[SPOILER] PB37: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the most aggressive of them all?

[Thoth]

Does Optics no longer require Machinery?

[Krill]

Optics requires Machinery, but Machinery makes too much sense to ignore.

It gives Xbows, archery units without CD bonus but +50% against melee, future proofed against maces for 10 hammers more, can be 1 turned out of AF for CD3 (75% city defense, 60% against melee due to +10% from CD3) so they annihilate swords. It gives collateral in the form of trebs (no, not ideal, but if I need a few seige units fo tactical purposes I can get it, not enough to defend against Gav though). It gives 3 tile improvements (lumber mills, not crazy SMEG mod lumbermills so not really worth it), but watermills and windmills are useful. Mainly watermills though. And it's on the line to caravels and Astro which I need to secure the waters.

What else could I tech? Construction? Well, WE are useless for defending cities against swords, as are cats in the naval theatre but both are useful to defend against Gav, and I do want Colloseums. OTOH, I can revolt into Theocracy if I have an urgent need. And that is why I had to tech Music, because I can't afford to revolt into both Theo and religion if I'm being invaded, but with the free Artist I have that as an option. I want to keep open the option of single bulbing Astro without CoL, if AF pops the GS. It's worth it IMO.

[Krill]

In an interesting turn of events, Gav declared war on JR4 and took a city.

I took this as an opportunity to declare war on Couer and offer peace. If he accepts it, great, I'm certain I'll have enough units around by the time he could declare that he can't take cities (definitely not at a cost effective price), if he doesn't I'm second in turn order and I'll just whip out a shitload of triremes and force him to be distracted as dtay devours yuris.

tl;dr Couer's current plans are being tested, find out this time tomorrow if he plans on being aggressive to me or not.

[Krill]

Anyone see what is promising about this set of demographics?

   

[darrelljs]

Your Approval rating is highest, which means your people are stupid, which means you can enslave them to boost production?

Darrell

[Krill]

That is perfectly true. But I was looking at top land area myself.

Game mechanics question: is it a -25 or -50 percent modifier if you attack from boats without the amphibians promo?

[OT4E]

That is perfectly true. But I was looking at top land area myself.

Game mechanics question: is it a -25 or -50 percent modifier if you attack from boats without the amphibians promo?

50

[Krill]

Hilarious.

C3 shock axes on a hill behind walls with no fort have 99% odds of winning against CR2 swords off boats. 90% if he unloads.

I just need to build triremes.

[Krill]

   

lol. That's someone being butthurt that "secret plans" got spoilt.

I don't think they realise that naval warfare against a prepared opponent isn't going to work particularly well for them. Even if they were to gradually take the cities (hey, maybe they have a 20 unit stack of land units plus the supporting 10 galleys and 10 triremes), they have to siege each city individually.

Meanwhile dtay eats yuris and Gav eats JR4 island cities much quicker. Yes, I understand they want a successful war, but that isn't happening on the same timescale and there are more profitable enterprises ie rush Astro without war that are available.

[Krill]

Any questions?

My current thoughts are about how to get into Theocracy ASAP (I have a grand total of 1 barracks in my empire :D), how many GS I will need to bulb Astro (2 to complete Astro, +1 if I need to bulb Philo, but maybe I can tech it instead?) and how to get to Optics in a reasonable time frame. Next is about Feudalism for Vassalage and double promo boats, when to tech CoL to get scientists, alternate plans depending on how and where I can grow the GS depending on the ability to run pacifism plus the need for Construction to hold the islands (will Couer actually put me in a position where he lands real stacks to try and take island cities?!)