Forever Future 1.7 PBEM game

[Max_Smirnov]

Well, the next such report will not appear before turn 100, I think

[Solarius Scorch]

Sir, you are improving my civilization (the French) more than I do myself. Please do not let me stop you from continuing with this.

[Max_Smirnov]

Known World in 4500 BC

(turn 50 report)



The known world consists of a single continent, inhabited by three major nations. Thebans in the gloomy and rainy middle; Celts in the more dry East; and the French in the frozen North, which is still largely an unexplored land, due to extreme conditions. It is also known that a strand of isles extends South to the Celt coast, and several travellers have already come from that direction, but the details are scarce. They spoke of two great tribes that inhabit mythical southern lands, Russians and Indians, but our knowledge of those people consists of a few legends and even fewer solid facts.

The Society

Two great cities dominate the continent, Paris and Thebes, both already over 10,000 inhabitants and known for their bustling marketplaces and engaging in limited communication and trade, since the French merchants have brought their newest invention, money, to Thebes a couple of centuries ago. The French have developed a surprisingly sophisticated society, where their leader, a King, comes from a bloodline supposedly passed on by the gods, and every outlying settlement has their own lord, a lesser King in his own right, who is largely independent. Their settlements, while small, are universally made from stone and engaged in commercial and cultural exchange with each other on a level unprecedented in any other Old World civilization. Paris is also fabled for it's enormous harbour and an ingenious structure, The Labirynth, which accompanies it, a source of wonder for any visitors.
Thebes, while larger than Paris, are ruled very differently, with an iron hand of a Tyrant whose right is made only through his might; his court (and royal meadery) is unprecedented in splendour, but achieves that by drawing most of the wealth from the whole city; similarly, Thebes suck the wealth out of the surrounding villages, which are poor, rundown places as a result, no independence or autonomy whatsoever, unlike in France - or in the Celtic tribes, for that matter. The Celt land is very different still, with a multitude of tribes inhabiting a huge area, the most numerous but least organized of the three civilizations. Even the seat of their leaders, Numantia, is little more than the largest tribe. In general, though, not all that much is known about the Celts, since, while not hostile, they're intensely proud and mistrustful of strangers. The fact that their way of life is very different of that of the more "civilized" societies of France and Egypt doesn't help either.

Science
The old world is largely in the Bronze Age, although this is bound to change sooner or later, as both the French and the Celts are experimenting with Iron and probably will cross the threshold into the Iron Age within a couple of centuries. Egypt is different. The art of smithing bronze had been known there since well before the written history, and Thebes are infamous for yet another reason, it's copper and gold mines where slaves are worked to death, digging up the metal needed by the upper castes. Therefore, there is little incentive to develop Iron in Egypt. Celts are unsurprisingly the least advanced, not knowing the writing, but they're not without tricks up their sleeves, either, already having developed sea travel which the Egypt didn't. The court of the Theban tyrant seems to be the most enlightened place in the known world, despite all the cruelty, which could mean that Egypt is going to advance faster than its neighbours.

Military
Theban military relies heavily on Bronze, with their highly trained Phalanxes, which are considered nigh-impossible to defeat when confronted head-on, but unsuitable for assaulting cities or treacherous terrain either, where their rigid formations won't do any good. Thebans are also know for their chariots and light cavalry, armed with bows, but neither of those are deployed in any serious numbers.
The French have a very different model, with their parties of mounted men-at-arms, serving the local lords, exploring the vast but largely uninhabited territory. They're also famous for their Tolouse Archers, probably the most elite unit in the whole known world, highly secretive and armed with deadly longbows no one else knows how to manufacture.
The Celt military is non-existant, which doesn't mean they're defenceless. With every village defended by courageous tribal warriors, their combined force might be easily comparable to that of the other two nations, if not even greater, by the virtue of sheer numbers and tenacity.

[Max_Smirnov]

With the Sphinx, the Russians are surely bound to become a power to be reckoned with!
As for my lovely neighbours, both of them are researching something called Iron. I wonder what that does?

It's some sort of grey, brittle metal, harder to work than Bronze and nowhere as cool looking, totally unworthy of attention of the glorious Cleopatra!

[Eerion]

48 played and sent.

War between Indians and Persians gets more and more severe. Huge armies are being produced, situation becomes more nad more green.

Also there is a shift of power between other countries! Japanese armies were surpassed on a power chart by French Monarchy this turn. One of reasons for such incredible growth is a Labirynth. But there must be also something else. Is it an army? A science? A huge population growth?
Noone knows. It means their neighbours must be careful. Very careful.

[Solarius Scorch]

In his endless mercy, King Napoleon has increased wages to the level that is considered "normal" by lesser monarchs. The people rejoiced.

[Eerion]

Turn 46 played and sent.
Japanese goverment has succeeded in stabilising it's economy. Hopefully it won't happen anymore.
There is also another good information! Our scouts bring reports, they have spotted a more inhabitable terrain in a lands far away. But maybe they are already inhabited? Soon we shall know.
Passing refugee ship also reported about war, which started our recently between Indians and Persians. Unluckily, they couldn't tell us, where exacly it's happening. Hopefully not around our borders.

And well... Russians grow stronger. This nation, may soon pose a big threat to other countries. But for now... they're nowhere to be found.

[Solarius Scorch]

All is fine in Japan, then. Or at least normal.
As for the beavers, no, they aren't shaved. They aren't American nor Japanese beavers. We in France like it au naturel.

[Eerion]

Double post, yet it has to happen.

Turn 42 played and sent.
Japanese goverment falls into recession. For the last several hundred years, they have been in a deficit, and the time has come, when they can't turn a blind eye anymore.
Critical countermeasures took place. Patriarch of the Ikko-Ikki hopes to stabilise situation within the country in next 100 years. Yet will the results be positive? This is hard to predict...

[Eerion]

Alas! Russians are finishing the Stonehenge! My grand plans have been thwarted!
42 sent.

Don't worry. In last 3 turns I've modified my plans four times. And I'm still unsure if there won't be a further ones

For sale: beaver. Best quality. Cheap. Call now, ask for Napoleon.

Are they by any chance shaved? I'd rather go for shaved beavers.

Solar, Max - get our other players here. They have to join us

[Solarius Scorch]

For sale: beaver. Best quality. Cheap. Call now, ask for Napoleon.

[Max_Smirnov]

Alas! Russians are finishing the Stonehenge! My grand plans have been thwarted!
42 sent.

[Eerion]

Turn 41 played and sent.
I slightly modify my tactic every day. Not sure which option should I choose.
Except the fact, that everything is pretty risky, since if it won't work out, I'll just be a "conquer me" vegetable-country

Anyway - I think we need our 2 other players to start writing here. It's boring if they don't write/say anything.

@Max:
Hope it'll be back to normal soon

[Solarius Scorch]

Hey guys,
My internet is down for at least a week, probably two, so my turns will be arriving slower. Meanwhile, turn 40 played and sent.

It goes pretty fast anyway, at least for now.
Need more cities! For more caravans!

[Max_Smirnov]

Hey guys,
My internet is down for at least a week, probably two, so my turns will be arriving slower. Meanwhile, turn 40 played and sent.