Succession Game X: Clueless Nubians

[EPW]

I've decided to send the HS nomad to the Byzantine border to facilitate the effort to block their expansion. I've also decided to form a border guard on their border, I'm not sure how effective it will be.

3800 BC - turn 60 EPW proclaims himself Emperor of the Empire after the suspecious death of HaungShang. Disbanded HaungShang, nomad moved northward. Bit of gold discovered in a ruin. We met the mighty [b/]Macedonians[/b] (again). We exchange maps and sign a peace treaty.

3780 BC - turn 61 to 3740BC - turn 63 Anarchy!

3720 BC - turn 64 Anarchy is over! The Dynasty is established!
217 gold found in a ruin.

3700BC - turn 65 The city of Kawa is founded.

3660 BC - turn 67 The city of Kummu is founded on our western border.

3620 BC - turn 69 We finish researching Slave Labor and begin to research Monotheism.

The city of Firka is founded, we only need one more city to block off the Byzantines, sadly its a 17 turn journey for the nearest nomad. Of course They won't really be blocked off...so I decided to send the nomad to a closer spot.

3560BC - turn 72 The city of Nauri is founded on our southern border, it should be a good production city in the future.

3540 BC - turn 73 We get an Advanced warrior out a ruin.

3520 BC - turn 74 We find a lost tribe...the city is disbanded and the nomad sent towards our borders.

3500 BC - turn 75 I disband a migrant in Kumma for +1 population.

3480 BC - turn 76 We finish researching Monotheism and begin to research Jurisprudence. We gain a free nomad in
our capitol for our efforts. However, the advanced warrior and settler we recently discovered were lost to a barbarian phalanx.

We begin work on Solomon's temple in Selima, it will take 42 turns to complete. We also begin work on the same temple in Dongola(36 turns) so we can get a head start on the Code of Hammurabi.

3460 BC - turn 77 The Estrucians have begun work on the Pyramids.
The city of HaungShang II is founded on the coast, far south of its original location. It will be our first permanent coastal
settlement.
A diplomat is sent to create an embassy in th Byzantine Empire.

3440 BC - turn 78 We find an advanced warrior in a ruin.

3420 BC - turn 79 Units moved

3420 BC -turn 80 Emperor EPW dies peacefully in his sleep.

The Empire:


The Macedonians:

[Tellius]

Hi,

I have never, ever seen so much luck getting cities and nomads from ruins. An enormous expansion this early in the game, fantastic.

Is there a successor lurking in the shadows already to replace our divine but unfortunatley quite dead leader EPW? E perhaps?

Greetz

Tellius

[EPW]

Whats a good time to build outposts? It takes 100 turns to make up the 2000 pw (plus 2000 gold) needed to build them. Is it worth spending a huge amount of production early in the game to get them, or is it better to go after a wonder or other improvements first?

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by EPW
Whats a good time to build outposts? It takes 100 turns to make up the 2000 pw (plus 2000 gold) needed to build them. Is it worth spending a huge amount of production early in the game to get them, or is it better to go after a wonder or other improvements first?

I'd say a good time is soon as we reach 15 cities, which we basically have now the Nomads are on their way. I'd suggest build up PW now and then and keep the wonders going in between.

Also what's everyones thinking on units outside cities? EPW is setting up a wall of units along the border, is this a good idea in AoM? If we sit them alone on the border they'll be easy prey for most barbarian units (and especially Phalanx) when they appear.

In my other games I've been using my spare units to sit on outposts and watch towers, 4-8 units depending on danger.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Tellius
Hi,

I have never, ever seen so much luck getting cities and nomads from ruins. An enormous expansion this early in the game, fantastic.

Weren't all those rushed Spearmen worth it?

Is there a successor lurking in the shadows already to replace our divine but unfortunatley quite dead leader EPW? E perhaps?

I'll wait until Monday/Tuesday to see if E or Protra want to play, then I'll play again.

[EPW]

Originally posted by Maquiladora

Also what's everyones thinking on units outside cities? EPW is setting up a wall of units along the border, is this a good idea in AoM? If we sit them alone on the border they'll be easy prey for most barbarian units (and especially Phalanx) when they appear.

I recommend using scouts on the border, they have +2 vision and can move 2 spaces. The spearmen wall will just get destroyed by barbs and probably provoke a war with the Byzantines.

[Maquiladora]

Scouts will get killed even more easily than Spearmen against Javelin Cavalry/Chariots and later Peltasts. I'm not sure we can continually replace the whole border with scouts either. Theres the extra war discontent we generate from so many units outside too. We don't have scouts (Water Lifts) yet either.

Also outposts, don't forget if we have any goods that will give us an advance from disbanding a nomad then create the outpost that way.

