Bamspeedy
CheeseBob
Yes, that's right 20,000 culture in 5 cities all at the same time.
Wasn't sure if there was enough culture buildings in the game for this to be even possible, so I did this on Chieftain level with what I felt were the easiest settings/map conditions.
Here is some comments about the game, if anyone wanted to try this on a harder level. (Warlord I think is certainly possible, Regent I think would be quite a challenge).
Huge pangea map for slow tech pace. Yes, this will make it harder for me with only 5 cities, but my main intent was to keep the AI slow in techs, so they can't cascade any wonders. On chieftain, I guess you wouldn't need to worry about this anyways (it takes them 800 shields to build the Pyramids vs. your 400 shields), but on higher levels you would. You want to get every Great Wonder. If you miss 1 or 2, then 5*20k may still be possible, but much, much harder. Another reason I chose huge map and pangea is described later on when I say why I chose the Americans.
I chose 16 AI, but this would be much easier with only 8 AI (for slower AI tech pace).
No expansionists AI civs. They take forever to meet each other without having scouts to use. Bad thing is then you get a whole bunch of scientific civs.
I used the Americans. Both of these traits give you a very powerful, early advantage if used correctly, and on the right map conditions. For a 5CC (or OCC), industrious is a much more short-lived advantage, as it doesn't take long to get all your limited terrain developed.
And now for why I chose expansionists?
Better goody hut results. Get a tech lead you will never lose on most levels.
Pop a settler early on (never pop a hut at 4000 BC, as you will never get a settler). Mass produce scouts until you can build another settler. I had my 'free' city build a scout, worker, scouts then a settler. For mass production of scouts, I actually prefer a non food bonus start. Starting with bonus grassland that can quickly be mined, or even better with game on forest can quickly get those scouts out. I had at least 10 scouts by 3000 B.C., and not too shortly after that I had ~20 scouts.
At the beginning of the game, set science to 0% and select Alphabet as the tech you are 'researching'. Goody huts give you what you are NOT researching (until there is no other choice). By blocking off Alphabet, the techs will bee-line you right towards monarchy. I got monarchy ~2590 BC in this game, which is a little slow compared to other games I have played. With only maybe 3 cities at this point, anarchy is very short (it was only 1 turn for me). You will no doubt trigger a golden age with all the ancient wonders you are building, so it is great if you aren't in despotism when that happens.
If you find other civs that have a tech you don't, then give them a tech for theirs, propelling you further along. But don't trade for alphabet, until after you pop Monarchy from a hut. Then trade for alphabet, then set 'research' to mathematics, so that huts will give you literature, map making, and techs up to and including Republic. When you get all the required techs in the ancient era (this was ~2000 BC in my game), start on Monotheism at 10%. Your empire will be small, so it will probably take 40 turns anyways, so you can save your money to rush culture buildings. After those 40 turns, you can turn science up higher if you want, as by that time your cities will be much bigger and you will have wonders like the collosus built.
I built temples and libraries before starting on wonders. All cities but the capital will need a culture expansion anyways, and the libraries offer more culture than some of the wonders, since they will be doubling in culture so much earlier and are cheaper to build. Every city had at least 1 worker improving the terrain. Being industrious allows you to keep up with terrain improvements as fast as you are growing. If you can get all the cultural improvements built before 10 AD, they will amount to about (or more) than half the culture you will need. By 10BC I had universities in every city but one.
I did have some small wonders I had to build to get enough culture, but then I didn't need any modern age wonders, and I did have to sell some temples, libraries in a few cities in order for me to get TOE, Hoovers and Wall Street. You won't be able to build the Pentagon or Forbidden palace with only 5 cities, but you can build battlefield medicine and wall street. Some of the small wonders only offer 1 or 2 culture points, so those are nice for getting those last few hundred points that a city will need. I could have triggered the victory a little sooner, but it was easier for me to do the math if I timed the victory for 2050 A.D.
Didn't really need any leaders. I did get a bunch later on in the game when I was conquering the world, but it's nice to get 1 to build an army to get the heroic epic. I built no military at all until after a city had nothing else left to build.
