1425 BC - Pre turn. Have a look about. This is a really nice map - we have an amazing position for Istanbul and there are loads of iron deposits - we might even get an iron works at some point. We need to hook up some more luxuries.
Change Bursa to a temple - it could do with a border expansion to pull in 2 bgs and a hill - it has wheat, but lacks shields. Edrine can pump spearmen for us - has ivory commerce so is happy and growing on plains will make more shields as it grows. Aydin > warrior. Izmit > Settler - want the cow and wheat before egypt - it will grow back quick. Uskudar > Settler discards a couple of shields, but is big and has entertainer, long time from roads. Istanbull to MP warrior - want it to grow a little to go from 4-6 making settlers. Antalya > worker.
There is a possible trade of HBr from Romans that we could trade with Arabia and Egypt for Writing and Mysticism, but it looks too steep.
1400 Iznik Temple > Worker. Uskudar Settler > Worker. Izmit Settler > Temple. Warrior uncovers a cow near the spices, divert nearby settler as this will be a useful city! Dither for a while about where the other 3 settlers should go!
IT Arabs complete the oracle.
1375 Istanbul Warrior > Settler.
Finally notice that the Arabs do not have comms with Egypt yet, but Rome does... that cannot last for long so I take advantage of it: Writing from Arabia for Egypt contact and 130g. Writing to Egypt for Mystic and 40g. This may seem off, but its basically 2 techs for 10 turns income and will allow us to see techs further up the tree. It will allow them to compete better with Rome - who have map making now...
1350 Aydin warrior > worker. Rome/Arabs have COL now.
IT: Egypt builds pyramids... right next door to us. At least it isn't Rome - they're looking big.
1325 Edrine Spear > Spear. Iznik Worker > Rax. Konya founded by the sea - position may look funny, but I like to have a city by the sea close to the capital. > Worker
IT Arabs start lighthouse.
1300 Adana founded. > Worker. Sinop founded > warrior.
IT Arabs complete lighthouse!! I guess they must rolled over from the pyramids.
1275 Kafa founded > Worker. Found an embassy with Egypt for 38g - Thebes size 5, Pyramids, golden age.
IT Egypt starts moving warriors near our borders...
1250 Istanbul Settler > Settler.
1225 Antalya > Walls. Rome/Egypt have philosophy! No sensible trades available (we'd be broke!)
IT Lots of Egypt warriors clustering round Aydin, do not like the looks of this.
1200 Bursa hires a clown.
IT More egyptian troops, but they're just deity ROPing by the looks of things.
1175 (Turn 10) Edrine Spear > Spear
IT More troops.
1150 Istanbul Settler > Settler. Uskudar Worker > Warrior. Ankara founded > warrior - Beat Arab settler to an Iron spot in the south by 1 turn. Build Arab embassy for 51 - Size 4 + colossus, great lighthouse.
IT Egyptian Horseman and chariot ROP us. I really, really hope they are after someone else. We'd be toasted with our military.
1125 Missclick Road instead of Mine. Getting tired.
1100 Aydin worker > temple. Workers work.
1075 Iznik Rax > Spear. Konya worker > warrior.
IT Romans offer WM for WM + 130. No thank you, nice Mr Ceasar.
1050 Istanbul Settler > Settler. Edrine Spear > Spear. Bursa Temple > Grannary. Adana Worker > Walls. Sinop Warrior > Walls.
1025 Kafa Worker > warrior. Arab city of Futstat beats us to a nice 2 game corrupt city. Oh well.
1000 Iznik Spear > Spear.
975 Salonika founded > Warrior. Gems connected Lux > 10%. We have cash (339) but are behind 4 techs to everyone, I decide to gamble - switch science to 90% on Math due in 6 (down from 18) at -6gpt - the others will be heading for this and we could get a nice tech brokerage from it. We won't get there in 18 before 1 of the AI's does, I have not tried this before, apologise if it's a silly move, but it seemed like a good idea at the time!
950 Istanbul settler > settler. Edrine Spear > Spear. MM science slider.
925 Workers work. MM slider.
Right. Note time:
Have turned Iznik and Edrine into 4 turn spear factories trying to build up defense. We still have some cities defended by conscript warriors, but only Sinop is important. Bursa is growth stunted till the grannary is built - will make a nice worker factory. With 2 cattle and a mined Iron Istanbul is a 4 turn settler factory with no MM requirements
Given it is only turning out corrupt fishing villages, I think it could be worth letting it grow?
Other cities are mostly small and at the 'not quite sure what to do with them' stage - pushed out some workers from the corrupt outer cities.
There is a worker on the horses, about to hook them up. I left the iron alone in case we wanted to build vet warriors for upgrade.
We are 1 turn away from 3 luxuries
The Egyptians are being scary - they've been marching horses, warriors and spearmen back and forth through our territory for 15 turns. I think (hope) they're dithering about attacking Arabia or Rome, but can't be sure. It's been getting my nerves going pretty badly
I am an extremely lazy man and I did use goto at some points - if there is anything left doing that I apologise in advance.
I've never seen a scientific push this early on deity and it will cost us, at the moment it is 70% - 4 turns at +4gpt - MMing it is probably needed - if we are beaten then it is a shameful waste of about 160ish gold we could have had in taxes, but if it works it could save us a lot more than that... still can't work out if it's a good idea. If it seems stupid then is only 2 turns in - please feel free to veto it. Think it is possible due to the particularly strong economy/weak infrastructure we have...
Have not traded maps yet. Everyone got MM quite recently and I got carried away with other stuff.
I havn't quite finished the turn - there is a settler north of Istanbul near the bit with unclaimed core tiles - leave the honour of deciding where to put it to Mr Snaproll.
Hope my rambling reports are OK - tend to use notepad and flip between it/game. Any old rubbish that pops into my head goes here
. Just out of curiosity, where in texas are u? tonsoffun and i live in austin tx.
on them
and get those temples completed. Only 3 cities have culture building. Start min Science on Republic with scientist in Istanbul. This is what you want to do min research on. We will not be able to buy it. Egypt is the only nation w/o currency. No need to buy yet since we can't start markets now. 24 units under penalty and only 4 in production. 16 sities and 11 workers 
why is preserve random seed off. must have accidently turned it off when making the game. oh well, just dont reload to try to get more favorable outcomes.
They are cheaper and will expand the boarders just like the temples.
