[SPOILERS-PBEM15] Mansa Musa of the Ottomans

[spacemanmf]

@ Spaceman,

I will once again need a replacement player for some time, since I will be away a few days next week (Tue/Wed to Fri/Sat probably). Can you jump in once more ?

I can indeed.

[Piet]

Great, thank you. Details will follow, as soon as I know when I will exactly be away.

[Piet]

T46 played.

Set research to 0% for a turn.

Ankh and Morpork grew this turn. Ankh finished its lighthouse, switched to settler.

Rice at Pseudopolis improved, growth due next turn. Workboat stands ready.

Met Jkaens scout and send him a short message

Hi Jkaen,

noticed we finally met each other. My forward sentry spotted your scouts heading towards our territory.

Hope all is going well in Zululand.

Unfortunately I have not much time right now, but I suppose we should talk a little bit about our countries status and our ambitions.

We can do this via Mail or you add me on Skype (Skype name is Peter.Hannappel), so we can use the chat there.

Greetings,

Piet, Patrician of the Ankh Morpork Republic ("one whip, one vote"), holder of the whip.

Details will follow.

[Piet]

Turn 47 in.

Ankh whipped settler, Morpork started one, Pseudopolis grew to 2.

Research set on 100% again, Math due in 3, then it is time to go chopping.

Send T-I the open border request - we will have trade routes after my next turn when I finished the great rice road north of Morpork.

Scouting warrior moved a little - most interesting : the fish S of Pseudopolis is located besides a tiny Island - I am thinking of settling there in the future.

Send a longer mail to Jkaen :

Hi Jkaen,

Having a little bit more time right now, so I thought I would drop a letter to you. Apologizes for not beeing a native speaker, so if there is something looking funny or strange its probably because of this ;-).

Hope all is going well for Zululand this game. Your Civilizations wheresabout was unknown to me a long time even I knew of all of the others, so you seem to be a bit isolated - or simply far away. But you seem to do quite well - like all of us. It is really a close game atm, which is very nice.

As I know, only the Malinese people had early contact with you so it is safe to assume that youre people dwell in the far south ?

We did make quite early contact with Darius, which is my norther neighbour (as you probably already know) and it took us a while to meet Ioan and TT. As far as I know you met all three already, so no need to provide direction to them or their lands I think.

As you will see, I allocated my EPs on you to get graph visibitily, which I have already with the other nations. Feel free to do the same.

I also would like to find out if there will be cooperation or fighting in our future (A rather complex question which is difficult to anwer right now as we both know :-)). I for my part would be ok to have a NAP for the next few dozens of turns though, since expasion is key atm and we both seem to have more than enough space.

As I already wrote, feel free to add me on Skype or return a mail.

Best regards,

Piet of Ankh Morpork

Screens will follow.

[Piet]

T48 in.

Math due in 2 turns. First of 3 chops for Ankh started, which will come in on the turn it is discovered.

Settler from Ankh is heading for the horses site. Ankh starts GLH. Settler in Morpork will be whipped next turn. City 4 & 5 are due T51 & 53.

The road to T-I is complete, along with open borders signed. Trade routes will be up next turn, saw the beakers increase EoT (7, 4 from growth on a hamlet and 3 from trade routes).

Finally a little time to post screenshots again :

The core :



The (wild wild) west :



The south :



Demo Screen (lowered a little bit from whipping, will decrease again next turn when morpork will be whipped, then rise again) :

[Piet]

City overview :

Ankh :



The capital has two improved food resources, two mines (one is switched back & forth between it and Mopork) and two cottages, so it is pretty hybrid atm. It will become a commerce center eventually, with GLH beeing the only large project it will build (ok, Oxford).

Morpork :



A great city site at Size 5, it has not much poential thereafter. Morpork will be a border city and worker/settler-pump for a long time.

Pseudopolis :



My third city, at a great site, is responsible for creating a great scientist. The library will be whipped asap (thats a turn into size 4, at T53) - and it will start to work Scientists while regrowing. Long Term, it will be a nice commerce site which can switch easily to production in times of need.

[Piet]

Jkaen sent an answer :

Piet,

Nice to hear from you again, your English looks pretty good to me.

As you guessed I am off to the south of TT, so well away from your civ. There is
no real way we could easily move troops around to threaten each other in any
way, hence I am not too concerned about a NAP, but have no problem with
providing one if you would feel more comfortable.

Been fairly busy right now, hence why this isn't in RP form like all my early
diplo was, but if you feel like a chat at some point let me know, my gmail
account is jkaen.online@gmail.com, or just fire me emails

Regards
Jkaen

This sound good. I will think about proposing a NAP - pretty clear from Jkaens message that it will not be needed for the next couple of turns.

[Piet]

Sent an answer to JKaen. No NAP needed atm, agreed.

Hi Jkaen,

Thats good to hear - I thought about the necessity of a NAP as well and came to similiar conclusions - I would have no problem of signing one, but it is not critical.

I believe we will be neigbours eventually, although my border with you will be a lot smaller than TTs - and perhaps even only across water (there is a large body of water right south of my capital). We can revisit the NAP topic when our borders start to close.

I have a warrior down there which is scouting south along the coast, I suppose he will arrive at your territory eventually. I think there will be the possibility of coastal trade routes between us after sailing, which would be really nice.

I made an account at gmail (Piet.PBEM15) and added you. Although I will probably not be logged in there 99% of the time ;-).

Best regards,

Piet

and his reply

Thanks Piet,

I never really used my gmail account much, but have found it quite useful
chatting about the game with my lurker SquareLeg, so trying to leave myself
logged in more.

I am going to try and scout out a coastal route too for trade, you will find me
pretty much due south of TT.

I will offer open borders as soon as I get a chance, and see what we can trade
with each other.

Regards
Jkaen

[Piet]

@Spaceman : just sent you the plan until T53 via PM (although I will yet be able to play 1 or 2 of these turns myself).

[Piet]

T49 in.

Math due next turn. Ankh grew, working 2 Mines and the food. Morpork whipped the settler.

After the two whips last and this turn I am bottom score and my demos aren't looking good. This will change back fast however.

Map (core only) :



Demos :