Z is for Zulu

I've decided to do Darski's idea of playing all the tribes in a pre-determined order, but with the modification that I do so in reverse alphabetical order. In all these games I will not found more than 5 cities. I don't know how extensively I'll write up all these games or how many screenshots I'll post, but you can find the Z is for Zulu game (OCC) scattered throughout the COTM50 spoiler threads, including the final results here http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=282689. Now I've got V is for Viking. I think I'll try and go for OCC space on Monarch, but it might turn into OCC cultural. Settings: standard sized map, no barbies, 80% pangea, wet, warm, 5 Billion, mass regicide enabled, least aggressive setting, max random opponents.

Image Deleted by Spoonwood

I pulled off The Republic slingshot. I haven't found a scientific tribe yet. I've met France, Arabia, The Inca, The Netherlands, and The Hittites. I've entered the middle ages. If anyone wants to play along, first go and play COTM50 if you haven't already. Then play the 4000 B. C. (E.) save here for The Vikings.

Addendum: I might play empire-wide games for commercial tribes... after all commercial tribes have a lot less use for limited city games... we will see.

I will subscribe for this to see how you make out. It is going to be interesting fer shure!

The tech-pace seemed really slow in the middle ages. I got the option to take a Hittite city on a cultural flip at some point around there and did so. In the industrial ages I focused on the middle part of the tech tree and I managed to build TOE the same turn I learned Rocketry, so I took Computers and Space Flight as my free techs. I popped 3 SGLs, one I used to rush Newton's. Another to rush SETI, and another to rush The U.N. The Hittites took quite a bit of territory and at one point I thought about rushing them with tanks, but I decided against it. I did gift The Ottomans up to the modern age and tried to steal Ecology from that, but that failed... so I ended up trading for it. The Hittites beat me to Satellites, The Laser, and beat me to Robotics by a turn. They only had built 7 SS parts the turn before I launched.

Edit: well, the screenshot should have showed you the Robotics deal, I guess I pasted wrong or something.

So now we have Sumeria. I thought about trying this on Demi-God, but I thought of another sort of challenge... so Sumeria 5CC (built cities, I can capture or get more on flips if I like), Emperor, standard sized map, continents, 60% water, raging barbarians, wet, warm, 3 billion, max number of random selected opponents, no mass regicide, normal aggression. The first start I got looked good, so I took it. I don't think I need to go for a settler factory on this one, but I do want to build extra workers early for faster growth, so I think I will build that granary.

The Sumeria game went quite well actually. I didn't scout. I went straight for the granary. I had to use some forests even for Ur to get the granary before it went to size 5. I got 4 cities on rivers, and the 5th one I put in the north and it didn't have fresh water until Electricity, so it only made it size 6. But, I got a cultural flip from the Zulus in the middle ages, so I ended up with 6.

I played a little carelessly at the beginning, as I had a couple civil disorders and lost a worker to the barbies. After working as a settler factory, I had Ur became a 2 turn enkidu-worker combo factory at size 6. I trained so many units I started economically choking on unit support that I dropped my sci slider to 10%, and ended up taking quite a while on The Republic. The AIs beat me to Writing, so I researched Philosophy as soon as I could and took Code of Laws as my free tech. I did build The Great Library, but I didn't shut research off... I just didn't have much else for my cities to do, except wealth. I think I only added workers into one city, mainly because I had so much jungle to clear early on it didn't work as feasible otherwise.

Scandinavia declared war on me before the change-over barbie rush. I had enkidus busting fog decently or maybe even well, so that I didn't really get anything from the change-over rush, although I think Scandinavia and maybe Egypt or The Zulu did. Soon after this, I made peace with Scandinavia and maintained peaceful relations the rest of the game. Scandinavia exterminated both The Egyptians, and The Zulu, but they never came after me. The Inca provided my toughest competition tech-wise, and I didn't meet them until I traded for their contact with I think The Iroquois.

