France IA - Part 11 The Part of Empire Consolidation

Hey you! Yeah, you! You're reading part 11 of the France IA game! Strawpoll results are in, and the Gauls lead the polls with 11 votes, followed by the Bretons and the Anglo-Saxons with 2 and the Normans with 1. No one else has any, not even the Visigoths who are rather impressive.

Anyway, people don't seem to like Vercingetorix, so they decide to rebel. Those GWI could cause some damage if they attacked a city together. They won't though, because on top of being an AI, they're run by the Bandit section of the AI, which is even more terrible than the regular AI.

This should end those pesky Franks. Maybe. Perhaps Vercingetorix will spare a unit to capture that worker if those rebels don't take up too much of his efforts.

Good news(?) for Louis, Alaric makes peace with him. Bad news for Viriato, as Alaric captures and burns Laredo.

Louis can still win this right guys? Probably not, seeing as he has two Gatling guns and many workers. Hell, he even has an archaeologist. DAMN IT LOUIS, YOU HAD ONE JOB...

Alaric constructs the Eiffel Tower, which can only be beneficial. Maybe Vercingetorix should have built that. Also, Alaric has infantry, I think those are the first ones.

Those rebels are doing some damage, and the forces arranged against them aren't that impressive. I'm sure that'll change though, Vercingetorix has crazy production.

Flanders takes Louis' last city beating out the Gauls!

Louis had a central location and could have expanded in every direction without too much trouble, but instead chose to stay close to home and attempt to invade others. After many invasions resulting in burnt city remains, he was invaded and destroyed in pretty much one part by the Gauls, the Flemish, and the Visigoths. Though lets be honest the Gauls did all the work.

The Anglo-Saxons are still at war with the Normans, and Laval is damaged but should remain Norman.

The Iberian capital of Burgos is starting to come under fire from the invading Visigothic forces, which is rather bad for Viriato. It doesn't look like he's trying to defend the city either, as his army is around Pechon.

Look at that Swiss carpet! Only 2-3 generations behind everyone else, but its a carpet. Also, Alaric, you cheeky blighter!

Charlemagne's last unit still exists. Curses.

Louis is pulling a Charlemagne and hides amongst some fleeing workers.

But now there is only one worker group to hide in. I have a feeling that Charlemagne will outlive Louis. Also, the Gauls are now even better titled, forgoing the title of Gallic Reich for the Reich of Gallic Nation. Impressive.

Yup, got that already me. Good chance to look over the Bretons, who are sitting there doing nothing I guess.

And there goes Louis XIV, the Sun King. The King is dead! Long live the King!

See what I mean? Charlemagne has outlasted Louis XIV. I don't think I like that.

Burgos is completely surrounded by Visigothic troops, it will probably fall in the following couple of turns.

Look at the ruins of what was once the French kingdom... What a shame. Of course, after razing all of those French cities he conquered, Vercingetorix decides to settle them in the same place...

Hey, Laval might actually fall! That's be a new and refreshing thing.

Somehow the Iberians have removed most of the Visigothic presence around Burgos, though I'll be damned if I know how.

Those rebels that were causing a ruckus in Gallia are gone now.

Alfred finally takes Laval! And to celebrate he builds Broadway.

Burgos is still Iberian, but the newly upgraded Visigothic army is on the way and is loaded for Spaniard.

Alfred once had Laval. Once. William took it back though.

Viriato makes peace with Alaric after losing his capital. Alaric even gets, and razes, Leon. Shame that, it was a good city if a bit lacking in resources.

Seeing as peace isn't the natural state of the Reich of Gallia, Vercingetorix declares war on Dufour, aiming to take out Switzerland. This'll be interesting I hope.

Laval may fall again, though it'll probably flip a bunch.

Yeah, it flipped... Also, Flanders is invading Normandy, which can only be bad news for William. Good move Robrecht.

The Swiss army is advancing on Mulhouse! That city was Switzerland's second city many a part ago, maybe they can retake it?

William's army may be reaching its breaking point, especially considering that L'Aigle is on the other side of Laval.

