Vanilla, Predator class.
Germans, fierce fighters from the ancient age, when they withstanded and lately overcomed the might of the Roman Empire. But among the Germans there are also some of the finest musicians, philosophers and scientists of the whole history of mankind. With my game i'm going to reflect this somewhat underrated trait. No all-out warmonger game then, but a cultural development in which Berlin will shine as the cultural light of the whole world. We're going for 20k culture this time.
Having this goal in mind, settling W-SW of the starter location seems immediately the best option: at least 3 bonus grasslands, and hopefully a sea and a fresh water tile. My hopes were fulfilled beyond my best expectations. Berlin will grow large, rich and with plenty of production potential.
Initial moves
There are no competing scientific civs. Four out of five are religious. France and India are commercial. Enemy culture is likely to become a problem.
Techs that can be acquired are: Alphabet, Masonry, Pottery and Ceremonial Burial. We have a monopoly in Bronze Working, while Ceremonial Burial is known by 4 civs. The Arabs have a monopoly on Pottery and considering the low beakers required, it's likely to be the 1st tech to be researched. Wait... archipelago map. There is the possibility that we're isolated on a small island, and in this case researching Pottery would be absolutely essential.
Berlin starts with a warrior. Research is set to Pottery at max. Quite soon we find ourselves isolated, and with no coastal connection, although there's the possibility to reach other nations via sea squares. The Great Lighthouse will be essential.
Expansion
After the 1st warrior, Berlin produces another warrior, then a settler, then a granary, then the Colossus. We later found Leipzig in 2800BC, hooking the cow tile, then Hamburg in 1750BC, on a spice tile, then Konigsberg to exploit the game tile that, once chopped and irrigated, becomes a worker/settler pump. Expansion is nothing exceptional, with Berlin totally devoted to cultural buildings. We hit 1000BC with only 5 cities, but expansion is not so important this time.
A little part of the island is intentionally left unsettled to try a barb camp farming stragegy. This tr1ck pays off: in the ancient age we kill 7 barb camps and collect 175 quids for it. Since we were almost always at max research, those money were very important for trades and for not going bankrupt.
The terrain is quite crappy: no rivers, only a luxury, no horses, no iron and absolutely no goody huts around.
Meetings
Shortly after completing Map Making we make contact with India. Then, a suicide galley survive an ocean trip and meets the Arabs. Shortly after, it's the French and Aztecs turn. The last to be met are the Keltoi: a suicide galley spotted their borders but was unable to reach them. They are met several turns later after that everyone had already contact with those pukes. Here's the log:
1175BC: India;
1050BC: Arabia;
1000BC: Aztland;
975BC: France;
610BC: Keltonia.
Wars
Absolutely no one, although i'm slowly amassing archers, catapults and spears
India got progressively dogpiled in the late ancients. Since it's being slowly weakened, it will probably be my first target in the early medievals.
Research
Being isolated, we go to the usual Map Making rush, that is finally mastered in 1250BC. Galleys are sent on the seas and quite soon we meet the competitors. Everyone already knows each other, except for the Keltoi that will be discovered a little later, and everyone is quite ahead in techs. But we manage to fill the gap and also to become the tech leaders in the late ancient age. Once the Lighthouse is built we start trading techs for luxuries, and this really helps our mood and our research potential. We go for Iron Working, then Literature, then Mathematics, then Construction. Some techs are acquired and we finally go for Republic. The tech is mastered in 170BC and trading it we buy our way into the Middle Ages. We hold a revolution immediately and draw 3 turns of anarchy. The free scientific tech is Monotheism, quite useful this time. Here's the detailed log of the tech progress:
3900BC: Bronze Working, Warrior Code (prerequisites);
3400BC: Pottery (self research);
2470BC: Alphabet (self research);
1675BC: Writing (self research);
1250BC: Map Making (self research);
1175BC: Ceremonial Burial (trade, India);
1075BC: Iron Working (self research);
1050BC: Masonry, Mysticism (trade, Arabia);
975BC: Mathematics (trade, Arabia);
710BC: Literature (self research);
610BC: Philosophy, the Wheel (trade, Keltoi);
590BC: Horseback Riding (trade, Keltoi); Code of Laws (trade, Arabia);
450BC: Construction (self research);
230BC: Currency (trade, Keltoi);
170BC: Republic (self research); Polytheism (trade, India); Monotheism (scientific free tech).
Berlin's progress:
3900BC: Palace;
1425BC: Colossus;
670BC: Great Lighthouse;
610BC: Library;
510BC: Temple;
330BC: Colosseum.
At this point we start the Great Library. Although it will likely be missed, it will be a useful prebuild for the Hanging Gardens.
At the end of the Ancient Ages, Berlin is at 567 culture points and producing 17 cpt. Here's a shot of our magnificent capital, already the cultural light the world, taken in 190BC:
![[ptw]](/images/smilies/ptw.gif "PTW Icon [ptw]")
open
. When I realized it, it was too late to me and I had to continue. My expansion went slowly. In 1200 BC I spotted another civ's borders across the Sea so I tried to speed up Settler training.
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