a quick count and we are slightly closer to Gavagai to our South (17tiles) than to our North (19tiles). It's also mostly land on the closer approach, while significant water to the North.

One thing I've realised we don't know is what techs the Barbarians started with - they could well have later eras than us. If they are busy constructing buildings, that would also explain why we have yet to see a Worker out improving the Gold.

[Dreylin]

T36 -

Checklist:

• Religion in Spock = No
  
• thrawn located = No
  

I do have visibility on 2 thrawn Scouts; knowing now about the held barbs acting as fogbusters, I think this may have been a good decision on their part. On the other hand, would I feel happy right now with one fewer Quechua at home? Maybe not.

[coldrain]

Spock is a really nice city immediately and long term. If religion doesn't spread there freely, would it be wasteful to build a monument? Border pop would give nice visibility, and the defense bonus is nice too.

[Dreylin]

I've been thinking a bunch about what's next.

Spock probably needs to concentrate on getting defense up - Barracks and then some Archers - so probably doesn't commit to expansion. Worker heads here after connecting the Horses to improve the Pigs and then the Gems, tying it up for the next ~15 turns and meaning it also can't contribute elsewhere.

So expansion falls on Kirk. It grows to size4 at EoT, after which I'll run some numbers on whether it's worthwhile taking the extra turn to finish the Quechua or pause and switch immediately to a foodhammer unit. I think that with the supertiles and existing improvements on the map it makes sense to go for a Settler next, and specifically target the Corn/Pigs/Horses (Blue dot) site to the immediate East. I have a Road connection in place through the Horses, and 2 improved tiles to work. Settle that, grow quickly to size2 and then build its own Worker to improve the Pigs. I also think that I will move it 1E as this will allow it to pick up the FP/Grassland river tile once borders pop.

Kirk's build order looks something like:
Finish Quechua
Start Settler at size4
Interrupt Settler when Horses are connected to start Chariot.
1-pop whip Chariot & immediately re-grow to size4
Continue Settler
2-pop Whip Settler

Other settling priorities:
(1/2) Green Dot in the NE to claim the other supertile.
(1/2) Sheep/Rice in the South to fix the border with Gavagai
3 Gems spot in SE to fix the border with Superdeath

Pending question is research order after Archery; Pottery for cheap Granaries seems a good plan, but I also want Masonry soon for Walls. I also still have Monotheism in the back of my mind to get the religion founded in Spock, but I also don't think I could get that done before settling McCoy so it would be less reliable. I'll play it by ear a bit as we get closer to finishing Archery whether the build queues have space for Granaries by then.

[Dreylin]

Spock is a really nice city immediately and long term. If religion doesn't spread there freely, would it be wasteful to build a monument? Border pop would give nice visibility, and the defense bonus is nice too.

We certainly need the border pop as soon as we can get it, but right now I think the priority is to get a couple of promoted Archers in place (and flash our Chariot at Superdeath) to deter an attack. Once that's done then there may be value in investing in a Monument to speed Culture build-up and claim the visibility from the Peaks.

[Dreylin]

T37 -

Checklist:
Religion in Spock = No
thrawn located = Yes!



Will scope out their boundaries, but looks like we should be in pole position to grab the supertile at green. Meanwhile I sent a Quechua to peek at Uruk, but didn't realise there was a forest on the coastal tile to block the view. We do have a trade route connection though, so I can keep an eye for them connecting Copper for a few turns warning.

Our BW research is currently showing 5t, but that last tick is a single beaker, and I can pick that up by working the Gems at Spock when it grows to bring it down to 4t.