Epic Twenty-Eight: Mistress of the Sun


"Fifth Millenium--Building, World War, and the End of an Age"

(translators note: due to time constraints, the remainder of this tale will not be told through the scrolls of Dedi)

Now its 190 AD--and I have a sneaky suspician that cultural is right out, but we will play it out for a while. Hmm, I notice in 230 AD that Gandhi is up Chivalry on us, but down Theology and Invention. So I trade invention to him for Chivalry, his WM, and all his 4g. This is a bargain for him, but I want to give him a chance to get gunpowder before theology, so maybe I can get it from him on the cheap.

In 250 AD, another brokerage comes out. Many of the leaders have education, but the Greeks do not. So WM, 33gpt, and 152g to Joanie for Education. Education WM, 5gpt, and 24g to Alex for Gunpowder. This knocks my economy down to 12 gpt for 4 turns, when I get back 42 gpt.

Mongols (the most backwards civ) demand Monotheism in 260 AD. I tell Temujin to stuff it. Of course he does a chicken dance.


Romans build Sun's in 270 AD, Greeks cascade and complete Leo's.

Most of the tech leaders have printing press in 290 AD, which is exactly halfway through my 40 turn run. France completes Sistine in 340 AD--killing the cascade. Caesar demands TM and 24g in 340 AD--of course I give in...

380 AD--time for more brokering. Joanie gets 54 gpt, 113g, and WM for Astronomy. Astronomy, WM and 4 gpt to Alex for Chemistry. This further pays off in 410 AD, when I ship Astronomy to X-man along with 3g for Banking. Gandhi now has PP, so I ship him Education for it along with his WM. Econ @ lone scientist. Start Cops in Thebes in 420 AD--due in 20 turns. And Abydos flips to the ARABS??!! I have more local culture, and the city flips to them??

I use saltpeter to buy Metallurgy from the greeks for 25gpt + 60g in 520 AD, then sell it back to Babs for Music Theory, WM, and all their 1g. Paris completes Cops in 520 AD.

Tech leaders have MilTrad in 570 AD. I buy it from England for 50 gpt and 404g. Ship it to Babs for Econ, all 39g and 12 gpt. Ship MilTrad to greeks for Nav WM Wines, and RoP.

Here is a view of Egypt in 590 AD.



Notice the steady stream of Roman units through Egypt. And we finally complete the Forbidden Palace in 600 AD. In 610 AD, I find out why the Romans were trapsing around my land--to get the French and their gems city--they take it the first turn--now I may get it with a flip, since the Romans have much less culture than I do. Rome allies with Japan against France the next turn.

Another brokerage. France gets 55 gpt and 236g for Physics. Physics to Babs for Democracy plus 26 gpt, physics and 44g.. Physics to Arabs for Free Artistry WM, and all 1g.

In 650 Babs ally with France against Rome. Greece allies with Rome against France.

In 710 AD, Thebes completes Smiths. French cascade and complete Shakes and Bach. Arabs complete Newton's. I ship another round of salt (I am buying from india) along with 43 gpt and 91g to Greece for Magnetism.

Democracy is established in 730 AD. All the world (except me) are at war. I found Buto in 760 AD to poach an area around a conquered Greek city.



















I buy ToG from Joanie in 770 AD for 39 gpt, WM, and 347g., and enter the Industrial Age.  In 830 AD, I buy Medicine from Wang for 72 gpt and 319g.  In 860 AD, buy sanitation from England for 60 gpt and 300g. Proceed to sell it and medicine all around to recoup costs. The next 140 years I call the years of poaching--I was poaching any available sites that wars were bringing about. In 970 AD, we buy steam power from France for 101 gpt and 497g. In 990 AD we get the Iron works message. And the great railroading begins.


"The Time of Poaching"

Here is Egypt in 1000AD.  Note all the foreign units slogging their way through to wage war.


The time of poaching is here--you can see on my 1000 AD map how many aggressive sites I have settled.  Yes, some of these sites are 3 tiles away from existing cities, but I am trying for flips and more cities for culture.  I will try to build these cities up to be useful parts of the empire.  In 1090, the first of the Industrial Age brokerages.  Electricity from England for 159 gpt and 323g.  Sell it to France for Industrialization and 5 gpt.  Sell Industrialization to Greece for 91 gpt and all his 177g.  Sell steam power to Babs for 24 gpt, 54g and a worker.  Sell Alex iron for his remaining 20 gpt.

The AI wars are never ceasing--always providing me some room to poach some more cities--I wish they would raze cities, but at least gap allow me to wedge in there and get the land.  Factories and Hospitals are ordered everywhere, and the railing project continues.  Culture buildings and factories are rushed as the cash becomes available.


A 40-turn run on Nationalism bears fruit in 1170 AD.  After this I have to debate at what rate I research Scientific Method.  Investigations of the other Suffrage builders reveals I will win by 3 turns.  This means I can get Suffrage and kill the cascade if the AI do not get to Sci Meth in 10 turns.  So I set science for SciMeth in 13 @ 158gpt surplus.  In 1210 AD, the ironworks completes.  In 1230 AD, I have more culture than everyone except the French..  In 1260, I complete Universal Suffrage, killing the cascade.

Looking at the culture picture, I will have to get a dogpile against France to win this one.  Everyone gets SciMeth one turn before I do--which allows me to cruise in the last turn at a single scientist.  None of them have the production to beat me to ToE.  And none of the AI start ToE for the first three turns? Weedy AI.

And FINALLY, in 1290 AD, I get my first flip.  Now I think it's time for a gambit to get my GA.  Arabs are down to one city--let's see if I can lure a unit out into the open for a WC strike...obviously a dastardly act.








I did a quick run to get the Corporation the same turn ToE is due (1305 AD), then set for the normal Atomic Theory and Electronics.  Joanie gets atomic theory for Replacement parts, 10g, and 253 gpt.  Caesar gives up 77 gpt and wines (a bargain for him, but I do not want Joanie to get the windfall).



I decide to use the AI cash to research Radio @ 1st in 14 turns with a 429gpt surplus (401gpt from AI).  In 1310, The Intelligence Agency completes.  I leave a gap in the lines and the Persians destroy the Arabs.  Greece is all but dead--opening up some more poaching sites.  England demands AT--I have not the defenses for a major war, so they get it.  Here is Egypt  in 1305 AD.





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