[SPOILERS] Ramesses of India

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Chat with Gazglum:

Gaz: I checked pb57
too many wonders?
though i can see its hard to do much else at the moment
you planning to go nationalism > taj > build an army and attack?
me: That was the plan, but I did some C&D and saw that we wouldn't manage it in time. So I researched MC and am throwing up some forges everywhere. Next we'll go music and then get monarchy +Feud ASAP and build longbows everywhere. Then up Construction and down the bottom of the tree for knights and the GM.
me: The problem is my two neighbors are each the leaders by a long way, and the one best placed to hit me (Oxy) is the leader overall. So its not so much building an army to hit, its trying to avoid being swallowed.
Gaz: That sounds fine, but its a recipe for a guaranteed 2nd or 3rd place, no chance of a riskier play to get Taj?
me: Nah, even building all wealth can't help (heaps of gold anyway) the issue is research time versus the hammers he has invested. I'm just trying to survive as in this map his only expansion option is through me. I did pick up music though
Gaz: first?
me: Yup
Which is stupid, because one of my next GP has a decent chance of artist, but eh well.
Now just defend the sandcastle
I'm very, very solidly third place and I have nothing to expand into, so there's like 5% chance of me winning - if I keep my head down, micro away and avoid being attacked and then seize any opportunity I get
Which fits with my buildery self, so that's what I'm doing
me: I think of it as like the demogame, except way more scary and I can't blame it on others :/

Chat is instead of a report sorry. Any questions?

Oxy will probably hit me in the next ten turns, so defence is big priority. (He should hit me at least, although I get the feeling maybe he's more of a builder at heart - although I have no desire to test it!) I probably should've gone there before Music too, but with everyone finishing Nat I decided I couldn't afford to delay. I still have the engineer, so not sure what to do there - I probably should have just bitten the bullet and did a GA initially. But now I'm thinking maybe use him on one of the Trifectra - UoS? Or just keep on ice in the vague hope of the Kremlin. Chichen Itza is worthwhile failgold (trust me, I checked!) and actually has benefits for the very short-term future - I doubt anyone will attack before gunpowder. Which is hardly reassuring when Commodore has Gunpowder = 1 turn and I still can't see Oxy's, but hey well.

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Also, edited out all the obnoxious screenshots in the last report. Sorry guys.

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Turn 99:

One turn out of GA, already missing it. Fortunately I start another next turn
Rolled a merchant. Oxy is probably roading to attack my Corn/Crabs centre city, which seems to be garrisoned only by a chariot. Fortunately I can reinforce it with a bunch of units, revolt to slavery whenever, upgrade a unit to a mace and so on. I *think* Commodore is just trying to improve tiles, but he may also be gearing to take a city. Eh well, I have macemen and catapults rolling out all around.

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Update:
Oxy finally broke the stalemate and hit Goldlakes. I abandoned it because it clearly couldn't hold, and revolted to Police State/Theocracy/Mercantalism. Then he didn't do anything...still, I expect him or possibly Commodore to strike at my gems city soonish, as I just can't hold it. I'e mostly just been pumping out units ever since for when Oxy eventually does try to hit me, but I revolted back to rep to help me tech to Chemistry/whatever those techs are called, so I can defeat his rifles. Focussing on cats/macemen/muskets for now. I tried to indicate friendliness to Commodore by moving a worker to build a windmill in what was about to be his territory, but he took it. Whatever, workers are useless to me now.