|
|
Entering the Middle Ages
This map shows my empire in 650BC, and the nations tremble
at the might of the Mayans! OK,
maybe not, my whole army of 7 javs and 2 warriors doesn’t scare anyone but the
Dutch! At least I am up to 7
cities, with another settler en route. Carthage
had the nerve to settle near the river NE of Chichen, one turn before my settler
got there, so I am forced to settle Quipiqua (#7) on the coast, not on a
river, but at least I get the cow. This
is a little closer than I wanted. With
the “premium” on founding cities, I have been going for a much more OCP
style than usual, trying to maximize my territory. My min science run on Currency pays off big time in 550BC, as it puts me into the Middle Ages. Rome and China got Republic the prior turn, but no one else is in the MA yet, I have a monopoly! After looking around, I decide my best deal is to first get Republic from China for Currency +4gpt, then trade Currency to Germany for 120g+7gpt. They are the only ones with serious money, and the only scientific, so I want to see what tech they get before I start my research, or maybe be able to trade for it with Republic. They get Engineering, but it would take Republic, 900g+24gpt, not worth it, I could research it myself for about 900 beakers. Instead I start research on Feudalism and Revolt. I draw a 5-turn anarchy, and by hiring a bunch of scientists, I can still put some effort into research. My Dye colony is connected in 510, and we are officially a Republic in 450BC. China starts the Great Library, must have Literature. Our Iron is finally connected, just in time for Carthage to demand currency. I refuse, and they were bluffing. I was beaten to Feudalism by one turn, but I am able to buy it for 11g, then trade it to Carthage for Monarchy and Literature, time to switch some cities to libraries. I start a min research on Monotheism, just to reduce the price when it becomes available. Second Dutch Harvest
It would take a few turns with no slaves, but in 110BC I hit the jackpot, as the Army and two javs get three slaves (#8, #9, and #10). I don’t want to destroy more cities than I can replace, so I make peace here. I was not prepared for three at once, so settlers had to be rushed, but the new cities of Calakmul (#9, Horses), Lazapa (#8, Silks) and Kaminaljuyu (#10, near old Amsterdam/Wheat) are founded by 30AD, which also triggers the Forbidden Palace message.
Meanwhile, up north, after using several units and a worker to block a Carthaginian settler from trying to poach the Dye, a Chinese setter sneaks in and settles adjacent to my expanded border, taking my colony. (And I was only 4 turns from my 3rd expansion, which would have secured the colony. L ) I actually didn’t think they would settle adjacent to my border, so I thought I had their target site blocked, but it is 3 tiles from the city, so they settled. Well, with my temple and library, surely they will flip to me soon, right? Right??? (TBD) Carthage and Germany also land settlers along the vacant southern coast, which I don’t have enough slaves to fill in. Some good news, we complete Statue of Zeus in Chichen Itza in 70BC, which will finally add some punch to our paper military in the north. Monotheism is out in 50AD, which I am able to get for Ivory from Carthage, who now has a harbor connected, but I send workers to connect our roads for insurance. I start research on Theology at 70%, and after rushing a market start the FP in Palenque, which is 2nd ring SW of the capital, where it should help my cities in the Dutch lands. 50AD Strategic Re-EvaluationI stopped at this point for a day or so and thought deep
thoughts. It was time (probably
past time) to decide what direction I wanted our Mayan empire to go, and how I
was going to get there. Up until
this point, I was focused on getting a core established and securing resources.
Based on the variant rules, and the premium on cities, it seemed
Domination and Culture were out of the question, and Conquest might be possible
but very difficult. That left Space
or Diplomatic. A good core with
highly productive cities would make space very doable, so that is what I decided
on. It would give me a chance to go
for an “optimum cities” empire, do a little more expansion to reach the OCN
and then focus on being a builder and researcher.
Therefore, any wars would most likely be defensive, not offensive, other
than another “harvest” to finish off the Dutch.
