Civ VI gameplay plan

I'm not a gaming expert, but I prefer this gameplay plan for the video game Sid Meier's Civilization VI.

I have all the expansions, so this plan is based on that. It aims mainly at peaceful victories, such as in science, diplomatic, or culture. 

Research should be chosen based on nearby resources for the first few turns. Workers getting tiles to earn for your civilization is essential to sustain and grow a city. Beyond that, I've laid out my favorite Wonders, tech, and cultures. 

Hanging Gardens - Ancient - Irrigation - Increases Growth by 15% in all cities. (Must be built next to a River.)
[tech] - Ancient - Animal Husbandry - Reveals Horses.
Oracle - Ancient - Mysticism - Buying Great People costs 25% less Faith (Must be built on Hills.)
[tech] - Ancient - Bronze Working - Reveals Iron

~Code of Laws policy~  Ancient - Military - +5 Combat Strength when fighting Barbarians.

~Craftmanship policy~  Ancient - Economic - +30% Production towards Builders.

~State Workforce policy~  Ancient - Economic - +15% Production towards Ancient and Classical era wonders.

~Political Philosophy policy~  Ancient - Diplomatic The first  Envoy you send to each city-state counts as 2

~Foreign Trade policy~  Ancient - Trader

~Military Tradition policy~  Ancient - Grants Flanking and Support

~State Workforce policy~  Ancient - Government Plaza

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - Classical - Defensive Tactics- All Great Engineer Great Engineers have an additional charge. (Must be built on a coastal tile adjacent to a Harbor district.)

~Games and Recreation policy~  Classical - Entertainment District 

~Drama and Poetry policy~  Classical - Theater Square

~Theology policy~  Classical - Temple

Alhambra - Medieval - Castles - +1 Military Policy slot (Must be built on Hills adjacent to an Encampment district.)
[tech] - Medieval - Buttress - Dam (It must be built on a Floodplains tile and the River must traverse at least 2 adjacent sides of the future Dam tile.)
[tech] - Medieval - Military Engineering - Reveals Niter

~Feudalism policy~  Medieval - Economic - Newly trained Builders gain 2 extra build actions.

~Mercenaries policy~  Medieval - Military - 50% discount on all unit upgrades.

~Divine Right policy~  Medieval - Economic - +15% Production toward Ancient, Classical, Medieval and Renaissance era wonders.


Forbidden City - Renaissance - Printing - +1 Wildcard Slot Wildcard policy slot (Must be built on flat land adjacent to City Center.)
Potala Palace - Renaissance - Astronomy - +1 Diplomatic Policy slot (Must be built on a Hill adjacent to a Mountain.)
[tech] - Renaissance - Cartography - Allows ocean movement. 

Taj Mahal - Renaissance - Humanism - +1 Era Score from Historic Moment earned after the wonder is complete if that Moment is usually worth 2 or more Era Score. (Must be built next to a River.)
Venetian Arsenal - Renaissance - Mass Production - Receive a second naval unit each time you train a naval unit. (Must be built on the Coast and adjacent to an Industrial Zone district.)

~Diplomatic Service policy~  Renaissance - Diplomatic - +50% Production towards Spies. Spy operations take 25% less time.

~Humanism policy~  Renaissance - Archaeological Museum

~Diplomatic Service policy~  Renaissance - Spy

[tech] - Industrial - Industrialization - Reveals coal
Big Ben - Industrial - Economics - +1 Economic Policy slot (Must be built next to a River adjacent to a Commercial Hub district with a Bank.)

~Civil Engineering policy~  Industrial - Economic - +30% Production towards Builders. Newly trained Builders gain 2 additional Build actions.

~Civil Engineering policy~  Industrial - Economic - +15% Production Production towards all Wonders.

~Natural History policy~  Industrial - Archaeologist, Reveals Antiquity Site Antiquity Sites. 

~Urbanization policy~  Industrial - Neighborhood district 

Eiffel Tower - Modern - Steel - All tiles in your civilization gain +2 Appeal (Must be built on flat land adjacent to City Center.)
[tech] - Modern - Steel - Reveals oil
[tech] - Modern - Radio - Reveals Aluminum
[tech] - Modern - Combustion - Oil Well
[tech] - Modern - Radio - Hydroelectric Dam

~Ideology policy~  Modern - Diplomatic - Enemy Spy levels reduced by 2 in your lands.

