..One of the main differences that I don't build Marco Polo. I think I need improve this. Using caravans boosted me, the same could do Marco Polo.
Majoir Advantage already gave a very good answer to this. Let me just add that in a typical game Marco is almost always my first wonder. You usually get quite a few techs by trading at that point. In fact, in my more recent games I minimize science as soon as I discover Trade till I build Marco. Alliances, gifts, tributes, and maps are all very valuable at this point in the game.
Playing on earth with standard starting positions, however, means that you know where your rivals are. By that time in the game you know at least 4 and possibly all your rivals (from top 5 cities). Maps are thus not as valuable. Furthermore, if you start in Europe, Middle East, or North Africa by that time you have run into at least half your rivals and done exchanges with them. Therefore, at times playing OCC on earth I have skipped Marco.
BtW, Does anybody build United Nations?
Rarely in an OCC game. It sets you back quite a few turns and I do not think its worth justifies that.
And which is the usual wonder ordering?
Mine - Colossus, Copernicus, the Theatre, the College, Darwin, United Nations (or subst with Darwin)
I rarely build Darwin in OCC games for the reasons Major Advantage has already described. My order is typically Marco, Colossus, Shakespeare, Copernicus, Newton, Apollo. Sometimes I build Hanging Gardens but it is a risky move. At times I build Colossus before Marco and Copernicus before Shakespeare. Depending on the geography Lighthouse and King Richards are added to the mix. Sometimes I build Eiffel right after launch to ease tensions for a few turns.
So you did it with just one tile of land and nothing but bare ocean around you???
That is great!
Thanks. Looking more closely, I made a mistake in my earlier report. I did have access to one special: a fish. Nevertheless, it was a very challenging and unusual game. It took me till year +200 to build Marco as my first wonder. And then no one wanted to gift me money! I lost Colossus to Indians in +280. It was in +420 that I got my first monetary gift. Every thing depended on the generosity of my allies since with only one shield I had to rush buy everything. I grabbed Copernicus in 540, Shakespeare in 720, and King Richards in 920. Only after building King Richards I could switch to Republic due to shield support. With ample food and no need for terrain improvements my capital quickly grew and maxed out in 1380. Newton came along in 1510. My first trade route came after the Newton (highly unusual but so were many things about this game). Roman Industrialization in 1740 reduced my shield output to zero due to support for my boat which was making much needed deliveries. Second and third routes got established in the 1750s. Miniaturization in 1772 (aided by Darwin) and an offshore platform the next turn finally got me out of the zero shields situation for good.
Space Flight got discovered in 1853 and Apollo built the next turn. My two main allies and benefactors, Romans and Indians, canceled alliance at this point. After building 15 structurals in 15 turns I ran out of funds and the rest took quite a few extra turns. Advanced rivals like Indians discovered key techs like Plastics on their own. By the end most rivals were in the space race but none had a launchable ship when mine arrived which was amazing.
The remote location was a blessing at the end. I did not have to worry about rivals attacking my city and spent no time beefing up defense.