[Spoilers] Beyond the Sword and Back - Ilios relearns some old tricks

[Ilios]

Yeah, it could also be working a citizen, transcend, or invisible borehole.

Pick one.

[Ilios]

Well, another Warrior spawned in the Barb city, which means more free experience, and my two Axemen bringing it into the Incan fold.

[Ilios]

Well, bleep... Yuris finished the Oracle. I was going to finish it on T56.

I only invested about 110% of a turn at max research to get Polytheism, so not a big loss, but damn, I really could have used Currency right now... I have run out of things to build, and I need to stop building units for a bit because I'm only at about +10 gold at max gold. I guess I'll just have to slog to Currency and halt expansion for the time being. I can get it in about 5-6 turns at max research, so I'll need about 150-200 gold to get it (I'm at 70 right now). Gold tile will be improved next turn, and I'll have four Libraries in a couple of turns, but I'll still have to save for at least a couple more turns.

Oh well, I did pop a hut with my starting Scout that was still untouched in the northern wastes, and got me Fishing (yay!).

I guess I could prepare some Settlers for when Currency comes in, half build some more units, build Barracks, etc etc.

Needless to say, I haven't captured the barb city yet. I'll just farm experience until I can actually pay for its upkeep.

Hmm, Polytheism unlocks Artemis, but without the Marble multiplier, that's a pretty shitty Wonder to get. I could have 3 chops coming into Roth on T56, and I could get around 60 hammers overflow, but that still is only 100 hammers for a 234 hammer crap Wonder.

Does anyone know if that little trick where you build a Wonder in several cities still works?

[darrelljs]

Converting hammer chops into gold (without Marble) isn't a good idea even if that trick still works.

Darrell

[Ilios]

Converting hammer chops into gold (without Marble) isn't a good idea even if that trick still works.

Darrell

Yeah, without the hammer mulitplier it clearly isn't worth it. I'll check tonight what I can put my cities to work (start, but not finish, Settlers and Units, Barracks in some cities etc).

Also, with the Gold tile and two extra Libraries, I believe I should be able to bring down Currency to 4 turns at 100% research. I'm going to see if I can time the end of research with me capturing the barb city for the capture gold. Sucks to lose the Oracle, but then again I haven't invested a lot in it anyways. I'll just cancel the chops that are coming in, and hopefully build a wonder later on (Hanging Gardens?).

[Ilios]

Oh I forgot to mention that Whosit finished the Piramids, I think it was the same turn. That would explain why he's so far behind in the demo's. He did found city four and five in quick succession.

I took a couple of screenshots after ending T57.

Overview:



The empire's economy is doing a lot better than expected. I have been able to turn tech back on, four turns till I get Currency. Not enough cash at the moment for the full four turns, but I will take the barb city when I run out of cash, which should bankroll me and get those Wealth builds going.

I still haven't decided, but I'll probably grab all the jungle sites at the same time:



I'm going to need Iron Working anyhow to get the barb city up and running, so I might as well grab those sites and prepare the rush to the sea. I'll have ten Workers next turn, and more than a couple of them will be handed a machete and told to get cutting.

Demo's:



Still doing pretty good, but then again I have early game traits, so to be expected.

Next will be expand, build, and then stomp someone.

[Ilios]

In the last couple of turns:

- Yuris grabbed Code of Laws, founding Confucianism. No religions for poor Ilios... He got either Currency or Metal Casting as the Oracle free tech. On T60 he also switched from Buddhism to Confu, presumably to pop borders. He also grabbed a city to my northeast, where I was planning to found a city to grab a dry Corn so the city could work the desert Gold. I don't really know what to do with the area, as it is quite food poor. He is the second to six cities.

- Whosit spent two consecutive turns in anarchy, one to switch Civics (Representation and Org Religion) and the second to convert to Judaism. He's pretty far behind, actually tied in last place with Gazglum. I'm not sure if the Piramids this early was the right call, because unless his lands are extremely food abundant, I'm not sure how many of those specialists he will be able to work. Let's say I'm glad I didn't pick a Philosophical leader in this game. I should join a Torusland game one of these. In any case, he'll need to grow his cities first (I have no vision on them, but graphs suggest smallish cities). He has five of them at the moment.

