AU 101: Crowding & War

[Puma]

1175bc and on

1175bc and on
Settler has completed in Kyoto, it moves out to found town #4, somewhere north of Osaka. Kyoto continues making settlers. Northern chariot trespasses English lands to reveal Warwick and surrounding terrain. Liz complains about my chariot’s intrusion – yes maam, I’ll get moving right out … The third city site is reached; but I finally realize that this isn’t the best spot. City #3 should be closer to the iron and have initial access to the cattle and plain squares. Settler moves, wasting another turn.

[Puma]

1125bc and on
Site #3, Tokyo is founded. It must produce a temple lest it convert to English law. Second slave pair leaves Kyoto and proceeds to connect the iron and Tokyo to Osaka. I goof around with the chariot at the north … there’s another iron resource by Nottingham. Liz keeps getting in the way of the fun, telling me to keep out of her territory. The English have masonry, but I can’t buy it. I’m surprised that England hasn’t already declared war. Are they really that passive? Generally, in emperor mode, I find myself surrounded by very annoyed neighbours, even when I don’t hurt anyone. I have developed a loathing for the Persians. What’s wrong Liz? Then, I remember that culturally-linked starting locations are set to off – that’s probably it. Specific location for town #4 must be chosen. Osaka’s floodplain wheat is roaded. One slave will connect town #4 to Osaka, one will improve Osaka’s second flood plain. Liz has recently researched mysticism.

[Puma]

1050bc

1050bc
Settler is ready in Kyoto. It heads towards the wine tiles southwest of Osaka, where NF used to be; we’ll settle town #5 there.
The Iroquois are stuck at 18gold. NF is back to size 1. They built something. I use my chariot near Salamanca to pillage the rest of the road near Salamanca.
Elizabeth hasn’t researched beyond writing, I am sure, given that she recently discovered mysticism.
I may have to hit the Iroquois soon again given that they just built a worker or another settler. Now is not the time to let even one mounted warrior around. My iron hookup will take sometime. I remember, Japanese horsemen can upgrade to samurai.
With writing in 28 turns, I decide to switch research to horseback riding and research it as fast as possible. Click on Horsebackriding in the F6 screen. Move the slider in the F1 screen to increase research. I only have 23 gold in my treasury. Setting research at 50% of commerce, horsebackriding is possible in 25 turns, at a net loss of 2gold/turn. Can’t afford that. Setting research at 40%, horseback riding is available in 38 turns at net gain of 0gold/turn. Not acceptable. When I go back to the F6 screen in order to switch research back to writing - which I know I can safely do, my writing research gets reset to 37 turns at my current 40% research rate. What? Oh no! I moved the slider! What was I thinking!?
I leave research on horsebackriding in 40turns, at 10% research rate, giving me a gain of 3gold/turn.
Now I think some more. Since the Ais give writing a high possession priority to the point that they even try extorting it from me – it is my suspicion and hope that Hiawatha will buy writing from England. I might need to give Hiawatha an extension in life – take writing from him, and then take the remaining techs (behind writing) by way of England. Anyway, at emperor level, the AI seems to trade with significantly more ease than I can with it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Hiawatha somehow ends up getting writing. This sort of thing happens too often in huge maps. Maybe it’ll happen here too.

[Puma]

1025bc

1025bc
City #4, Edo, is founded. The situation doesn’t look bad anymore. Kyoto begins spear production.

[Puma]

1000bc

1000bc
Liz stopped complaining about my intrusions. She is building the Oracle. Sure whatever. I have learned to not even think about manually racing for the wonders in the Ancient Age, the AI’s advantage is just so great that if I try I’ll simply succeed in wasting shield production for 20 turns. F7 shows that no wonders have been completed. I also realize that as of now, I can’t tell if any more techs are researched. I finally have the right mind of moving the elite Osaka warrior to garrison Tokyo.
975bc
Liz has 295 in her account. I build city #5, Satsuma, on a wine tile, near NF’s ashes. It would have been better placed right on NF’s ashes, in order to enable citizen work on all four wine tiles; but I have a tremendous dislike for having to reconnect pillaged luxuries. Satsuma’s location is not great but it does the job of controling that territory.

[Puma]

950bc and on

950bc
French build the Colossus. Liz has 296 in her account, apparently gaining 1gold/turn.
An Iroquois settler-spear team appears south of Salamanca. Good thing I already built Satsuma, hopefully their third city will be in a reasonable location so I can take it without having to resettle the area.
We now gain +7gold/turn. A spear from Kyoto heads to garrison Tokyo
900bc
Iroquois build Grand River again. My chariot leaves their territory and proceeds to garrison Satsuma.
875bc
I see that the space north of Edo remains free. It contains two unused cattle, a nearby river and some good tiles. I switch Osaka’s production to a settler, having mainly used the granary as a production storage device; settler is due in 2 turns. smile
Edo, to the north and Tokyo are still producing temple. Kyoto is producing spears.
Treasury is 39gold, and has a now whooping gain of 9gold/turn. We are growing people!

[Puma]

850bc

850bc
Alpha near London gets booted from his mountain position. The English built Oxford, their ninth town, east of London, culturally covering the iron tile. I can’t see town 8, somewhere southeast of London.
And the turns continue …
Greeks build pyramids in Sparta on 750bc
Kyoto continues building spear. Satsuma starts on a temple. Tokyo’s cattle tile helps growth; work on barracks begins. War is coming. Edo is still chugging away at the temple. An Iroquois slave finally starts roading the Iron.

