Local Contacts
I settle in place and first send out a curragh. Research is a minimum run on Writing; skip Pots in favour of a granary-free settler factory in this extra high food spot. Heading clockwise, the curragh meets a small contingent of Vikings headed my way over the isthmus to the south. I also meet a Roman axe in the vicinity of the Viking capital, and then once the curragh circulates as far as Rome, it finds an Iroquois unit hanging around. So these are my neighbours.
World's Maximum City
In the grasslands northwest of Delhi I find a location as powerful as any I've seen in a long time. I start to seriously consider trying for 20k, and playing as India, there's only one city you could consider making the most magnificent in the world. Bombay is founded at RCP6, between the moo and game, in 2590bc. The region is a bit barb-infested, but the axes that surveyed the area hang around for protection. The fledgling town escapes damage, although getting workers up there and improving the terrain is a slow business.
Expansion, Directed
Eventually, Delhi gets into a routine pumping out settlers every six turns or so. They generally have to go north, for two reasons: to protect Bombay from more barbarians springing up in the north, and to escape barbarian activity in the southeast. Ideally, I want to get a town at least far enough south to claim the furs and horse, although Ragnar has already founded a town beyond the chokepoint. But he isn't straining himself to deal with the local barbs horses, so I dare not send settlers on long hikes in that direction. Eventually, Ragnar gets the spot, blissfully untroubled by the barbs, as usual.
Sling Shut
After the min run on Writing ends, I immediately start Philosphy. There's no way I'd get it first otherwise, so I'll just have to trust that Laws is available by then. But in 1500bc, it turns out to be a moot point; the Quois come up with Philosophy 3 turns ahead of me. I buy the rest of the tech from Watha, and still get to trade it around for a fairly reasonable haul of lesser techs. The Quois also finish Pyramids this turn, and with Oracle already gone, that's the two serious early wonders for an inland 20k missed. But I was expecting that at this level. No big deal.
Ace Up My Sleeve
We have ivory for once, so I'm looking forward to getting Zeus, both for its spectacular cpt and the much-needed military support. For this reason, I'm not too perturbed when Mausoleum goes to the Vikings in 1250bc, cascading from Rome's Lighthouse. A couple of turns later, Artemis goes overseas, immediately followed by both Wall and Gardens. That hurts - Gardens is good cpt and often available quite late due to being on an optional tech. I did have my eye on that one. Then in 1125bc, the real slap in the face; Zeus goes to an unmet civ. I guess that's the end of my 20k dream.
QSC Stats (950bc actually; I didn't submit QSC)...
1 city and 9 towns with 22 citizens and 138 tiles.
81 food in the bin, 248 shields in the box, 83g in the treasury.
1 temple, 1 barracks.
1 settler, 11 workers, 5 axes (1 vet, 4 reg), 3 curragh (reg).
All first tier techs, Maths, Writing, Philosophy and Mysticism, 380 beakers on Literature.
3 contacts, no embassies.
My First Wonder
Research on Literature finishes in 775bc, and for once I do seem to have a monopoly. The AI have been so successful in their wonder-hogging that there are no outstanding builds going on, so I am happy to trade Literature around, to bring me somewhere close to tech parity, and bring in some cash. My wonder build remains unchallenged, and Glib completes in 570bc. It brings in all remaining ancient techs except for Currency, which is known only by Watha. Nor do the other local guys seem especially quick on the research at the moment, but in 290bc I get a suicide galley into contact with the medieval English, so the Glib takes me into the new era at the end of that turn.
20k Progress
-2590bc: Bombay founded
-1575bc: temple
-0570bc: Great Library
-0330bc: Forbidden Palace
250 culture, making 12cpt
That is possible. Did you directly go the Alpha route, or start on Pot first?
