Well, we built on Marble and started an Obelisk. Finances became problematic after the build, so we adopted City States. We also started Libraries in three of our cities. The Marble should be hooked into our trade network just in time to start the Great Library.
Auric received a Great Bard and popped it for culture, shattering our "peaceful" Corn city dreams to the east, and making the barbarian city to the northwest much more palatable.
We mobilized our standing army and built a few extra warriors and began our march to the north. We lost one warrior in the ensuing battle, but came away with another jewel for our crown.
We discover Way of the Wicked and adopt slavery. We whip out our two remaining Librarys and a couple of Obelisks in our southernmost cities and then begin Brewerys. As soon as possible, we should whip those out as well...
Dain gets a Great Bard and pops culture near our Marble city. Even with our Obelisk in place, I fear for this city's future, and the future of our Great Library plans...
I pass the game on with the birth of a Great Engineer and a difficult choice for group discussion... to build the Catacomb Libralus or the Great Library. Both are good for us. I think our best chance to get both is to rush the CL now with the Engineer and whip the GL in our Capitol as soon as possible...
We're number one! Oh wait...no we're not.
We get an interesting event in our Capitol. This is the first in a series that culminates with the formation of the Circle of Galen guild. I have never seen The Circle form in any of my games, but perhaps it is one of the things they fixed in the patch we are using...
Here is my compulsory dotmap...
An Adept is en route to start burning jungle around reddot, it is still a good location for a city. The barbarian city to the northeast might be ours as well if Auric leaves it alone...Orange dots are marginal city sites for the distant future, the musings of a madman.
As soon as the Brewerys are finished, we must concentrate on building our military up. Adepts first and as soon as we discover AV, Diseased Corpses and Savants...
After we discover AV, we need to deicide what to research next...
Our two biggest problems, IMHO, are the sorry state of our military and our dwindling income.
We have copper within our borders, so researching Bronzeworking would increase all of our STR3 warriors to STR4 warriors. Diseased Corpses will also be able to use bronze weapons, making them STR7.
Calendar>Festivals gives us a much needed injection of cash with Markets and hooks up our Silk and Sugar.
So, I think Bronzeworking>Calendar>Festivals is our route...