650bc
Japan’s treasury: 157gold, with a 14gold/turn gain.
Osaka’s settler builds Kagoshima to the north of Edo. Basically, all space is occupied on this continent. Kyoto can’t grow beyond 6 – starts producing worker.
Hiawatha, as hoped and suspected, has obtained writing. He will sell it for 157 gold and 1gold/turn. Too much I think. I would still need to get masonry and math after that. I build and wait. Those techs aren’t going anywhere. In retrospect, that was a very reasonable price. Wasn’t it?

[Puma]

610bc and on

610bc and on
Iron is linked. Swordman production begins in Kyoto at 3 turns a pop. Osaka and Tokyo are working on barracks. Edo, Satsuma and Kagoshima are producing temples. We have 4 native workers and 4 slaves. I do not wish to produce anymore because populations must now increase to enable faster swordman production.
Horseback Riding in 21 turns, 182gold, 12gold/turn gain
English towns are growing now. The F3 military advisor indicates that with 6 warriors, 1 archer, 7 spears and 2 chariots I have an average army compared to England. I contact England, and then my diplomatic advisor says England’s military outnumbers mine. Those two guys never agree, but they still paint the picture. I also note that England has discovered horseback riding. Hiawatha still hasn’t hooked up his horses, still has 18gold, and possesses only 3 cities. Was my invasion that detrimental to the Iroquois? I have clearly over-estimated their comeback ability. They haven’t yet established an embassy with England.
I stop being picky about my workers’ duties.
I unnecessarily switch entertainment to 10% and leave it there because my garrison units are beginning to move around to the new towns, and I don’t want to micromanage citizen happiness. I dislike reloading due to a single city’s riot. The wine, silk and temples do the rest in terms of preventing a riot.

430bc
Hiawatha builds Allegheny on the western tip of the continent
Horseback riding due in 12 turns. Treasury: 302 gold +12gold/turn. Osaka and Tokyo are working on swords. Satsuma is working on barracks. Edo and Kagoshima, with high waste and corruption in the north, are still working on temples
I change Kyoto’s production to a settler because its breadCounter is almost full and Kyoto cannot grow beyond size 6. The computer had automatically placed Kyoto’s citizen #6 on the silk forest. Had I manually placed citizen 6 on the roaded grass, I would have obtained a higher breadgain rate while maintaining a 3turn swordsman production. The problem was that I was now flying through the game and missed that situation. Happens all the time. Having noticed this little situation, I realize that another town could make use of Kyoto’s western wheat without sacrificing Kyoto’s 3turn sword production.

[Puma]

390bc and on

390bc
The Iroquois build the coastal town of Cattaraugus on a little space left north of Salamanca. Japan’s settler emerges in Kyoto; Kyoto.size= 4. I send settler onto a coastal hill between Satsuma and Kyoto. The hope is for another low corruption city, with citizen 1 accessing Kyoto’s western wheat.
370bc
I order the founding of Japan’s town #7, Nara; but I forget to set citizen 1’s tile.
I use a worker pair to hack a forest near Nara in order to speed up Nara’s temple.
Kyoto’s 4 citizens add 9 shields to production, and Kyoto grows back to 5.
England kicks my chariot out of the north. England totals 10 settlements.
350bc and on
Kyoto is back to 11 shields per turn, allowing for another 3 turn sword

[Puma]

290bc and on

290bc and on
Satsuma, Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka are building swords. Edo is building barracks. Kagoshima is still crawling on the temple.
When the time comes, one front of swords will attack Niagara Falls from Kagoshima, while the other front will attack Grand River from Satsuma’s direction.
Horse riding due in 5 turns. Treasury: 385gold, +13gold/turn. The Romans complete The Oracle.

[Puma]

190bc

190bc
Horseback riding discovered, “Okay what’s the big picture” … I take advantage of the availability of the diplomacy screen to immediately contact England. I had considered getting writing from the Iroquois; but they are about to get wasted and that money would better help England do research. I think. England wants 390gold and world map for the masonry-writing combo. Elizabeth is a blasted thief! Without much haggling I quickly work it to only 360 gold. She accepts. I refused to trade my world map because I think the AI tends to attack when it becomes aware of my complete road network. I continue, checking the other advisor screens. I discover that England has philosophy, code of laws, and mapmaking. Liz’s treasury holds 675gold. The Great Lighthouse is being built in Warwick.
Warwick is size 3 and very far from London. Our continent will probably lose the GLight to another civ. Japan has 97gold, +13gold/turn. Math is set to 40 turns research. The sword count has reached 10. We have about the same number of units as England, but we are stronger now.

[Puma]

170bc War!

170bc
The Iroquois have acquired Mapmaking (for what must be a gpt deal) from England, and all their towns are size 1 again. Hiawatha hasn’t hooked his horse yet – something is wrong with the AI.
Japan leads the Iroquois by masonry and horseback riding. With a reasonable sword production, and a clear need for more cities, Japan wishes to unsheath the blades.
I contact the Iroquois. I wish to renegotiate peace terms. The Iroquois want an even deal: peace for peace. I want to get Niagara Falls or Grand River from them in exchange for peace, but Hiawatha isn’t willing to give any of them up. The plan was to take either or both cities through the deal, garrison the gains, and then proceed to declare war anyway. The intention was to prevent the autorazing of the size 1 towns. But Hiawatha is not cooperating. “Forget it.” Out come the swords.

War!