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[Spoiler] Fintourist loses his multiplayer virginity

popcorn

Can imagine why you hit the "refresh page" on the tracker...
Played: FFH PBEM XXVI (Rhoanna) FFH PBEM XXV (Shekinah) FFH PBEM XXX (Flauros) Pitboss 11 (Kublai Rome)
Playing:Pitboss 18 (Ghengis Portugal) PBEM 60 - AI start (Napoleon Inca)
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Just a couple of turns... popcorn
Finished:
PBEM 45G, PB 13, PB 18, PB 38 & PB 49

Top 3 favorite turns: 
#1, #2, #3
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Hurry up!
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Turn 144

Today there has been no turn, but let's write a bit about the T144 that I covered yesterday evening. Main international news were Sareln's launch of 2-person Golden Age. He birthed a Great Scientist last turn, which means that he should still have one Great Person (Artist/Prophet/Scientist) sitting unless he has bulbed/settled/bombed without me noticing.

Domestically I whipped two Galleons and finished the last Janissary joining the attack as described last time. Now I'm hoping to be able to build some infra again. Whipping military has affected my strong crop yield and GNP position. Whipping multipliers or just growing cities would have been stronger economically. Anyways, I feel that I still have couple of aces in my pocket and I will not be regretting my little military adventure even if I would not achieve anything. This waiting is killing me! lol

But now, since I have some time, let's talk a bit about long-term tech plans! After winning Liberalism, I grabbed the necessary military techs (Gunpowder+Astronomy) and now it is time for new adventures. hammer You can find my current tech tree in spoilers:

[Image: PBEM%2045%20T144a0000.JPG]
[Image: PBEM%2045%20T144bb0000.JPG]
[Image: PBEM%2045%20T144c0000.JPG]

Okay,
I have two conflicting goals/targets/opportunities:

1. Achieve a military advantage by beeling military techs
At the moment this would mean beelining Rifling and drafting Rifles like crazy. Regarding naval power, Chemistry (Frigates) would be the next improvement step. I feel that I'm in a position to take an opponent down or at least gain some land if I go with Rifling beeline. However, this map is so big that everyone should be able to develop a decent economy if one is allowed to expand/tech in peace. I don't like the idea of taking one opponent down with a costly attack and then finding myself in the 2nd place or with a new threatening opponent. Hmm... Or could I afford it..

2. Achieve a military advantage via production edge
This would in my case mean active expansion and workshop economy. I have already pre-built quite a few workshops (currently completely useless) and state property will definitely be an important civic for me. However, workshops are kind of worthless if I don't have Guilds and Chemistry, which both provide +1 hammer for the improvement and therefore I still have quite a few techs to finish before I can work 2/4/0 grassland-workshops. This of course means delaying Rifling for quite some time.

So the direct beelines for each option look something like this:

1.
Alphabet -> Printing Press -> Feudalism -> Guilds -> Banking -> Replecable Parts -> Rifling
That's roughly 11000 beakers. Not that many actually. I'm making close to 400 beakers per turn with break-even research and I promise that my speed will improve. I guess I have mentioned it, but if everything goes accorging to my plans I will soon spend 16 turns in Golden Age.

2.
Alphabet -> Printing Press -> (Feudalism -> Guilds) -> (Construction -> Engineering -> Chemistry) -> Scientific Method -> Communism
Straight communism Beeline would happen faster, but if I want Guilds and Chemistry also, I need something like 15000 beakers.

Additionally it would be nice to win Great Merchant from Economics, get Literature for Epics etc... crazyeye
My first decision will be whether I go with Printing Press first or beeline Economics. Printing Press provides me immediately 26 extra commerce with half of them in my Bureaucracy capital. This translates to an increase of roughly 7 % compared to my total commerce production. However, better measure is probably my profit increase (total commerce - maintanence costs in terms of commerce), which will be about 15 %. 15 % increase is quite much especially when it's taken into account that I've been working a lot of financial coast. But on the other hand, Sareln already has Feudalism + Guilds and that merchant & free market civic are also worth a lot of beakers... mischief

Currently I have Alphabet selected, which I have avoided until now, because I did not want to show my opponents what techs I have researched. However, now as Sareln finished Alphabet, Hydra is the only one without the tech and thanks to his courthouses he can see my research anyways...

