Russian Comapitalism

Undecided as to if this is a good thing or not. It slows the tech rate down, certainly, since Hammurabbit and Cleo are the two biggest science civs in this game, and India isn't doing bad either, but is this good? We'll see.

In 1455, Moscow finishes building Adam Smith's Trading Co. From scratch. With two AIs working on it. Compy really doesn't like this thing, does he? Too bad for him, 'cause I love it. I trade away a large chunk of cash to Cleo for Industrialization, too, and start a couple factories.

There's also a slight gasp here as I think I've broken the worker rules, then realize that yes, Abydos DID flip to me, so it's a suburb of Minsk, who's workers I was using. Whew.

Finally in 1575 the clerk in Kiev (he moved from Sparta) figures out Communism. At last! 6 turns of anarchy, unfortunately, and lots of civil disorder. Argh. Finally, I'm out.

1625 AD, I finally start running science for the first time in forever. 20 turns to refining, and it's going to eat my gpt badly, but I'm at least all set for

That certainly took long enough. Sure does help the gold supply out a ton though. In 1695 refining finally comes in, my first researched tech in forever. I also snag medicine and sanitation, and some hospitals finally start getting constructed. And following the AIs up the research chain at last civ prices is kind of, well, cheap.

The next turn, my oil source I hadn't even thought to check for runs out, and reappears, directly under Pharsalos. Egypt also apparently lost their iron, and are willing to give me all sorts of stuff for some more. Yay. In fact, they'll give me about this much:

Gee, I dunno Cleo. Bit on the light side there, don't you think?

Things go along for a good while, me building up gold, trading and such, moving workers, all that happiness, and all of a sudden:

I'm tired of Hammurabbi's crap. I'd like nothing more than to wipe him off the face of the planet. Unfortunately he's got that MPP with Cleo, and I can't take on the two biggest powers in the world. So I cave. Again.

I do a little bit of constructive trading in 1745. Dial up Bismarck, offer Refining, Sanitation, and 250 gold, which he somehow doesn't have, for Replaceable Parts and Mil Tradition, which he does. Do I have rubber? I do. Right on top of Moscow! Talk about your great start locations. My only ivory, 29 gpt, and 181 gold to Gandhi will get me Sci Method. And of course I forget to play with my cities that suddenly have no ivory, and my entire country goes into disorder. <sigh> A bit later, I trade rubber and 75 gold to Egypt in return for Steel, so that Egypt and Babylon can continue fighting their little MPP-fueled war with India that's been going forever and ever.

Suddenly in 1744, Greece invades:

They're heading for that little strip up where the last dye on the continent is, unhooked and in Greek territory. Well, um, hrm. I'm sure I can prevent that. I tell him to leave, and he...doesn't. Yep. Nobody saw that coming. I keep telling him, and he keeps ignoring me. I'd go obliterate him, but it's not worth it. So I go over and trade Cleo some more iron and a really large sack of 575 gold for Combustion.

1778, I discover some more oil near Minsk. Who can I trade THAT to, I wonder? Nobody, as it turns out. Bismarck needs it, but he's broke. Gah. Hammurabbit needs coal, but so do I. So much for more trading.

1782, and the mother of all misclicks when I accidentally give Bismarck Steel. Hahahahahahahaha...no. It's about now I realize I can probably buy tech cheaper than I can research it, even as devalued as it is for me. 686 and 19gpt gets me Atomic Theory. Steel goes to Bismarck to pick me up Democracy and Espionage (useless, but it's not really hurting me to get them).

1792, random diplo-check...say, India doesn't have Atomic Theory? <stare> Hey, Gandhi. How about I give you Atomic Theory, 752 gold, and 39gpt and you give me Flight and Mass Production? Oh, you like that idea? Great. Very suddenly, I was down Electronics, Radio, Motorized Transportation, and whatever modern tech had been discovered, and the very capitalist Russian communists were third in the world in tech.

1796, my new-found oil runs off screaming, with nobody ever having used it, Bismarck being too poor to afford it. My rubber's good, though, and Egypt's got lots of tech - In return for Electronics, I hand over rubber, 1166 gold, and 44gpt. Yeargh. But it's getting me there.

It's all going good, and then, whoops. Bismarck's getting pushy again.

Well, um, let's think about this for a second. No. Sure enough, he declares war. Well, we've got ways of fixing that problem. Battleships every 4 turns from Moscow is one way, of course, but there are others... Hey Cleo, come here for a sec, would you please?

And Gandhi, and Hammurabbi. Alex is left out in the cold. A quick check of Hammurabbit's capitol while I'm establishing embassies reveals that he's got jet fighters and he's sort of building the Apollo Project. Ack. But I'm getting there... Motorized Transportation from Cleo for Iron, 657 gold, and 13gpt.

Greece gets dragged into the fighting in 1814 anyway, when they sign a MPP with Babylon. Heh.

In 1820, I buy Radio from Cleo for 1212 gold and 70gpt. That gives us:

My one source of Aluminum is of course in the middle of freaking nowhere, up in the tundra. Going to check on tech again, I notice that Cleo has all of...amphibious warfare over me. Hammurabbit's got Fission (he's building the Manhattan Project, too) and Space Flight. For lack of money and a better idea, I start a 1 scientist run on Space Flight.

Whoa. 1824, things get crazy. India suddenly signs peace with Germany, turns around, and attacks EGYPT again. Babylon, being Babylon and the most advanced people on the planet, are totally eating up Bismarck. Two turns later, Hammurabbit whips out the Manhattan Project.

And it's fairly apparent that I'm in no way rich enough to buy the techs I need. Almost 3k gold, +200 a turn, and I can't get a nibble out of Hammurabbit or Cleo. Ick. Somewhere around 1840, the wars get so complicated I can't even keep track, but the general gist is that India and Germany are separately fighting most of the world.

The tech buying problem is about like this:

1848, I'm back at peace with Germany, and waiting for my iron deal with Egypt to run out. For iron, rubber, dyes, and 2000 gold, Egypt will give me Fission. Ow. Pain. Hurt. Hurt. Erk. I of course have no uranium, which is going to be really harsh later on in life, I imagine. Although upon later checking, Hammurabbit seems to have it.

Some tech trading is done in 1860 - Bismarck gets Mass Production at a fairly large discount, just saltpeter and 420 gold, while Gandhi gets Rocketry for 1450 gold, 45gpt, and furs. Boy this stuff is pricey.

And today's humor shot: