I finally made my way from monarch to emperor. As I have read about so many of you struggling your way up to emperor, I wanted to share my experiences. With this strategy all victory types are possible, perhaps domination or space race are the easiest ones. I have won both types, and I think cultural or diplomatic victories are also achievable. I have played mostly on standard size continents, random leader and marathon speed. Choosing pangea or any large size map make things much easier thanks to more trading partners. I'll try the Immortal soon!
THE STRATEGY
This strategy relies heavily on early rush (although its not mandatory, I have been ok without it) and beelining to Liberalism, with a help from Great Scientists. To achieve that, we need two cities with enough food to run two scientist. One is enough, if we rely heavily on caste system and/or pacifism, or we play as a philosofical leader. You should NOT pollute your GP pool, so do not build any other wonders in library cities or use captured wonder city as your library city.
THE BEGINNING
It does not really matter where you start. You can do it in tundra, if you play your cards right. You are guaranteed to get some resources, and usually there is something useful around. Hills and forests with some extra food are the best start. One gold mine in city radius is heaven.
I prefer bulding worker first, then warrior while growing to size 2, and finally a settler. If you don't have anything to improve, build warrior while growing to size 2, then worker when you have something to do and finally the settler. Research Bronze Working first, because we want to chop the settler to get good city site. AIs are really fast, so hurry up!
Use your initial warrior/scout to map nearby lands, because we want to locate important resources. Don't let him die, so move on hills and forests. AIs will come to you, so there is no need to go for finding them. You usually find at least the nearest one while moving around your capital.
After finishing BW we have a worker and our first city is building a first settler. You should start settler as soon as your city grows to size 2, there is no need to delay founding second city. Chop the settler, and build city next to a nearest copper. If that spot is already occupied by your rival, or you already have copper inside your capitals borders, choose second best city site. If there is copper, research wheel to connect it, otherwise go for Animal husbandry next to reveal horses. If you can't find horses either, research Archery to keep barbs and Alex/Monty away. Even basic archers can keep you powerful enough to delay war.
FIRST EXPANSION
In this stage you should have two cities and tech BW + AH. If you have those resources nearby, connect them and build an army. If you need to build third city, then do it (use chopping to do it fast enough). If you manage to get resources, move along warlord way. If you don't have resources, or you are alone in your continent/island, move along peaceful way. In either case your research order should be same, get all basic worker techs (Agriculture, Pottery, Fishing), and then beeline to Alphabet.
A) Peaceful way
No resources nearby? Don't worry, you can still win. You may be tempted to research Iron working, but don't do it! Research towards Alphabet, you can get IW by trading. And you don't need it anyway if you don't have neighbours. (Only exeption is when you are located in huge jungle, then researching IW is handy.)
Try to build 4-5 good cities. Keep in mind that at least two of them should be able to support two scientints. Seafood is good for that purpose, because you also get some trade. Build some archers to handle barbs, and to frighten your enemies. They usually don't attack really soon, expect that lunatic Monty of course.
B) Warlord way
Build/chop/whip an army, 8-10 Axes or 10-12 chariots should be enough, if you face protective neighbours build some more. Consider building barracks first, if you have good production. Be fast!
Attack the capital of your nearest rival. Don't start on minor cities, because AI tends to whip massive army of defenders in the capital while you are plundering his countryside. When his capital falls, he's doomed. Usually capital is worth to keep, burn other cities if they are not good enough. Keep all the good cities, it's okay to have even 7-8 cities because you should have both pottery and fishing that time. Those two techs can take you out of red.
If you started in a continent with only two rivals some further consideration is neede. It may be useful to let your victim live until you have alphabet: get all his techs and make peace, trade also with other opponent before declaring war again and finishing him. Remember that AIs don't trade tech known by only them! It may be wise to let your first victim live a bit longer, or if you are rolling, kill them both.
TECHING TO LIBERALISM
After getting writing build libraries in your two library cities ASAP. If you are in war, get those libraries when you can. Because you have more land (which mines more research eventually) there is no such a hurry. Cottagespam everywhere except in one production city with hills and farms.
AI-capital is a good choice for library city, if there is not any wonders. Don't pollute your GP-pool, choose another city instead! Hire scientists as soon as you can feed them, don't bother about growing (except if you can do it fast). If you have enough production capacity/forests try to grab GL in your best research city (usually capital).