Conclusion
I think I will go with the option 2 with some kind of variation. My two (hopefully) incoming Golden Ages will be a boost that I need and I hope to find myself in a strong position once I'm done with them! However, there are many variables in the air currently... crazyeye
Finished:
PBEM 45G, PB 13, PB 18, PB 38 & PB 49

Top 3 favorite turns: 
#1, #2, #3
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Turns 145 & 146

I promise that this is the last "boring update"! You got to stay tuned! Something will happen soon! hammer

Before that lets discuss the state of the game. Teching Alphabet allowed me to update my C&D file with everybody's techs. The most interesting findings/events in the tech front are:
  • Sareln finished Banking and is own his way to Economics -> This made my own tech path choice easier. I'm currently teching Printing Press and stop dreaming about the free great merchant
  • Hydra seems to have Astronomy yikes That's not really something I expected. He's gone a pretty straight beeline since he does not have that many other techs.. --> My northern cities must be prepared for surprise attacks especially if Hydra's power starts rising
  • Viqsi just got Nationalism --> I must pay attention so that I don't lose Taj. Viqsi finished Hanging Gardens some 25 turns ago, which means that she is probably going to get a Great Engineer at some point. If that happens I have to whip Taj immediately. She also seems to have some forests still unchopped. Not enough for 1-turning Taj or anything, but yeah.. Let's see how my nerves let me keep slowbuilding the wonder..

Here is the F4 tech screen for reference:
[Image: PBEM%2045%20T146%20Techs0000.JPG]

Total beakers teched:
Fintourist 22659
Sareln 21273
Viqsi 13551
Azza 12350
Hydra 10529

No. of cities
Fintourist 17
Azza 17
Sareln 13
Viqsi 13
Hydra 11

So yeah, me and Sareln are definitely ahead the others in the tech front. Azza's city count is promising and economical benefits should start showing at some point.

I think I'm still in the lead, but as already often stated, Sareln compensates his lower city count with his strong wonder collection. He is currently enjoying his 2nd MoM-powered golden age, which is showing in the demos:

[Image: Demos%20EOT1460000.JPG]

Yeah, I guess he is producing significantly more culture than me (~50) and building some wealth, but the fact is that when Sareln is in Golden Age and I'm not, he is catching in the tech front. Someone should do something about it.. mischief
Finished:
PBEM 45G, PB 13, PB 18, PB 38 & PB 49

Top 3 favorite turns: 
#1, #2, #3
Reply

And yeah, maybe I should comment on the latest out-of-game event of BaII replacing Hydra: Based on the few bits I have seen from BaII, I estimate him to be approximately on the same skill level with Hydra. So that should not really change the game. However, as a new member of the RB and new joiner in the game he is surely more motivated to perform well than what Hydra would have been. Therefore, I must be more on my toes and not trust that I will forever have a neighbour with absolutely no military..

Nevertheless, BaII's starting position is so weak (last in all the major demo categories shown above) that he really needs some luck before he can even dream about winning or something-
Finished:
PBEM 45G, PB 13, PB 18, PB 38 & PB 49

Top 3 favorite turns: 
#1, #2, #3
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I'm stumped on how to pronounce BaII. Is it bye, or ball or B.A.2? It might be a bit mean to attack him the minute he joins the game so I guess you're hitting sareln. It's a little late for a sareln rush though..
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No idea, how to pronounce BaII lol

And you are correct, I'm not planning to ruin his first couple of turns.. As people have guessed here, I'm going after Sareln. We'll see whether I can cause some damage or am I simply harming myself.. And yeah, I guess I'm introducing a new version of rushing Sareln: "Astronomy-rushing" hammer
Finished:
PBEM 45G, PB 13, PB 18, PB 38 & PB 49

Top 3 favorite turns: 
#1, #2, #3
Reply

Turn 147

The big turn finally arrived! Full reporting will follow as I get over the huge hang-over that I'm suffering currently and get couple of work things done. However, let's start with a little "teaser"..

[Image: War%20Teaser.JPG]

mischief
Finished:
PBEM 45G, PB 13, PB 18, PB 38 & PB 49

Top 3 favorite turns: 
#1, #2, #3
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Ouch.
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