Ice Islands Take Two 2018-11-03 (c) Copyright Brett Paufler # # # I need to be more focused, settle sooner, and do better. Researching: Animal Husbandry -> Mysticism -> Masonry -> Fishing -> Sailing -> Mining -> Bronze Working -> Metal Casting Wonders: Stonehenge -> The Pyramids -> The Great Lighthouse -> The Colossus From there, I will regroup. As much as I liked getting Confucianism, I did not take advantage of it in any meaningful way, as I had no religious civic and I had not built any of the Monk Economy wonders yet. I am OK being the first to Divine Right. But it really is premature at this point. Things like Writing, Currency, and Code of Laws do have their place. We shall see. But I need The Colossus. I shall settle one west, again. And then, I ended my turn prematurely instead of settling, which means I'm tired, but also... um in drive forward mode. # # # 2018-11-03 500BC T95 Researching: Writing -> Aesthetics -> Literature So, I'm not fooling around this time. The Great Library is way more important than The Hanging Gardens. Capitol is Building: Forge -> Colossus Three cities (plus the capitol) building infrastructure, while I'm running the slider at 70%, yielding +2 gold. I probably will not get Confucianism. I will get the Colossus, however, or something is horribly wrong. # # # 400BC: Confucianism was founded in a distant land. # # # 2018-11-03 475AD T134 I'm working on the Sistine Chapel. But it doesn't really matter if I get that. Researching: Paper -> Monarchy -> Divine Right Both Paper and Sistine Chapel complete in nine turns, at which time I will start the University of Sankore. And when Divine Right comes in, I'll build The Spiral Minaret. I'm feeling pretty good, since I am completing the wonders I am claiming. In fact, I haven't lost a race yet. I even got the free artist for researching Music first. After Divine Right, I'll have to plot some sort of strategy... and do a lot of backfilling. Yeah, a lot of backfilling. But I may be better off researching Optics and sending out a few Caravels, not only for the Circle the World movement bonus, but also the research bonus for all those backfill techs. I landed Christianity. So, I am now a Christian Nation. I, also, revolted into Organized Religion and plan on having the Christian Religious city crank out a few Missionaries. In hindsight, I should have used the Artist that I got from Music to launch a Golden Age. It would have saved me two turns. But I did not. Mentally, I'm saving the Great People Golden Ages for after I've filled out my cities, which I still haven't done. Six Cities (including the capitol) producing two Settlers. I probably need fifteen more, which is going to kill my economy. Thus, I need to research money one way or another. Eh, maybe the Monk Economy will handle that problem for me. It's roughly 35 turns until Divine Right. That's a long time. Anyhow, that's it for the day. It feels much better than the previous play-through. # # # 2018-11-04 475AD T134 It's a rainy day and I stayed up real late last night, to 1am, which is as late as I've been up... in years. Thus, the game plan for today is to relax, play games, and whatever. I was thinking about noting the time when I take breaks, but the log file will do a much better job of that than I ever could. Priorities: 1) Research slider above 50% 2) REX 3) Divine Right 4) Monk Economy 5) Either Optics or the free great people technologies, including liberalism. # # # 2018-11-03 1010AD T161 Islam came in, so that is good. A great prophet is taking a pilgrimage across the lands to found a Holy Shrine, which will give me free money. The Spiral Minaret is under construction; but of course, I don't have many temples. So, I will need to go on a building spree. One more library and I am done with that quest. Then, it is time to put a temple and a monastery in every city. As to research, oddly, Priesthood, first, so I can build those temples. And from there... Research: Priesthood -> Iron Working -> Calendar -> Machinery -> Compass -> Optics And after that, I will need to decide whether to go for a third religion and another shrine or the post Education bonanza (Liberalism's free tech and Economics free Great Merchant). # # # 1040AD: Taoism founded in a distant land. So, I think I made the right decision not going for it. # # # 1180AD: 408 in Fail Gold for the Apostolic Palace, which is not such a bad trade. I mean, I'd rather have the Palace. But I was principally building it to deny another alliance of the tool. I don't want to be voted against and made to return a city down the line... or suffer unhappiness for being an Evil Person. # # # 2018-11-04 1200AD T180 Optics is in. And three Caravels are under construction. I am going for Banking next, because... um, it seems as good as anything. Actually, I don't want to hit Astronomy, because it obsoletes Stonehenge and Colossus. And Banking is a prerequisite for Economics. I may change my mind in a few turns. Democracy and The Statue of Liberty may be a better goal for me. And of course, if others look backwards {in their technological advancement}, war is always a possibility. # # # 2018-11-04 1330AD T193 So, here's a fine how do you do. I just discovered that upon reaching optics (or at some point) galley's can cross the open ocean. So, I do not have to wait for Astronomy. And even as we speak, I am sending over a convoy of settlers down south to pick up some land... whatever land is available. # # # 2018-11-04 1450AD T205 Um, 25-50 Future Techs at this point is looking a little ridiculous. But we'll see. It is time to go into war mode. So, the target shall be half of my cities producing military units at any one time... which probably will not work. So, Nationhood is on the short list. I'm not going to revolt before... should I say? Maybe I should? Eh, I can't see it hurting, as I believe I am a shoe-in to get The Taj Mahal and that will give me another Golden Age, so maybe I will revolt then. All these island cities are likely not doing me that much good. Oh, well. I mean, they are fine enough with the bonus from The Colossus, but once that wears off, they will not be so great. Maybe I should just switch to Nationhood now. I won't as I already switched off the game (for the day). But that might be my best bet (come the 'morrow). Build infrastructure and support units, but do all the heavy lifting of building a military through the draft mechanism. I'm going to make a note. # # # Nationalism: Draft -> Draft -> Draft # # # 2018-11-05 I would appear that the rules for Galleys sailing over ocean hexes have to with cultural control. In that, I have free reign to sail over all hexes within my cultural borders. I'll have to load the map and see if this seems to be the way it works. I'm sort of thinking about reloading and playing again if that is the case. There's precious little chance I'll make 10+ Future Techs, let alone 25-50 the way I am going. I need all the help I can get. And yes, I have not been impressed with my settlement campaign. # # # 2018-11-05 I am going to call it quits. It might be a mistake, but I've got that feeling I can do better. 1) I can make contact with Korea and America way faster, stealing several of their islands, knowing they cannot get to me, while I can still wage war upon them. In the end, there are two settlement sites (two on my side, a corresponding two on their side) that will make pre-astronomy ocean travel possible. This is definitely over-fitting the strategy to the map. But then, that's part of the point of this map. 2) As a whole, my development has been less than stellar. I will build a single worker (not two) and perhaps start on Stonehenge or a settler sooner. Also, I should keep in mind that a double fish (and nothing else, just water) is one of my most powerful cities. So, I am not sure how that is going to work. But I going to try again. # # # 2018-11-05 Restart! I can do better! 1: Contact Sooner! 2: Better REX! # # # 2018-11-05 (c) Copyright Brett Paufler