You should be first getting Alphabet. If you were fast, you can usually trade Writing (and with some luck some basic tech also) to others, in best scenario you can trade Writing to Polytheism and continue researching Literature asap. After literature go for Code of Laws-Civil Service-Paper-Education-Liberalism.
Techtrading adds the most variation in your game. You should delay trading Alphabet away until you can get Mathematics and IW for it (from different leaders, of course). Check often what they will give to you for it to detect if they are researching it by themselves. In that case trade it ASAP for what you get. If you can get Mathematics by trade, fine, otherwise you have to research it yourself before Civil Service.
As I mentioned in the beginning you need three scientist. First you will use to build an Academy in you best science city, usually your capital. After Civil service the effect is enormous especially with Great Library. And if you luckiest guy in the world, the Pyramids in captured enemy capital will add even more synergies.
Second scientiest is used to lightbuld Philosophy. You need CoL for that, so there is no need to hurry. Delay trading CoL away as long as you can to block AI lightbulbing.
Third scientist is used to lightbulb Education. Use Caste system and Pacifism to speed up progress if you don't get him otherwise soon enough.
Last stage is getting Liberalism first. I suggest that you consider twice trading away Paper and especially Education. Mansa Musa, for example, have beaten me when I had only one third of Liberalism left and I was stupid enough to sell education and Philosophy to him. So watch out!
Keep your reseach rate as high as possible. Trade CoL, Philosophy, Civil Service and finally Paper for other techs and money. Somewhere between CS and Education you will meet other continent when they sail to your shores. Try to make good deals, but don't let them catch you on liberalism path. After liberalism you have 3-5 relatively expensive techs to trade (CS/Paper/Edu/Lib/your free tech), so you can easily catch everyone else.
WINNING GAME
After reaching Liberalism first you are really close to winning a game. Choose printing press as your free tech and outtech others. Or go for domination, grab gunpowder to your free tech and use your soon arriving fourth scientist to lightbulb Chemistry. Or go for cossacks if you prefer horses. Or do lot of last minute trades and get Astronomy and sail to other continent to kill that puny Gandhi with your elefants and cats. You can do it anyway you want!
Feel free to comment, suggestions and critisism is appreciated!
THE STRATEGY
This strategy relies heavily on early rush (although its not mandatory, I have been ok without it) and beelining to Liberalism, with a help from Great Scientists. To achieve that, we need two cities with enough food to run two scientist. One is enough, if we rely heavily on caste system and/or pacifism, or we play as a philosofical leader. You should NOT pollute your GP pool, so do not build any other wonders in library cities or use captured wonder city as your library city.
THE BEGINNING
It does not really matter where you start. You can do it in tundra, if you play your cards right. You are guaranteed to get some resources, and usually there is something useful around. Hills and forests with some extra food are the best start. One gold mine in city radius is heaven.
I prefer bulding worker first, then warrior while growing to size 2, and finally a settler. If you don't have anything to improve, build warrior while growing to size 2, then worker when you have something to do and finally the settler. Research Bronze Working first, because we want to chop the settler to get good city site. AIs are really fast, so hurry up!
Use your initial warrior/scout to map nearby lands, because we want to locate important resources. Don't let him die, so move on hills and forests. AIs will come to you, so there is no need to go for finding them. You usually find at least the nearest one while moving around your capital.
After finishing BW we have a worker and our first city is building a first settler. You should start settler as soon as your city grows to size 2, there is no need to delay founding second city. Chop the settler, and build city next to a nearest copper. If that spot is already occupied by your rival, or you already have copper inside your capitals borders, choose second best city site. If there is copper, research wheel to connect it, otherwise go for Animal husbandry next to reveal horses. If you can't find horses either, research Archery to keep barbs and Alex/Monty away. Even basic archers can keep you powerful enough to delay war.
FIRST EXPANSION
In this stage you should have two cities and tech BW + AH. If you have those resources nearby, connect them and build an army. If you need to build third city, then do it (use chopping to do it fast enough). If you manage to get resources, move along warlord way. If you don't have resources, or you are alone in your continent/island, move along peaceful way. In either case your research order should be same, get all basic worker techs (Agriculture, Pottery, Fishing), and then beeline to Alphabet.
