Brave New World, breakdown of the game, struggling as Morocco

I having been playing Civ 5 since release and felt I had a decent grasp of the game and even when Gods and Kings came out I could slip into it no problem, then Brave New World...

I am struggling to really get a grasp of the new systematics such as Trade. In my current game attached, I was unable to trade with one of my neighbours (Songhai) at there capital despite having open borders and a friendship treaty. What are the pre-requests to trade, do you need to be a certain amount of hexes from the city? Also, how does trade work oversees.

Also, in my game I am mostly trading with Brazil but I see they are gaining about as much from the trades as I am, this is fine as they are struggling points wise so are not a direct rival but should you trade with them as you are only helping them, or is it better for me to trade with city states and does this improve your relations with them?

Finally, in my current game I am stuck on one continent with the weaker civs while the stronger ones are all on another, what would be the best way to bring up my score (I am going for a cultural victory).

I would appreciate any help you could give me regarding these questions and some feedback on my current game, thanks!

Trade have a distance requirement. Sea trade routes can do 45 hexes and land trade route does 10 hexes. Songhai is probably too far for you. There are several workarounds. You can build a caravansary which boost your land routes distance by 50%. You could pop a city closer to Songhai. Some technologies extend your range.

Sea Trade works similarly but they come with greater distance and greater money but at the risk of greater exposure to barbarian attacks.

The magnitude of Trade income usually comes from the disparity of luxury/strategic resources between two partners so it is likely that Brazil either share a lot of common resources with you or that they have very little resources. I personally do not worry about how much the other party is benefiting from it as long as i am benefiting. If the city state offers better security/ better value, i usually trade with CS. However, relations does not improve as a result of trade with CS (unless you are doing the trade route quest from CS).

As for cultural victory, work up your GA,GM,GW. Push spare population into specialists for your GA,GW,GM. Snatch up the theme-ing wonders like Lourve, Hermitage, Global Theatre etc and start doing some theming. Trade great works if you have to. Open up Aesthetics tree if you have not done so. That tree is essential for culture victory. Research Archaeology and buy archaeologists to dig up ruins. Actively seek open borders and trade routes with other Civ as Open borders and Trade Route gives a bonus on tourism on that particular Civ. Aim for tourism boosting buildings like the Hotel, Airport etc. In the World Congress, try to push for World Fair as the winner of that gets 100% tourism for 20 turns.

A healthy faith count is also important so you can spam buy GA,GW,GM in the industrial era. Depending on the situation, each of the ideologies offer interesting ways to boost your tourism. I went with freedom the last time and i went for "Avant Garde", "Civil Society", "Universal Sufferage" and finally "Media Culture". In the late game, expending a GW usually gives you so much culture that you can easily snatch another SP. Doing Tours with your GM would push your tourism up towards Civs who are stubborn against your influence.

Edit: I'll give your save file a spin after i finish my work

Okay i think i played about 60 turns. These are my observations and my feedback, see if they make sense. Culturally, you are okay. Your main rival seems to be the Polynesians.
However, i feel that there are some flaws regarding production and science.

1) This can be done immediately. Open up your culture tab. Swap your writings with Brazil and Poland in order to get the theming bonus for GL. I think it has to be different era and different Civ which both Brazil and Poland fulfills.

2) Marrakesh needs a garden.

3) I decided to ignore piety and went full on for Aesthetics considering the game was in the middle of the Renaissance and the cultural wonders are about to hit full force. The production bonus towards cultural buildings is going to be useful for your cities.

4) I sold off the puppet city you got from Songhai as i felt it was too isolated and infant to be useful.

5) Now for science. I notice the science rate was low and since the Oxford University offers theming bonus, i immediately produce/purchase universities in your 4 cities.

6) To solve the production issue, i went for Workshop and ironworks. I missed out on the Uffizi but overall, Morocco was in a much stronger position to compete.

7) I also got the Grand Temple which gives good faith, which will be essential to faith purchasing GW,GM,GA later on.

When i finally quit, i had 35 tourism (the highest in that game) and have just hit radio. I will probably go freedom to take advantage of broadcast towers.

With the 100% tourism bonus from the games keep in mind it is all about timing. The bonus only lasts 20 turns, if some other civ already has mammoth culture output when you get it you are very unlikely to surpass them in 20 turns if you complete it as soon as it becomes available. On the other hand if you put off proposing the games until you are more ready and dont try to rush through them with all of your cities the bonus will come when 200 tourism can be turned into 400 versus 50 or 100 getting doubled which wont get you the win. With some civs who have too much culture you may have no choice but stealing their capital. Also remember the sooner you can find the hidden antiquities the sooner you can steal them from your neighbors territory.

Thank you both for your feedback.

Stellarnight> Thanks for checking out the file. I am amazed you managed to change things around simply by micromanaging. Did you not need to go to war?
Also, in regards to swapping cultural artefacts, is there any negative for doing so or is it normally beneficial?

Kingofsealand> Sorry, can you explain what exactly this 100% tourism bonus is from?

Thanks,

I usually play peacefully unless i am Attlia and Genghis in which an uncontrollable rage consumes me which can only be quenched by burning my enemies

I notice you were at war with Songhai but i ignored them and move my forces back towards my territory. Soon enough, Askia was begging for forgiveness. I signed DoFs with Brazil and Poland as i need the security to do some housekeeping. Polynesia were powerful in terms of tourism so i avoid making trade routes and open borders with him and tried unsuccessfully to bribe the Shoshone and the Polish to declare war on him.
I did contemplate on executing a pre-emptive strike on Polynesia but that might get me into trouble as he has quite a hold on the World Congress so i decided to play peacefully.

As for swapping great works, it is mutually beneficial. The works that Civs are trading are stuff that they are willing to swap away. So go ahead and swap!

kingofsealand raise a good point that i missed out. Getting the Gold Medal for World Fair grants you a 20 turn 100% bonus for your tourism.

Okay so spent a bit of time with this following your advice,

Immediately stopped the war with Songhai and he gave me another one of his cities in the peace treaty which I give away to Poland and Brazil, who then regard me as a warmonger?

I then upped my science and production all over but was still a huge way behind Polynesia who then take out Songhai completely yet are still completely loved by all nations?

Now I am lagging behind everyone other than Brazil?

I appreciate any feedback so I can up my game in future tries.

Thanks,