I would definitely want to keep some Javs around, and the Army, to keep
my options open for more cities later. I
also decided some trebuchets would be good to create enslavement opportunities. Otherwise, my focus was to get some defenders, a few horses
but no “mass upgrade” to knights, and research along the top of the tech
tree. (I wanted to delay Metallurgy
as long as Zeus could keep pumping out the cavs). I was first to Theology in 250AD, and started Sistine, which was really a pre-build for Copernicus. Several rivals had started Leos, so I knew Invention was available. I started by trading Theology to Germany for Engineering, 16g+9gpt, and 2 workers. Then I could trade it to China for Invention and their 25g. From Rome Theo got me Gems, 50g+15gpt. The only problem is China also had Gunpowder, at monopoly, that would have to wait. Next research target was Education, which I got in 330AD. By now Gunpowder was around, as was Chivalry. I started with China, who wouldn’t trade Gunpowder, but had cash, and sold them Education for 70+22gpt. Rome would have given me both Gunpowder and Chivalry for Education, but at non-monopoly I got Gunpowder for Education, Silk, 5gpt, and finally I picked up Chivalry and 30g from Carthage. The best part was that killed Carthage’s Temple of Artemis before any border expansion, they had just completed it a couple turns ago, and all four were still working on the Great Library. (I noticed no one switched off of it, even though it would be obsolete the turn it was built). Not sure why the wonder cascade seemed to drag out so long, but there were still several ancients under construction, as well as all the Middle Age ones. I started on Astronomy next. I also completed the FP in 350AD. I started my third Dutch Harvest in 280AD, waiting a turn for him to send the archers to me, which paid off with two slaves in 300AD (#11, #12). A jav got #13 in 330AD from a settler/spear. From 350-360AD I got four more, with #14 vs. a spear, #15 on defense vs. an archer, and #16 and #17 from a jav and the Army in 360AD. This time I was ready, with 3 settlers already en route, and more ready to be rushed in my southern cities. The Dutch were eliminated in 380AD, and I founded another batch of cities: Piedras Negras (12), Uaxactun (14), Cuello (11), Tulum (13) and settler/slave pairs headed to the two dots shown. I was saving the last slave (#17) to squeeze a city in NE of Chichen before Carthage’s borders expanded too much. Here is the Mayan Republic in 400AD:
Just when I thought I was ready to take the tech lead, I
was beaten to Astronomy by one turn, China did that several times this game.
Also, everyone but Carthage has Printing Press.
China won’t break the monopoly, so I wait a turn, getting Astronomy
in 410, trading if for Printing Press.
Rome demands 21g, but they are bluffing, they do finish Knights Templar
though. I’m not real sure what to research next, as I want to delay
Metallurgy, so I go for zero research to build cash and look for trade
opportunities. Meanwhile, time to
settle some more cities. Coba
(15), Mayapan (16) and Uxmal (17) are founded, expanding my borders,
and in 430AD I get great news: Yangchow finally flips to me!
(I was so excited, I missed this screenshot!)
This gives me my dye back, and a second source of iron.
Quiet builder turns as I complete Copernicus in 480. I see a 2-fer available in 490, buying Chemistry form
Rome for 73gpt, then trading it to China for Banking.
I start my own research again, as some Universities start to complete,
going for Physics in 8. Race
for the Industrial Age In 500AD I took
another break to re-evaluate things. I
do a thorough MM of cities, and prepare troops for a war with Carthage to remove
their coastal incursions, as well as pushing my borders NE.
I declare honorably in 510AD, and on our first turn, we are greeted with 18
Rabbit! I debate a Knight army, but decide to form another Jav Army, as regular javs are having harder times getting kill shots. 520AD is a bloody turn, as I lose several javs and a couple AC, but destroy 3 cities and get Slave 18, as well as 8 regular workers. Slave 19 comes in 550 from an army, then the big assault on Cirta in 560AD as my armies take out the first Musket we have seen, as well as 2 NuMercs and a warrior, but no slaves. We finally get Physics in 570AD, as the cascade starts to wrap up (Rome got Leo last turn, Now Germany gets Sun Tzu, and Carthage gets Sistine). But China starts Shakespeare the next turn, and finishes the following turn, not sure if it was a cascade or an SGL from Free Artistry. 580AD I found two new cities, Kabah (18) and Ake (19). I also sell Physics to China, getting Democracy, 100g+42gpt, and then sell Democracy for 20gpt from Germany. 610-620AD is a bonanza for slaves, as between the two armies and an elite jav I get 5 (#20-24). That’s enough, I get peace with Carthage (for Free Artistry, yeah) after destroying one more city. I complete my research on Theory of Gravity, but China got it the same turn. Tech is really flying, as Germany has Music Theory (which I get for ToG), and two turns later Rome and China have Metallurgy. In 670AD China has Magnetism (4 turn research?), beating me by 1. I am able to renew an Iron deal w/Rome for Gems and Metallurgy, and buy my last turn of Magnetism from China for 140g, putting me into the Industrial. I then gift Germany into the industrial with Metallurgy and Magnetism, but they get Nationalism, so no deals for me. Start research on Steam at 90%, due in 9 turns. |
