Open Spoiler : Old Camel

[Matrix]

I had considered rushing for astronomy, so that I could settle there while you two were squashing me. It's a bit awkwardly located for you, though. That is, on the other side of the map.

[Beorn]

Speaking of awkwardly placed, Greece:



He's got tons of obsolete iron-age units, but also steel next turn. I plan on stealing Economics from him shortly. I doubt I can pull Steam though, that would take too long.

[Lt. Killer M]

that island screams "colony"!

[Beorn]

Poor guy has barely played! I mean, no interaction, no neighbors. I can't invade him! I just feel too bad about it. No reply to diplo messages either. He got Steel this turn for cannons. I'll smother him a bit with privateers and see how the other 2 play it.

OTOH, PP has taken spices and wheat for furs and corn (or something similar) so I know he's still kicking. Rifling and cavalry are up on the ol' Killer continent. Full world map soon, will post when it's official.

[Lt. Killer M]

Ha, I was waiting for the pirates

[Beorn]

T250, 1700AD




BrunchTime the Greek keeps driving that tech forward like there's no tomorrow. First to steam, second to cannons, now going for grenadiers. He may not have the best production but I bet his income can upgrade a bitchin' ton of units in no time. I offered to trade him metal luxes for a small amount of gold, so as to get the ball rolling ... he declined and didn't reply.




PP is almost entirely mapped. The "Embassy" is where espionage costs the least amount, and thus where I'll be stealing from. He's got 3 great people and 2 stone age boats, backed by a state-of-the-art cavalry and riflemen home force. I offered to trade luxes, he answered with a lux + health trade: that's wehere we're at.


I asked Ynnek how he saw us moving forward, opened the door to a permanent defensive pact, or a planned war on each other, or everything and anything in between, but no response. He just keeps on developping.



Meanwhile I'll grab SoL while it's hot and farm barbarians for XP.

[Beorn]

T255: as I pass him in score, PP sends his first frigate out for a naval stare-down across the prow:



Coal revealed, only 1 source on the entire continent:



One near Ynnek



None in Greece, though many at sea:



And our world map is finally complete with Celtia under scrutiny:

[Beorn]

T260, 1750AD



Economic numbers are way down as we switch from a mercantile economy



To our permanent marxist-communist utopia!



Changing from caste to emancipation means fewer merchants/scientists but better cottage growth in the 2 towns where it matters - so that's a temporary setback. Changing from mercantilism to state property gives us fewer specialists but eliminates distance costs: income a bit lower but much less is lost.

That gives us a break-even 80% research pace

Statue of liberty will bring back free specialists soon. We're about to gain even more specialists as the workshop food grows population in production centers.


Ynnek continues his meteoric rise to the top and has finally, almost a month later, said he'll get back to me regarding where we stand diplomatically for the future of the game.



Meanwhile, he's up Military Tradition on us ...




From the classified intel dossier:
"BrunchTime almost has his first cannon. His tech is on-point but with no production and thus no fast expansion at sea to capitalize on his early Astronomy, he's a pushover waiting to be conquered, raped and pillaged."

Content with their assessment, our spies took what they could and packed their suitcases.




PP seems to have an eye for suffrage, emancipation and statue of liberty



... but we'll beat him to that, flat. He has no GE for a wonder-steal either.

The naval build-up and stare-down continues,



now with 2 frigates on his side, pirates joining the fray, and bonfires lit under the deck of our most modern defensive unit yet:

[Beorn]

T270, 1800 AD



We have entered a Golden Age, our very first, and stats are looking great.



The critical techs spy ops are mostly over ; we have a solid tech lead. Economics was stolen, Physics and Communism were acquired for free GPs, we'll be first to infantry by a mile.



Once we get there, we set sail Westwards and capture ourselves a piece of Greece.



The sea has been colonized without opposition,



And if opposition was to manifest itself, a wolfpack of pirates is prowling, sharpening their teeth...




PP's lands are being revealed. Most of the spy points will now be spent sabotaging production. And boy do we have spy points to spare.




Diplo talks with Ynnek can be summed up as "exhausted with the pandemic too? Yeah, let's just keep on keeping on and not worry about it." I certainly don't have an equal amount of energy to put into this every day, so I'm grateful for the smooth sailing on home soil. It would be very awkward and
time consuming to even consider a war with Ynnek, so that's out of the question. No higher commitment, just the solid handshake of 2 guys who can't be arsed, as they used to say in here.

[Beorn]

Next up: the war of 1812 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7jlFZhprU4