I forget that since I had built The Great Library, Universal Suffage would trigger my G.A. I wanted Hoover's to do so, so I would have a modern age G.A. I didn't try to build Theory of Evolution in the modern age, I did in the industrial ages taking the usual two free techs. I launched the spaceship easily enough. I got full price on some tech sales. I gifted The Ottomans to the modern age... I couldn't buy their tech of Computers with my 11,000+ lump sum, but I got Fission as my free tech and managed to trade for Fission. They took 5-10 turns until they finally decided to start the U. N. and I decided to investigate their city building it for fun... it ended up good for a laugh. The Ottomans got exterminated a little while later by The Iroquois and The Inca. The Celts lay around also... they didn't do anything really.

Well, I've started a bunch of games as The Spanish... all at Demi-god mind you, a few OCC attempts, a 5CC attempt and I keep feeling unsatisfied in one way or another. I keep wanting to have more cities and put the religious trait to its full use and build lots of temples and cathedrals... along with plenty of coastal cities. So, maybe I'll do that instead of plaing a limited city game.

I found the Spanish to be very difficult to play. I abandoned several games for bad starts or I was going to be dead anyway.

I find them very challenging to play but I did get a decent win from them eventually.

I'll save most of my notes for the spoiler button. This one I found rather interesting.



Dwetzel and anyone else playing along... have fun with this one!

I played the Spain game on a standard sized map, no barbies, archipelago 80% water, wet, warm, 4 billion map, least aggressiveness.

So now Russia. Thinking of something interesting took some thought. Here's my plan. I'll only build one city. I may NOT capture any either cities either. I cannot attack an enemy city with anything before a cossack (meaning I can only attack an enemy city with a cossack or industrial or modern age units). I have to raze all enemy cities except for one of them. I'll have all victory conditions enabled, but I can only "win" by launching the spaceship... everything else I'll count as a loss. Chieftain sounds way too easy, and perhaps I could manage Regent, but I think I'll go Warlord. After all, that's what I'll do for a while here. Failing that, or if I get too frustrated I'll try it on Chieftain.

Edit: After starting two games of this I've realized I really don't know the expansionist trait, and it seems kind of silly to waste it with only having one city the whole game. So, I'll only build one city initially. But, if I have a scout that finds another city or I pop a settler, I'll have some more. If I decide to capture some more at any time, I'll do that. I'll play on Monarch and go for space or domination or conquest.... whichever I feel like.

The Russian game has gone all too well. I have three cities right now in the industrial age. One from a settler from a hut, another flipped to me. It's really bored me... I should have played at least on Emperor. I'll probably take the diplomatic victory via first rushing ToE, then rushing the U.N. the next turn and get that one over with. No one has extra saltpeter, I lack it, as does one other tribe. I could use bombers and tanks perhaps soon enough and go conquer, but I doubt I'll do that. I didn't have any other scientifc tribes for the map. I probably won't post a final save for this one... just the beginning save. Interestingly enough I built The Great Library 1 turn before I learned Education in my second city. Maybe I should have gone empire-wide and tried for a really fast SS launch with Russia... I might come back and do that sometime. I think I played an 80% pangea, sedentary barbs, normal, temperate, 4 billion year old map for them. I called them all "cosmonauts" as that's what I thought I'd do, but this one has bored me too much... so I'll take the diplomatic victory.

Since I've just started with expansionist, I started thinking about what I'd do for the Inca. I thought a game where I tried to build them all... meaning I have to build *every single wonder* might prove interesting (not as a 20k... just build them *all*). I don't know what's the hardest level I could manage that. Chieftain sounds too easy actually. I think I could manage Regent and perhaps even pull off Monarch, but I think Warlord sounds better to start with for something like that. I started thinking about including small wonders also... but then realized I'd have to make at least one exception... Iron Works. Of course I'll have to build that if I can find a spot somewhere on the map which has iron or coal... meaning I might *have* to take a town in a builder game. That sounds interesting. Still, if no iron-coal combo exists on such a map I won't build that one. Yes, I'll have to build The Statue of Zeus. And it's *build them all*, not build a lot and capture one or two.

