[Ben E Lou]

CLOSING IN

A settler/archer combo makes first border contact with France as we build Nara 5 tiles due north of Satsuma, and on the border with Rheims. We immediately begin working on a library (culture) there. In that same turn, we find Paris, just as I had figured, on the very northern coast of the continent.





The galley is finished in Edo in 1020. My main purpose in building it is to find out if there are any other plots of land close enough to be explored and conquered now, before Astronomy allows the crossing of oceans. It sets sail southward from Edo.





In 1085, I finish construction, and immediately begin building catapults in several cities that are size 3 or bigger. Nagoya is built in 1135, , finishing off the extra row of cities up near France, but also bumping up my maintenance to -9 per turn. I have 139 gold, so I'll keep it there for now so that science can remain at 90%. I'll need to start working on economic techs, and on getting courthouses. I didn't mention a few of the lesser techs I gained in the past few turns, but now (1135), I'm working on Currency (23 turns).





Heh, shortly before I was ready to roll, Napoleon declared war in 1175AD. His first attack, on Kagoshima, fails miserably. I send the stack that I have ready, three swordsmen and one catapult, into the territory near Rheims.





Ugh. Attacking AI cities ain't easy. I may be out of my league for now at Noble. I lost my entire offensive army near Rheims, including 2 more swordsmen and 2 catapults that I built and sent up there into the fray. I have a feeling that I'm going to be soon overrun by Napoleonic forces.