I've just submitted a game. I was elected in
950AD.
I wanted to play a game with a civ that started with Alphabet. For a change I chose Korea. All other scientifics except for Greece and Byzantine were in, along with China and America on a 60% water pangea map.
It started pretty quietly. I researched at full pelt on writing. I think it still took me about 45 turns but those fivr turns saved meant that I got the republic slingshot. I traded with my neighbours to try and keep them happy and submitted to a demand or two. By the time I had researched Currency to get into the Middle Ages, I had a full set of contacts. Only one civ got Feudalism and it cost an arm and a leg to get...
Imagine my disappointment when I got Chivalry as my freebie.
Although the large map adds a bit to the research costs, at least the AI can contribute at this level. I played a peaceful game, hoping that well timed trades and research choices would make up for a smallish empire. However my neigbours were not going to be quite so peaceful. Maybe my position in holding the landbridge between the two halves of the landmass was a contributing factor.
First up were the Sumerians. I had a good relationship with them so I could not issue a 'leave or declare' to them. I just had to wait for them to attack.
My meagre forces went to defend the bridge and I allied the world against them. The Ottomans were quite happy to accept the alliance but it was clear that their heart was not really in it. They chose to backstab me again, and for the second time I had to wait for them to attack first.
If my luck was not in by getting attacked from either side at the same time, things did go my way when defending against the Ottomans...
The trouble was that I was getting close to entering the next age and I was now at war with two of the scientific civs. Not good for getting a second tier tech.
I entered the new age with alliances still in place. My friends only got Steam and Nationalism. I then got Ironclads so both of my freebies had been optionals; FAN-TAST-IC!
I avoided research of medicine just in case my enemies got it when we reached peace but no such luck. This was really not helping me research asap.
The next civ to declare on me was Persia. They landed a small force in my core but at least for once I could issue them a 'leave or declare'. They were giving me over 200gpt at the time which explains the declaration.
By now I had taken a source of saltpetre from the Ottomans and so I had some Hwach'a to kick off my Golden Age. A bit later on my good friends the Americans, with whom I had been trading for centuries, declared on me as well.
I was aware that my empire was too small fo a 1000 shield palace prebuild and I wasn't keen on upsetting too many civs by taking more territory, especially as I wasn't sure who my rival would be at this stage. I was happy to see an SGL turn up for Scientific Method giving me an easy way of getting the UN built.
There was still time for the Chinese to join the list of civs to attack me. With 15% of the population, they were going to be my rivals for the vote though so it was quite nice. It was simply a case of signing alliances and heading for Mass Production and Mororised Transport whilst waiting for the AI to get Flight. Trouble was that all these wars were restricting their ability to research and so in the end I had to get Flight as well. If they had done so, I could have gained the number 1 slot for this catagory. Alternatively a bit more luck with my freebies would have been enough. Still, it gives a marker for the rest of you guys to aim for.