I'll actually have a game where I research past Robotics in the modern age and might actually build a manfacturing plant! I'll enable the "wonder victory" for those games. Yes... I thought more about it and realized The Maya make a darn good choice for that also... arguably better than The Inca. With The Inca, my basic idea would come as popping a settler early on for a city to build The Colossus early on. I think I'll use my capital to pump out some settlers and workers as a settler-worker factory. I'll form a ring of 4 or 5 cities around my capital which build wonders early on while my capital spits out workers like crazy to develop tiles asap and then soon after have large towns building wonders. If I get some good rivers, agricultural will help my capital as well as the surrounding towns grow faster... that's why I want an an agricultural tribe. Industrious workers should help a lot also. I'll forego military until I have non-wonder producing city... unless I have a warrior-settler, warrior-worker combo factory going in my capital. Here the expansionist trait would help again, for some early MPs. America comes as the industrious/expansionist tribe, so maybe they could do such also, but I'd much rather have an agricultural tribe. I'll probably know if I can do such a game by the middle ages. Maybe I won't revolt until I get to Democracy or later even. Any thoughts on such a game where I have to build all the wonders?

I have Rome after I finish off this Russian game. I think I'll go OCC 20K for them. Rome, imo... I've never played them... seems like a large warmongering tribe. In Conquests, Commercial doesn't do much for an OCC 20k game... except the Alphabet jump, and Militaristic does what exactly in an OCC 20k game? Hmm... the SoZ works out well enough *if* I have ivory and it could trigger my G.A. The Great Wall doesn't cost much, but that's not always easy to get. Putting shields towards Sun Tzu's or Leo's seems kind of silly, if I have an SGL though, that might work out well. Seafaring at least makes finding a start you like better. Expansionist can give you earlier contacts or perhaps a settler for quicker population growth. Agricultural gives you faster growth and at least from Engineering on, more productivity. The others seem obvious enough in terms of benefits. The English and others come out poor for such sure enough... but at least you'll get a G. A. from The Colossus. I think I'll go for Emperor with Rome too... I haven't done an OCC 20k on Emperor yet, so that should keep me awake.

In the Russia game it ended up as Isabella vs. Cathy, I got everyone's vote except for Isabella's. I had a score of 2445... not that I tried to max it out or anything. Still, I had a 2875 in the Spain 20k Demi-God game and a 2721 score in the Sumeria Emperor space race game. If you don't have a lot of territory and don't go for the histographic VC, it seems that a Diplomatic Victory will usually give you higher scores than a 20k or SS game. Here's the save one turn after winning in 1540.

Hey Darski, I used that screenshot program you sent me to save a screenshot... but when I tried to load it here it told me the file worked out as too large to post. Any ideas?

So, with Rome I decided to play on a standard, 80% archipelago, no barbie, normal, temperate, 4 billion year old map on Emperor map with normal aggression. I found a pretty good start on my 3rd or 4th load up of starts. I didn't see all too many bonuses, so before I even founded the city I thought a second worker a good idea... I haven't done that in an OCC 20k before, but I've got two cows. In accordance with this I decided to irrigate the cow first. I estimated Rome would grow in 6 turns, so I set it for wealth for the first turn of its existence in 3950. I researched CB at 100%, due in 20 turns. In 3900 Rome started on worker # 2. In 3700 I swapped Rome from the cow to the freshwater lake... it would still grow in 1 turn. The worker said 2 for the city display, but since I have "emphasize production on" I should get it in 1. And I did. I then had Rome train a warrior. I moved both workers to the other cow. One irrigated, while the other roaded. The one which completed the road moved to a BG and it mined, while the other moved to the same spot and it roaded. The warrior completed and I started on a barracks as a temple pre-build. I should have had them both mine... oh well. One turn before Rome grew to size 3 I swapped from one of the cows to a forest... I'd lose a turn on CB, but I'd have one extra shield... I still had an overrun of 1 food (hence I should have had both of them mine... I think... I may have mis-calculated here).

