I have some decisions coming up in this somewhat unusual game* where I can't quite come down one way or another.

1. When to renew my war against Ethiopia... classifying it by war technology, I get:
- Swords and swords: This could get things over with quickly, but siegeless swords vs. a hilltop capital with wonder-boosted Creative culture is going to look ugly. Also, my WW will hardly have decayed by then -- I got my first point of unavoidable unhappiness in Kyoto the same turn as I took peace -- although I will have a wine happiness and HR to help fight unhappiness this time. But also, it means taking my second "war on our friend" demerits quickly... most relevant for Lincoln I think.
- Swords and cats: Considerably slower, but I don't face the likely 60+% culture defense, and the WW renewal and the war on our friend demerit are delayed. However, there is a small chance he will field heffalumps (and may declare first... good for diplo, but...)
- Swords, spies and cats: this may actually be slower than the next in line, since I have a grand total of one courthouse, but on the other hand I have the shrine for ZY's religion. Once again later benefits but also more WW decay and delayed diplo demerit.
- Swords, jumbos, and cats: requires actually getting jumbos, preferably not at the price of renting out my marble again. If feasible... once again later risks and later benefits. Starts to risk longbows.
- Samurais and cats: Later everything, high risk of longbows.

Note that ZY has no metals... just jumbos.


2. The Great Library - Should I build it, and where? If I build it in the cap, it'll take longer than in the ideal location (not sure which one that is, but Kyoto with only three hills is not gonna be it), but I have the academy already prepared. Although I'm working on a second GP, I'd really prefer to bulb Philo with it.

2a. If the best plan is to build the GL outside the cap, should I bulb philo and start hurrying towards a third GS, or use the second GS for a second academy? My thought on Philo is that I might be able to squeeze a CS trade out of it. In the extreme case, I might even be able to harness Buro to make a capital build of TGL more palatable, but...

3. NE spot... and in general GP farm spot (or wait for the Ethiopian capitol)?

Any thoughts on city placement (including the "c" future-city markers... but before you criticize the SE planning, consider how non-optimal the alternatives also are!) will also be appreciated.

If you play out a couple of turns and Lincoln promo-heals his chariot, attacks with it still wounded, and captures that Barb city, tell me now so I can go crazy with rage while NOT directly in front of Civ. :-)

I'm kind of surprised how many civs have absolutely nothing to show in the resources section of the trade window in this game, but I'm sure there's a rational explanation.

Thanks all for your comments!

* Starting warrior popped barbs from a hut around turn 10 and got no beneficial huts later, considerably slowing my start. (I delayed my second WB for a new warrior... still not sure if that was the right move.) Skipped my beloved Stonehenge so I had to settle for first ring much more than I usually do (good practice!). Skipped my beloved Oracle so I had to take the Aesthetics path that I associate more with Emperor than Monarch. Am actually generating GS's rather than sucking up SH/Oracle GP's. Captured a shrined holy city in the early AD's. Assault on a friendly neighbor (he was trying to settle my backwater). Attempt by my enemy to "archer-rush" me with a sortie that, once repelled, drained his otherwise-nearly-unassailable holy city of almost all its defenders. The list goes on...

One last decision I'm facing: when to switch to OR:
- immediately, in order to get Hinduism and Confu spread faster?
- after converting Kyoto, in order to support a capital TGL build?
- as late as feasible, to delay the support hit and turn of anarchy?