O, what a bloody web we weave!
However, I do have embargoes against Carthage (when signing alliances, I usually do those too), and I'm going to keep them. My goal now is to speed to Modern Armors before Carthage can get Mech Infantry. If that turns out to be possible, I'm going to blitz Carthage and go for a domination win. If not, I'll huddle up and pull the usual space win.
Just when the world was almost fully at peace - the only war remaining being Ottomans against Carthage - it erupts again. Scandinavia declares on the Zulu and pulls in a couple allies, and Osman buys some new alliances against Carthage. Arabia also wound up in some wars and got banished to a couple island holdings.
In 1465 AD, my interminable minimum-science run on Radio finishes. The Ottomans have had it for a while, but I can trade it to Scandinavia for Combustion.
So, with three techs left in the Industrial Age (the last two optionals don't count), I slam the slider to start running maximum research. It took me this long to gain enough economic advantage to do that. Everyone else in the world is in Monarchy or Communism and has been for some time; my Republic should be able to take the research lead now. 100% science assigned on Mass Production, due in only 5 turns. That's a 300/turn cash deficit, but I've got 25 grand in the treasury.
However, I can't get Oil; nobody has any to trade. Carthage has a bunch of extras, but we're all embargoing against them. There's one on a Zulu island off their coast, but the city has no harbor. The only one I want to try to take by force is the one on the way, way southwestern island; Arabia has one city on it. I load up three ships with my cavalry army and some infantry and artillery, and begin the fifteen-turn-long journey there.
Along the way, I was trying to plant a spy in Arabia because I wanted to try to save myself the trouble and use Propaganda on the city. But Arabia actually declared war on me after the third or fourth failed spy try. Fine with me, they can't threaten anything. But then:
How in the world did tiny Arabia, down to three scattered island cities, pay mighty Scandinavia enough to do that?!
Well, there is no way in Hades that I'm going to let Ragnar buy in any more allies. I pay off Shaka, Hannibal, and Osman all for alliances against Scandinavia. And just for good measure, I also pay Osman to ally against Arabia.
And unfortunately, my lux tax has to go back to 10% to cover the loss of two luxury imports from Scandinavia. That slows Motorized Transportation research a bit, but oh well.
Anyway, my slow fleet arrives at my oil-bearing destination.
I have absolutely no idea why that guerilla left the city. Well, Merw is razed, Caesaraugusta is founded, a harbor is rushed, and a turn later I have oil.
I had reason to investigate an Ottoman city somewhere in here; don't remember exactly why, but take a look at this:
Great Jupiter's Ghost, what a garrison. Well, I didn't have any plans to ever invade the Ottomans anyway.
Flight finishes, making me the first civ into the Modern Age, although the Ottomans have been close behind in researching. I start research on Rocketry - first time ever that my first Modern research wasn't Fission or Computers. And four turns later, that civ is also in the modern age. What they pulled for free is of great interest to me, of course - and it's Ecology. Excellent! That makes the decision on how I'm going to win this thing. If they'd pulled Computers, I'd huddle up and go for a space launch. But Ecology speeds me directly towards Modern Armors. I'm heading for Domination, which is also the only type of victory I have yet to achieve on Deity.
Ok, follow this chain of logic. Konigsberg has Scandinavia's only oil supply. So I want to take that to deny it, of course - if I can deny them oil permanently, they can't get mech infantry, of course.
Carthage, however, has plenty of both oil and rubber. And I plan to go after him with modern armor as soon as I can, before he can get his hands on mech infantry.
But I have two turns left on the alliances against Scandinavia, and I do want to keep my reputation clean.
But I need to prevent Scandinavia from buying oil from Carthage. Here's how I can do that: WAIT to capture Konigsberg until the same turn that I plan to make peace. Since Scandinavia has their own oil until that point, they can't import any. Then on the SAME TURN I make peace, I will sign embargo with Scandinavia against Carthage. I can't sign embargo with Carthage against Scandinavia right now, because I plan to attack Carthage again within twenty turns - as soon as I get Synthetic Fibers - which would break that embargo deal. Clear as mud?
So, then in 1595 AD I capture Konigsberg. Before making peace, I notice that the tanks can also reach Berlin this turn. (Scandinavia just captured Berlin from the Ottomans a turn or two ago.) A quick investigation of the city shows only one defender - and SUN TZU'S in there. That's way too tempting a target to have under my belt for when I do attack the Scandinavians again.
All my alliances have expired by now, and we make peace. I sign embargo with Scandinavia against Carthage as planned, cutting Scandinavia off from oil (what idiots!)
Rocketry also just happened to finish that same turn. I've got one aluminum - at Syracuse, good thing I took that land from Carthage in the last war! Now, I also need to acquire Ecology to get started on Synthetic Fibers. I can pay Rocketry plus 600 gold/turn (!) to the Ottomans for it, or I can send 3200 to my Intelligence Agency and cross my fingers...
and get it. Synthetic Fibers ordered up. Finally, I can import two luxuries from Scandinavia again to zero out my lux tax and get research to 100%, which will get me Synth Fibers in 9.