In 3200 Rome hit size 3. I used both irrigated cows and the now roaded grassland. My second worker mined with the other one. Now the mine would take just 1 more turn, so I think I'll get 2 shields on the next turn. Sure enough, that's correct. I learned CB swapped to the temple and started in on Bronze Working. Due in 18 turns at 90%. Both workers moved to the other BG and mined it immediately. One turn before Rome hit size 4 I used a forest instead of a cow and raised the lux. slider to 20%, slowing down Bronze Working. One food of overrun again. The next turn the lux. slider went to 30%... Bronze Working in 19 turns. I used the two cows and the BGs.

I stopped using one of the BGs in 2900 and used the freshwater lake instead... I'd have the temple in 2 turns either way. I got the temple in 2800 and started in on a warrior, due in 2 turns. I used the freshwater lake as my new square. I also ran deficit reserach to get to BW faster. In 2710 I got a warrior and started on a curragh. I started on a curragh and lowered the lux. slider a bit. In 2670 I used a coast instead of an irrigated cow to get some more commerce in. In 2630 the lux. slider went up some more and I used three coastal squares... I thought I would get the curragh that turn, but I guess I had miscounted. In 2590 I finished the curragh and used my best productive and growth squares. I would use "what's the big picture" 3 turns later to swap my barracks to The Colossus. I would get Bronze Working then and I didn't need to do any more deficit research.

In 2470 I learned BW and started on Mysticism. The Colossus due in 20, Mysticism in 24. In 2270 I used a forest instead of the freshwater to boost production for a bit (I should have done this before I had the mine bulit). Rome hit size 8 in 2190 and used a forest instead of the lake my mined for two turns. In 2030 I met Greece via the curragh. In 1950 I met The Hittites, neither had CB. In 1910 Rome hit size 9. I used the freshwater lake instead of a forest, as I'd have The Colossus in 2 either way. I also didn't have to adjust the luxury slider. In 1830 I completed The Colossus. The lux. slider dropped to 30%. I set Rome to wealth for a turn, then a barracks for 2 using "what's the big picture" to swap to The Oracle as soon as I learned Mysticism. Mysticism now due in 3 turns.

In 1790 The Hittites started on The Pyramids. In 1725 I started on Writing, due in 19 turns. I had The Oracle due in 22 turns after using a now roaded forest. In 1675 Rome hit size 10. In 1525 I noticed some Greek pillaging in Hittite territory. Rome hit size 11 in 1500. In 1450 The Hittites had Writing... I had 5 turns to go on it now. I couldn't trade for it. In 1400 I traded for Writing with CB and 2 gold to The Hittites. I started in on Philosophy, due in 12 turns at no deficit. Rome hit size 12 in 1300. I raised research to 70%, 30% lux. tax, philo. due in 6. Rome had 19 shields currently, in 3 more turns once my mines on the cows finished, I'd have 21. Once I mine the mountain it'll have 22 in Despotism. In The Republic, it will have even more.

In 1225 I completed The Oracle. Rome went for a curragh. In 1200 I used a settler as a pre-build for The Museum of Mausollos. Why didn't I see a settler as pre-build before. In 1150 I'd use "what's the big picture" to swap to MoM. I took Literature as my free tech and started on MoM. Due in 8 turns. I decided to research Code of Laws, since I didn't think the AIs would go here before I finished The Great Library. Alexander demanded Writing in 1100 and I called his bluff. He DoW. The lux. slider went to 20%. The Hittites demanded Mysticism the next turn. I declined and they DoWed also. In 1000 Constantinople completed The Pyramids. In 950 I completed The Museum of Mausollos and started on the little library. In 850 I finished the little library and started on The Great Library. In 800 I learned Code of Laws and decided to research The Republic. In 710 I lost my second curragh.

