Did you disregard the stern warnings?
Not at all. In fact, I've been all game long having a defending unit in all my cities every single turn.
How did your encounters with Humbaba and others go?
Humbaba is a great concept, congratulations on your idea.

If used in a no-free-wins-against-barbs situation it would have been a fantastic way to put a handicap int he game. Can you imagine it? You would lose no units if careful, but you would have to have a warrior in every improvement and another warrior scorting your worker. That would have made for a slow start, for sure!
Where did you decide to settle? Were you pleased with that choice and why?
I settled 2NE, leaving the gems out. It wasn't an easy decision. Even if in the border of the map, I wanted to get that 3-2-2 tile in my capital for a spectacular take off. I was thinking a long time about settling 4E-2N (but it was hammerless) or on the PH (but that would have delayed the Worker for ages, not having the great tile) or getting both the great tile and the gems (but that would have lost 2FP).
Did you find your UU (Vulture) useful?
Extremely. I am replaying the game now, I think I can get a Conquest victory in the BC.
Do you have a victory strategy in mind?
why?!

How long have we known each other?

And yet you're asking?

Cultural, of course!!!
What do you think about irrational resources on a fantasy map?
I hate irrational resources. I've been training for years and now all my knowledge about the game is useless and I spend hours looking at the map and trying to ascertain if a given settling site is good or not.
Also there weren't really any good sites on the map, except for the two probably-engineered-ones on the East.
Also there were more marble resources than tiles on this map!!
How many cities at 1AD? Pop? Beaker rate? Gpt? Other stats?
A proper spoiler will follow soon.
1AD Stats: 8 cities, 54 pop, 7workers, 16units (10Vult), 5 strategic resources, 2 luxury resources, 7 health resources, 1 great persons, 4 world wonders, 0 national wonders, food/production/commerce=142-84-180, 71 sustainable beakers per turn, 83 culture per turn, 20 great person points per turn, 350 gold. 3 religions. 7/7 cottages used, 27 Techs: CS, Philo, no Music, nothing after Maths. 1 civs killed. 12.5 hours played. 11rel*city, 1temples, 0cath