01: A space oddysy I

[Bird]

I can't play tonight. Tomorrow night is ok, and Sunday is ok too.

[Paul]

Ming already mentioned that he couldn't play today and tomorrow. With Xin and Bird also not available I think we would have too many substitutes if we continued today. Maybe tomorrow? Rah, Xin and Bird have already said that they can play tomorrow and I can also play. If Matt and Oedo can also play tomorrow we would need only a sub for Ming.

[oedo]

I can play most likely tomorrow night.

[Matthew]

Then tomorrow it will end.

[Matthew]

I believe that the discovery of the railroad halves the value of all caravans, not just the value of the caravans of those who discoveredit. I could be mistaken. I'll play tonight if we continue this game.

[Paul]

Well, if we can all (except Ming) play tonight then all we need is a replacement for Ming. Any thoughts on who that should be? Markus did very well in the first game we played, so if he's available I think he should play.

[Ming]

Smartfart said he might be around early. I can probably play later... but not start early. All the person has to do is continue building settlers and caravans, and work toward Mono... should be easy

[Xin Yu]

I can start anytime after 2pm PST.

[Bird]

I'd say 8:00 Eastern U.S. (7:00 Central). That seems to be when most people become available. I know I won't be home before then, so if the urge and ability to start earlier arises, feel free to use a sub for me until I get home.

Strategy wise, I do not think I will have more than 6 cities by the time we need to build spaceship parts. I have 3 now and two are almost finished celebrating to size 7 or 8. The other is not size 3 yet. My plan is to build a caravan in each city, buy aqueducts and colloseums and start celebrating again. After that, I will rushbuild a settler or engineer for each city to do terrain improvements and then focus strictly on caravans -- as much for money as science b/c those ss parts will be expensive. I could use a transport to help me send caravans across to Paul because I think he will be too inundated with caravans from each civ to take full advantage of the beakers.

That's the plan, anyway. Critiques welcome, though, as this is a team effort.

[markusf]

game has already started?

[Xin Yu]

I have some important business and have to log off by 8pm PT (10pm central). Hopefully Ming will be available then and take over my civ.

I'm still in monarchy with 3 cities. I contributed 3 triemes, 1 settler, 1 explorer to Rah so there's not much left for myself. The cities are at sizes 2-3 at the moment.

[Paul]

Markus, no we haven't started yet. I suppose we will start around 8 pm eastern again. I don't know exactly who will be there; most likely most players will be there except Ming. He mentioned that Smartfart might be around, but that doesn't sound 100% sure. I suggest you just hang around and see if we get 7 players.

[rah]

Just woke up from my nap. The wife has gone to her mothers for the afternoon, so I can start anytime.

RAH

[Matthew]

I guess Markusf will be taking over for Ming?

I can play after 8:00 P.M. eastern as well,if not earlier.We have a great start, and I think the challengewill be met tonight.

Bird: Most excellent. I was thinking that someone else needed to get a few big cities to take full advantage of trade routes. I've built 2 cities in locations with good potential for growth just in case, but large cities is not what I am going for here.

I don't intend to build any more cities for a while,and have only 7 now, but hope to have12 by game's end.

Also, I am concentrating on science. IE 3 trade routes per pathetically small city, and a university and library in each. .At that point, once I'm in Democracy, at 100% science, I'll be getting 420 science + with my 7 cities. I may even get around to temples at that point. Someone else should try something similar with market places and banks, and go with 100 % taxes. I think Ming was doing something similar to what I am doing, so perhaps Markusf should do it.
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by Matthew (edited August 05, 2000).]</font>

[rah]

WE NEED MORE CITIES>
I will start laying cities in just a few turns. I have no intention of building a civ, just cities.