In 670 The Greeks started on The Great Lighthouse. I made peace with Greece and The Hittites giving them Philosophy. I traded Code of Laws for Map Making and Masonry with The Hittites. I swapped from The Great Library to the Great Lighthouse, due in 7 turns. In 590 The Greeks started on The Great Wall. In 530 I finished The Great Lighthouse and started again on The Great Library, due in 19 turns with some food loss. I also slowed my research on The Republic to time it more closely to when The Great Library completed and get more gold now. In 410 I established an RoP with The Greeks for some gpt. In 230 Greece demanded Code of Laws and I caved.

In 150 Greece DoWed on The Hitties again, and I finished The Great Library. I decided to build a galley before finishing off research on The Republic. So, The Repbulic due in 3, a galley in 2. In 90 B. C. E. I revolted, drawing a 3 turn anarchy (maybe 4... I did it using "what's the big picture"). I didn't learn much from The Great Library... I'd need more contacts to get much really. I did have iron around Rome... so lots of shields there really. In 50 I saw I had horses in a spot I might just keep for a while also. In 30 B. C. E. I became a Republic and started on another galley. I could get 26 shields without losing any food for Rome. I shut research off.

In 10 B.C.E. I purchased 2 Greek workers. In 10 C.E. I got a galley and started on a barracks. In 30 C. E. The Byzantines completed The Great Wall. I trained a Legionary. In 50 C. E. I purchased another Greek worker. After the Legionary, I went with a spear. Then another legionary. Then another Legionary. Then another Legionary. In 170 I finally contacted The Mongols. I only learned Horseback Riding the next turn. I built an embassy with them, but didn't sign an RoP with them. A Legionary to another spear. In 230 The Hittites got finished off by The Greeks. I went from a spear to a courthouse... hoping for another contact soon. Sure enough I met France that turn and noticed I would learn Currency and Construction. I disbanded three legionaries so I could get the coloseeum quicker.

In 250 I met The Byzantines and noticed I would learn Polytheism on the next turn. In 260 I popped into the middle ages. Neither The Greeks nor The Byzantines had made it here yet. I decided to start reserarching Monotheism, due in an awful 44 turns at 30%. I also met The Japanese this turn. I sold Masonry to Japan for their lump sum. They simply wouldn't catch up ever. The Greeks started The Hanging Gardens in 270. I also got my last contact Spain. I sent my galleys back to Rome. In 280 I finished the coloseeum and started on a marketplace. Sci. raised a little and I took some turns off of Monotheism. In 310 Greece popped into the Middle Ages with Feudalism as their free tech.

In 320 I finished the marketplace and raised the research rate. I sold the barracks and started on a granary. I lost a galley in 340. After the granary a worker. Then another worker.

Doug.Lefelhocz said:

Hey Darski, I used that screenshot program you sent me to save a screenshot... but when I tried to load it here it told me the file worked out as too large to post. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

The program saves as bmp. You have to use a program like Paint (.net) to convert it to a .jpg . The quality is not that much different -for use here- and it is a smaller file.

Paint.net is the program I use rather than the standard Paint program.

When you cut a section of a pic, PdN remembers the size of the piece you cut out when you select "new" unlike the Paint program which makes you guess what size it was. Paint dot net is a free program - although you can donate to keep it going if you wish.

After the second worker I built a barracks. In 390 Greece demanded Literature and I declined, so Alexander declared war. After the barracks I trained a legionary. In 410 I learned Monarchy from The Great Library, and tried The Hanging Gardens as a pre-build on the cathedral. I whacked a Greek archer on a hill with a legionary in 420 and that triggered my G.A. I forgot about that. Well, maybe I can get The Hanging Gardens now. In 480 I built my last embassy, learned Monotheism, and started on Theology due in 18 turns. In 500 I completed The Hanging Gardens and started on a cathedral. I whacked a Greek sword and horse that had landed via galley near Rome this turn in 510. In 550 I finished the little cathedral and trained some more legionaries. In 600 I started on a courthouse as a pre-build on The Sistine Chapel. In 610 The Japanese demanded Literature and I declined... they declared war. In 630 my G.A. ended, I learned Theology and started on The Sistine Chapel due in 21 turns. I researched Printing Press due in 18 turns. In 640 I noticed Greece had Monotheism. Isabella demanded Writing in 660 and I declined.

