Turnplayer Thread #2.

[regoarrarr]

So here's another question that needs solving.

Assuming we have 8 turns of Aesthetics and 6 turns for Literature (a guess based on 200 base beakers vs. 300 for Aest), can we get a road down to the marble and have it quarried in 14 turns?

It looks like it takes just a quarry and 2 roads, but that is 11 worker-turns (6 to quarry, 2 to road, 2 to road and 1 to move on to the forested road)

It's probably doable but close. We need to make sure we send the appropriate amount of workers down in time.

The other question is do we have ( will we have) 5 pre-chopped forests and 2 workers in the capital in 14 turns? I believe we have one worker up there and another due in 6 turns, and 2 pre-chopped currently (Working on the 3rd) So I think we are good there.

Going to Math saves us 1 turn (and 1 forest) so I don't think it's worth it.

[sunrise089]

I change my vote for aesthetics based on M_H's numbers above. Of course that it subject to Imperio not agreeing to the trade AND a decision on our part that we really do want the GL. I don't think the tech path hurts us too much since we decided to wait a while before attacking anyways, but of course we run the risk of an Industrious civ taking the library from us. Remember though, we have a comparative advantage on this one specific wonder: Marble AND we're Creative, so we get double speed on both buildings.

[Zeviz]

Originally posted by sunrise089
... Marble AND we're Creative, so we get double speed on both buildings.

Does Creative bonus to Libraries apply to Great Library?

[Sullla]

No it doesn't, but I think sunrise's point was that other teams will have to build a library first, and that will take them twice as long as it did for us. We completed the library near-instantaneously, if you recall.

The good news is that the game is down (yet again), so we have more time to discuss the issue and wait for a response from Imperio. If we don't hear back from them, I guess we're leaning towards an Aesthetics beeline, and gambling on the Great Library (?) Still time to discuss this.

If we do go with that plan, I'll have our worker move directly to the marble and begin quarrying it. We can add the road connection to the new city afterwards.

[regoarrarr]

Well we do need to road the marble to the capital (or at least to that river)

[sunrise089]

@Sullla - Exactly - Indy teams get a bonus on the GL, Creative teams get a bonus on the regular library. Creative bonus + Marble puts us ahead of an Indy team w/o marble.

As per M_H above, let's make sure we prioritize workers hooking up the marble and then heading to the cap to chop.

[ruff_hi]

Originally posted by Sullla
The good news is that the game is down (yet again), so we have more time to discuss the issue and wait for a response from Imperio. If we don't hear back from them, I guess we're leaning towards an Aesthetics beeline, and gambling on the Great Library (?) Still time to discuss this.

The Imperio trade isn't going to work as they are researching mathematics (see reply in their thread).

[Sullla]

You know what - that's great news for us! (Dumb of Imperio to tell us what they're researching though. ) The tech competition is only with two other teams: PAL and Imperio. Templars may have Alphabet, but they lack the beaker output to keep up. Now we know what both of these teams are researching:

PAL - Code of Laws
Imperio - Mathematics

This clears the way for us to go directly to Aesthetics, and land Literature/Great Library. If we get there first and have our pre-chops and marble set up, no one is beating us to the wonder. That's guaranteed. And odds are we can exchange Aesthetics for Monarchy in a trade too. (They have the same cost in beakers, if I recall correctly.) Aesthetics still preserves high value even after Great Library is taken, because it opens the way to several other techs/wonders.

Well, I think our course is clear: direct run straight to Literature. It's a gamble... but we've got to continue running gambles if we're going to win this game, right?

PS Imperio researching Math means they are likely trying to Oracle slingshot Civil Service. Not a whole lot we can do about it at the moment, of course...

[regoarrarr]

So here's a thought I had - isn't the Oracle pretty cheap? And we have marble? How much would it take for us to just bust it out really quick?

1 turn for Priesthood, 3 chops and we'd have it.

We could bulb Aesthetics, and that would actually REDUCE the time it takes us to get the GL, right?

Not to mention preventing someone else from getting a really expensive tech for free.

Anyway it might be a silly idea but I thought I'd at least bring it up...

Plus with our marble, isn't the forest to gold ratio for a failed wonder a decent fallback?

[ruff_hi]

you mean our marble that we haven't settled, quarried or roaded yet. That said, it might be a good idea to put some hammers into it just to (try to) deprive Imperio of the sling.

[regoarrarr]

Yes, that's the very marble!!! My point was just that the longer nobody does it, the more valuable a tech someone's going to get, and already it's going to be a good one.

Even w/o marble I bet we could finish it in 10 turns and no forests at the capital

[T-hawk]

It's unlikely, but I'm all for an Oracle attempt once we get marble. Even if we miss it, the cash refund is fine, 2:1 on the base hammers with the marble bonus. We couldn't get Feudalism unless someone were to trade us Monarchy, but Metal Casting is a good prize too.

On research, the Great Library plan does sound good. The only threat is if one of the unknown teams has already started Aesthetics research.

[Sullla]

I've been assuming all along that the Oracle would fall before we had a chance to connect marble. If by some chance it's still out there, we'll absolutely invest one turn into Priesthood (or trade for it) and see what happens.

[Zeviz]

So to connect marble we need 1.5 turns to get there, ? turns to quarry, and 2 turns to road, right? (Assuming coastal trade route connection either directly or through Jerusalem.)

In that case we can have Marble online shortly after we complete worker in the capital. (Can somebody with access to game calculate if we have time for a Monastery or just an extra military unit between time worker is complete and Marble is connected?)

After that, we can go directly into Oracle, chopping for it, because even if we fail refund will help us get to Literature earlier.

PS Talking about Great Library, have we decided on location for Library #3 for it? (IIRC, It requires 3 libraries and we have only 2 now.)

[sunrise089]

Unless there is a recent change, GL doesn't require 3 of anything.