~Nuclear Program policy~  Modern - Diplomatic - Spies who steal a tech boost without being detected gain an extra boost.

~Totalitarianism policy~  Modern - Diplomatic - Open Borders with all City-States, and +4 influence points per turn towards earning Envoys.

Biosphère - Atomic - Synthetic Materials - +200% Power Power for renewable energy. (Must be built next to a River adjacent to a Neighborhood.) 

{I LOVE using renewable energy for my cities.}
[tech] - Atomic - Synthetic Materials - Geothermal Plants 

[tech] - Atomic - Combined Arms - Reveals Uranium

[tech] - Atomic - Rocketry - Spaceport
[tech] - Atomic - Rocketry - Launch Earth Satellite (first step toward Science Victory)

~Cold War policy~  Atomic - Diplomatic - Enemy Spy level reduced by 2 in your lands. Your Spy level is increased by 1 for offensive operations.

~Space Race policy~  Atomic - Diplomatic - Rock Bands from other players may not enter your territory.

~Space Race policy~  Atomic - Military - +15% Production towards Space Race projects if a city has either a Military Academy or a Seaport.

~Cultural Heritage policy~  Atomic - Shipwrecks

~Cold War policy~  Atomic - Rock Band

[tech] - Information - Satellites - Solar Farm

[tech] - Information - Satellites - Launch Moon Landing (second step towards Science Victory)
[tech] - Information - Composites - Wind farm

[tech] - Information - Robotics - Giant Death Robot

[tech] - Future - Predictive Systems - Offshore Wind
[tech] - Future - Seasteads - Seastead
[tech] - Future - Smart Materials - Exoplanet Expedition, the fourth step toward winning a Science Victory.
[tech] - Future - Offworld Mission - Lagrange Laser Station, Terrestrial Laser Station

~Information Warfare policy~  Future - Wildcard - 50% production toward Giant Death Robots

~Global Warming Mitigation policy~  Future - Carbon Recapture

IWSG Writing RULES

https://pin.it/6t9WfGvJE

One day, the English teacher started using the word predicate. But never said what that meant. That messed me up.
"What is a Predicate? The predicate of a sentence describes either what the subject is doing or the state of the subject. The predicate must always contain a verb, but it can also include objects, either direct or indirect, and different types of modifiers, such as adverbs, prepositional phrases, or objects." -Google



https://www.facebook.com/share/goEFqNo19UWnonxe/

A gift of a book blanket and a candle on my cake. Part of my 45th birthday.

IWSG AI Take-over

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/Gscknx9omhYhbbGy





I don't depend on AI to write. It seems unlikely that AI mastering creative endeavors will continue. The desire for AI comes from the want of humans to have our creations take over the tasks we endure out of necessity so we might have more time for activities that give us joy. We long for more culture and entertainment. (Okay... in fairness, that might be my Democratic viewpoint. I'm not a Florida Republican emptying out libraries to prevent persons under the age of 18 from reading. I believe in science, as should be obvious, because I started my answer by sharing a video from a real scientist.) 

---

I haven't done much writing in the last few months. My stroke made typing or holding a pen nearly impossible for a long time. I finally started thinking about writing again. Wait, no, I never stopped, I just didn't try enough to DO. I don't know. Anyway. This opening came to me:

#FirstLines

I'm awakened in the middle of the night by my husband's special ringtone. One eye open, I glance at my phone. Sure enough, it shows my husband's name and number calling me. Curious, as he's asleep beside me, and his phone is on the charger.

(Going for a scifi horror feel. Feedback welcome.)

IWSG writing software and Health wishes and vibes

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

July 3 question - What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

I was DIE HARD into MS Word for, basically, ever. I'm Gen X. Word is what I learned since middle school. That's what I knew.
Then, one day when I was house hunting/ dreaming, I thought, "You know what'd be seriously awesome? If I could write on my main desktop commputer, but later use a laptop and sit on the porch or something for a few hours and write there, but still have access to what I was writing. Without saving on a thumb drive or whatever." And BEHOLD, the CLOUD ☁ came into existence. My love of Dropbox is deep. Then I completed NaNoWriMo for the first time, and bought Scrivener. Then I had to LEARN how to use that. And I like it for several reasons. But I can't use it on my phone. (Don't bother telling me the ways I could. The Android app just doesn't "pet my fur." 😼🐈) 

So, honestly, what I use to write most often is Google Drive. I can easily share with my writer friends. I can access it on my phone or laptop (the Desktop is as dead as the Windows Vista it used). And I can save in multiple formats. Plus, it works with Grammarly. So that's my answer.

