War Academy : Sea Power.

[Zero]

wat gov are we in now again? monarchy?

[Donegeal]

Yes, we are a monarchy (hmm... President OPD??? in a monarchy???).

I fully agree with uping the research rate AFTER we take our lands from the renegade Apolytonian cities (America and Persia) settle Uber Island and switch to Republic.

[Zero]

it is probable that our lost city may culture flip if we just focus on rebuilding after persian destruction.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Shiber
Wouldn't it be a lot wiser to just research navigation and then get there safely and risk-free?
Or should we rather cripple our production capabilities and waste ~500 shields on 17 galleys that might end up at the bottom of the sea?

We will hardly be the first researching Navigation. We can't keep up in tech, because most of our city sites are still unproductive due to jungle. Even though we're industrious, it takes a while to clean that up. But if we aren't the first, we won't get the benefit for us.

I we are the first civ to have intercontinental contact, we can trade contacts and maps from everyone to everyone, at both sides. This contact, map and tech whoring will give us 3 or even more medieval techs and a big load of money and even gpt. This is more powerful than Theory of Evolution, for less than half of the shields! It will in one turn make us the richest and most advanced civ.

Right, it may take a couple of galleys. Sometimes the 2nd or 3rd attempt succeeds, sometimes only the 10th. But even if it's the 10th: These 300 shields do greatly pay. Note, we have not much chances to keep up till our terrain is developed and we're able to research ourselves. Only warfare and trades. Let's do all for successful trades.

[joncnunn]

I wouldn't be particlary surpized if only island of significant size left we haven't discovered yet is the one with the lost civs.

In my own game, I sucessfully crossed five tiles of water to get to the other civ with a Galley in a known location (culture boundary) (only 1 turn in dangerous water.)
Trade of the World Map showed they had a prescence on all those islands already. Later discovery of empty deep water post Navigation showed no other islands at all on the map.

I wouldn't burn 300 shields in a quest that could easily be futile because there is no land on the other side to get to in that direction in times of peace.

In our current situation, fighting the Persians, with American on the plate next and our coastal cities needing development as well, there's no room for fishing expeditions at all.

Wait for Navigation, or else only use units that we can afford to lose and will not replace in the near future.

[Shiber]

Sir Ralph, I would personally prefer that we buy Navigation as soon as possible and send several ships to explore immediately. IMHO it is the only reasonable possibility.
How many turns do you think our ships will have to spend in dangerous waters before they reach land? I assume 7, two for sea tiles and 5 for ocean tiles. If we have astrology, that goes down to 5 turns in dangerous waters. The chances for a ship to survive that, assuming that each turn the ship will have a 50% chance of drowning, are 3.125%. We will lose 32 ships in the average case before we find the lost civs.
This of course, assuming that we take the shortest possible route. After all, our ships will be sailing the high seas pretty much aimlessly, and therefore have a decent chance to miss the inhabited continent(s) completley.

[Harovan]

Shiber: That means giving away a clear advantage, because the AI does not send suicide galleys. I already pointed out what it could give us and won't repeat it.

I send suicide galleys in every game and never fail to make contact first. It usually costs about 5 galleys, that's the average, if I'm lucky, only 1-2, if not, up to 10. So what? Compared with the benefits, that's nothing.

And they don't sink in masses, quite often make it several times in a row. In my recent game as India (huge map, just like we play) my 3rd galley survived 5 times in a row ocean, without even having the Lighthouse, and landed safely at the Russian shore. From another game comes this shot, which also made contact.

Do you never send suicide galleys? That's amazing.

[joncnunn]

If we were at peace and a coastal city fully developed for our current tech level we could afford one or two suicide galleys.

But not now. And I don't see both of these conditions being met during the current administration.

[Shiber]

No Sir Ralph, I normally play in Pangaea or in Continents settings with minimal water coverage, so naturally I never had to risk sending galleys through more than 4 turns of dangerous waters.
I think your experience shows that it's very unlikely that there is in fact a 50% chance of sinking like I first thought. The chance ought to be much smaller, like 25%.
Well, that convinces me. I now support your proposal and I'm in favor of starting to produce galleys in Mingapulco as soon as the war is over.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Official Memo to Pharoah OPD
from Lord GhengisFarb, Governor of Siberia, and Minister of Imperial Expansion by the will of Pharoah loyal subject of the Empire

After much contemplation on the possiblity of Imperial Expansion from my current position, I have determined that cites do not in fact float.

I would thereby recommend sending various galleys west from the Greek Island in search of land mass to establish cities as opposed to building them in the ocean.

It has come to my attention that a highly reputable veteran, Sir Ralph, would be a most excellent candidate to be placed in charge of this project. Possibly granting him the title of Lord Admiral of the Royal Navies of Apolytonia with authority over all ships of the Empire.

PS: I have several recommendations for a replacement in the Governorship of Siberia, thus allowing my return to the Homeland. I have unfortunately been unable to confirm their willingness to accept the position due the great distace Siberia is from the Empire and the fact that most of them are my worst enemies.

[Shiber]

Why not launch the expedition off the Persian/English shores?

[HazieDaVampire]

I, being British, say we build a big navy and explore and settle on every bit of land that we find.

Should we find any really small civs, we wipe'em out before anybody else gets a chance to use it as an excuse to declare war on us!

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Originally posted by Shiber
Why not launch the expedition off the Persian/English shores?

Because the Greek Island juts out more.

[Shiber]

Hmm... I wanna hear what Sir Ralph has to say about this.

[Zero]

Oh no! don't risk the galleys! Look, our fundings are divided as enough as it is.... domestics, war and expansion would get nothing done. Either way we'll have to wait until Persian campaign is done don't you think? by then we should be able to get Navigation if we focus on internally improving our empire. Then we can have large persian coastal cities that can help our expedition happen.