A) Peaceful way
No resources nearby? Don't worry, you can still win. You may be tempted to research Iron working, but don't do it! Research towards Alphabet, you can get IW by trading. And you don't need it anyway if you don't have neighbours. (Only exeption is when you are located in huge jungle, then researching IW is handy.)
Try to build 4-5 good cities. Keep in mind that at least two of them should be able to support two scientints. Seafood is good for that purpose, because you also get some trade. Build some archers to handle barbs, and to frighten your enemies. They usually don't attack really soon, expect that lunatic Monty of course.
B) Warlord way
Build/chop/whip an army, 8-10 Axes or 10-12 chariots should be enough, if you face protective neighbours build some more. Consider building barracks first, if you have good production. Be fast!
Attack the capital of your nearest rival. Don't start on minor cities, because AI tends to whip massive army of defenders in the capital while you are plundering his countryside. When his capital falls, he's doomed. Usually capital is worth to keep, burn other cities if they are not good enough. Keep all the good cities, it's okay to have even 7-8 cities because you should have both pottery and fishing that time. Those two techs can take you out of red.
If you started in a continent with only two rivals some further consideration is neede. It may be useful to let your victim live until you have alphabet: get all his techs and make peace, trade also with other opponent before declaring war again and finishing him. Remember that AIs don't trade tech known by only them! It may be wise to let your first victim live a bit longer, or if you are rolling, kill them both.
TECHING TO LIBERALISM
After getting writing build libraries in your two library cities ASAP. If you are in war, get those libraries when you can. Because you have more land (which mines more research eventually) there is no such a hurry. Cottagespam everywhere except in one production city with hills and farms.
AI-capital is a good choice for library city, if there is not any wonders. Don't pollute your GP-pool, choose another city instead! Hire scientists as soon as you can feed them, don't bother about growing (except if you can do it fast). If you have enough production capacity/forests try to grab GL in your best research city (usually capital).
You should be first getting Alphabet. If you were fast, you can usually trade Writing (and with some luck some basic tech also) to others, in best scenario you can trade Writing to Polytheism and continue researching Literature asap. After literature go for Code of Laws-Civil Service-Paper-Education-Liberalism.
Techtrading adds the most variation in your game. You should delay trading Alphabet away until you can get Mathematics and IW for it (from different leaders, of course). Check often what they will give to you for it to detect if they are researching it by themselves. In that case trade it ASAP for what you get. If you can get Mathematics by trade, fine, otherwise you have to research it yourself before Civil Service.
As I mentioned in the beginning you need three scientist. First you will use to build an Academy in you best science city, usually your capital. After Civil service the effect is enormous especially with Great Library. And if you luckiest guy in the world, the Pyramids in captured enemy capital will add even more synergies.
Second scientiest is used to lightbuld Philosophy. You need CoL for that, so there is no need to hurry. Delay trading CoL away as long as you can to block AI lightbulbing.
Third scientist is used to lightbulb Education. Use Caste system and Pacifism to speed up progress if you don't get him otherwise soon enough.
Last stage is getting Liberalism first. I suggest that you consider twice trading away Paper and especially Education. Mansa Musa, for example, have beaten me when I had only one third of Liberalism left and I was stupid enough to sell education and Philosophy to him. So watch out!
Keep your reseach rate as high as possible. Trade CoL, Philosophy, Civil Service and finally Paper for other techs and money. Somewhere between CS and Education you will meet other continent when they sail to your shores. Try to make good deals, but don't let them catch you on liberalism path. After liberalism you have 3-5 relatively expensive techs to trade (CS/Paper/Edu/Lib/your free tech), so you can easily catch everyone else.
WINNING GAME
After reaching Liberalism first you are really close to winning a game. Choose printing press as your free tech and outtech others. Or go for domination, grab gunpowder to your free tech and use your soon arriving fourth scientist to lightbulb Chemistry. Or go for cossacks if you prefer horses. Or do lot of last minute trades and get Astronomy and sail to other continent to kill that puny Gandhi with your elefants and cats. You can do it anyway you want!
Feel free to comment, suggestions and critisism is appreciated!
), but so far it hasn't worked out 
