Turn 24 - 3080 BC

[Kloreep]

For this turn, the only thing that should concern us is moving the scout.

I believe polarnomad's route takes us 3 this turn, and then 9-3 the next.

[Kloreep]

The turn after this, however, we will need to decide on a build. And two turns from now the worker will need orders. I think the worker is fairly straightforward since we won't have Animal Husbandry for some turns yet: chop a forest. I propose the one immediately east (6) of Alpha Base, since that will keep the worker away from the edges of our borders should someone's warrior come wandering past.

So, as to the build... we'll have finished a warrior, but we'll have 1 turn before copper is hooked up and we can start on an axeman. I see a number of options:

-Spend 3 turns building another warrior/scout (delaying Axeman build 2 turns). A scout or warrior could be sent south to explore that way, and a warrior could be used for some minimalist defense/garrisoning.
-Spend a turn on barracks to put some hammers away for that eventual build, then switch to Axeman once we have the copper hooked up.
-Actually build barracks so that the axeman starts with 4 XP and that first promotion (delays the axeman a while; 8 turns by my calculations, not counting the 1 turn where we won't have copper and assuming that we use 1 chop for the barracks)

I lean toward a warrior to explore the south with. Let's get some southern exploration going.

The barracks might not be a bad choice, however... you see, with a forest chop, the additional warrior + an axeman will only take up 8 turns, leaving 3 more before growth occurs. This means we either build something else for a few turns before we grow, or build the settler at only size 2, forcing us to choose between using either both the copper and pigs for lots of production, or one + the oasis so we can keep getting the extra commerce at the sacrifice of production. With the barracks, we'd overshoot the growth by 4 turns (barring a second forest chop) and so we wouldn't have that dilemma - although the overall finish of production of the settler would be behind that if we finished at size 2; to get a turn advantage the settler build would have to start immediately after growing to size 3.

My only concern about the barracks is whether we really want them in a city that will be producing 4-6 surplus food in the long-term (and the low end of 4 is if it takes an additional hit beyond the copper by working the plains hill, which is down the road when it's actually mined, and if the clams have not been fishing-boated yet). Such a city can grow great, sure, but in order to keep it from growing past the health and happiness limits and ruining its excellent food surplus, we'll want it to focus first on settlers and workers, and in the long-term on specialists (which means constructing the buildings required for them). In short, I'm actually skeptical we'll want a barracks there at all anytime soon... I just don't think it'll be used enough.

[UnOrthOdOx]

What are barbs set at?

Wimpy, I believe (ie, normal).

I would say spend a turn towards a settler, then chop the axe, PERHAPS a second axe, then BUILD the settler.

No point wasting shields on a warrior unless it's for fog removal, and at wimpy barbs, there's little point there. Scouts are approaching the end of usefulness with human barbs on the horizon, barracks delays a settler too long.

Just my opinion.

We need to be VERY aggressive with getting settlers out right now. This was the whole point in our civchoice. Choppy choppy towards settlers quick and free border expansions.

I promise to open the next save to comment further.

[polarnomad]

I wouldn't bother with the barracks yet, and I would limit ourselves to building one axeman at this point. We really need to get a settler out pronto, otherwise we might as well name ourselves Luxemburg.

[rush]

We should build barracks in City 2. Chop a forest if necessary and start building Axemen from there. To do so, city 2 needs to be connected to Alpha Base.

Alpha Base should build Settler, Workers and the odd Warriors/Axeman for protection now and library later on.

Kloreep, has the Sa Warrior being moving Westwards for the last few turns ? This could give an indication as to where it comes from ?

[Kloreep]

Rush: Good question. They sat in one spot and healed for most of the time we saw their unit, I believe this is the first move they've done... implying that they have not been southward before. So I'd guess they're to the east of our scout.

[polarnomad]

So, should we seek them out to the east or change course to the south?

[Kloreep]

Actually, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions...

IIRC they were on the hill N of the lake (NW of their current position) before. If they wanted to head east from their position, they'd need to go south a little to get around the mountains.

So I don't think we can conclusively say they're to the east. I still think it might be likely, since I doubt they'd be placed smach in the jungle, but they certainly could be a ways south of the jungle; we don't know how far the jungle extends, and it could end quite close to the extent of our FOW. Then again, it could not, so I'd still prefer not to send the scout into it...

Wherever they are, I think we should continue east. If they're there, we get to scout out their future territory, if not, at least the scout is on terrain where it can take advantage of its moves. If they are there, I think it would if anything be the safer route for the scout.

[Kloreep]

Report
-Scout 3
-Worker finishes road; I miscalculated, we'll be able to build an axeman right away
-So, Axeman queued up in Alpha Base for after the warrior.
-PROBLEM: Warrior build automatically upgraded to Spearman. We'll have to spend another 3 turns to finish it. On the whole this may not be such a bad thing, so long as we don't end up needing a military unit immediately...