---

I was hospitalized on Jan 13, 2024, and diagnosed with a stroke. I was discharged after having a serious asthma attack, and the medical team realized they were killing me.
I can't change what happened.

But I am going to write some positive vibe stuff, how I WISH things had been handled.

• "I see you're squirming pretty hard, and your 9-1-1 call said you needed to urinate. So I'm going to let you use a bedpan quick, while putting in the IV line here in the ER room where you have a fan and can breathe. Breathing is important. We need to make sure you keep breathing while we assess your possible stroke. 

(Instead of forcing me to continue to hold it. Taking me to the CT room, where it was too difficult to breathe, and increased suffering for 15 minutes while trying to get an IV.  Noting I was struggling to breathe, doing nothing about it. And injecting a dye so it felt like I had urinated, making the urge so much more painful, then yelling at me for not being still enough. Did they WANT me to piss in the CT machine? Because it was crazy close to happening.)

• "Your hand is turning purple, and you are screaming in agony. It seems the automatic bp cuff doesn't work on you, and it, in fact, triggers your "fight/ flight response," which increases your blood pressure. We need to lower your pain to reduce your blood pressure, so we're going to try doing it by hand with a cuff that actually fits your arm."
• "You've been admitted. Here is a mini bottle of hand sanitizer so you can keep your hands clean, especially before you eat. We won't let you wash your hands because you can't get up."
• "Hi, I'm one of the nurses. I need to <medical reason>, so I'm going to grab your gown and stare down in it at your chest. 

(Because in literally any other situation, a stranger grabbing your clothing and staring at your chest... that's assault. Seriously, this is unethical behavior in any other situation, no matter how you cut it. I'm not sure I wasn't assaulted, to be honest. But for my mental health, I tell myself there was a reason. I didn't have any leads on, so it couldn't be one was loose. Umm... maybe he was checking that my ribs were still inside my skin. Uhh... I don't know. I reported it, but I don't believe anyone cares.

My mind, in that moment, went to defending myself. I would have slapped him. But my right arm wasn't properly functioning yet. And, he was a BIG guy, his body was on my left arm, rendering it useless. I didn't think of screaming because it takes a lot of air to scream, and I was having enough trouble breathing.)

• "We see you are taking Advair 250/50. That's a pretty serious respiratory prescription. Is there anything we can do to help keep you breathing?

(As opposed to, "oh, we didn't think your asthma was serious." Said after my attack. 

• "Let me get a tape measure. It seems you won't fit into this MRI machine in the position we need. And it'd be too hot. So we'll leave you in your room.

(Instead of trying to cram me in, injuring my elbow, ignoring that injury, and then exclaiming, "oh damn, she stuck." And then sending me back to my room.)

• "I've brought you back to your room. Let me settle you on the bed and make sure you have your call bell and such."

(As opposed to dropping me and rushing out. Why assign a nurse to escort me if she didn't have the time to keep me alive? The asthma attack was 💯 totally avoidable. Half a second to push a table over. I almost died because someone didn't shove a table my way as she rushed out. Take a second to secure the patient you are with. That's a very basic care procedure. Don't put your "fall-risk" patients in dangerous situations. "ABC" - airway, breathing, cardiac -- make sure your patient can breathe and has a heartbeat before leaving the room.)

• "We're discharging you early because you stopped breathing, and we don't have a way to keep you alive. But, since you just took your first five steps today, we recognize you will need some help getting back into your home. So we've called <paramedics, firefighters, physical therapists, wrestlers doing community service, the local bodybuilders association, who the fuck ever> to help get you home safely since you can't walk on stairs yet."
• "We've contacted tech support and they did some minor programming. Now we can put a copy of your MSDS sheet on your chart, along with a note. So no medical person will ever neglect your respiratory needs again."

