Can someone give me a few pointers?

[Bleahdom]

I usually play Terra maps on Monarch difficulty and I currently have a win rate of around 70% I guess, but one situation will always bring down my chances to 30% or less and that is starting on a small strip of land with close neighbors.

I dislike war, but if a neighbor is really close I will rush them. But the lack of land when you have more than one civ nearby makes it's hard to keep up with an ongoing war effort without my economy crashing first, in other words, I suck at managing all-out wars. I've included a savefile, it's Toku in the situation I dislike, a neighbor to the south and a neighbor to the east with hardly any land for expansion and jungles.
Can someone play it out and give some strategies/pointers on the best way to proceed?

 

[Rusten]

Played up until 425 BC as fast as I could. Not the best starting pos. Decided to make 2 work boats while researching bronze working and then chop out 2 more workers after the first. Didn't find copper or horses so I decided to wait for swordsmen+catapults which is ready soon. No luxuries nearby either, so warfare is the way to go. Set up 5 cities peacefully but would go after Pacal next. He should be a cakewalk at this point. Attaching the save file too if that helps you.

Doubt I'll play further as monarch is too easy for me, but hopefully it helped you a little as to how to start. This is no "right" way though, there are plenty of roads to follow, this is one of them. I prefer axes or chariots over this, but seeing as there is no copper or horses you really have no option but to wait.

 

[CivMcNut]

Terra Maps can be real challenging with everyone on top of each other. You really have to gear up to fight early and keep fighting the whole game unless you get in pretty good with someone diplomatically. If you've got a neighbor boxing you in early you really have no choice but to take him out. Sticking around with 3-4 cities together (no other options but making distant cities via a galley) can really leave you crippled once the middle ages come around.

That whole business about settling the new world comes too late to be of help.

 

[cabert]

terra maps are fun... when you go for early conquest!
I almost never played a terra map where I settled the "new" continent.
All out war means razing, razing razing, and don't look at techs.
Sure you'll be slow teching, but the others will be dead .

You're Tokugawa?
Not the best leader for these games, but at least you have the promotions for your troops.
Too bad you'll never see samurais .