Do it Switzerland, take back Mulhouse! That pikeman/archaeologist combo will finally pay dividends!

Viriato has infantry now, a bit late to join the fray against Alaric though.

Laval is still Norman, and the Flemish fail to successfully attack L'Aigle. Attacking is only a good idea if you know what you're doing Robrecht.

Leave Anne of Brittany alone right now! I mean it! *cries* Leave her alone! Those citadels are uncalled for!

Viriato continues to amaze me, his science game is on point! William is doing really well too.

I guess Mulhouse will remain Gallic then... Oh well, so much for that. Vercingetorix isn't attacking very ferociously.

Laval flips again as L'Aigle finally takes some damage.

Hey look, its the interior of the Anglo-Saxons, who have some AA-dakka now. That'll be useful, seeing as everyone is getting planes now.

Well... Maybe not in this region. Alfred is going to make it rain on Laval though, look at those artillery pieces...

See what I mean? And Robrecht has taken L'Aigle to half health.

Vercingetorix can build an army faster than he can deploy it, which is interesting. Use it! Take out Dufour! Declare on Alaric! Do something with those forces!

Hey look we're back here... Uh... Uh... Viriato, resettle Laredo!

Alfred takes Laval, Robrecht takes L'Aigle (though William might flip it), and Alaric is can build nukes. I'm sure this will be for peaceful uses, right Alaric? Alaric? What's with that gleam in your eyes?

Alaric has some pretty nice cities. Others, not so much...

I think its happening, Gallic forces have crossed into Switzerland.

Guess L'Aigle won't flip back, as William and Robrecht make peace. Alaric builds el Cristo Redentor, which, interestingly enough, was designed by a French sculptor Paul Landowski (Franco-Polish?) and built in collaboration with the French.

That's a nice defensive force you've got there Dufour. It'd be a shame if something... "Happened" to it.

Oops, something happened to it. Well, so much for that...

Just kill Charlemagne already!

Nantes falls to yellow again. Anne's former capital looks like it will fall to the Anglo-Saxons. How cool would it be if Anne took it back? Pretty cool right?

Yeah, it would have been cool, but Alfred took it. Eh, he did the work, he gets the results. Alfred has 3 capitals (Winchester, Caen, and Nantes). Alaric has 3 as well (his, Andorra, and Burgos), Vercingetorix has 4 (his, Bourges, Paris, and Aachen). Switzerland has theirs, Flanders has theirs, and the Bretons and Iberians have none.

Well, Switzerland may not have theirs for very much longer.

Here's the center of France, after every city is burnt to the ground. Paris has weird cultural borders...

Bern takes damage for the first time. Fairly certain Dufour can't escape this one, but you know how the AI is.

Oh for Pete's sake! Just capture that worker!

I like how that Norman GWI is going for Caen. Good luck buddy.

Everyone's favourite Iberians have a small but up to date army at this point.

Yeah, Dufour is in trouble, and useless spies are useless.

You can now see the final 4 Norman units, as well as some invisible Anglo-Saxon cities.

THEY DID IT FINALLY I'M SO HAPPY!!!

Charlemagne had a comfy corner spot and could have had a large empire, except that he didn't expand until it was too late. His main strategy was for everyone to forget he existed which worked until it didn't. The Gauls and the Flemish then tore him apart until he survived as a single worker for eons.

Alfred enters the atomic era as we end it here. I'm bad at part separation apparently, as last part I ended it just before the French were eliminated, and this turn its the Swiss. Sorry about that.

Strawpoll: http://strawpoll.me/6556323 (Sorry for the capcha, but with the recent spate of poll spamming I'd rather do it this way.)

3rd place is being fought over now, as first and second place are rather secure in their scores.

Military ranking doesn't follow score ranking though, which could be fun.

More circles are fading out! Also, if you guys hate each other so much why don't you duke it out??? Someone get rid of those Norman units for me please!

Nice population lead from the Visigoths.

Hell of a production lead by the Gauls though.

Wuh? What happened to those happiness penalties and barbarians from before??? And my how the Anglo-Saxons have fallen!

The Big 4 and Iberia lead the tech rankings, big surprise.