Civ V Adventure 2: Now With More Military?
It's been about a week since my last play session, so I'm going to have to have a proper look around my civ and see what's what. Just re-read & edited Part 1 of this report (I'm writing as I go along, with minor edits afterwards) and I think the take home message was that I really screwed up on building enough military to deal with the barbarians. Hence the title of this section 
Starting with science - Ironworking still seems like a good idea, given my worries about barbs & also about the other civs coming and walking all over me (particularly as the AI seems insanely warmongering). I don't, as far as I can tell, have a plan for after that. Which needs remedying - even if I diverge, having some idea of where I was going is a Good Thing. My thinking is that if I'm going for a diplomacy victory then what I need a lot of is money, to buy City States, and Culture to get the Social Policies to take advantage of City States, as well as Science obviously, to get to build the UN. So the economic type techs are more useful to me than the military ones - I want to be able to defend but not necessarily go off to war. Currency is an obvious goal - markets for better economy, Machu Picchu if I can get it (will be buildable in New York). Another goal is Philosophy, I think - for Temples for culture, GP production boosting, Oracle if I can get it. Also Writing is on the way to it, for libraries (but not the Great Libray as that's already fallen). So now I have a Science plan, what about my lands:
My two cities so far - first note is that New York desperately needs more worker attention! One worker (on the Cow) is building a road - no trade route between the two cities, I think, even though they're on the same river system. The other worker is pasturing the Horses. I think I'll have both build the road, then send one back to carry on improving around Washington. Washington is building a Stoneworks. After this I think a Worker, as I'll have another Settler from a Social Policy soon enough. New York is building a Granary, and I have plenty of time to think about what next.
The land up North isn't looking terribly enticing for a city to be honest. It's pretty marshy, with not many extra resources except Fish. Taking a look at the South:
OK. Nothing jumps out at me there either. Off to the East (North of Japan) has more gems, but is deserty and will get cramped. I think my two best bets are between the Sheep & Cow near Kuala Lumpur (red), or near the Furs even further south (blue - with a plan to backfill that one near Kuala Lumpur). It seems I'd best wait for Iron to show up, as that may give me some more direction. And conveniently that does one turn before my next SP. On that subject:
The Liberty tree is my short term plan. Patronage is my longer term goal for all the City State goodness.
And after looking around and thinking for rather a long while, I think I'm ready to get going again. Venice & Kuala Lumper start asking for help against barbarians on Turn 42, so hopefully my warrior down in that area can kill a few. The other news for that turn is that Washington finished the Stoneworks and started on a Worker.
Germany comes along and wants Open Borders, which I'm fine with as I'm exploring down that sort of area soon. And that reminds me that I never looked at diplomacy in my opening overview this session. So I try & sell off my spare cotton for another luxury, but no-one's got any spare luxes. Still, something to keep an eye on.
Woohoo! I have iron in many places round "my" lands. I was a little worried about that to be honest. Most are 2s, including those near Washington, but there's a 6 down to the south. And one next to Kyoto - I'm not going to manage to steal that from Japan though. Short of capturing Kyoto, anyway. I think I shall pink dot Napolean with my next city. And build up a bit of a military, so that I don't look like a target that's both irritating and weak Research set to Writing. I've entered the Classical Era on the same turn that Siam has entered the Medieval Era ...
Turn 45, I take the "free settler" social policy, and briskly move it back inside Washington as there are barbarians at the gates. I have a warrior moving towards it for escort, so no (real) need to fear. I need more military though, desperately.
On turn 47 the settler & escort can finally begin moving. I've also finished Writing & started on Philosophy. And Washington finished a worker (who goes and repairs a damaged quarry) and starts a warrior. Plan for those is the warrior will escort the road building worker off to the new city. Looking at the demographics, I may feel like I don't have much military, but clearly 2 of the AI are worse which rather boggles the mind:
Ah, the game also thought I needed to know about soldiers:
Japan and Ramkhamhaeng are fighting at the moment, I'd be guessing Japan is winning 
Japan also dialed me up and asked for Open Borders, he's friendly now but as he's also my next door neighbour I need to work on getting iron and some swords, I think.
