Turn 171 - Turn 215
So I looked at my screenshots and figured it wasn't really worth stretching these remaining turns to 3 updates.
As Duckweed pointed out, the fastest way to finish this game as of the 980AD save is to beeline rifling, ignore Oxford University and then build *Cavalry with some Galleons/Frigates to go take on the overseas AIs. This is not what I did, otherwise the game would have been done before turn 200, possibly even by the early 1300ADs.
Anyway, what I did was keep teching somewhat as I like to keep teching... you'd have trouble believing me that when I started out on Civ IV I'd get my behind whooped by Louis on Noble because I didn't build units... just the shinies! (yea, I remember that one particular game to this day). This is not a good excuse regardless to stretch out the game especially in a position like I was in. However, as I said I wanted to finish the game using less RL time so this option required fewer micromanagement and more automation.
Having vassals to trade with is quite useful.
Once most of the captured cities from the first 2 wars came out of revolt, I triggered my 3rd Golden Age. I wonder what Newton is looking at in this screenshot.
I got tired of building the Hermitage and delaying production in several cities so I just finished it early. Still got some 420 gold for my troubles. Obviously, this is not optimal, I could easily have gotten over 1,000 gold from this.
Once I think I am ready to take on WvO (he has Machine Guns now, you don't see them in this screenshot because he hasn't upgraded too many troops), I DoW him, expecting him to move his SoD in my territory.
Meanwhile, I launch my 4th and final Golden Age just as the 3rd ends.
Attacking Riflemen, Machine Guns with Cavalry is pretty harsh. I use some 12 Airships to lower their strength but even then, it's pretty costly. Regardless, I have a huge production advantage (over 2 times as much) over everyone at this point.
Mansa is still doing relatively well for 4 cities, Biology was a 7 turns affair.
After a similar attack on Amsterdam, I capture it, but don't have sufficient war success to capitulate Willem.
I waste 3 more turns healing troops and capturing a 3rd city which nails WvO's coffin.
Meanwhile, I've assigned 4~5 coastal cities to build a navy, therefore I attack SB and Shaka the following turn. This summary will be very short, it was Cavalry+Bombers+Frigates vs Longbows+War Elephants+Triremes
Shaka waves goodbye.
So does Sitting Bull.
I do declare war on Zara, mainly because he's been annoying me with Privateers, while sinking his wooden ships with Destroyers and blockading him.
But all I need is to wait for borders to pop in the SB/Shaka continent (I put the culture slider at 100% and assign all those cities to build culture).
For improvements:
-I only built 3 cottages all game long for the capital. The rest were captured.
-Most mines were changed into Windmills as of RP
-Watermills were placed instead of farms at SP
-Workshops were put everywhere after SP where food would allow (I did keep Towns and maturing cottages in captured cities)
As expected, this very powerful start snowballed in a relatively easy map, but I hope it was educational at least!
So I looked at my screenshots and figured it wasn't really worth stretching these remaining turns to 3 updates.
As Duckweed pointed out, the fastest way to finish this game as of the 980AD save is to beeline rifling, ignore Oxford University and then build *Cavalry with some Galleons/Frigates to go take on the overseas AIs. This is not what I did, otherwise the game would have been done before turn 200, possibly even by the early 1300ADs.
Anyway, what I did was keep teching somewhat as I like to keep teching... you'd have trouble believing me that when I started out on Civ IV I'd get my behind whooped by Louis on Noble because I didn't build units... just the shinies! (yea, I remember that one particular game to this day). This is not a good excuse regardless to stretch out the game especially in a position like I was in. However, as I said I wanted to finish the game using less RL time so this option required fewer micromanagement and more automation.
Having vassals to trade with is quite useful.
Spoiler :
Once most of the captured cities from the first 2 wars came out of revolt, I triggered my 3rd Golden Age. I wonder what Newton is looking at in this screenshot.
Spoiler :
I got tired of building the Hermitage and delaying production in several cities so I just finished it early. Still got some 420 gold for my troubles. Obviously, this is not optimal, I could easily have gotten over 1,000 gold from this.
Spoiler :
Once I think I am ready to take on WvO (he has Machine Guns now, you don't see them in this screenshot because he hasn't upgraded too many troops), I DoW him, expecting him to move his SoD in my territory.
Spoiler :
Meanwhile, I launch my 4th and final Golden Age just as the 3rd ends.
Spoiler :
Attacking Riflemen, Machine Guns with Cavalry is pretty harsh. I use some 12 Airships to lower their strength but even then, it's pretty costly. Regardless, I have a huge production advantage (over 2 times as much) over everyone at this point.
Spoiler :
Mansa is still doing relatively well for 4 cities, Biology was a 7 turns affair.
Spoiler :
After a similar attack on Amsterdam, I capture it, but don't have sufficient war success to capitulate Willem.
Spoiler :
I waste 3 more turns healing troops and capturing a 3rd city which nails WvO's coffin.
Spoiler :
Meanwhile, I've assigned 4~5 coastal cities to build a navy, therefore I attack SB and Shaka the following turn. This summary will be very short, it was Cavalry+Bombers+Frigates vs Longbows+War Elephants+Triremes
Spoiler :
Shaka waves goodbye.
Spoiler :
So does Sitting Bull.
Spoiler :
I do declare war on Zara, mainly because he's been annoying me with Privateers, while sinking his wooden ships with Destroyers and blockading him.
But all I need is to wait for borders to pop in the SB/Shaka continent (I put the culture slider at 100% and assign all those cities to build culture).
Spoiler :
For improvements:
-I only built 3 cottages all game long for the capital. The rest were captured.
-Most mines were changed into Windmills as of RP
-Watermills were placed instead of farms at SP
-Workshops were put everywhere after SP where food would allow (I did keep Towns and maturing cottages in captured cities)
As expected, this very powerful start snowballed in a relatively easy map, but I hope it was educational at least!
I was always wondering how someone is able to finish domination so long before the 1800s, but this gave me an idea. 
He is still 60 turns from cultural victory so I could just wait some turns for Modern Armor etc and crush him then, but looking at kossin and AZ's finish times I'm already feeling way behind the curve.. 
) which triggered the capitulation. Took the UN diplo-domination win a couple of turns later. 
. But no harm done. This is a good read.
