So I will try my first story/game report (more of a game report in this case)...
Playing as Catherine, Standard continent maps, Noble difficulty, No city razing selected, and space victory turned off.
The Russian settlers emerge from the forest and liked what they saw. This is a good spot for a camp. The river is a good source of fresh water, while giving access also to the sea. On the other side of the river lies a vast swath of forest. There are sheep and even elephants, both of which are bound to come in handy in the future.

Now, it is time to explore the surrounding world, and see if we can figure out how to put these animals to work.
Here is a look an the initial exploration of the area. Some good resources here. Even more elephants, marble, stone, corn. Plans are put into place to send out more settlers. One, north along the coast to secure the remaining elephants and marble. One, east for the flood plains and corn. And one, southeast for the stone.

As the Russians continued their exploration northward along the coast, they met another tribe, calling themselves the French.

The French have established a settlement to the Northeast, at what appears to be the tip of the smallish continent. The intial meeting witht the French is friendly, but the tribal leaders are well aware that competition for resources could prove severe.
Playing as Catherine, Standard continent maps, Noble difficulty, No city razing selected, and space victory turned off.
The Russian settlers emerge from the forest and liked what they saw. This is a good spot for a camp. The river is a good source of fresh water, while giving access also to the sea. On the other side of the river lies a vast swath of forest. There are sheep and even elephants, both of which are bound to come in handy in the future.

Now, it is time to explore the surrounding world, and see if we can figure out how to put these animals to work.
Here is a look an the initial exploration of the area. Some good resources here. Even more elephants, marble, stone, corn. Plans are put into place to send out more settlers. One, north along the coast to secure the remaining elephants and marble. One, east for the flood plains and corn. And one, southeast for the stone.

As the Russians continued their exploration northward along the coast, they met another tribe, calling themselves the French.

The French have established a settlement to the Northeast, at what appears to be the tip of the smallish continent. The intial meeting witht the French is friendly, but the tribal leaders are well aware that competition for resources could prove severe.