[Mjmd #54 no players] Flying Solo

[Mjmd]

T37 axe arrives. I will edit in more thoughts later, so stop in in another 8 hours or so.



Edit:
So ya wife was getting kids ready. One of them was crying, but I wanted to play before SD today so I could get scout to where it is now. Mind I didn't need to worry as he still hasn't played. Hoping he thinks I came from some northern direction. I'm also betting this is direction he scouted first and then went west after hitting that dry rice. Other good news is he does have a seafood resource, so no early warrior. His capital already seems interesting. We will see the strength of the 2nd food resource, but hopefully my financial self can get cottages down on all those plains river tiles. There are at least 2!!!! grassland river tiles as well. I'm assuming all that river is why he took financial.

So ya I did lose 1 turn of city growth under this new plan by not going agriculture first. Axe timing is unchanged as its constrained by 1st worker (both workers finish chops turn 30, currently and it just would have made 2nd worker finish chop turn 29). I haven't done tests, but I wonder how much faster worker into settler would have been. I imagine not that much faster as you would have to give up a chop on the settler to get the 1 worker to get 2 chops ready for the axe, but I scouted north instead of west first so ah well.

I vaguely wonder if SD has multiple copper. Seems super strange his is so far away and has less forests around. SD blame Commodore!! Seriously this setup is just powder keg. Maya is also just Holkan rushing someone right? At least those people know to tech archery pronto scouting dependent.

Main question is do I bother with a 2nd unit and if so axe or spear. Axe just in case he somehow sniffs it out and gets 1 archer, spear in case he has another close neighbor who then sends chariots that way. 2nd unit arrives turn 40 (I had previously missed in my math missing turn of growth for switching into slavery). Obviously advantage of not whipping out a unit is then I can get out the eastern city faster. Advantage is tracking down SDs 2nd city if he hides it, plus hiding it from from any other neighbors (note to self, check EP spending, as that will inform).

Edit 9/13. He has a second copper!!!! Man that scout living was huge.



Will he settle on it. Do I go back to eco plan? NAH. His capital looks way better than mine. Like seriously commodore way way better. WTF. If he has any 2nd food, what the hell.

[Mjmd]

Almost declared vs SD this turn! to run from a bear......, but decided to just scout around. All the barbs. So bad news is that SD has NOT met anyone else, so he will have graphs. The good news is that he plays a million games, so odds he checks every turn is low? especially early (no one ask him for graphs PLEASE!!!) There isn't a normal point this early.





So I didn't declare war to save scout and keep it on that side specifically to not raise suspicions. I'll probably scout west next for same reason.

Same reason I did a couple posts as edits. I asked SD after PB51 why he settled on copper and he said it was because he felt paranoid. Now we had a lot of space in that map and I had moved my cap farther away and I was playing a combo with no speed at all. Now I had been posting up a storm in that game, and even if it wasn't conscious, it may have been subconscious paranoia from all the posts. Like what are people posting about right now. How does Miguelito have 150+ posts turn 21??? Its going to be so daunting to read all of that. I've read all the PB51 threads except El Grillo for that reason.

Anyways, no updates for a bit unless something happens. No edit updates either. I'll post once more before the action with an updated plan. Definitely two axes now that I think he will settle a city in opposite direction. Going to see how much I can speed up the 2nd one without sacrificing time on the sheep. Also wondering if I can speed up the first one by roading with 1 worker and delaying 2nd chop. My instinct since floodplain takes 3 turns to road is that I can't speed up the first one, but I probably can speed up the 2nd one. I don't need pasture done until capital regrows to size 2 after all.

[Mjmd]

Detailed plan to axe rush SD check. Fingers deciding to go to the wrong forest tile check! Meant to go to forest tile 1 north or corn. In order to get double chop in on turn 30 for axe I have to chop that one and one to W of it for the settler, and then go down to forest N of plains hill. I had it all simmed out and then my fingers went nope!



