So, where do we go from here? We've left the old continent behind, mostly (settler/worker/archer in transit, a worker and some archers still wandering about, but I'll pick them up soon enough). But it's time to think long term. What shall we do with this continent of ours? In particular, what kind of victory are we going for?
Fortunately, the answer to that question is easy. This is a game of exploration and discovery, of renewing, of looking forward, outward beyond the horizon. This game is about discarding the old in favour of the new, as we have left the old world for the new. And Mao's developed a taste for flying. He wants a bigger, better flying palace. He wants to sail among the stars. So there's really no other option: Alpha Centauri or bust!
So that's the long term. What's the medium term? I need to work on infrastructure: in all of China there are no buildings and no terrain improvements, except for a fishing net at Beijing. Fortunately I have two workers being built and two more on their way.
What would also help my economy is trade routes. The main purpose of Astronomy was getting me to the other continent, but it also enables cross-ocean trading. And since one of the factors in the lucrativity of a trade route is distance, I should be able to get some good ones. I just need to map a route across the ocean to the AI cities, so I'll send the galleon towards Cuzco as soon as it deposits its passengers.
Getting the Great Lighthouse would also be nice. It's a bit late for it though, but it hasn't been built yet. Nor has any wonder, including Stonehenge, come to think of it. What's up with that? Either way, I'll make an attempt at the Big Lighthouse, and either I'll get it and that's great, or I get money and that's okay.
I've got a lot of continent to settle, so I'll want Code of Laws for courthouses sooner rather than later. Cheap courthouses; I couldn't have picked a better trait than Organized myself. Confucianism would be a nice bonus if I get it. Alphabet for tech trading and Iron Working for military and cutting jungle would also be good.
So, enough thinking, back to the game (though, to be honest, I did most of that thinking before I started playing). Tokugawa informs me that peace is not possible, and that he will not rest until I'm dead. Okay. You have fun with that.
In 625 BC, I finally find Roosevelt.
He's been blocked by Cuzco and has almost as bad a score as I do.
In 450 BC I found Guangzhou for copper:
A bit of luck there, I didn't realise how nice the location was until I stepped onto it. Numidian and the other barb city also look nice.
The Large Lighthouse is expected in 24 turns, but that'll go down as the city grows and I finish a mine and make chops and so on. Stonehenge was finally built in 775 BC by Saladin, but not in Mecca. He hasn't founded a religion so he won't build a shrine, so I expect he'll lightbulb Theology, which fortunately comes before Code of Laws in great prophets' preferences.
The Pyramids were built by Tokugawa in 650 BC, he's now running representation.
Aaaand in 425 BC Confucianism is founded via Oracle. Dangit. I forgot about that. Ah well, I'll delay Code of Laws and go for Alphabet instead.
Soon we find out that it was Victoria who pulled that little stunt. Prediction: Montezuma will declare war on her. Which might not be a bad thing, they're the two score leaders. Though I'd prefer it if he didn't suck up all her land and become a runaway AI.
In 250 BC I circumnavigate the globe.
The galleon is named after the one ship of Magellan's expedition to actually make it all the way around.
In 125 BC I whip the Oversized Lighthouse for two pop and:
Same turn Victoria demands I cancel deals with Montezuma. I say no, no one likes her. OCC-Roosevelt comes along a few turns later and does the same, and gets the same treatment.
In 75 BC we are told that Victoria has picked up Taoism as well, and in the same city as Confucianism:
That's a bit unusual.
In 75 AD I get Alphabet. Unfortunately, pretty much the only thing I have to offer the others is Alphabet. No, not quite yet. I start researching Monarchy, for the trade value and the Happy Happyism.
Ah yes:
The very next turn, he razes Warwick. Oh dear.
In 325 AD she asks me to declare on him. I decline.
In 350 AD I get Monarchy and trade it to Saladin for Iron Working, Polytheism and 40 gold. I also revolt to hereditary rule.
In 425 AD, Christianity is founded somewhere. Only Islam to go.
In 450 AD, Montezuma captures Nottingham.
Why, absolutely, Monty. Whatever you say, since we're the bestest of buddies.
It's not very nice, admittedly, but this is diplomacy, and you can't make an omelet without killing a few people.
Same turn:
I don't convert. I'll almost certainly remain without religion throughout the game.
In 500 AD I finish my first settler in the new world. Why did that take so long? Well, I was thinking I'd conquer those barbarian cities before founding my own, but that took longer than I expected. They've built walls, and I'm far from catapults. Definitely suboptimal play there.
In 520, I get two technologies: Literature from research, and Drama from a tribal village:
That's another advantage of getting to the new world early: there are still technologies left to learn from goody huts, oh yes. I set research to Compass in the hopes of getting some trade value; I'm seriously behind in technology, but that's a potential monopoly, and a near guaranteed not-dead-last.
I'm also reminded of the fact that I can trade resources, so I send my only pig to Saladin for dyes (I'm not hurting for health, and I'll get a spare soon enough).
Nanjing is founded just south of Numidian in 540 AD:
Iron sweet iron.
I also get a merchant from the Really Quite Impressive Lighthouse. I'll probably send him to Tenochtitlan as soon as the galleon gets back.
In 580 AD I am finally ready to attack Numidian. Four axemen, two with city raider 2, two with just city raider 1, versus two archers, one with city garrison 1. I start by semi-suiciding one of the lesser axemen, and he almost kills the top defender! Then the other one meets a similar fate, leaving two critically wounded archers for mop up:
Numidian, as well as a Heroic, city raider 3 to be axeman, is mine.
In 620 AD I discover that Alphabet is no longer a monopoly, so I trade it to Montezuma for Monotheism and 310 gold, and to Huayna for Mathematics and 90 gold. Good timing, too: my original worker (I know because I renamed him Lumber Jack after his admirable performance at Scorched Earth) was just about to cut down a forest at Nanjing.
Heh. Saladin adopts theocracy in 660 AD. His state religion is Buddhism (founded by Montezuma). But he's the one who founded Christianity - now he can't spread it. Tsk, tsk. I wonder if he will stay Buddhist throughout the game.
In 720 AD I do a fair amount of stuff: I finish a settler in Beijing, and send it northeast towards some frozen marble because, I start The Great Library in Shanghai, I get Compass (starting Music, with the intention to get theology and then lightbulb Divine Right, which will probably fail, but at least not leave me in an awful position when it does), and I trade Compass to Montezuma for Currency and 40 gold, to Saladin for Calendar and 130, and to Huayna for Code of Laws and 10.
So this is the technology situation:
Starting to resemble tech parity! Of course, there's an entire branch of the tech tree hiding behind metal casting, so I might be way behind there.
In 800 AD I notice Saladin has Literature, and Ghuangzhou gets double-coppered:
Xian is founded in 820, and a forest is immediately chopped, though the theatre is still some ways off.
In 820, Homer joins Harkuf in Beijing, and I start researching Theology. Huayna Capac has Literature... and apparently, Saladin has Music! At least, I can't trade it to him. He must have researched it same turn as I did. That's actually kind of soothing once I get past the initial shock: that means he hasn't half-researched Divine Right, and since no one else has Theology, I stand a good chance of landing Islam.
In 820, I am also ready to conquer Cuman, the barbarian city to the north. A tougher nut this time, but also a tougher nutcracker:
My first suicidal swordsman wins at 27.3% and gains four experience points, the second dies as does an axeman, but then:
North America is free from barbarian cities.