I've submitted a 780AD launch using the same settings as Chamnix' game except adding France in as a rival. I'm running out of maps and may not have another submission for this. In fact, this game was a handrolled start on a river with one cow and a wheat and another cow and wheat nearby.
I popped an early settler six tiles east on a river early, but did not get an SGL for the Pyramids until philosophy in 2150BC. I drew a three-turn anarchy with only 4 towns, 5 workers, 8 scouts and 2 warriors. I set research to Monarchy and popped construction in 2070BC having only German, Ottoman, and Byzantine contacts plus France. Two civs got engineering and one got feudalism. I got engineering with Republic and feudalism with both and was very lucky to get invention as my free tech.
I shut research off rather than go for the expensive gunpowder, hoping to get monotheism from one of the other 4 scientific civs and start researching theology soon. One luxury was nearby and one other 15 tiles away. I could already see all 8 luxuries I would eventually get. I would need war happiness to allow growth and set about making the ai furious. I was unable to get any towns from the ai in this game and it seems to be pretty rare. I contacted Korea in 1830 and gifted them but they got feudalism.
The other three civs were across a one-tile land-bridge and took a while to contact. My warriors were disbanded and scouts that couldn't uncover more map were disbanded until only three crossed the land-bridge to look for more ai's and huts for gold. I contacted Persia and they got engineering.
By this time I was pretty disappointed and thought I might have to abandon the game. I went ahead and used gold to establish embassies, but no ai knew each other. I figured if one of the furious ai ever declared war, I might be able to get peace tied to an ma with another civ to keep a supply of war happpiness if needed. I should have saved my money instead for deficit research.
In 1450BC, I contacted Greece and happily, they got monotheism. I started research on theology right away and soon the Ottos demanded lit and I got my first dose of war happiness. I also declared war on Korea and re-negotiated peace for an alliance with France and later Germany against them. Korea destroyed a French town and was handled roughly by Germany, but sadly both civs honored their deals for the full 20 turns.
In 1225BC, I re-negotiated peace with the Byzantines for an alliance against the Ottos. They broke the deal in 1025BC giving me another dose of war-happiness. I lost a bit of happiness when two longbows died attacking two warriors on grassland. I then had to rush more regulars and take away from my development a bit to also hold off the few incoming Byz and Otto units.
I got theology in 1150BC and was three turns from education by 1000BC running science at 70%. I couln't grow past size six after losing a few units and only one lux. so I started settlers and workers to the furs in the north while still hoping for another dose of war happiness. Here's a screenshot of Russia with 20 towns, 60 citizens, 27 workers, 2 settlers and one longbow.
I was hoping for a GA with MoM and Colossus by 610BC with gunpowder and banking done and 2-turns of Astro done for 4-turn research the rest of the way and potential 720AD launch which would be my best launch date. Unbelievably, at least to me, I was beaten to the MoM by Korea in 800BC. I switched Moscow to Sun-Tzu's as a Cope's pre-build.
In 750BC, I completed gunpowder and got my second SGL. Instead of researching banking in 5-turns, I went straight for Astro and then on to ToG so that I could rush Cope's as soon as the Colossus completed in 610BC in Yekaterinburg and the FP in St. Pete's, boosting research nicely without a GA.
In 710BC, I connected my second lux, and started to grow as cities were now content at size 9. Astro took 7-turns, chemistry 6, pyhsics 5 and then I achieved 4-turn research on ToG in 390BC barely holding my treasury above water with a few tax-men in cities over size 9. I lost 50 shields swichting Sun-Tzu's to Newton's and kicked off my GA with comfortable 4-turn research at 50% on Banking in 290BC about to connect my third native lux and trade for a fourth. I needed these as I lost a couple steps on war happiness with a failed attack on a Byz source of horses and a razed town on their counter-attack.
I reached the IA in 50BC at war with 3 of 7 science civs. Two ai got steam and two got nationalism. I had gifted Sumeria up from the AA and was able to trade for steam power for 36gpt, Republic and Lit. I got nationalism straight up for steam and a bit of gold. I was extremely lucky in getting electricity as my free tech and was able to get replaceable parts in 4-turns at 80% science and positive gpt. At this point, I had 47 towns/cities, 245 citizens, 64 workers, 3 settlers, 1 horseman, 7 longbows, and two MI and more importantly a native source of coal my workers would connect in 3 turns in time for rep parts. I also had 3 native lux and was trading for a 4th with France. Here's a screen of my domestic advisor at the start of the IA with 7-turns of GA left.
Research was industrialization after replaceable parts, not forgetting to keep the science-slider up as the GA ended this time. I also got my last SGL which I used to rush Leonardo's. Corporation was next and it was time to end one of the wars as I connected my 4th native lux in 30BC, my 5th and 6th in 250AD, 7th in 260AD and 8th in 320AD. I signed peace with the Ottos and gifted them up again getting lucky as they got medecine as their free-tech.
There was a bit more war drama as France signed an alliance with the Byz against me temporarily causing riots throughout my empire. I quickly ended those wars leaving both with only 2 towns gaining a few towns for peace. The Ottos couldn't get enough and Dow'ed razing a town just as I got tanks. Another short war left them as a single town and it was then peace for the rest of the game as I was tired of dealing with disruptions. I built Sun-Tzu's during this time while continuing to expand and building up my military and worker forces. The ai provided chivalry, which along with Monarchy were the only techs they managed to get through the IA.
I was able to get atomic theory in 4-turns just after completing motorized transportation. Hoover's Dam was timed for completion on the turn I got electronics and then I completed flight in 580AD. Gifting all 7 ai this time, 3 got fission, two got computers, 1 got rocketry and one got ecology. The Byz were still in the MA when I gifted them and only two civs knew nationalism or chivalry. I was able to trade for fission straight up for nationalism and chivalry along with a few spare resources and then straight tech deals for the other three. ToE completed in Moscow which I knew would come first in the build order and I chose miniaturization and space flight as my free techs. The palace pre-build was switched to the Internet and I also got synthetic fibers as my free tech for the age change. I had uranium already connected and a source of aluminum was in the tundra only 3 tiles from my road network. At this point I had 129 cities/town, 784 citizens, 160 workers, 2 settlers, 40 tanks, and a handful of other units. Here's a screen of Russia just before the MA and a screen of the domestic advisor on the first turn of the MA.
I continued to practice my micromanagement and specialist farm tactics ending with 182 cities/towns, 1319 citizens, 43 workers, 45 modern armor and assorted units making 2107bpt at 30% science and 1094gpt for a 780AD launch. Continued good luck to everyone.
) The other techs can be quite expensive but you can end up with several civs with each of the techs so you are not buying them at monopoly prices. I found this trade easier than the Modern Times one because in my game three of the four MT techs were monopolies. With this level, it is also quite easy to keep a few civs in the AA and use them at a later date.
