Would you like to play a game??

[Sharkbait]

I'll take it if nobody steps up (arghh - an Apprenticeism!!! Next thing you know I'll be getting a dodgy fake-looking haircut!).

I like the plan RJM. One thing I was wondering though was whether it is worth raising the lux rate to get some of the other cities growing a bit at this stage (mainly for a few more shields to offset the support costs we have). Also, we've got quite a lot of things to do in terms of wonders etc and there isn't any super-urgent techs just around the corner so it shouldn't impact us too greatly.

Another thing is whether it might be worth building a settler or 2 down in the south cities to uncover the hidden silks for Susa and to do the roads / forts. The time it takes vans to get from there to Arbela without roads means it might be quicker this way.

And some more ships would be good!

ps One weird thing I noticed was when you change TSL to 0/70/30 you get 3g income, but when you change it to 0/60/40 you get 0g income! Then 0/50/50 gives 6g income and 0/40/60 gives 0g, while 0/30/70 gives 3g. Any ideas why???

[Bloody Monk]

Yes!! Definitely, in my way of thinking anyway, raise the Lux slider to 60%, more or less, for a few turns. All seven of the size3 possibles will grow for at least one turn. Very quickly they will drop out for lack of food so check their status every turn.

I had noticed the tax revenue issue you mention. I think it is a rounding issue but didn't pursue it for a certainty. Which ever one of the three is calculated last is done by subtraction, if IRC.

Good luck. We could benifit from quiet Barbs and Zufolk.

Sharkbait has the game. 10 turns.

Monk

[Sharkbait]

My goals for this turnset were;

- maintain the SSC growth each turn
- Keep improving the land around the SSC
- build Shakes (and Copes if time allows)
- start getting a road network built so the van rehoming can take place in a timely way (so a settler or two is needed)
- keep techs coming, but we don’t need too many urgently at the moment, so take them when possible, and gift to the AI when necessary if they’re studying them
- a couple more ships for Aztec trade

I managed to get some done but not all, mainly due to our less than optimal ship chains and lack of roads to make rehoming easier. I delivered one van at the end which I didn’t rehome since I was starting to worry that demand would change before they could be rehomed and then delivered. We also needed the cash.

Here’s the log (minus the preliminary analysis I did to establish what the goals were)

360(0) – TSL set to 30/20/50 to get celebrations breaking out in all size 3+ cities. Tech will be discovered next turn too so no worries there. RB van in Persepolis. 255g left

Karakorum builds Great Library. Mongs change to Leo’s, French to Pyramids. Celts get Poly from French, who get Iron W in return. Mongs get Iron from GL. Aztecs have nearly completed Pyramids.

380(1) – Theory of Gravity – Chemistry started. Arbela hides van produced & Persep food van. Pop 970K. 6 vans outside Arbela so Shakes can be built in 1 turn next time (vans not quite there yet). So I RB another van in Arbela. Susa production changed to settler.

Tenochitlan builds Pyramids. French abandon.

400(2) – Arbela hides van, starts Shakes. 6 vans disbanded to complete the wonder. 2 hides vans dropped by Athens.

TSL set to 10/30/60 to keep celebrations going. Can’t sustain them in Susa, so RB a settler there. 74g left.

Celts studying Gunpowder, Zulus Astro, French Democracy (good), Aztecs Seafaring, Greeks Astro, Mongs Chivalry. (I have been checking this each time – honest).

Visit Zulus, swap Theory of Grav for Seafaring, swap maps, end.
Visit Aztecs, gift Invention & Seafaring. Am going to leave gifting Astro for the moment.

Celts & French start Leo’s.

420(3) Shakes built in Arbela – sewer started. Susa produces settler, heads off to do some roading. No food surplus in Susa so no growth possible (it supporting 2 settlers now).

Arbela salt to Athens (N) 118g, Arbela hides to Athens (D) 236g.

Can’t get cities to keep celebrating so TSL to 10/60/30.

Celts studying Gunpowder, Zulus Astro, French Democ, Aztec Navigation, Greeks Astro, Mong Chiv.

Visit Greeks, gift Invention, Seafaring, Bridges, Engineering and finally (!) Astro. Maps swapped.
Visit Zulus, gift Invention, Bridges, Astro, swap maps.

