Open (eh, why not?)
I decided I needed to play a couple practice (randomly generated) games as I have never done Deity before, and I struggle mightily with Emperor. In my first trial game, I pretty much got pwned. I decided to start a 2nd, but this time dropping down to Emperor. Here I did better - grew to about 12 cities by 0 AD, but couldn't keep pace and quit on the verge of elimination around 1300 AD.
After this defeat, I realized that I might do better if I log by turns QSC style, forcing me to think about each move I make. I think it takes some of the fun out of the game doing such a tedious, administrative task, but the result was as anticipated - away we go! (full log will be found in QSC)
4000 BC: Paris founded, Worker mines BG to S. 2 Warriors.
3450 BC: Find the wheat to the north, Furs to NW.
3400 BC: Pottery, Researching Writing for minimum. Paris switches from Barracks to Granary.
3250 BC: Contact with Arabia.
3150 BC: Receive CB + 14g for Masonry from Arabia.
3000 BC: Granary complete, Settler started.
2630 BC: Orleans founded S of wheat.
2470 BC: 5th Warrior, Orleans starts Granary. Contact with Portugal.
2110 BC: See Gems along E coast, kinda far N. Nobody's trading anything...
1950 BC: Lyons stupidly founded ON wheat N of Orleans. Portugal makes Colossus, Inca finish Pyramids.
1750 BC: Most of Arabia mapped, but where is everyone else?
1700 BC: Tours founded SW of cows.
1675 BC: Finally found Portugal borders.
1625 BC: Arabia just built a city SW of Paris...
1450 BC: Marseilles founded 2W, 1NW from Orleans on coast. Learned Writing. Trades: Writing to Arabia for Myst., Math and 43g. Writing and 266g to Portugal for BW, WC and Wheel.
1350 BC: Chartres founded SW of Horses. Portugal makes me pay 29g.
1325 BC: Embassies with Portugal and Arabia. Mecca 11 turns from ToA, Lisbon loaded and already has Colossus and Oracle.
1200 BC: Inca thankfully beats Arabia to ToA. Paris building Temple.
1150 BC: Avignon founded near Incense S of Paris.
1125 BC: Philo. researched. Trade Philo. + 51g to Portugal for HBR and IW. Arabia gives me 39g for it.
1100 BC: Besancon founded 2 S, 3 SW of Paris on hill. Arabia now has 3 cities SW of Paris and keep funnelling spears and settlers through my territory to get there.
1000 BC: QSC report: 2675 score. I'm not unhappy about this at all.
875 BC: Rouen founded on E coast on river directly W of fish.
850 BC: Grenoble founded 1N of Iron on S coast.
825 BC: Marseilles produces a Curragh that finds everyone by 0 AD, mostly by running into their ships as opposed to their cities.
775 BC: Dijon and Amiens founded to the east.
650 BC: Lots of connected happiness: Horses, Furs, Incense and soon Iron.
510 BC: Poiters founded. Portugal has foothold in SE part of continent.
410 BC: Toulouse founded on S coast.
290 BC: Inca builds Nasca W of gold on SE part of continent. Bayonne founded SE of Incense line. Aztecs creeping up SW part of the continent.
250 BC: Portugal and Arabia go to war!
I missed the exact date where I moved to MA, but I purchased Construction after researching Currency. Definitely in the AD's. I've been 3-5 techs behind most of the last millenium or so, but I'm in no immediate danger, have 15 cities, and I'm keeping pace in the power rankings with all but Portugal and Inca (By 420 AD I have 16 Swords, 8 MI). Creeping up on Byzantine for 6th in points. With Portugal blasting Arabia from behind, I can hopefully mop up whatever remains of Arabia; namely the 5 cities to the SW of Paris and 2 to the NE. Being so far separated from Mecca should make this easy regardless.
Regardless, I've already surpassed any expectations I had coming into this COTM, and I'll happily report my defeat if/when it happens.
Map from 150 BC, slightly before reaching MA.