[Tellius]

Hi,

Regarding outposts, a good time to think about outposts by disbanding nomads, is when you reached your city limit for a particular government. I think especially in the beginning of the game, creating outposts by disbanding nomads is a better idea than using PW (because of the advance you get, and because it is so difficult to get enough pw early in the game).

Regarding the 'protective wall', I think we agree to keep the Byzantines as friendly to us as possible, don't underestimate the benefit a good neighbour brings us (trading techs!). All we really need early in the game, are some scouts to see incoming enemy stacks (these are probably going to be barbarians) coming, you can then withdraw your scout (and the scout is always faster than the approaching stack) and you get some time to assemble a decent stack to defend.
Lone units in AOM are worthless, you need to concentrate you forces. The only time I use lone units, is if I want to use their ZOC to slow down an enemy stack, and/or to see them coming in advance.

Exciting game! But beware, a bastard son of Tellius the Subjugator is said to hold a grudge against those who conspired against him. His dynasty will rule again.

Tellius

[Maquiladora]

Agree with all that Tellius.

So for now build all the outposts that provide advances first (using nomads of course), use scouts (or vision/fastest/cheapest unit available) for lookout, except on the Byzantine border which we can trust as relatively safe. Apart from that, keep city defences around 3-5? and gradually begin to create big armies to swat the barbarians or whatever else we may need to swat. new smiley abuse!

[Maquiladora]

OK looks like I'll be playing the next turn. Will post the report in a few hrs.

[HuangShang]

E's on vacation and Portra's silent?

[Maquiladora]

3400BC Created an embassy in Trapezus (Byzantine), intel shows they have 9 techs we don't, but more importantly we have 3 they don't have. Also held reception in Trapezus for 1000 gold, is it really worth it?

Exchanged advances with the Byzantines, our Domestication for their Wheel. Now I can start the road network.

Offered Ceremonial Burial for their Tribes but they rejected. Tried again but asked for Pottery (40 cheaper than Tribes), they accepted. At least we got something.

Hold off on trading Monotheism for the moment. The Byzantines have Plough, but Heavy Spearman are a waste IMO because it's a dead-end, better waiting for Hoplites.

Max-out workday and public works to build the road network in a couple of turns before we get Jurisprudence.

3360BC Find a Nomad in a hut, then find barbarians in a hut nearby, it may be slaughtered...

Find the Arabians, diplomacy-minded peacemaker, I turn about the Diplomat and head for Arabia! The Macedonians can wait.

Offer 100 gold and to withdraw to Arabia to get on good terms.

Max-out PW for one more turn to complete roads.

...

Nomad gets slaughtered as expected. The Arabians offer to exchange maps, I accept.

3340BC Road network complete. Workday and PW back to normal.

Jurisprudence discovered. Selima switched to Code of Hammurabi - 27 turns to complete.

Set research to Astronomy (4 turns), we don't need Trade yet and the other 2 choices (Brick Making, Mining) can be discovered through outposts. We might also be able to get Trade from the Byzantines through... trade.

3280BC Nomad disbanded and settlement started on the potatoes south of Misratah - discovering Mining in the process.

Skikda starts a nomad for a settlement on the horses nearby. Tarabulus start one too for the cotton next to the city.

Offer peace treaty to Arabia - accepted.

3260BC Astronomy discovered. Start research on Polytheism to build that temple.

We might not get Temple of Solomon at this stage, so this can replace it before we lose production, plus it's a lot better.

3220BC Amara and Sabha founded along the same coast as HuangShang II.

Growth seems to be going too slow so I reduced rations at the cost of higher wages. Workday stays at 12hrs for now until we complete the wonders. The extra happiness from the road network also gives us a +1 happiness cushion from fluctuations.

I'm forming an army of maybe 6 units in Sabha to accompany our Diplomat to the Arabians, and possibly onto the Macedonians afterwards. They'll have to be slow moving though.

3140BC Polytheism discovered. Dongola switched to Temple of Polytheism, to finish in 17 turns. Set research to Drama, other options seem a waste and we can start on the Olympics.

Things to look out for next players: we may need to focus on getting a better defensive unit soon, preferably Hoplites so we can upgrade. Possible tech trades with the Byzantines, anything that we can't get easily ourselves. Keep building settlements (nomad outposts).

That's it, 15 turns each this time around.

[Maquiladora]

The save

[Tellius]

Hi,

I'll take the next turn.

I'm learning new things all the time .

The extra happiness from the road network also gives us a +1 happiness cushion from fluctuations.

Didn't know this, is this because we are the first to discover it (a feat), or does it influence happiness loss due to distance from capital in a positive way?

Greetz

Tellius

[Maquiladora]

The distance from capital unhappiness is slightly lowered because the roads make it a shorter move distance. It was +1 in most of the furthest cities, perhaps a fraction with the closer ones.