The game continues to be very quiet, with some excitement happening to others in the world and apparently also CrazyG in an alternate dimension but none for me. Overall I've felt like Culture is struggling now but I'm staying relevant on Technology, and Religion continues to be dominant.
Right as I opened I immediately upgraded my Spears into Pikes and then my Bowmen into Xbows as I got machinery, fearful of war coming like with CrazyG. It didn't, but my diplomacy stayed all smiles so I can't really complain. I built one Heavy Skirmisher and was going to do a second but Korea bought my last two horses and an iron for 5 gpt, I think he needed them from pillages maybe.
I started the save sending a lot of missionaries far to the west into Hun lands and converted a lot of followers, but Siam was there too and it was a mess and ended in a lot of no religion cities. Eventually as I went to Renaissance I stopped the sendings there and focused a bit on Russia instead with a combo of missionaries and a Great Prophet who are midway through their jobs. Overall my pressure is quite strong everywhere even in the border Siam cities, so I feel good about keeping my religion strong all game. On policies 9/10/11 I had 159/200/220 Followers.
With investment and an Engineer I managed to build the Leaning Tower in DK, my only wonder. I spawned a Diplo with it and now have both my insulated City States with my Embassies. Later I popped a third Great Diplo and sent him down to Kathmandu to get what may have been the last embassy on the continent, was a bit stressful as it was through Siam when he wasn't my friend and then Korea.
Assyria was the one who managed to found Congress and that left me without a resolution. Treasure Fleet, Casus Belli, and WR Eartern Orthodoxy are all up for vote this turn, I think probably put all votes against the Religion but I left it for whoever picks up the save.
My scout continued to be incompetent and never explored the southeast of the main continent, eventually I promoted him to an explorer and sent him to the southern new world where he just popped Survivalism 3. Meanwhile I sent two fresh explorers to the northern new world where they've made a career of helping Tyre, killing a camp, freeing a worker, and killing some barbs, but they might leave for the south soon to clear some camps there with the old explorer. Other CS alliances have been shaky with Statecraft Noble Truths Byz being not really practical to muscle away. Assyria is colonizing north and Byz south right now.
I went for Chemistry and then Banking and ended up delaying Guilds probably too long, but the Infrastructure is showing its muscle now to be fair, those Banks provide a lot of yields and the Grocers are helpful to not stall out on pop. I have all the Artists Guilds up finally as well as Banks and Grocers in every city, plus most of the previous buildings done.
WLTKD has been kind, after using my first GM to unstick Babylon and Nippur I haven't had any problems maintaining it and Circuses are all still in reserve. Synagogues and Burghers together make it feel quite worth it to maintain, and I think I want to go Industry next to continue doubling down on it as well as the investing in buildings. Despite the Internal Trade bonus of Fealty the external routes have been too good for me to deny with all this peace, even more trade routes will serve well too.
At one point the Huns asked me to declare Siam, would've been Gandhi too; I decline, not wanting to rock the boat. Later he declares Siam alone anyway triggering DP with Byz and Russia, but both those wars fizzle out to nothing. He looks like he might take the Siam city near Kathmandu though. Recently however Assyria has denounced and declared him so we'll see if he holds against the five tech advantage.
Russia asked me to declare Korea right near the end, would've been against I almost did but something felt bad in my gut and I said no. The next turn Gandhi vassals Korea and then Korea asks me for Friendship, I also say no. I don't really see why Korea is the vassal of India despite having more techs but AI is gonna be AI.
I have a Great Scientist popped this turn I didn't aim yet, I think probably plant him somewhere but idk where really, maybe another hill. Also WLTKD ended in two places this turn or maybe last turn, remember to refresh it looks like easy trades... wait a minute...