Settled on the hill to the south. Pottery first. I think I went archery then writing and calendar. Had Taoism as my religion: Tithe, Pagodas, Holy warriors and religious Texts. Cannot remember the pantheon....Went Tradition. Cap ended up with ToA, Pyramids, FP, National college, Notre Dame, Oxford, Grand Temple, Eiffel Tower, Kremlin, and Great Firewall) first expo went north of Stockholm on the coast. This city became a very good balanced one (it ended up with Circus Max, EIC, Broadway, Ironworks and Hubble). 2nd expo (Heroic Epic, Macchu Pichu, NE, Neuschwanstein, and Pentagon) went north of my cap next to mountain on the river. Settled on resource. Sweden declared war on me. I easily fended him off and then wiped him out, capturing Stockholm and his one other city. Byzantium had had a DOF with me, but she denounced after that. She was starting to get too strong. Wonder spamming. I was not yet ready to war with her, so I went after Mongolia, who apparently was trying a OCC. As I was about to take his cap, Theodora declares on me. Peace with Kahn for his hastily settled 1st expo, which I razed. Not much of an attack from Theo, so I am guessing Kahn bribed her to do it. My army was a little weak to take her monster cap, but eventually took it (Angkor Wat, Chichen Itza, GLib, GLH, GrWall, Hag Soph, Himeji, Parthenon, Sistine, Terra Army...see? Wonder spamming!) and two other cities, leaving her with one on the far western coast of the continent. At this time, Darius introduced himself and my goal of wiping the continent clean before meeting the other one went out the window. Still went back to take Mongolian cap. Left him with one dinky city in the tundra. Met all the others when Persia started the WC. I had planned to go for SV at this point, as I did not have the desire to move an army to the other continent. But once ideologies hit and no one except Napoleon joined me in Order...plans changed. I declared on Persia and my battleships and subs wiped out his very large navy of frigates and privateers. Took Persepolis (Big Ben, Brandenburg Gate, Colossus, Globe, Louvre and MoH) and two other cities. Razed one, kept Pasargadae. Moved navy to take Thebes (Alhambra, Borob, HG, LTP, Oracle, Petra, Prora, and Stonehenge). Battleships were crushing armies and navies both. As were my bombers from carriers. China had declared on tiny France and took Paris easily. I did not even see a French unit. Declared on China (had gone Freedom). Took Paris. Bejing (Porc.Tower, Red Fort and SoL) was last and with Battleships and XCOM, it fell swiftly for the win. It should definitely have been sooner, but the change in tactics was always going to mess that up. Still,it was fun!