Major Advantage
Prince
So, back at the game after a few months. First of all congrats to Ali for setting this one up! 
Really a great challenge you have created, and the early years are just flying by with not much to do, and you are always aware of the challenges to come!
After studying the map, the rough schedule seems pretty obvious to me: Settle the southernmost islands as best as possible, build LH, sail north and grab as much land and huts as possible before the AI do. Since we are playing deity, we also need to keep an eye on happiness. Key wonders should be LH and Marco Polo (+HG is nice-to-have, but the rivals won't be sleeping), later Michelangelo.
I was a little disappointed when the first hut resulted in pottery, but then I realized it was on-path for harbors, so not that bad at all. Later on, I realized that harbors are less useful when you are still in despotism....
First part of my log:
-4000 Go for hut first, we have two attempts to reach the tile next to it, first one makes it! Other settler waits one turn
-3950 We get pottery from hut! This could have been way better... Peking founded. No food surplus. I guess that means we have to keep our 2nd settler since Peking is unable to build one prior to harbor
-3900 Research Alph, pretty obvious we need mapmaking first
-3800 Start mining oil, since there is nothing else to do
-3750 Warrior built, start settler, should be able to switch to trireme in time by switching production to fish every now and then
-3450 Alph->Mapmaking (discovery in 17 turns->2700);
-2700 Mapmaking->Seafaring(harbor first, then monarchy)
-2600 Trireme built, start granaries (30 turns, Seafaring in 24 turn)
-2550 Head for Tundra island with pre-charged settler, irrigate buffalo first, then found city at 4-specials
-2150 Shanghai founded, rb barracks in Peking, switch to granaries
-1850 Seaf.->Burial;
-1800 Harbor built in Peking, ouch, only works when working fish, but then there is no production, re-home boat to Shanghai, start LH in Peking
-1600 Nomads on Tundra Island! Yes! Now we can settle Hill Island with him (found-while-mining)...that makes me think: Should we have mined Peking city site first before founding??? Probably, would have been 1 more shield throughout the game...
-1150 Burial->Bronze;
(France moves capital)
Stats at 1000BC:
pop.: 40k; Cities: 2; techs: 5; gold: 37; Gov.: Des; wonders: -; TR: 0D/0F
units: 2 settler, 2 warrior, 1 boat
Goals: LH, Monarchy, trade+Marco's; settle Tundra
Really a great challenge you have created, and the early years are just flying by with not much to do, and you are always aware of the challenges to come!
After studying the map, the rough schedule seems pretty obvious to me: Settle the southernmost islands as best as possible, build LH, sail north and grab as much land and huts as possible before the AI do. Since we are playing deity, we also need to keep an eye on happiness. Key wonders should be LH and Marco Polo (+HG is nice-to-have, but the rivals won't be sleeping), later Michelangelo.
I was a little disappointed when the first hut resulted in pottery, but then I realized it was on-path for harbors, so not that bad at all. Later on, I realized that harbors are less useful when you are still in despotism....
First part of my log:
-4000 Go for hut first, we have two attempts to reach the tile next to it, first one makes it! Other settler waits one turn
-3950 We get pottery from hut! This could have been way better... Peking founded. No food surplus. I guess that means we have to keep our 2nd settler since Peking is unable to build one prior to harbor
-3900 Research Alph, pretty obvious we need mapmaking first
-3800 Start mining oil, since there is nothing else to do
-3750 Warrior built, start settler, should be able to switch to trireme in time by switching production to fish every now and then
-3450 Alph->Mapmaking (discovery in 17 turns->2700);
-2700 Mapmaking->Seafaring(harbor first, then monarchy)
-2600 Trireme built, start granaries (30 turns, Seafaring in 24 turn)
-2550 Head for Tundra island with pre-charged settler, irrigate buffalo first, then found city at 4-specials
-2150 Shanghai founded, rb barracks in Peking, switch to granaries
-1850 Seaf.->Burial;
-1800 Harbor built in Peking, ouch, only works when working fish, but then there is no production, re-home boat to Shanghai, start LH in Peking
-1600 Nomads on Tundra Island! Yes! Now we can settle Hill Island with him (found-while-mining)...that makes me think: Should we have mined Peking city site first before founding??? Probably, would have been 1 more shield throughout the game...
-1150 Burial->Bronze;
(France moves capital)
Stats at 1000BC:
pop.: 40k; Cities: 2; techs: 5; gold: 37; Gov.: Des; wonders: -; TR: 0D/0F
units: 2 settler, 2 warrior, 1 boat
Goals: LH, Monarchy, trade+Marco's; settle Tundra
