Before starting this game I played a few test games with simliar settings and quickly realized this game may be tough without knowing how to use Battering Rams to full effect. So I played a couple of Immortal Duel games with the Huns and was able to get conquests under 30 turns worked out (if I settled on a mining resource and/or got upgrade luck).
Feeling some confidence built up I bravely opened the save, scouted across the river to see the horses, and settled beside the salt surrounded by river on four sides. Probably would have been better to settle right on the salt though.
I built warrior first, hoping it would increase my chances for a Battering Ram upgrade. No luck though. Didn't get Culture either. Lots of maps and Barb camps though!
Built Monument second, then worker. SPs were Tradition opener, then Liberty opener and then Lib tree: Citizenship, Republic, Representation
Decided I didn't need to build any cities myself and would just take others' cities.
Beelined for Bronze Working to build/buy the Battering Rams, and then marched on London with Warriors and two BRs.
London went down at T40. York shortly afterwards.
Not the quickest start I'm sure, but OK.
I then marched on to Palenque, with some Horse Archers starting to come out. I was a litte rash there and I quickly lost a Battering Ram at the city gates. they had a ton of troops there. I did a strategic withdrawal, killing enemies as I withdrew, and with Horse Archers coming in. In the meantime, I didn't go for the Great Library because in my test games the AI was building it usually around T30 or T40 at the latest. So I had built a Library in the cap then at around turn 55 I was wanting to build the National College, but didn't have the tech yet. I noticed that the Great Library was still available though. Strange eh? My production in the capital was strong, and I could get it in 10 turns. I thought my chances of getting it at turn 65 weren't too good but I could use the gold if it failed. Meanwhile the Maya declare on Greece, and I take the opportunity to push a second time for Palenque. The Ethiopians declare on me just as Palenque is about to fall. But they don't send any troops (I think the Maya must have bribed them to DoW me). Palenque falls at T64, and whaddayaknow I get the Great Library at T65! For the Free Tech I was torn between Philo (for the NC) and Iron Working (worried about the Greek Hoplites, and my undefended captial right next to my still-at-war Ethiopian neighbours). For fastest finish Philo was probably the right choice, but I went the less risky route and took Iron Working. Cool, Iron
discovered within London's borders!
Figured I might need some faith, so built a Shrine, then Stonehenge at T77 in the Capital (actually that's still the only place to build anything since the other cities are all puppets).
London also built a shrine while puppeted (to worship me I presume).
Founded Pantheon T80, took Stone Circles since I already had four quarries up and running, and two more could be quickly built in Palenque. At T80 I'm generating +15 Faith per turn.
Decided I needed to eliminate the Mayans so they wouldn't bite me in the butt. Tikal (the mayan's last city) fell T78 and I razed it in two turns, so i'm back into happiness now. My build of the NC got interuppted though because Tikal didn't have a library in it. Strange that a city that you're razing counts as an occupied city for that purpose.
Got NC built T91.
Addis Abbaba fell T92, and I accepted peace from the Ethiopians the next turn so I could take on the Greeks, who seem to be mobilizing a lot of troops.
Unhappiness was at -7 now even with meritocracy, so built Circus in Capital, and gave Vallenta some gold to be my ally. but was still at -3, so needed to hook up a couple of those newly aquired cities (got the Meritocracy around T86).
No contact from any other civs yet, so I figured I needed to get Astro ASAP in order to find the other continent. Realized that science was more of a priority than taking out the Greeks quickly.
First Great Prophet born T94. Founded the "Huntastic" religion, with Ceremonial Burial for the happy faces, and Pagodas.
Addis Abbaba is puppeted and worshipping Christianity, with Cathedral follower belief, maybe I should build a Cathedral there before converting it? I guess you're allowed to do that?
I DoWed Greece T95 because their troops were spread out everywhere, and some of them were near my Militaristic Ally Vallenta in the middle. Figured I could take out a good part of their army before marching on Athens.
Some Unknown civ enhanced their religion T96 (gotta be the Celts, I seem to recall some unknown civ taking Goddess of the Hunt really early)
Athens goes down T109. lost a Horse Archer and a Battering Ram though. Took a peace deal to regroup and heal. want to wipe out Greece and Ethiopia before finding other civs.
Got a University in the Cap now, and working on Compass (will then bulb Astro on turn 116 with the GS I'm saving from the Liberty finisher)
Got Chitzen Itza done on T111, but still at -4 unhappy. Also clicked "Annex" in stead of "Puppet" by mistake on conquering Athens. I don't know why, but I do that quite often - need a mod to warn me about that! ("Are you sure you don't want to Puppet instead?")
Religion Enhanced T113. took Itinerant Preachers and Religious centres for happiness +2 from temples (maybe the one to buy units with faith would have been better, but I was worried about happiness).
I also have an unused settler from the Collective Rule SP that I'm thinking I'll plant near some pearls which is a lux I don't have. But maybe I can also sail him over to the other continent and plant him there.
An interesting game so far. I hope it doesn't drag out too long on the other continent. I'm #1 in Literacy, that should help!