422g in bank. Tarsus prod to trireme and RB, Canal van RB, Pasag van RB. 228g left. Saving some cash as I want to RB the sewer in Arbela next turn after some shields are added (it should cost 224g by my calcs).

Aztecs develop Navigation – good! (But I only remember they have it right at the end of my turns and do some trades with it then, so that’s not so good. Actually works out OK in the end).

440(4) – Canal coal van, Pasag food van. Arbela sewer rushed for 224g (I was right), so 4g left. Will need the sewer net turn – Arb at size 11 now.

Celts studying Gunpowder, Zulus Gunpowder, French Democ, Aztecs Physics, Greeks Nav, Mongs Chiv.

460(5) – Arbela sewer – starts van. Arb hides to Athens (D) 264g. TSL to 60/10/30 as tech done next turn. Athens still wants Spice, Hides, Silver. Tenoch wants Gems, Silver, Beads while Teoti wants Coal, Silver , (Salt).

RB Sardis trireme, Persep shields so van will be done in 2 turns, RB Susa van. 54g left.

480(6) – Chemistry – Democracy started (over Econ and War Code). Susa beads van, Sardis trireme – starts van.

Arbela now makes 10 shields per turn (good) but sadly the hides supply has dried up(bad)! Now makes Wine, Dye & Gold. RB Arb van, 41g left.

TSL to 10/60/30 (tech 7 turns).

500(7) – Arb gold van (demanded by Mongols – thought they might like a delivery and the Aztecs and Athens don’t want any of Arbela’s products). Persep coal van.

Celt govt overthrown (Monarchy).

520(8) – Arb hides to Athens (D) 272g, and then another for 272g.

Athens now wants Dye, Hides & Silver. We don’t produce hides anywhere. Tenoch wants (Copper), Gems, Silk while Teoti want Coal, Silver, (Salt).

TSL to 60/10/30 as tech done.

582g – RB Arb van, Pasag van, Canal van, Tarsus (partial), Bactra van, Susa van. 92g left.

540(9) – Democracy – Navigation (over War C and Econ). No revolution thanks.

Arbela dye van, Susa dye van, Pasag coal van, Bactra silk van, Canal silk van.

Visit French, gift Democ, swap maps.

Greeks & French cancel peace.

560(10) – Tarsus silk van.

Canal coal van (D) to Teotihuacan 225g. It now demands (Coal), Silver, Copper. Arbela hides (last one!) to Athens (D) 312g.

Tech done, but then remember that Aztecs have it! I don’t deliver the non-demanded beads van, instead visit Aztecs and swap Nav for University, maps. Then visit Greeks, gift Nav, swap maps. Then visit Mongols, swap Chemistry for Iron Working – hope to get Gunpowder offered next time and we should discover it pretty much immediately.

TSL set to 50/10/40 as tech is due.

I’ll leave the 627g for the next player to spend. There are 11 vans about but mostly heading to Arbela for rehoming. 2 are food waiting outside Arbela for the time when we can build Copes.

So there you go. Time seemed to run out before I could get all I wanted done.

Arbela has grown each turn which was a main goal, but I didn’t manage to get round to building Copes (although the cash is there to rush the vans needed). The AI are mostly trying to build Leo’s – a nice to have but not critical I guess.

The roads (lack thereof) make it hard to rehome quickly, and in the end I sent 2 vans to the Aztecs without doing so because it was getting frustrating. I’ve got 1 settler on the job but we need a few more doing it – the small cities of Sidon, Bactra and Gordium are slow builders and are not close enough to want to RB too much there at present. Same goes for the southern cities to a lesser extent.

I was starting to aim for engineers to get this work done faster – we really need a god road system and soon. Also, Zimbabwe demands wine which Arbela makes, but we’d want to road in place before delivery for the bonus.

I think Arbela will need a market pretty soon too – should help the celebrations keep coming while we build vans for Copes.

