Team Info and Contacts - Templars

[ruff_hi]

Templars

Aidun
Beta (TL)
CerberusIV
classical_hero
conmcb25
GodKing
Hercules (TL)
joncnunn
Locutus
McMeadows
Proviisori
scaeva
Thud
Wittlich

email: templars . btsdg @ gmail . com

[mostly-harmless]

Some info from the Cloak & Dagger thread about our new neighbours.

Settled coastal spot on initial turn 0.
First build was another Quecha. (turn 8)
Research went into Meditation. Buddhism founded on turn 11. But they did not switch to it.
Their capital grows to size 2. (turn 15)
Templars built a third Quecha. (turn 17)
Templars met RealmsBeyond. (turn 17)
Second tech researched. (turn 21)
Popped either one of Sailing, Hunting, Mining, Animal Husbandry from a hut. (turn 21)
Templars built a fourth Quecha. (turn 24)
I will keep that post updated as we know more about them.

mh

Update (Oct. 28)

T1 Building quechua
T7 Quechua (#2) -> quechua
T17 Quechua (#3) -> quechua
T24 Quechua (#4) -> worker
T36 Worker -> settler
T48 Settler should be due this turn
T50 Quechua (#5) -> quechua.
T54 Quechua #6 finished. Second worker probably next?
T67 Chariot (Con.) and barracks (Jer.) completed
T71 Axeman trained
T72 Archer trained
T73 Quechua (#7) finished

T55 Settle Constantinople (city #2)

Begin with Mysticism and Agriculture
T1 Researching Polytheism
T11 Polytheism -> Masonry [now it makes sense!]
T21 Pop AH from hut, Masonry -> Monotheism
T34 Monotheism -> Mining
T40 Mining -> Wheel
T47 Wheel -> Bronze Working
T58 Bronze Working discovered
T64 Discover tech with no Soldier points - most likely Pottery
T66 Hunting discovered
T70 Archery discovered


- Sullla

[mostly-harmless]

As for the strategy:

Although they have three Quechas running around, I doubt theywill go on an all out attack on us.
Their units are most likely scattered on scouting missions.

Alternatively, they might have met someone else already and are threating them with Quechas?

I think they are not the worse neighbours to have.
They certainly do not have an outstanding starting position nor are they bending their research towards an early rush.

As founder of a religion, we have the opportunity to team up with them early on. I like Kylearans idea of coming to some peace-ensuring agreement with our neighbours.
We might consider giving them some Cloak & Dagger infos should they for example border next to Imperio.

Obviously we have to expand southward to claim some contested land. That mountain range and the desert look like natural borders.

mh

[Sullla]

Since this thread is a gathering place for info on the Templars, here's some more stuff from various places.

Beta's short explanation of their team philosophy in the public team signup thread: (http://www.apolyton.com/forums/showt...hreadid=174450)

This is the sign-up thread for the Templars. The team started out as the Children of the Gods, and by post #45 we were the Templars.

Welcome. Keep the Faith!

Our intent is not to insult or ridicule anyone's RL faith. Our intent is solely to have a religious based team for game direction and roleplaying purposes. I apologize now if any affront is taken; please believe that none is intended. If any posts or comments do cause issues, please PM me and I will address them. Thank you.

After reading through their team thread - wow, a tremendous amount of spam in there - I definitely think role-playing more than winning is the team focus. Note that Aidun is on their team, who specifically called out the rest of the team for not being aggressive enough:

In anycase, I'll join this team, and my character shall have no other character than that of the meaning of my name, Aidun, Aidan, Aedan, Aodh: fire. A knight whose passion is with the sword.

[...]Thank you Sir McMeadows for your warm welcome. Pacifism brings me in terrible moods and I am very relieved to meet a fellow knight who understands the sword. I already look forward to ride out to the field of battle with you. The world is harsh, its soil thirsty for blood. Unless we defend the holy truth and our treasures, and all that is holy in this world, those who refuse to pick up their arms will replenish the thirst.