- Dhalphir in third place in this game, with good food graphs. Not much else to say about him. He has a nice little army, and hasn't founded any cities close to me yet. That coastal area is still unclaimed, and he better hurry or I'll take it. He's the third at getting six cities. Would be nice if he and Whosit went at it.

- Gazglum is struggling at the moment. Yuris has build the Oracle in a border city facing a city of his (Argo), and will be culturally crushed soon. I'm not sure what I would have done with his lands, his capital only has one food resource, and nothing much around in good city sites. He's at five cities.

Onto the turn!

First up, I liberate my seventh city:



More than sixty gold, that's actually pretty nice, and allows me to finish Currency easily this turn.

I got Yuri's graphs last turn, so I'll just dump them in here:

GNP

Bear in mind my cities are producing over 30 culture, so I'm not doing THAT good. GNP will go through the roof once I start putting a couple of cities to Wealth builds.

MFG

With the nerf of Slavery (I think I 2-pop whipped one city in this game), and the lack of abundant food, I've been relying on tile hammers to keep me ahead. I've got double my nearest competitor after ending the turn.

Food

Dalphir and Yuri are slowly catching up. They will continue playing catch-up when I found another two cities in the fertile jungle area on T63.

Power

As mentioned earlier, Dhalphir has a big army, he must be paying quite some upkeep costs (the number if free units increase as your population increases. Everyone else is pretty even.

Culture

No religions, lots of culture.

Now for a little city breakdown:

Auster

Poor capital has to share practically all of its tiles. And working a sexy plains farm, yeah baby! I've had to juggle its tiles every turn to be able to grow it to a respectable size eight. Not really a good candidate for God King Bureaucracy, unfortunately. I feel like trying Vassalage/Serfdom. I got plenty of hills, and my lands are basically between two big rivers. I won't be slaving those food poor big cities.

Roth

River sided, two nice food resources, lots of green hills and Copper. I want to move my capital here, but spending 107 hammers for aesthetic reasons is just not done in a competitive game. It would be a lot more central if I conquered Whosit's lands though...

Chabon

Working on my first great person. Not sure what I'm going to do with the Scientist though. Building an Academy or settling the GS it is out of the question. Golden Age would be nice, but not really necessary right now. Hmm, I could use it to bulb Philosophy, if I really insist on getting a religion. I think I just need to clear Code of Laws and Meditation. Needs more thought, because I was thinking of building Paya, and switching to Free Religion.

Tartt

Ah good old Tartt. Soon you will be spitting out armies like there's no tomorrow. But first you'll build Wealth while you grow.

Franzen

Defiantly facing the Indian empire, this little gem is one of the pillars of the Incans. I farmed the floodplains so it would get to +6 food while working the Gold tile. Currently the only city getting two defenders. Slated for Wealth duty until it reaches its happy cap.

Mieville

Stealing Auster's food tiles from the east, this city will be a hammer/commerce hybrid, and currently has my only source of Horse. I'm not sure if I should whip the Terrace to completion next turn, or just let it finish naturally. That Horse tile is pretty awesome. Workers have just finished the Ivory camp, and will be moving to help out improving barb city.

Martin

Speaking of which. I think I'll farm a grass river after improving the Rice to get +6 food here as well. Nice little city, once my Workers get rid of that fetid jungle surrounding it.

And lastly, my armed forces:



Nothing special, but I do have some more Axes waiting to be finished.

Even more lastly, demo's:



Your move, gentlemen.

[darrelljs]

You should beeline Divine Right, the mod made it less sucky I'm sure.

Darrell

[Ilios]

You should beeline Divine Right, the mod made it less sucky I'm sure.

Darrell

Thanks Darrell. I always appreciate your valuable strategic input.

[Ilios]

T63, two new cities added to the empire:



In the bottom left corner you can see an exploring Dhalphir Axeman. I was very tempted to just kill it with my Chariot, but decided against it. I would like to have friendly relations with Dhalphir and Gazglum, so hopefully he appreciates the gesture (my Chariot came into view as he moved the Axe).

Last turn I discovered Iron Working, and Iron appeared in a great spot:



Right at my future military pump.

Last screenshot, my increasingly ballooning costs:



I could grab Alphabet, Code of Laws and Meditation and bulb Philosophy with the Scientist, but I'm still not entirely sure I need a religion. Can I do this without the hammer bonus from Organized Religion?

But then what do I do with the Great Scientist?