Jaguar - finished, Szumo declared winner

[Loren]

Szumo said:
Thanks. And with that, i'll propably need to postpone friday morning hosting - i'll be seing Genesis gig on thursday and propably won't make it back in time to make my turn. Should be only a few hours delay though, i hope no one will mind

Is anyone up for some gossip? I see Shinyuama and Abyssia lead in province count, with me being close 3rd. And Agartha must have some interesting research strategy to start researching madly so early - but still has the biggest army. Anyone fighting already, perhaps?

The only other player I've seen so far is Atlantis. Since they're in the water and I'm on land there's certainly no squabble over that border.

[sum1lost]

I've seen atlantis, shinyuma, and agartha, now.

I'm feeling cramped, especially due to my sleepy start.

On the other hand, I'm also feeling rich.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

GNAR! I lost my whole post.
I like the idea of posting annual or bi-annual AARs. If for no other reason than to have something to check up on when I ask myself, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

I was originally lusting after those farmlands Pythium inhabits, especially since wastelands were to the south, and mountains don't make much money. But that mountain range is so much more defensible. And my lone scout saw how cramped sum1won is. I have no desire to stir that cauldron. Not and live to see tomorrow, what with painfully slow fortresses, painfully slow troops and mages, and no idea what lies to my direct south. I haven't found a single indep scout. Fortunately, my aggressive research and clear goal means I can spare my capital now, and just coast along on my early research rush, towards two of my keystones. Though to be honest, one is just because I want to, not because I see a clear strategic advantage or have a specific plan. That, and the fact that I may or may not, depending on my site searching, be drowning in earth gems. I know I'll have somewhere over fifty piled up before I have anything to spend them on. You know my huge research advantage? I've achieved that with only four not-so-great, but sacred-cheap researchers who'll die of old age soon. By the end of my first year, I could forge four Dwarven Hammers before running out, if there was an advantage to be gained. That's not where my strat is headed, however. This is the Golem Cult, baby. And Attentive Statues can do wonders for my indie expansion if I can get them out early enough to make up for my one map move, and get them to some fighting. But if I waited till year two, it'd take them half a year to get anywhere useful. Fortunately for you, an early Golem Rush has one major weakness that anyone with basic battle scripting can exploit... Fortunately, that doesn't cover independents.

[Loren]

Anyone know where I can get a brain? I played turn 7 and apparently never sent it in!

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

I believe one of our nations has an Emerald City, so just follow the yellow brick road, you're off to see the wonderful wizard of Oz.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

What, nobody apreciated my Oz joke?

Well gossip time. I got my turn in about thirty minutes till turn-over. Shinuyama might sleep through theirs.

Damn misfortune, damn barbarians. Here's hoping that all those archers I recruited can be put to good use, and I didn't cripple myself by splitting my forces in two. Take a province, lose a province. Eh... The same province they raided produced several water gems the same turn, so my luck's not all bad.

[Starshine_Monarch]

I have found Abysia so far and I am dead scared of his god...E9F4 and like 29 Prot...not to mention gods know how many HP...I wonder just what kind of scales he needed to take to get all that awake...((besides heat, that's a given...)) His army size kind of sucks, so probably a bit of turmoil and sloth...