This +1 sight gives some weird artifacts I guess - look at that tile that I can see, but can't see any of the surrounding ones? Weird. I've realised I need a detour after philosophy - Trade Posts are kinda useful for generating money. So Trapping will be next. Washington finishes the Warrior and slots in a Library.
Yes Mr Big Scary Japan with all your pointy sticks. Please keep liking me!
In other news, on Turn 50 I finally disperse a barb camp, and Ragusa starts to think I'm awesome. A first step on the road to Victory! Maybe Ragusa is Maritime, and has horses (and potentially sugar), so that's good too but not as useful as just being an ally. Got to try and keep them topped up.
I settle Boston just before a French settler gets to the general area. I'm thinking Napolean is going to be a trifle aggreived. It'll have 8 Iron in the end, as well as Furs for a new lux, so I'm pretty pleased I got there first. Next city should be sooner rather than later, and I think I'll be looking at the area near where the barb encampment was (circled in red) - there are silks as well as more iron in that area. It looks a bit deserty though, but it does serve to start to join up my lands a bit more, too. New York has finished its Granary and I start on a Monument. Boston starts with a Monument (and has practically no production at the moment, but once it grows it'll be fine.
Turn 53 is full of events. Philosophy finishes, so I start on Trapping. Washington is done with the Library and starts on the Oracle - quite probably not going to get it, but worth a try. I reconfigure Washington for as many hammers as I can, and divert the roading worker to go and hook up the Iron that's now inside the borders (which I think will speed up production before the end). Fail gold is useful too, after all!
I also snipe a barb encampment from under France's nose:
Which gives me Furs & culture from my shiny new alliance with Kuala Lumpur! This won't last more than about 10 turns without money, as it's a hostile City State, but even so, this is pleasing. And Edinburgh had wanted the same barb camp destroyed, so it's my friend now, too.
Turn 54 I misclick the worker going to the iron, coz I forgot that right click doesn't cancel it does a go-to order. I reloaded back to the start of that turn and repeated everything else the same (a few scouting movements), which I think is within the rules. The original misclick was caused because I got annoyed when I realised I couldn't move the worker on to the Iron this turn because there's a german scout sitting on it. If I miss the Oracle by one turn it's all Germany's fault!
Onwards! Trapping finished in Turn 55, and I can't get to the Medieval Era before the Oracle completes, so instead I start research on Archery (a pre-req for Currency). It'd've been nice to open up the Patronage tree with my freebie, if I get it, but it's not to be. Archery being a one turn tech, I start Mathematics on Turn 56.
Napolean settles Troyes right next to Boston, and will compete for the Furs (which I'd rather like) and so I buy the tile just in case. (Just ignore the mouse-over text on the wrong tile, I bought the right one! However, I needn't've bothered as it's not second ring to Troyes which is what I was thinking when I did it.) I've plenty of gold anyway. There are loads of units visible on that screeny - Japan has just declared on Napolean, and there units from both sides hanging around.
Next turn Napolean wants OB (and gets them, I'd like him to love me dearly), and I meet Sydney who're allied with Japan. And then in Turn 58 I get Fur & Sugar from city states, which gives me loads of surplus happiness (9). Growth is the next order of business. I also bring the Oracle down to 3 turns, by buying another Iron tile near Washington. Looking hopeful, looking hopeful!
Turn 59 brings me a meeting with the final AI - Greece, off in the east there are a whole bunch of his units near Siam's capital city. Other events include Edinburgh giving me my first Swordsman (who is going to hang out in Boston), and I get another social policy. I take Meritocracy with this one - for the extra Happy from traderoute connected cities. Perhaps the extra production one would've been better - but I'm still hoping for that with the freebie from the Oracle.
In between turns Alexander comes calling for Open Borders (granted) and Caesar wants a Research Agreement. I dithered a bit on the latter, but went for it in the end - the cost was 134 gold & I've still got 432 left after taking the agreement. Caesar is also bottom on the scoreboard so it's not like I'm helping a runaway. Turn 60 also has other events - Mathematics finishes, so I start on Currency. And New York finishes its Library so I start on a Settler to absorb some of my spare Happiness. I also get rid of a barb camp near Venice & ally them due to their worker being sat in there. Which gives me Incense, and Far Too Much Happy!
