[SPOILER] The Steak, Beer, and Cigar Saloon

[Catwalk]

Turn 99
Wow, I'm slacking bad on reporting. I'm afraid this one will be more of the same. The slacking is not because of less enthusiasm for playing or dissatisfaction though, things are going according to plan. I have 3 workers chopping a forest each by Always Wrong, when they're done they'll move to another 3 forests and then convene on a single forest afterwards. I settled two cities this turn, the sugar city and the second Nakor border city. Economy keeps taking hits from my expansion, but I'm convinced it'll pay off. I have 2 axes and 2 spears sitting over on Jowy's expansion site, hoping to deter him for a few more turns while I get a settler ready to deny him the spot.

Calendar is due in 3 turns, Masonry after that to hook up marble and chop out MoM. Thanks for the suggestion on where to put it Max, and your persistence in badgering me to go after it. I have a good feeling about it, and I think we have very decent chances of landing it. I'm not seeing anyone else with either marble or calendar resources.

[Catwalk]

Turn 100
I'm really sorry that I'm unable to do a turn 100 report, but things are crazy hectic at home right now. Southern fish/copper site being settled shortly and another 2 settlers are inbound, one will head for Marble Island. I have a scout checking out Nakor's lands finally.

[Catwalk]

I really don't have time for this, but here's a ton of uncommented screenshots:

Cities:

Overview shots:

Demos, tech and army:

(not shown is all first column techs + Currency)

[spacetyrantxenu]

Thanks for the update.

[Catwalk]

Xenu, any idea why everyone but me seems to have a bunch of easy happiness lying about? Did I fail to pay the mapmaker's fee on time before signing up for this?

[spacetyrantxenu]

I see four of five different happy resources you'll be able to connect before 1AD, that isn't too bad right? I didn't catch that so many were calendar resources or I probably would have changed one to a metal or gems or something, but otherwise you're no worse or better off than anyone else ought to be. I can't tell what half the players are doing without them reporting but if they expanded roughly equally into their own expected territories (and bothered to scout to inform setting plans), everyone should have come out about even in happy resources in the end. Can't say much more than that.

I did play out your start in a SP game after the map had shipped and belatedly noticed only one ancient age happy available, but that was impetus to go wide as you've done. Once sufficiently wide you'll likely end up with other players' resources anyway, right?

[Catwalk]

I appreciate your confidence in my skills, mighty mapmaker! I'm not really whining about it, I'm just looking for excuses to use later that can explain why I lost I'm having a lot of fun with the game and the map and I think I'm still in a competitive position, but I do think the early happiness shortage has hit me hard. An elephant that's equi-distant between me and a neighbours with Impis in a location that mostly stinks is not really a resource that's available. Compare with Jowy's super close elephant, Nakor's nearby lush gold resource and slowcheetah's apparent cornucopia of early resources and my single elephant starts looking quite sad.

I'm also trying to figure out how much my start set me back. England seems to have been a poor choice, and I've gotten almost no mileage out of PHI so far. Victoria or even Hannibal seem to have been better options, although Hannibal is because of the happiness shortage. I put way too much value in seafood, if I'd taken a civ with Agriculture or Hunting instead and settled the PH with deer and wheat then I would also have been better off. Mongolia would have been fun, strong UU + UB and I'm able to make use of Hunting. Combine that with Hannibal and I think that could have been pretty awesome. My neighbours would live in fear of my potential Keshik rush, and I could run a stronger economy than I have been. Charismatic Keshiks with 7 XP would be so sweet.

[Catwalk]

Turn 101
Just so you don't think I've fallen asleep, here's a screenshot of me being useful:

Smells like micro to me! 2 workers moved on a forest this turn and 3 workers just chopped a forest, will move on a forest next turn. The chopped hammers are stored in a wealth build, as demonstrated by MaxPower earlier. Calendar finishes this turn, Masonry finishes next turn and I just sent my settler on a galley to Marble Island this turn. 8 forests are enough to chop out MoM completely (= 480 marble hammers), so I am now willing to rate my chances of landing it really, really good

Gaspar (subbing for Nakor) just whipped a bunch last turn, I hope he isn't planning on punishing me for my latest plant. I have a scout lurking over there to keep an eye on any buildup he may attempt. I have another 3 turns of forced peace, and I'm sending a few more troops over there. Jowy built a library in his border city, which already had a monument but no granary. I'm guessing he's paranoid I'd try to steal his silver tile with a library myself. I'm sort of planning that, but with Moai a bit later. Even so, that city is suffering quite a bit from the lack of a granary. It was settled long ago and it has good tiles to work.

[Catwalk]

Turn 102
More lazy reporting zzzzz. Southern fish city settled this turn, and Calendar landed. Masonry finishes next turn and Marble Island settled next turn. Workers still busy chopping MoM. BaII hooked up Marble this turn, he may attempt to make a play for MoM. My MoM is due 3 turns from now (at the end of the third turn). Sugar shows up on my trading screen, so everybody knows I have Calendar now. Jowy is looking less and less like a threat, his economy is developing slowly and I almost have military parity with him now. Exploring Nakor's territory some more, the configuration of his lands is interesting.

[Catwalk]

Here's a quick picture dump from turn 102.

Overview shots:

Notice my visibility on Jowy's capital, pretty sweet. It's cheap in EP because it turned buddhist.

Wonder production:

Not shown are another 4 units defending it just east of it. 93 hammers are currently stored, 5 forests being chopped.


Demos: