Turn 55, 1840BC

[Krill]

AC has some pretty demographics...looking at the power graph, I'd say they have 3 planted cities already...

[Hot Mustard]

Super, Krill. I always just immediately do the Graph and Demo shots at the start of a turn, and didn't think to go back to them after seeing the Scout.

[Krill]

np. I know what it's like to be a turnplayer.

[Hot Mustard]

How about we make contact with them under the pseudonym of "Ying"?

[Krill]

Sounds good for the opening email.

[Krill]

Just trying to figure out that crop yeild graph; it looks like AC have flood plains as well to me, due to the conincidental increases in crop yield and and GNP.

[Krill]

Also, I think AC have BW and are whipping their settlers, due to the decrease in MFG, GNP and CY at 2440 BC.

[Krill]

Also Beckham has to start moving back next turn.

[Krill]

PS I think we need to start scouting out west again...

[Arrian]

Oh my. They're strong.

This continent is gonna be more complicated than I thought.

Here's hoping they're really far away, making it difficult for them to interfere with our solution to the "Voxian problem."

-Arrian

[Blake]

AC can't have floodplains due to a lack of illhealth, or they can't have many anyway...

What I suspect is a strong food resource or two and a strong commerce resource or two.

Their Demographics are strong, but only really in commerce. A lot of it is from having a second city, once we drop down wines we get +5f, +1h, +6c which will cause our graphs to massively surge.



I think their Power graph is weirdest - that last jump, that's BIG, the first is Bronze Working because they switched to Slavery. I feel the massive leap they just had is actually best explained as being Iron Working - in other words they missed copper and decided with their 20c/turn to just forge ahead to IW - it would've only taken about 13 turns maybe.


Lets look at their identity - The most pleasant Chairman Yang. In SMAC Yang is industrious and militaristic and it wouldn't surprise me if AC plan to play in exactly that way - engage in some great works (ind trait) and bonk heads. I suspect that they may be planning to punish Banana for having an abysmal power. I mean it's not in character for "Yang" to make friends, and AC multiplayer is an even more brutal affair than CIV multiplayer, looks to me that AC are teching straight to impact weapons (and mourning the lack of Nerve Gas ).

Certainly we must look at this interesting diplomatic situation:

Banana and AC are presumably neighbors. They know each other (fact). Both of them now know us (fact). However NEITHER of them know Vox (fact).

So poor Vox are in a game with us alone, soooo lonely... so cold.... no-one to help them... no-one to whine to... oh boo-hoo poor little Vox.

AC is sizing up Banana, but suddenly there's a 3rd team in the picture - the (now) second biggest military power on the map. What do THEY make of that?

I think the "Banana AC" hostility may also help explain the Banana.... reluctance to talk... in short, Banana fear AC are about to attack them, they would desperately like to ask us to help, but they are also acutely aware that from our position - we'd rather just pile onto Banana! This could indeed be why Banana are not eager to engage in diplomacy. They don't want to sound like they're in a tenuous position but since they are - they don't say anything.

And for all AC know, we met Banana quite a while ago and are preparing to either invade or come to their aid - again, neither team know about Vox and that also means neither of them know how much space we have down here - for all they (especially AC) know we need to fight our way out of this corner.

This is a lot to process and who knows where it'll lead diplomatically... if AC are indeed after a Banana split then they are in exactly the same situation as us - they have a hopelessly outclassed neighbor to destroy, which afterwards will give them a comfortable amount of space for expansion.

The symmetry of this situation may leave little real scope for early diplomacy and result in a very simple situation. We want to kill Vox, AC probably want to kill Banana. We don't want to help Banana against AC, because we're too busy killing Vox. AC probably don't want to help Vox, because they're a hopeless cause now and Banana are more tempting anyway. Banana and Vox would probably dearly like to band together - but they'd both be too busy dying to actually help each other - even if AC don't attack Banana at first convience, Banana would still have to be very reluctant to invite attack by moving their military down south.

If you're not convinced that AC will want to kill Banana - think about this, AC are in a stronger position, they are more competent. It's exactly the same as GS and Vox, we didn't spare Vox, and AC will likely not spare Banana, that AC haven't attacked yet is most simply explained as a lack of real combat unit, they'll press the advantage as soon as they have it.

[Blake]

Something else. Diplomacy reveals that AC only have one other city. It's called "Tassagrad", afaik it's some name from a previous DG but that's all I know.

[Krill]

diplomacy! Haven't played with that in so long...

[Randolph]

Well it certainly looks like this game will continue to be interesting.

This certainly makes me wants to clean up Vox as soon as possible. I suppose that's already the plan, so I doubt there is much that can be changed to expedite things. If Blake is right, and he usually is, then who ever is slower at cleaning up their neighbor (us or AC) is going to be vulnerable after the invasion. The longer either team waits to take out their neighbor, the more resources it is likely to take (our choke does alter the analysis), and the greater the comparative strength loss they will suffer.

It would be nice to know more about our geography in order to determine who would have the advantage in a cold war. But I suppose we have more pressing concerns at the moment.

[notyoueither]

I'll get on it. Good thing this is the weekend.