In 710 The Greeks offered me peace and I declined. The Mongols demanded Construction and they declined and declared war. Later in 710 after not clearing The Greeks off my territory and havings left the spot with iron open foolishy, I pay The Greeks for peace. The next turn I payed for an RoP with Greece. In 780 I giftted Theodora on up. I realized the rest of research would come as me vs. The Greeks. Theodora got Monotheism. I researched Education, due in 18 turns. The Greeks started on The Sistine Chapel in 790. In 830 I completed The Sistine Chapel. I trained a legionary.

In 850 The Greek's completed Sun Tzu's. In 880 The Greeks started on Knights Templar. In 950 I learned Education and swapped my courthouse pre-build to a univerisity. I disbanded a few legionaries, but not all of them. I researched Astronomy. In 980 I completed the university and trained a spear and then a legionary. In 990 Greece had Education. In 1000 Theodora had Feudalism. I swapped Theology for it and trained a medieval infrantry. Then a pike. After the pike wealth for a turn. Then I noticed I had more cash (tourist attraction effect I'd guess), and went for another medieval infrantry. The Greeks completed Knights Templar in 1060. In 1100 The Greeks demanded contact with The Japanese and I caved. In 1110 I learned Astronomy and swapped my pre-build to Cope's. The Greeks started on Cope's the same turn. I reserached Music Theory, due in at the same time I might finish Cope's. Later I changed it so I would get Music Theory 1 turn before I got Cope's.

I sold France The Republic in 1180... they had finally entered the middle ages. I also made peace with The Japanese. In 1220 I learned Music Theory. Greece had Engineering. I research Banking. In 1230 I finished Copernicus's Observatory. Then I started on J. S. Bach's Cathedral. The Greeks started on Leo's in 1270. I learned Banking and started on Democracy in 1275. In 1280 The Japanese demanded contact with The Spanish this year also and I declined. In 1285 I swapped Banking with The Greeks for Engineering. In 1325 Isabella demanded contact with The Greeks, I declined and she declared war. I also learned Democracy and stared on Free Aristry. The Greeks seemed to have learned Democracy the same turn I did... oh well.

Greece has Navigation in 1335. Greece demands contact with The Spanish in 1345 which I give them. Greece gets Music Theory 1 turn before I finished J.S. Bach's... the turn I wanted to trade it to them for Invention... oh well. In 1360 I finish J. S. Bach's, learn Free Artistry, start on Shakespeare's Theater, and The Byzantines start on Leo's. I ring up Theodora and trade them Priniting Press for Invention. The Greeks do have Gunpowder, but I decide on researching Economics. Oh... The Greeks never learned Democracy, Printing Press works as a pre-requisite for it. I swap Democracy for Gunpowder with Greece. I switch research to Chemistry. I sell Theodora Banking for cash in 1390. I ring up Alexander and purchase his extra saltpeter. I upgrade a pike to a musket. I learn Chemistry in 1405 and start research on Physics.

In 1435 The Greeks start on Smith's Trading Company and a Spanish galley manages to creep up next to Rome and land a spear and an archer. Huh... I thought they wouldn't make it here until navigation, so I whack the spear and the archer. In 1440 I learn Physics and start on TOG. In 1450 I complete Shakespeare's Theater. Spain also lands 4 units. I take Rome to size 16. It now produces 30 shields. It'll need a harbor to go up to size 20 without losing food. The Greeks complete Leo's in 1460. In 1470 Greece has Chemistry. In 1475 I learn TOG and swap my bank pre-build to Newton's University. I research Magnetism. In 1510 I learn Magnetism and research Metallurgy.