Edit: Can I get some lurker to validate in tech thread please? Just for the record this was very much the plan and I've simmed this out literally over 15 times. Below shows quotes of me mentioning the timing. My last two posts have confirmed this was the plan I was on.

9/12 Turn 17
If I think its connected via land (I mean I think it is), means I'll have an axe going towards him T31
9/13 T19
T37 axe arrives
Edited T19
So ya I did lose 1 turn of city growth under this new plan by not going agriculture first. Axe timing is unchanged as its constrained by 1st worker (both workers finish chops turn 30

First worker being mentioned in the last quote is very clearly the one I moved wrong.

[Mjmd]

SD doesn't play turn while having scout in range of what I'm doing. Hmmmmmm. (EDIT 2 about copper, forgot to flying camera)
So with 2 workers I can actually do a nice little speed up on first axe and get it there by T36, 2nd one by T39. The other option if I decide to chicken out is to settle on the floodplains and make it a holy city?!?! I kind of have to decide soon just in case someone else is thinking this exact plan on their neighbor. Now his scout could block me settling on copper, in which case I would switch to this. Will see where SD scout moves / if it does. If he knows its coming what then?

Now why axe rush SD you might ask. Commodore says greens need to be better at map complaining. Well I'm not a meme maker so lets compare some things (forgot icons, but you get the point). Sing the song while you look.
One of these things are not like other
SD 6 riverside cottagable tiles (I'm assuming there is like a cow or something in the black as his second food; its a cow right RIGHT!!! I can't imagine what other grassland river resource would be fair, but then again.......)
SD has 2 happy resources that he can grab first ring food with......
Minor but he has a seafood to pair with his inland lake making a lighthouse worth it. Mine lake will probably be given to stone city down the line.


One of these things doesn't belong
I have 2 cottagable riverside tiles (man glad Commodore added that massive river)
I have 1 happy resource with no food first ring that I'm already planning on building a monument at another city just so I can then give it one of that cities foods....


 Ya I'm just still miffed at my start; which is probably clouding my judgement. Like even him having a cow?? vs my hill sheep, if I wasn't India having a food on a hill is a very real cost. This did minorly factor into my India decision, although with current micro plan doesn't matter, but it did with the other.

So choke him with axes (assuming he gets an archer out in time) or holy city guaranteeing future conflict??

[Mjmd]

And game over. SD has two warriors that will take copper city. Of course I have 0 warriors because I went with a 2 worker opening. Switched forests to capital and I'll have an axe, but too late.

Did I mention that my copper is towards him and SD has a copper away from me? This start just keeps on giving!!! I also fucked up my chops, but my own damn fault. EDIT: noob mistake, panicked and should have taken my time with chops. I actually would have been fine following original plan. For some reason I didn't check who had played, didn't realize I was the last one. Mind I still blame my copper being pointed at SD.

[Kurumi]

And game over. SD has two warriors that will take copper city. Of course I have 0 warriors because I went with a 2 worker opening. Switched forests to capital and I'll have an axe, but too late.

Did I mention that my copper is towards him and SD has a copper away from me? This start just keeps on giving!!! I also fucked up my chops, but my own damn fault. EDIT: noob mistake, panicked and should have taken my time with chops. I actually would have been fine following original plan. For some reason I didn't check who had played, didn't realize I was the last one. Mind I still blame my copper being pointed at SD.

[Mjmd]

I mean its my fault for not taking my time and making a split second decision for a game I've put hours into....... I would have been fine if I had literally just looked at the macro and timings and if he had played already (he had).

Other mistakes (If you've read my PB52 thread especially early I try to point them out a lot).
1) I should have kept the scout on that side of his cap.
2) I commented in my pick analysis how some people don't take into account the size of the map for their picks, but I didn't for my opening. Mind it was also that I scouted north first and had a false impression of the map (I thought spokes leading into contested areas, not opponent right the hell there). Plus this opening was just super juicy. 

