Turn 15, 3440BC

[Hot Mustard]

Turn 15, 3440BC
(Current Plan)

Units
Grog: Move 3


Science
Current: Polytheism in 4 turns


Cities

Eye of the Storm (Size 2)
Growth: 1 turns
Production: Warrior in 2 turns

[Hot Mustard]

Lion is south of Grog.


Only options are move 3 as planned, or fortify - assuming Leo will attack. My first thought was to move as planned, trusting in a victory and believing that every turn counts...but then thinking more about the latter I wondered if we might be better off fortifying in the forest for the assault, thinking that we might need less turns to heal after a +50% defense matchup than a straight flatlands matcup.

I'll be waiting a little while* before playing this - thoughts?

*At least until the overtime of the Buf/Car game is over.

[Dominae]

Are we exploring with Grog, or keeping him close to home? If we go exploring, we should move onto the Forest. If we want to bring him back I guess 3 will do although it's ugly...

There's no point in attacking the Lion, it just slows us down and puts us in a potentially precarious position. If this is Noble then there are good chances that it will not attack as they do not always pick fights on the lower difficulties (unlike Emperor where they almost always attack).

I'm curious to see what's a bit further North, and moving 9 takes out of the Lion's reach, so that's what I would do. Admittedly it's a bit dangerous.

[notyoueither]

I would fort and receive the attack while lowering the damage we take. The less damage we take, the sooner we are moving again.

[Hot Mustard]

Turn 15, 3440BC

Units
Grog: Fortified


Science
Current: Polytheism in 4 turns


Cities

Eye of the Storm (Size 2)
Growth: 1 turns
Production: Warrior in 2 turns

[vulture]

Strange things happened to the demographics this turn. Firstly, Saranium got another tech. No increase in soldiers, so it was a non-military tech. 7 turns from their last one, so either it was a hut, or it was a non-religion tech they researched (in which case Vox are the only civ aside from us who may be heading for a religion first).

For research, the only option that they can research in that many turns, giving no soliders, are Fishing, mysticism or agriculture. They started with fishing, and got a tech in turn 7 that was either mysticism or agriculture, so it looks like they got Myst first, and have just got agriculture. Or popped one of pottery, meditation or polytheism (can you pop a 2nd tier tech when you don't have all first tier techs?) Doesn't entirely make sense as a research path, but there you go - we were considering it too...

In other news, 2 teams have switched tiles around. One has jumped to 15 commerce (from 12 or less). Another has dropped to 9 commerce (from 10 or more) - which is surely as low as you can go given that the palace produces 8 and the city has to produce one more, isn't it? Or have I got that wrong.

Other changes: someone has jumped to 4 hammers. Someone has dropped to 3 food.

Two possibilities: civ A has switched to 3 food, 15 beakers, accepting temporary starvation to get a tech one turn earlier, guaranteeing them being the first to it, while civ B has switched to 4 hammers, 9 beakers to finish a unit this turn.

OR

Civ A has switched to 3 food 4 hammers (and presumably 9 beakers) to build an emergency warrior at the expense of starvation and minimal research, while civ B has switched to 15 beakers (other changes hidden in demographic averages) to finish some research sooner.

Someone is either in a panic to save their capital, or absolutely determined to get a tech first. If Vox are going for Meditation, then they should get it next turn, and maybe just needed one turn of 15 beakers to make sure they got it right now, guaranteeing them a religion. They're my bet for the 3 food civ (if they could get 15 beakers without running a food deficit, they'd sure as hell be running with more than 12 normally).

Given that we share a river with them, I think it's a good thing we are getting our own religion pretty soon...

So, Vox should get Buddhism next turn, and we are in the clear to get to Polytheism.

EDIT: correct a few mistakes.

[Blake]

(can you pop a 2nd tier tech when you don't have all first tier techs?)

Totally. Quite a few people have popped bronze working as their first tech. In one game report someone even popped bronze working and then iron working. It's shameless when it comes to giving away grossly powerful techs.

In other news, 2 teams have switched tiles around. One has jumped to 15 commerce (from 12 or less). Another has dropped to 9 commerce (from 10 or more) - which is surely as low as you can go given that the palace produces 8 and the city has to produce one more, isn't it? Or have I got that wrong.

So 15 commerce is fin working two high commerce tiles.

I think the theory of optimization would be correct. Getting the tech / unit out one turn earlier.

Another possibility for the commerce might be a team researching fishing and starting working a lake or coastal special.


Another possibility for 3 food 4 hammers would be a plains hill start working a plains forest, still size 1. Like maybe a team who went worker first and now want a warrior fast? Not sure if the timing works for that though...