Borg Borg Baby

You think they're going after Ngome, but you never know...

Gunpowder comes in the next turn and I'm totally set for saltpeter. 3 sources! Unfortunately, so's everyone else. Argh.

700 AD, the gigacascade wipes out Sistine's, the Great Library (!!!), Sun Tzu's, Leo's, and Copurnicus'. Seems my run on Sistine's didn't QUITE work. Sure does make for an interesting-looking coliseum, though.

And they, uh, went for Ngome.

That same turn, Alex wants 320 gold for Chivalry. Well, uh, sure. Only let's do 250 and 1gpt just to make me happy. And let's get Education, instead. Quite suddenly, it seems, I'm catching up. I'm only behind by Astronomy, Chivalry, and Republic, and Monty will give Astronomy for 39 gpt, 80 gold, and my map. Doing a bit of looking around, it seems Hiawatha doesn't have Education, so he buys it off me for Chivalry, his maps, and 42 gold. Shaka will take Astronomy off my hands for Furs, the Republic, his map, and 10 gold. And just like that, I was completely caught up in the tech race with the world.

Somewhat similarly, I borged Roman Tlaxcala:

This didn't please Caesar at all, apparently, since that same turn:

I'd love to refuse, but, uh, no. Immediately after, Shaka wants my territory map and 20 gold. Bah. This must change.

And the tech trading continues. 350 gold, 10 gpt, my map, and incense to Caesar for banking. Turn around and trade Astronomy to Hiawatha for Printing Press, his map, and 17 gold. Turn around and trade Printing Press to Shaka for 12 gold, his map, and 4 workers. Yes, workers. He's got 2 cities left, and will die soon. And I could use them more than he could. <shrug>

Sure enough, Shaka goes down hard.

On a whim, I check to see what Caesar will offer for my one and only iron resource...

Certainly, Caesar. Anything you want.

And just in time for the next round, too. Seems Monty's got a death wish.

And more suicidalness:

And if somebody could BUILD A HARBOR SO I CAN TRADE WITH THEM. Gah. Rome's my only remaining trade partner at this point, so he gets some bright purty Dyes.

Meanwhile, back on the home front, there's a whole bunch of rushbuying of infrastructure going on.

And all Rome's base are belong to me:

And after a break I come back to the game, only to be witness to the sight of the Iroquois declaring on Rome. Whoa. World Crusade Against Caesar, Film at 11.

Somewhere in here, everyone whips out harbors. Yay. Tech's pretty bloody expensive, though. Nevertheless Alex gets 340 gold + 24 gpt and incense for Chemistry in 1050, and we begin 40-turning Democracy (Rome has it, but I like my soul, thank you).

1070 sees Greece and Rome declaring peace on each other, and me hooking up some saltpeter, which I would trade but of course can't. In 1090, however, Caesar comes seeking iron, which I gladly provide him in exchange for 30 gold, 7 gpt, his map, and Economics. Smith's would be nice. I LIKE Smith's. The people are duly impressed with my trading prowess as well as the massive amounts of cathedrals and banks and such being built all over the place, and add on to the palace.

1140 gets a tad entertaining. A lone Roman knight runs up next to Tlaxcala, and that turn Caesar comes seeking Dyes, which I will gladly give him for his entire income... He's also out of Saltpeter, but I can't quite capitalize on that just yet. And will Monty EVER BUILD A FREAKING HARBOR?

And on occasion, you have to ask yourself questions. Questions like why, with Berlin and two more cities with giant amounts of cultural buildings, is Ngome not all about German civilization?

Of course, having said that, I soon after get this:

Go figure.

And whoa, haven't seen one of these in a while.

Yeah Monty, sure. You take that, I shall immediately spend most of the rest on infrastructure rushes.