Woohoo! Oracle success! I take the production giving Liberty one as my freebie SP - in 8 turns I'll be able to finish out the Liberty tree. Although I may start the Patronage tree first, because I'll be in the Medieval Era by then. I'll weigh up my options when that happens. One thought I've had though is to take a GE from that last Liberty policy and rush Machu Picchu with it in New York. Washington also starts a Settler, all that happy is scary.
Some new city thoughts - as it's not that many turns till I've got the settlers. I think I'll put the next one on top of the Iron next to the silks (red). I'd rather not settle on the resource, but I think it's the best overall site there. It back fills that section nicely, leaving Boston a bit less isolated. The one from out of New York is harder to decide on. I could go north - settling for 2 cows, plus 4 more iron ... and a whole lot of Marsh which seems less appealing. I could go east up to the coast, sheep, fish, horse & gems ... but lots of desert. Or south for ... er, a resource or two? And jungles for extra science after I get whichever building it is that does that. North is safer for me, it's in my backlines, so no need to settle that yet. East or South is harder to call, but I think I'm inclined towards the southern one, because it keeps my empire more compact and (hopefully) easier to defend. Next choice is where in the south - I'm leaning towards between the sheep and the marble (blue) - it'll pick up Horse second ring and Cows & Iron third ring. Best of a bad lot? Perhaps.
Turn 62 - Boston finishes a Monument and starts a Library. And a Golden Age kicks off in between turns because of all my spare Happy. I buy more influence with Kuala Lumpur, which may be a bit of a waste of gold, but I'll nearly make it back during the golden age. Washington finishes the settler, starts to make a worker for it. I also meet Warsaw, and inadventently trespass, oh well.
Now that's more like it. Well fed we are. And then I meet England. I guess I can't count numbers of AIs? Also in Turn 65, New York finishes a Settler who hides for now as there's a barb camp in the way. I start a Worker there, too. Well, the settler was going to hide, but I actually get my one & only sword over there this turn to clear out the barbs (incidentally allying me with Edinburgh due to returning their worker), so the settler is on the move.
Turn 66 sees me buying up more time as an ally of Ragusa. Washington finishes the worker and starts a monument. Which only takes one turn, so I set it building another Swordsman immediately afterwards. Shortish term plan here is to get another settler out soon.
Turn 68 opens with loads of pop-ups. I've finished Currency, I've got a new social policy to pick, I'm in the medieval era, I've built a worker in New York and other people are doing other stuff to do with wars amongst themselves. So it's decision time for a couple of points. Do I take the last policy in the Liberty tree, giving myself a great person and extending my golden age, whilst reducing the impact of the 2 new cities? Do I take the first in patronage, which'll mean the money I'm spending on city states lasts longer? Put like that - I'm thinking the last Liberty one gives me more bang for my buck. Which means I need to decide what GP I take. Maybe I need to decide which tech I'm going for before that? Looking at the tree, I think my best next-step goal is Education. I'm liking the look of the three wonders there (Oxford University, Notre Dame, Porcelain Tower), and on the way I need to get Civil Service which'll let me build Chichen Itza. I could get a GS and bulb something, but actually I think as there are multiple wonders at Education, I'll get a GE and rush one of those once I get Edu. Surely there'll be one left?
So, decision is: Science goal = Education, research set to Civil Service; Policy = last of Liberty; GP = GE to rush a wonder at Education. In other news, New York finishes a Worker and starts on a market. And I settle Philidelphia, which starts to make a monument:
Next turn Washington finishes a Swordsman, and starts on a Market before the next Settler. Turn 70 I settle Atlanta, starting off with a Monument again:
I'm also no longer an ally of Edinburgh & can't afford to buy them back - I will do so once I've got enough gold.
And this is a good time to stop, a nice round number of turns. I'm feeling better about the game than I did at the end of the last session, I've not had troubles with the barbs since, I've got friendly relations with all the AI (although I'm concerned about France and all the units they have sitting near Boston). I'm also top in score all of a sudden, and have succeeded in expanding to nearer my happiness cap - another city soon would be good. And lining up some units near the French would be wise, possibly a new Sword or two.
And that's where I stopped. A shame, as I think it was going quite well. I might come back to the game & finish it out as a shadow later, once Diablo 3 has stopped being my obsessive game-du-jour
Back to Part 1