In 1520 I complete Newton's University and build a harbor. In 1525 Isabella offers me peace and I take it. Greece has Metallurgy, so I trade Physics for it and their world map and saltpeter and such. I start research on Steam Power, due in 8 turns. I use the coastal squares for growth and start on a coastal fortress. Then some more muskets. In 1560 Alex demands TOG, which I give to him. He'd soon have cavalry. I learn Steam Power in 1565 and research Industrialization. I *almost* have coal in Rome's city radius. The Greeks complete Smith's in 1580.

Greece entered the industrial ages in 1585 with Steam Power as their free tech. In 1605 I learn Industrialization, swap my bank pre-build to a factory and cash-rush it. I start on Universal Suffrage. I also whack some Mongolian units. I reserach Electricity. In 1610 The Greeks finally complete Magellan's Voyage. I made peace with The Mongols in 1635 givining them Monotheism and 3 gold. The Greeks have Nationalism in 1640, so I make peace with Japan and gift them up. Then I trade for their coal using Printing Press. I then start railroading. I learn Electricity soon after and start on Medicine. Theodora goes industrial in 1665 drawing Medicine as her free tech (she actually had it 1660, but I didn't spot it on MapStat). I trade for it with Steam Power and a lump sum and research The Scientific Method.

I get pollution in 1685. In 1695 I learn The Scientific Method I start on The Corporation. I sell Industrialization to The Greeks, picking up plenty of gpt and Military Tradition. In 1705 I complete Universal Suffrage, cash-rush a coal plant, and then start on TOE in the next turns. It says 9 turns for TOE when I start on it. I have probably a little less than 50 turns left at this point. Rome produces 70 shields per turn at size 19. I get more pollution in 1720. After The Corporation I research Sanitation, since I'll get TOE soon. Since this game should finish up quickly after learning Sanitation, I decide on taking Atomic Theory and Replaceable Parts as my free techs. I then research Steel and train some guerrilas. I gift Spain to Replaceable Parts and trade for their rubber. I upgrade my muskets to infantries and feel invincible. I've only got 5 at the moment... I start training some more. I also sell Electricity to Theodora. After I learned Steel I reserached Refining. Having 11 infantry in 1778 I decided to just put Rome on Wealth. I could have actually just stopped research when I got Replaceable Parts, but I decided to at least finish off Refining.

In 1788 I learned Refining and took the luxury slider to 100%. I could have made it to Mass Production and built a commercial dock, but to what end? In 1828 The Greeks declared war on us... the very last turn of the game. In 1828 Rome got to 20,000 culture. No one had made it to the modern age. They RoP raped with an infantry which lost to my infantry which promoted to elite. I lost my worker stakc. No one but me had Steel or Atomic Theory. Final Firaxis score of 1383.

Strategy for the Portugal game: I read here http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=102622&page=2 that Portugal works best with a 60% archipelago map. I think that correct, but I thought of another interesting way to play them. I'll play a standard sized 80% archipelago, wet, warm, 5 billion map with sedentary barbies and normal aggression. I'll probably build a curragh and then a settler factory in my capital. I'll build The Great Lighthouse so I can pop all the huts on the unoccupied islands asap... maybe this will net me some of the more expensive techs (I'd expect this harder to do with a 60% map). AND, even though I don't plan to play for the HoF but to get a bearing on "fair play" I checked the HoF rulebook, and so I'll play with 4 randomly selected opponents. With any luck I'll pop a settler or two on one of the unoccupied islands. Either way, I'll settle towns there which I expect will turn into specialist farms. I'd like to pop Writing, but I find that too chancy, so I'll research Writing from the get-go. Now I just need to find a good start. Oh... and I'll play on demi-god... I have no XCC reuirements for this game and I'll go for space probably.

Addendum: So I tried the 80% archipelago map until 1000 B. C. E. I can keep up in tech O.K. and built The Great Lighthouse, but I didn't get as many huts from the islands as I thought I would. So, I think the 60% water map will work better.