I gave the AI techs pretty readily, and was a bit worried about them starting the key wonders, but Leo’s is so popular with them that there is nobody doing Copes yet. E just want to make sure we have the vans in place when the message that somebody has nearly finished Leo’s. But given their small sizes the AIs shouldn’t be done too soon. I wanted to keep the vans flowing for cash, and with the techs the AI were studying I could see that I could guide them along quite a lot, so ended up doing more of this than I planned. Possibly to the detriment of building wonders for ourselves but it seemed like we can get those next turn. The Aztecs and Mongols have Monotheism too, so Copes v soon and then Mikes not long after would be good. There are enough vans around that we could rush some food vans, rehome existing ones and deliver 3 or 4 turns later in time to rush some more food vans.

Here’s the save:

[rjmatsleepers]

One small point that I forgot to mention and Sharkbait left for the next player. The temple in Arbela is now redundant and can be sold. Arbela seems to have a good food surplus, but some tiles that aren't producing any trade arrows - a few more roads would be good.

RJM

[Sharkbait]

One more thing I found out with a bit of checking. We're going to discover the next tech we choose on the same turn, so we can discover Gunpowder and trade to the other AIs who are studying it. However, Explosives will not be available after that unless we get one more tech from the AI. The only techs we can swap for are Warrior Code and Feudalism, and only the Mongols have Feud and they won't talk further this turn. So we'd have to take WC this turn, which we don't otherwise need.

Not sure if it is that important - we could wait another tech before getting engineers, but thought I'd raise the issue.

[Scouse Gits]

Sounds great to me - still think it's more fun to Exterminate!

Stu

[Bloody Monk]

Originally posted by Sharkbait
One more thing I found out with a bit of checking. We're going to discover the next tech we choose on the same turn, so we can discover Gunpowder and trade to the other AIs who are studying it. However, Explosives will not be available after that unless we get one more tech from the AI. The only techs we can swap for are Warrior Code and Feudalism, and only the Mongols have Feud and they won't talk further this turn. So we'd have to take WC this turn, which we don't otherwise need.

Not sure if it is that important - we could wait another tech before getting engineers, but thought I'd raise the issue.

Good job with your turnset, Sharkbait, and for checking the tech list. Getting GP will open a choice for Metalurgy, which we will need. Trading for WC will add ~26 beakers to every research from now to the end for a tech we won't "need". Were it me I would not trade for WC now. Even without deliveries it will only be six-seven turns to finish (Metal, for instance) and then get to work on Explosives.

I echo your call for more roads (and soon, rails!). Somehow a way must be found for more cities to support Sett/Engr. Where they are built, some immediate local irrigation might be needed before they are set to roading. Future players think about building the Station City I previously mentioned so that roaded-routes can be set for Zim.

Here is a thought (in the name of dirthole cities) for the next player. Rehome the Bactra Settler so it will have a food surplus and have some chance for growth.

They game is moving along nicely. Who will be next??

Monk

[Sharkbait]

Tyre is going to start celebrating, so maybe RB a settler there in a turn or 2 - it has a decent food surplus (especially if you move a Pasag worker from the river and let Tyre work it). Also, the SSC will reach 21 soon and then the irrigation can hold for a bit as we might be better off giving some TLC to some other cities (as well as finish the roads).

[Bloody Monk]

Players wanted!!

Now is the time for some enterprising operator to step forward and show the way.

Who will be next??

Monk

[Sharkbait]

In the absence of volunteers, jump in Monk and show the way!

There should be a bit of cash around once some of the existing vans are delivered.

[StuporMan]

I am still around here, and I *CAN* take the wheel for a set. I was holding off on doing so since I have done a recent turnset.

I would be quite happy to see Bloody Monk take a set of turns. So I will wait to see if he chooses to take the reigns for a while.

StuporMan

[Bloody Monk]

In this type of format everyone but the last to play can "call the ball." So, by all means jump in keep things moving. That goes for all that have played or are thinking of playing. The rules, such as there are, are in the first post. So far, too many seem to be one and done.

As for me, thanks but not now. That window has (hopefully temporarily) closed again.

Monk

[Ecthy]

You guys are lousy. My way of playing destroyed the Zulu thousands of years ago

[rjmatsleepers]

Originally posted by Ecthy
You guys are lousy. My way of playing destroyed the Zulu thousands of years ago

Perhaps you would like to pick up the current save and show us the way.

RJM

[Ecthy]

Like I did before and you guys cried to mommy