Took the Challenger saved game and am still alive.
Settled 1E on the Plains Hills square, in anticipation of having to defend my capital from enemy stacks, as is sometimes the case in an Always-War game. Yes, it was unfortunately 1 square off of the Coast, but in this kind of a game, survival comes first, instead of worrying about what might happen late in the game if a capital gets to be greater than roughly City Size 15.
I agree with Frederiksberg that we were extremely fortunate in terms of the relative lack of Copper and Iron Resources available to the AIs. Contrast that with BOTM 235 (Sury Deity), where metal Resources were way too abundant and it became a slog-fest that took too much real-life time to complete.
I forgot to switch to Police State! The game reminded me on Turn 2. Oops! Rather than lose a turn, I waited until I learned Bronze Working, and switched Civics together. It worked out just as well, though.
Wow, Copper in the big-fat cross, on a RIVER, with settling-in-place or on the Plains Hills square giving us a connection to it. Very helpful. The Silver Resource was essential to avoiding Strikes for a choking approach, which I used.
I played it mostly as an Always-War game at the start, but when some of the AIs started ducking out of their warring responsibilities, I eventually started handing out Cease Fires, but with sometimes resuming the wars reasonably quickly.
To keep the economy afloat, I had to build Cottages in every City which I built/kept. Still, I lose some Gold every turn and have to keep Pillaging or capturing/razing Cities or gifting away captured Cities to keep things going.
Ragnar was my most effective choke, with 1 Impi and 1 Woodsman II Warrior being sufficient to 1-City-Challenge him. The nice part there is a Multi-Religion Holy City, complete with Stonehenge to hopefully get him to build some Shrines for me.
Monte's Jaguar Warriors are the toughest Unique Unit that I have been facing, with them showing up unexpectedly at my Cities' doorsteps with Woodsman II + Combat I. For now, Monte gets some peaceful times as I try to deal with the menace that Genghis has grown into.
Mitchum's most-hated Building, the Monument, has had a place in nearly every City, as Religion has not spread to me, and Stonehenge went too early (plus, Stonehenge is going to a good cause of Shrine-Making). Being the first to tech a religious technology has also not been an option.
Lich_Lord certainly has a great-looking empire. My only Wonder was The Great Lighthouse, but it's a pretty important one on this map.
Things to watch out for:
An AI popping a metal Resource on a worked Mine
AIs using each others' Open Borders to sneak in Units close to your Cities without you noticing
This game really was well suited for choking at least some of the other AIs as well, but that is not my way. 
