Hi everyone!

I've been looking for some advice from the Pros for my step up to Monarch. Rom (JC,Crutch;-), Large(not too easy ;-), natural Coast), epic.
So far I managed too rush Zara. Got SH and GW. Left him one City too extort techfor peace. Got Diplo (starvation?) event and same religion, so he's ok now.

Religion: I chose Buddhism because most people were buddhist. My plan to befriend somebody to turn soon against Jewish, Hinduist or Confuse traitors didn't work out so far, but at least I can run OR now. Should I have rather stayed non-state?

Research: I'm putting together a so and so SE (good UB, bad terr). I'm quite a bit behind now, but not hopelessly I guess. Managed to chop the Mids with stone, while researching Currency and Construction. I was in recovery so chose Currency over Cats. My next tech gotta be MC (got silver, gold and gems!). Should I have done MC earlier? How to best aquire it soon: Esp, research or trade? Currently researching Aesth -> Lit to get GL to make Rome my GP-Pump? Valid idea with 25 max production with Aesth being around a while or rather move to CS?

Diplo: Got open borders with everyone. I just finished construction first, but don't have real good target. I planned to attack Mansa, but the shrine city is the only thing to gain, maybe a couple of generals (defensive, GW). Although he's heathen he's got a lot of buddhist friends :(. So we have my backward buddhist brother Genghis, who fought Asoka already. Didn't want to join then on either side (Hun militarily stretched and little intelligence). Brother England is near with the shrine.

GP: 1.GS Academy in Rome (Glib?+NE). 2. Aksum (40+x GP: 40+x GSp: xGS) Prophet bulbs Theo. Build AP in Aksum? Otherwise AP other religion. GSpy: settle or infiltrate? GS: Lib race still to be won/worthwile? 3. GS or GE (2GS vs Mids)

Production: Military city Khoisan, meanwhile Etruscan and Gondar to second? (Or later Karakorum?)

Gold: Bureaucracy capital to Hun, when Mongols are "integrated"?

Thanks for the input I got from the forum so far and the input to be streaming ;-)

well ... if nothing else i would have razed Gondar (unless theres a wonder there) and move it 1s ... its top on a Gold, futhermore i'd probler slap a city more SE of Rome

For starters i'd proberly train my forces by disbanding rest of ethiopia (decent enough cities and they push the borders in the cities you allready have) while doing some major exploring, and proberly make a focused attack on Lizzy to get the shrine and which ever cities look feastable (other than the single city mansa have you have zip idea where he is ... doesn't matter all that much but still annoyingly enough to have no idea)

You're a bit behind but not a lot. You're doing fine. Get those troops and finish Zara off soon. Not sure why you stopped in the first place...

Regarding the economy, just build/chop/whip courthouses in your cities. Ceasar us Organized so it shouldn't be that hard. You're well on your way to winning this. I doubt Praets will have a large enough window now to invade another civ after Zara before longbows come. Just beeline Engineering and send some Trebs with your Praets. Have a Mace (preferably Shock) or 2 for melee protection and a Pike or 2 for anti-mounted.

Update

Research: Aesth -> Lit (GLib otw) -> HBR (phants!) -> CS

Diplo: Conquer Mongolia and India. Both weak. India built AP and SoZ in Delhi.

Religion: Spread Buddhism

GP: Got a Prophet. But now AP is build bulb lost its charm.

Looks like a Confucian shrine in Uzbek? That would be my next target, and my eventual Wall Street.