Let the peace of our order spread like a fire, let all armoured men kneel down before our lord and let the divine light shine upon us another day!

However, Unorthodox did not join this team, who was another highly aggressive player.

Returning to our own posters, Swiss Pauli's early assessment of the team:

Templars - Inca - FIN/IND - Quechua

Rush chance: low. Strategy: tech lead via FIN and selected Wonders => Win (Space/Dom/Culture)

My take:

Templars/Inca: This is a good civ to rush with, but I agree with Swiss Pauli's characterization. The list of Templar players doesn't seem to fit the mold of early aggression at all (Locutus is on there, and he was one of the most peaceful players in testing. Spent most of his time modding, of course.) I'm pretty sure that this team picked the Inca for their traits and not their unique unit.

With early research into Meditation and a religious-based theme, it's unlikely that the Templars are going on the offensive early. There's nothing to say that they won't become more warlike later on, however.

[Zeviz]

I agree that we should contact Templars early and try to befriend them. Since they appear to be more interested in RP than in winning, we might be able to befriend them using religious diplomacy. Perhaps even opening borders and inviting them to spread their faith to us. (In BtS religion doesn't give line of sight, so there is no disadvantage.)

In terms of the tone of our diplomatic messages, I'd caution against too much 1984 flavor. Since they are role-playing crusaders, they might decide to "rid the world of our evil". So I'd suggest more generic messages, staying in character as much as possible, but downplaying the dystopian part of it. (Especially since we aren't role playing a dystopia anyway, as far as I can see.)

[mostly-harmless]

Time to get ruff back to the game, as he volunteered to be chief diplomat. I wrote him a pm.

I suggest we approach them with a friendly hello.
Polytheism is still out there, so Templars religious aggressiveness can be directed towards the founder of the second faith.

Getting a religion is probably a good idea, as we only have wine and silk as happy resources.
mh

[ruff_hi]

I'll dig out their email and send them a hello. I've already sent other teams a general 'hi' but no-one has responded. I guess they don't know us unless they know us in-game.

Suggested email ...

"Well met Good Sir! It is my outstanding pleasure to meet you and to find you well and good. I look forward to many years of fruitful contact between our great nations.

Ruff
Your Voice to the Realms Beyond Team"

[mostly-harmless]

Sounds good.
Lets make sure we send it before this turn is over.

Are you using our team's gmail account?

How would in game contact work? I assume both parties have to be online at the same time to initiate trades etc.?
mh

[ruff_hi]

MP trades (PBEM or pitboss) are really bad and can take several turns. Much better to arrange via email or civstats and then do the deal in-game.

Yes - will be using our gmail account. Draft is in our gmail account - will be sending the email in about 8 hours.

[darrelljs]

Did they respond?

Darrell

[mostly-harmless]

Not to the gmail account up to now. Is it worth to initiate contact in-game via the chat maybe?

mh

[darrelljs]

At the least I would PM someone to let them know they need to check their e-mail.

Darrell

[sooooo]

I sent them an in-game message to check their email.

[Zeviz]

Aidun has just PMed me asking about our official contacts. I directed him towards Ruff and our gmail account, and reposted into PM the email Ruff sent Templars.

So their posted team email might be outdated, or not checked by the right people.

[Zeviz]

We got a reply yesterday:

Dear Ruff, Voice of the Realms Beyond,

We are pleased to have made contact with your Realms. This message is intended to establish formal diplomatic relations. We hope this contact will prove mutually fruitful and that through peaceful coexistance we can together build a glorious future for both our teams.

Until we meet again.

Sincerely,

Sir Aidun
Foreign Affairs Minister of the Knights Templar

I'd suggest just sending a generic "we come in peace" message and leaving it at that for now. (It seems too early to discuss any serious cooperation, unless you want to already express willingness to accept their religion.)

PS Since we've determined that they don't have contact with anybody else, we probably shouldn't share our knowledge of Imperio's strategy with them.