I have to admit to a couple. Playing Emporer, using the default settings other than land mass, I want the bulk of the other civs not separated by water. I build 6 or so cities, barrack the 4 most productive and make nothing but warriors. I set research to Iron working, then turn it off after reaching it because I need all the coins for the next stage After I have a dozen or so vet warriors I connect to the iron and turn them into Immortals. Slam into the two closet civs and take cities, workers, and techs from them, then hit the next with the leftover units and newly produced Immortals. You should have severly weaked your closest competition, and be large enough to keep up with techs after building Libraries and Universities.
Second exploit that I use is with Carthage. I research Math, and will go untill I see if there is any Ivory nearby. If there is, I'm going for the Statue of Zeus, and both times I have done this I recieved a GSL from researching Math first. Use the GSL in my least productive city (build a barrack right away) for a long time supply of free, fast and very effective troops.
Second exploit that I use is with Carthage. I research Math, and will go untill I see if there is any Ivory nearby. If there is, I'm going for the Statue of Zeus, and both times I have done this I recieved a GSL from researching Math first. Use the GSL in my least productive city (build a barrack right away) for a long time supply of free, fast and very effective troops.