IT 3000BC: The situation in the game file does not match the screenshot. The projects are different?
Which is the "actual" set of projects? I can't even sort it out from the report, so I will just go with what I've been handed.
FOR FUTURE REFERENCE: No prebuilds means NO PROJECT SWITCHING. No casual vetos. "Only three turns lost" is not a phrase we can afford. We will need decisive choices, to be changed around in the middle (with shields poured down the drain) only under extreme circumstances, such as emergency troop needs, or someone having overlooked something even more urgent, which would throw even more away.
Don't even "window shop" other items. No project changes even "just to look" unless we go through wealth first, and kill the stored shields. At least... if Epic 12 rule set is the model here.
We also need to (try to) think and plan ahead. Sometimes the best option is to run wealth for a turn or two, if a tech is due, rather than delay an important new item to build a warrior or something.
The free settler more than makes up for our seemingly bad start, and indeed, there were rich lands just a few tiles away. Sometimes you just gotta buckle down and grit your teeth when things look bad. Civ3 is remarkable in its ability to allow players to recover from deep holes and still compete.
With the capital locked into a granary and TaTu building a warrior, I wake one of TaTu's tatwo warriors and send him tatu the capital. Tatu-daloo now! Git along little dogie.
2900BC: Our scout meets pinko commie Chinese. They must be exterminated! Oh, wait. We need an army first.
2800BC: Moscow completes the Colossus. ... SAY WHA...??? Sheesh.
That is definitely the earliest I've ever seen any AI complete a wonder. (I rushed the Pyramids in 3000BC in an AWE game once). That would also make it the fastest self-built wonder I've ever seen, too.
Warrior built in Tatu, starts settler, swaps to high shield, low food.
2550BC: Our scouts have scouted the lay of the land, methinks. We have a somewhat circular continent with the Zulus at the hub. I'd say that bodes ill for their future. My first ten turns are up. Guess that means I'm in for another ten.
2470BC: Granary complete in Kara. Start settler.
2390BC: Settler complete in TaTu, back to no food size 1, starts a barracks.
2350BC: Zulu scare at home, as one of their warriors enters our border. Next turn, they leave, on beeline home to Z-town. Wonder what that's all about.
2270BC: Kara builds settler, starts another.
2150BC: Found Kazun on the river, 'tween Kara and Z-town. Found Almarikh on the bay, north of Kazan, west of Z-town. Pull the trigger on Iron Working @4th from Zulus, who have lost Ulundi to the Americans. I pay 100% of our available gpt, plus 25g, on the gamble they may be eliminated from the game before we pay it all off. If not, our money is going to the underdog. Trade Iron Working to Russia for Masonry and 20g. We have two iron sources in range, both in the south.
Both new cities are set to build warriors, but can be changed to other items if desired, on the first turn. Russia is indeed all choked up, bottled in, you name it. They WILL BE coming at some point, maybe soonish, thus the barracks. Recommend vet spear, walls, then another vet spear and by then, maybe a sword or two. If we keep Russia isolated, who knows, maybe even be able to rub them out at some point earlyish. Probably go something like this: Hotrod's round (one of these times) ends, Russians still there, Urug's turn ends, Russians gone.
I know it was harsh on TaTu to build a settler out of there with no granary, but think of that as a second free settler out of the hut. Pickins are somewhat slim, and we're packed in like sardines. Wait'll you see the way the Chinese and Americans are backed up along the shoreline just like Russia, except not cut off.
Dotmap follows. Pink and White dots are high priority. Orange and Gray are "would be nice" bold dreams. Red, Yellow and Green are luxury fishing villages. Light Blue is a mining village to fill in the interior border, but I doubt we'll get it because we won't get half these dots unless the Zulu-American war drags on and on and on.
Hey, for such a crappy looking start location, I'd say we're doing WAY WAY better than anybody could have dreamed. This is certainly no "screw you" Epic 12 map situation.
Not even counting the free settler, which I swear to god, Urugharakh must be charmed or something. HOW DOES HE DO IT???
Bam - 2150BC
- Sirian
Finish another scout in capital--start on granery. Russia has a SOD of 3 spears and 3 warriors near Ta-Tu. Find one barb camp--the Zulus will take care of that for us. Zulus are also VERY close--capital is in the second ring north from the capital.
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We show our contacts now. Russia gets contact with America and 57g for Alphabet. Only Catherine has writing but we cannot get it. Take 34g for China and 22 for Zulu. Abe will trade The Wheel for Alphabet and Mao will charge us an extra 27g. Get wheel for Abe and the horses are on the coast west of Ulaan, on road path between Karakorum and Tabriz. There is a third horse on the hills between Tabriz and the orange dot. 
