More time and trouble.... We're way behind in tech, but there's a lot of land for the grabbing, if we can get there.
(0) 1750 -- Rotterdam almost as suggested, but I work the forest the first two turns and then the grass the third, so that it will auto-pick the forest when it grows and we can squeeze an extra two shields out of the deal.
(I) Finish Writing and start Lit. at min_sci. The AIs will sometimes ignore optional techs...and if it takes us 50 turns to get there...who cares?
(1) 1725 BC -- what's map making cost @ 3rd? I dunno, but we can't afford it. Check it out.
(2) 1700 - Spain picked up MM, too. We *could* buy it by removing our lux and science and paying all our gold and gpt, but I don't think that's quite wise. Portugal still doesn't have it and we MIGHT be able to broker successfully, but I want a bit of extra cash around to broker. Hope it doesn't come back to bite me.
Oh, and Rotterdam micro this turn. Looking good up there.
(2) 1675 - I gotta do it. Brokering options will be few and far between, I fear, so I'm gonna take this one while I can, even though it almost kills us financially. Science to zero and then....
17 gpt and 388 gold to Hittites for Map Making.
Map Making, 2 gpt, our last 24 gold to Portugal for Wheel, Warrior Code, and Ceremonial Burial.
And we're at 0 gpt and 0 gold. Kindof a 4fer, though, so I think it was worth it. Hope others agree.
We're down 4 visible techs to all 4 AIs -- the same 4 in all case.
(I) Settler out of Amsterdam.
(4) 1650 -- The pop loss from the Amsterdam settler has us at -1 gpt and 0 gold. I do NOT want to lose troops, so I have to lower the lux tax and make do with a taxman in Rotterdam for one turn. Another MP is on his way there, though, so it should only be this turn. I'm not sure it will matter in the long run.
(5) 1625 - Second MP in Rotterdam, taxman back to work. At +1 gpt now.
(6) 1600 - Ulbrecht has grown and needs a specialist until an MP arrives. He gets a taxman for a bit, too.
(7) 1575 - Rottderdam completes its granary and begins a settler -- growth and settler to pop at the same time. I think a 5/5/3/3/4 food pattern here might be required -- a 5-turn settler factory. I think that's the only way to get enough shields in time. Will need VERY close attention.
(8) 1600 - Utrecht taxman back to work.
(9) 1575 - Meet Russia. They're up the same 4 as the others.
(10) 1500 - Meet Mongols. They're up the 4 we've been done forever, but now Hittites and Ottomans have Philosophy visible, too, so we're down 5 visible techs to those two. With -1 gpt (to keep Rotterdam happy) and 10 gold, though, I don't think we can purchase it!
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/lotr10-1500bc.zip
We now have two pretty good settler factories (Amsterdam and Rotterdam) going. I built two settlers but founded no cities on my turns. I sent one south to the dark blue dot on the forest and one is headed west to be near the tundra. Those two dots I felt very comfortable with, but I couldn't reach either during my turns.
We only have one more civ to find. They about have to be sharing our landmass, in the southern part, I would think. Getting a city to the choke would actually be my next priority. The Russians will be filling in the west soon, though, so be wary.
Jumping our palace with a leader? Is the palace an SGL or an MGL item? We might get a few of the latter, but I imagine the former will be few and far between (like NONE!).
For now, we've still gotta be in mega-expansion mode. Ulbrecht as military producer seems like a good plan for now. Keep the cities flowing.
Arathorn