Wasn't sure if there was enough culture buildings in the game for this to be even possible, so I did this on Chieftain level with what I felt were the easiest settings/map conditions.
Here is some comments about the game, if anyone wanted to try this on a harder level. (Warlord I think is certainly possible, Regent I think would be quite a challenge).
Huge pangea map for slow tech pace. Yes, this will make it harder for me with only 5 cities, but my main intent was to keep the AI slow in techs, so they can't cascade any wonders. On chieftain, I guess you wouldn't need to worry about this anyways (it takes them 800 shields to build the Pyramids vs. your 400 shields), but on higher levels you would. You want to get every Great Wonder. If you miss 1 or 2, then 5*20k may still be possible, but much, much harder. Another reason I chose huge map and pangea is described later on when I say why I chose the Americans.
I chose 16 AI, but this would be much easier with only 8 AI (for slower AI tech pace).
No expansionists AI civs. They take forever to meet each other without having scouts to use. Bad thing is then you get a whole bunch of scientific civs.
I used the Americans. Both of these traits give you a very powerful, early advantage if used correctly, and on the right map conditions. For a 5CC (or OCC), industrious is a much more short-lived advantage, as it doesn't take long to get all your limited terrain developed.
And now for why I chose expansionists?
Better goody hut results. Get a tech lead you will never lose on most levels.
Pop a settler early on (never pop a hut at 4000 BC, as you will never get a settler). Mass produce scouts until you can build another settler. I had my 'free' city build a scout, worker, scouts then a settler. For mass production of scouts, I actually prefer a non food bonus start. Starting with bonus grassland that can quickly be mined, or even better with game on forest can quickly get those scouts out. I had at least 10 scouts by 3000 B.C., and not too shortly after that I had ~20 scouts.
At the beginning of the game, set science to 0% and select Alphabet as the tech you are 'researching'. Goody huts give you what you are NOT researching (until there is no other choice). By blocking off Alphabet, the techs will bee-line you right towards monarchy. I got monarchy ~2590 BC in this game, which is a little slow compared to other games I have played. With only maybe 3 cities at this point, anarchy is very short (it was only 1 turn for me). You will no doubt trigger a golden age with all the ancient wonders you are building, so it is great if you aren't in despotism when that happens.
If you find other civs that have a tech you don't, then give them a tech for theirs, propelling you further along. But don't trade for alphabet, until after you pop Monarchy from a hut. Then trade for alphabet, then set 'research' to mathematics, so that huts will give you literature, map making, and techs up to and including Republic. When you get all the required techs in the ancient era (this was ~2000 BC in my game), start on Monotheism at 10%. Your empire will be small, so it will probably take 40 turns anyways, so you can save your money to rush culture buildings. After those 40 turns, you can turn science up higher if you want, as by that time your cities will be much bigger and you will have wonders like the collosus built.
I built temples and libraries before starting on wonders. All cities but the capital will need a culture expansion anyways, and the libraries offer more culture than some of the wonders, since they will be doubling in culture so much earlier and are cheaper to build. Every city had at least 1 worker improving the terrain. Being industrious allows you to keep up with terrain improvements as fast as you are growing. If you can get all the cultural improvements built before 10 AD, they will amount to about (or more) than half the culture you will need. By 10BC I had universities in every city but one.
I did have some small wonders I had to build to get enough culture, but then I didn't need any modern age wonders, and I did have to sell some temples, libraries in a few cities in order for me to get TOE, Hoovers and Wall Street. You won't be able to build the Pentagon or Forbidden palace with only 5 cities, but you can build battlefield medicine and wall street. Some of the small wonders only offer 1 or 2 culture points, so those are nice for getting those last few hundred points that a city will need. I could have triggered the victory a little sooner, but it was easier for me to do the math if I timed the victory for 2050 A.D.
Didn't really need any leaders. I did get a bunch later on in the game when I was conquering the world, but it's nice to get 1 to build an army to get the heroic epic. I built no military at all until after a city had nothing else left to build.