AT loves it when a plan comes together!! [Spoilers]

[AutomatedTeller]

so, some updates:

I did turn down the gold for lit trade.

I'll get CS in 2 - I'm debating whipping in the settler in ATeam, so I can have it move while I'm in anarchy switching to bureau. Also, I have to think about switching to caste. I am about to run into 2 culture wars - both Cornflakes and Jowy have drama, and jowy makes cheap-ass theaters, so I expect to get pressure on LA Law on the one side and SWAT on the other. Caste will allow me to run artists, which will help. Or, I can try to build sistine chapel and overcome with religious buildings getting an extra 5 culture. Dunno what to do there.

I'm going to talk through plans for cities in the next few posts

[AutomatedTeller]

Magnum PI is a fairly simple one:



it makes 6 food and will focus on growing. it should grow every 2 or 3 turns, adding another coastal tile everytime. Eventually, i'll whip in a forge, making it easier to whip in other infrastructure later. In 10 turns, it'll be size 6. In 20 turns, size 9. At size 9, it'll make 30+ commerce, which is nice.

NCIS:

This isn't as straight-forward, but that's mainly because of all the whipping it's done -it has 4 angry citizens right now. it loses one in 4 turns, so the short term goal is to get it to size 6. That takes 5 turns - then it goes on worker/settler duty until it loses antoher angry face and can grow. NCIS is a reason I kind of want caste, for workshops. Workshops suck at first.

[AutomatedTeller]

LA Law is more complicated



I have a choice - slow build the lighthouse, or whip it in. The advantage of whipping it in is that I can build something else if i want, like a monastery or temple or library, or rax/military, plus it gives food. However, it does mean I'm a couple of turns slower on growth. I think whipping is right in this case, but I'm not sure.

[AutomatedTeller]

To the south!!

The OC:



Had to sacrifice to ensure the death of the barb axe - it should die against the archer, but a dog will make sure that the improvements don't get pillaged.

With the overflow from whip/forest, I'll make a missionary, which will go to CHiPS. After that, we will overflow into probably a forge - there's some decent hammers down here. Might just go into a lib. When I'm building an improvement, I'll work the silver - when not, the fur. 7 food is slightly slower growth than 8, but the extra hammer is worth it, I think.

CHiPS:



I whipped in the trireme and will go to wealth, saving up overflow for a lib to overflow again into either GLIb or NE, depending on if GLib has been built.

Worker action:



is shown there - there will be 1 extra worker turn at the end, who will go and chop.

[AutomatedTeller]

SWAT



that completes the monastery next turn. I am really beginning to think that Sistine Chapel is important to win cultural border wars. Everytime I have to fight the chapel, it totally sucks....

I am not sure what to build next. I have a plan of improvments, but honestly, I kind of think this should be a hammer city, with workshops and windmills and mines, not cottages, mainly building military. It makes a nice front line against cornflakes. As usual, i don't actually have that many hammers available.

I think forge, and then maybe whipping in my culture. Though, maybe a barracks is better than a forge. Somehow, the idea of hitting cornflakes with maces is hard to resist

[AutomatedTeller]

now to the 3 core cities:

A-Team is the core city in my empire and is about to be the greatest city in the world.



With Bureaucracy, it's time to just let that puppy grow. I get insane food (+16) and will need to make cottages so I can grow on them. I figure that 20 turns after I get the settler done, I can be at size 17, which is, I think, my max without going over my health limit. If I can trade for crab/deer, that's size 20.

To do that, cap needs some infra:

Forge
Market
Harbor
aqueduct
HG would be nice, but I doubt that's happening.

Grocers and trades will help with future health issues. Grocers give a +1 health to bananas, spice, sugar and wine, none of which I have native.

I will also need some MP's to grow that big, especially short term. i think those will come from MASH, though I'm not sure.

[AutomatedTeller]

so, lots happened.

Cornflakes got music, kicked off a GA, switched into confucianism and OR. (least, I'm pretty sure he got music)

he offered lit and drama for 170 gold - I turned him down.
Jowy offered lit for 100 gold - I turned him down, too.

the barb killed my archer (at 25% odds) - i killed it with my dog, though.

Whipped in the settler in the cap.

Cllosed borders with cornflakes, asked everyone else to do so, too. Didn't take screeenshots like I was supposed to. My message was:

"close borders with cornflakes?", which I hope is ok.

1 turn to CS

[AutomatedTeller]

I wish Jowy hadn't done that.

Now it's obvious that I'm either asking him to declare war on someone or to stop trading with someone (since those are the only two legal messages) Though, maybe it would be obvious, anyway.

so...

do I:

1) Post it in a spoiler.
2) Tell him I'll re-offer it when I get home (either for this or the next turn)
3) Send him a PM.

I think 2 is best.

[MindyMcCready]

Your message should read:
"AT offers: Close borders with Cornflakes. Jowy offers: Close borders with Cornflakes. ACCEPT/DECLINE." I think that that's more clear and provides them with a framework for counteroffers.

IF Jowy closes borders then you're definately going to be the ring-leader in Cornflakes' eyes so the damage is done there. If Jowy doesn't close borders well,....you're now the ring leader for something more sinister in Cornflakes' darkest suspicions.

And passing up Literature and Drama for 170G definately signals that you don't want anything to do with him. Or more, that you want him to lose.

Cornflakes will start militarizing his border with you. And with those troops he's likely to act opportunistically since he's got to put the troops there anyway. So you also must spend extra hammers on garrisonning that border.

Azza will move from threat to irritation once Cornflakes lands Machinery. He'll drop further down to minor irritation or even opportunity when Cornflakes gets macemen. There's also been no action around 2metra.

Altogether, it'd probably be prudent to up the defcon rating a notch. That Jowy guy,....

[AutomatedTeller]

Cornflakes is a long way from machinery and we are a short way to maces - in fact, my guess is that cornflakes goes to feudalism next.

My guess is that cornflakes sees this as a natural reaction to someone building the lighthouse. I think that's why the ligthhouse lasted as long as it did.

So far, TT and Commodore have closed borders with him, so he's lost probably 30 commerce, so that's good.

if he militarizes, i"m ok with that. My border city is on a hill and i better defenders than he has attackers. He's made a trade for metal casting and offered CS for lit, drama and calendar, which isn't bad, though I'm didn't take it. Jowy offered Lit and HBR, and I'm not taking that, either. HBR is kind of useless without horses.

I might trade for Philo, probably not, though.

I'm debating just GIVING it to Azza that would probably piss off cornflakes, though.