(Seriously, since we don't use paper, and thus can't paperclip a thing, create an alternative! We have the technology. Even just a note on the chart, people can Google CT-511 themselves. Or just note that I need air 60℉/ 15.5℃ to properly breathe. An anesthesiologist might need to know details, but at least other doctors could avoid needing to use, "😰 CODE BLUE response team!" Just stop trying to make me unalive.)

Primary reasons I (uselessly) reached out to half a dozen lawyers:

1. I should not have had to experience another asthma attack while hospitalized.
2. My elbow should not have been injured, and that ignored, while hospitalized.
3. My right big toe should not have been injured and ignored while hospitalized.
4. I should not have been prescribed an overdose of aspirin.
5. I was discharged so fast that another patient's information was attached to my discharge summary. HIPPA violation?
6. Arrangements should have been made to get me home safely, as I could not yet walk well enough on my own (especially on steps).
7. I wonder if manual blood pressure readings could have been taken in the ER, instead of letting my left arm turn purple. Especially as my right arm wasn't working at the time. Could one hand/ limb have been protected? 
8. Is it possible, in the future, for my respiratory condition to be taken seriously at the onset?

I'm sharing this on my blog because this is my space. I wanted to write about what happened and how I wish I was cared for instead. Mostly, I wish I would have been safe at the hospital, that my breathing would have mattered. I feel scared and helpless. I know no one can do anything about it. But I wish there was a way to prevent anyone else from facing this situation. And I wish I could protect my future self. Not that this blog post accomplishes either of those, but I genuinely don't know what to do other than leave this record here. 

Thanks for reading.

Asthma/ Respiratory Condition
Requires air 60℉ or below

⚕ Diabetic, Stroke. Jamie Dorner
Latex Allergy

Totally useless medical ID bracelet on my wrist. I had on my old one in Dec, but pretty much the same except for the stroke update.

IWSG a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

This month, the IWSG asked what kind of offering/service do I think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

I'm happy just having fellow blogger-writers to "hop" to monthly. 

But I wouldn't turn down an evaluation of my query letter. (Scroll to my Q post if you can help.) Or ideas on traditional publication stuff in the latest news. (This Spotify horror, for example: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/kJjmGnD5zYhfD4Zc/)

Maybe book blasts on social media? "Check out this new book by a pal of mine!" 

I don't really know. But stuff to help us feel more secure? 

Ways to make my hand and wrist hurt less after my stroke so I will write more?? ✍️  Oh wait, that's why I see a therapist who gives me exercises to try. 

Doctor Feelings

When doctors 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️🧑‍⚕️ dismiss my respiratory issues 

😒😵‍💫 I feel unsafe, ignored, and scared

🤔 I would prefer medical personnel to admit that breathing IS IMPORTANT and should be prioritized

I presently have no idea how to improve this situation. I'm just expressing my mental and emotional state because I'm upset.

IWSG and AtoZChallenge Reflecions

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

This month, the IWSG asked about dealing with distractions during writing. 

Well, I just failed to complete the A to Z Challenge thanks to the distraction of pain. My right wrist is so unstable. Typing HURTS. I have failed to overcome this.

Plus, my diabetic husband has been turned from short-term disability to long-term disability. He has gotten worse. Three weeks of laying on the couch, doing NOTHING, but he got a hole in his foot. How??? 

Just dealing with the insane life changes is ALL I can do right now. I lack the fortitude to deal with anything more.

 

My April 2024 A to Z Challenge blogging theme was to revise a YA novel I've been working on for almost a decade and then generate a new and better query letter to send in the hopes of traditional publication.
I want to publish that way because I believe it will give the book the best distribution, especially in school libraries where underrepresented young people could borrow it. The target audience is teenagers who have an incarcerated family member, teens who are treated as outcasts for situations beyond their control, and Latinas preparing for their quinceañera.
Read more in my theme reveal post: https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2024/03/theme-reveal-2024-atozchallenge-and-wep.html

I didn't make it. I gave up due to pain. 

Hopefully I will be able to do the challenge next year.

Hopefully I'll get the physical strength to edit the book more, and mental health to submit the query letter again (which hopefully is better?), and the emotional fortitude to keep going.

Thanks to the people who visited in April. 

I feel that I left more comments than I got, but that's how it goes. I did what I could when I could.

Feedback is needed! I'm revising, so please make suggestions if you have any. 💗