2 worker opening modified
T14: worker pops goes chop forest next to river. Start 2nd worker
T17: agriculture finishes and worker can go farm
T21: complete farm and switch to working
T22: 1st worker to plains hill
T23: start settler, 2nd worker to mine hill 1 turn.
T24: move 2nd worker to forest NE of corn
T26: 1st worker goes south
T27: 1st worker starts chopping forest under city spot, 2nd worker goes to mine grassland  hill for 2 turns, work sheep for 1 turn!! (literally would be short 1 beaker from AH otherwise)
T28: settler finishes, start workboat, switch from sheep to corn
T29: settle taking AH down to 1 turn (as should get trade routes right away), 2nd worker goes NE of sheep to chop 1 turn
T30: revolt to slavery start improving sheep and deer, tech fishing
T31 set slider to 50%
T32 back to 100%
T33: both improvements finish
T34: 1st worker goes to chop plains hill forest in southern city; 2nd worker does 1 chop forest SE of hill.
T35: 2nd worker goes to mine grassland hill finishing it
T37: start settler in 2nd city, 1st chop finishes; 2nd worker for next little bit is just moving and prechopping up north (I may decide to double chop settler from capital out, but still deciding as those forests could be used on other things)
T38: 1st worker goes to chop grassland forest
T40: start settler red alert;
T41: 2nd city finishes settler, whip red alert; 2nd worker puts 1 turn in roading grassland hill. New settler and southern worker go to copper spot
T42: settler from red alert finishes finishes; settler and worker go to eastern spot
T43 settle 3rd and 4th cities

I'll be super interested if anyone gets 4 cities by turn 43. I could have done a 1 worker 1 warrior opening that would have been fine...... If I had scouted west first and known my only copper was pointed at an opponent very close to me.........

Anyways I have to chop out 1 warrior to live. I thought about just letting him raze it (its never been size 2), but that wouldn't be fair to the other people putting hours into this game. Researching archery and will chop 1 of those out to to clear my corn (his scout is on and I imagine his warriors will move there).

[Mjmd]

Lets review now with more info
One of these things are not like other
SD 6 riverside cottagable tiles (I'm assuming there is like a cow or something in the black as his second food; its a cow right RIGHT!!! I can't imagine what other grassland river resource would be fair, but then again.......)
SD has 2 happy resources that he can grab first ring food with......
Minor but he has a seafood to pair with his inland lake making a lighthouse worth it. Mine lake will probably be given to stone city down the line.
SD has a river grassland hill (also an extra hill but minor; main question why all the river to him in general?)
SD has a copper pointed away from near rival.


One of these things doesn't belong
I have 2 cottagable riverside tiles (man glad Commodore added that massive river)
I have 1 happy resource with no food first ring that I'm already planning on building a monument at another city just so I can then give it one of that cities foods....
Not sure how many times to point out river differential
Copper 7 tiles away from opponent.....


ON TOP OF ALL THAT HE HAS 3. 3. YES 3...... food resources all in first tier of tech tree............


I've pretty much come to the conclusion I shouldn't play pitbosses, but if this joke of balancing just confirms that. What were my advantages? I had 1 more forest!!! I would understand less food for more river a la Ramk in PB51, but this is just infuriating to look at. 

BTW purposefully did not grow this turn as it won't affect whip timing for archer and just in case he wins it will raze.

[Amicalola]

Good god, that's all pretty rough. 


I uh, I don't know if there's much more to add. Is there any plan for if you survive the immediate future?

[Mjmd]

Archers! I'm retiring to ded lurking btw if you couldn't tell  

I probably won't post in this thread at all anymore. Overall plan is just to make SD with is late game combo slow down as much as I can manage. I imagine that means archers and early sailing to go pillage 2/3 of his food resources..... Assuming I live that long. If I don't that means he built a bunch of axes, which also will slow him down.