Finally, I had some time to play out a gotm again. I went for a diplo victory, because I didn't feel up to making a domination or conquest victory on a map type like this. Thus, diplo victory in 1460AD, score 80k. I hope it's fast enough for an award, but I've had such hopes before 
Noteworthy is that I was quite lucky with tech pops from the goody huts. Too lucky to my feeling, remembering correctly I got literature, music and astronomy that way but also quite a few annoying maps.
Early game:
Settled 1W as most. Started with fishing and build a workboat asap. After that I went for the techs necessary for a CS slingshot. Took a detour through bronzeworking for chopping on stonehenge. Then discovering after the first chop, it isn't as effective anymore as before (needing maths as such).
Because I delayed my worker a bit and mined the gold relatively late (in hindsight a worker first would have been better), I decided to use my great prophet for "code of laws" 1 turn before the oracle finished. CS slingshot in 1260BC. As soon as I got Alphabet (1080BC), I traded all possible techs with washington and after that declared war and stole a few workers. Furthermore I build about 4-5 cities and 2 galleys to circumnavigate the globe.
Mid game:
Diplomatic
Using the 2 galleys I met everyone pretty quickly. I had to declare war on Isabelle to get through her territory. Being the religious fanatic as she is (being budhist and me being hindu), I had no hope of winning her to my cause anyway.
Being the nice guy (except to washington and Isabelle) I gave away my resources I didn't need (when health and happy caps weren't reached). Also I traded any free resource from the opponents with one of my own even if I didn't have them in spare. Just for the diplo bonusses.
Only Cyrus converted to my cause (hindu). Victoria having the lead in population, my goal was set. Convert Cathy and Toku to hindu and go for an easy diplo victory.
Conquest
Of course, I took out Washington. I needed the space for my cities. I already had my mind on their capital for my GP farm. That taking way too much time and washington having quite a few towns on the floodplains, I abandoned that idea and decided to use my own capital (national epic) for that purpose (rather late). Not ideal and rather chancy, I couldn't find a better solution. My capital having all the great wonders churned out great people reasonably well and using some specialists I could affect chances within limits. Finally I took Washington out in around 1000AD.
Techs and Wonders
Beelining for Education to get the Oxford University for faster tech. Took a detour though nationalism and the Tai Mahal for a golden age to get the universities out faster. Needless to say that at some point I build the Great Library for more science and great scientists. At some point I traded for Engineering, just to build the Hagia Sophia for a better chance at a great engineer (for the UN). However, the max chance being about 15-20% you eventually can get one. Not feeling too confident about this, I decided to build the Chichen Itza to get the +1 priest production bonus. Oops.... Of course, I meant the Ankor Wat... Dumb me... Unfortunately, I couldn't torch the stupid wonder and missed out on Ankor Wat.
End game:
Techs
Beelined to Mass Media and delayed on liberalism to get the most expensive tech on route (Radio). Used the remainder of my great scientists on the way for techs. Eventually I was lucky enough to spawn a great engineer just in time.
Conquest
Toku appeared to be annoying as well. He took the iron location an my home continent after I wiped out an american city there and being just 2 turns to slow there myself (wanted a better spot for the city). Also I took his home island rather easily. Archers are really no match for super-improved maceman. Also I used this war for cathy to join me for the mutual military struggle bonus.
Diplomatic
A few turns before I got to Mass Media, I noticed suddenly that technology backwards Cyrus had the 2nd biggest population (16%). He being friendly to me, I really had needed his votes for the diplo victory. Myself being 40% and cathy being around 8%, that was necessary to get 60% of the votes. Now I was having a big dilemma... Victoria having 15% of the population, I wasn't to o sure who would have the 2nd population...
Meanwhile I put all my non-necessary cities on food and made a bee-line to biology, just in case. I hadn't been too bad against Victoria (cautious), I made her declare War on Cyrus and Toku for the small fee of Nationalism, Education and Printing Press. Also I had a galleon on the way full of hindu's. Initially I wanted to convert cathy, but she was running theocracy, so I couldn't convert... So I converted Victoria gave her all my free resources and also horses which I wasn't using.
Meanwhile Cathy had stopped fighting Toku and I needed just a bit more to keep her friendly (had -4heathen religion, but +4civics). So I declared war on isabelle and had cathy join me. Had to make peace with toku to keep war weariness in limits.
I had hoped that Victoria would conquer a city from Cyrus making her the biggest again. The AI, though, completely incompetent at warfare over sea, did no such thing (even far more advanced and having knights). Cyrus was still friendly even if I brought in a war ally. I kept both supplying Cathy and Victoria with all my techs to get the +1technologysharing. In the end Victoria asked me to join the war against Cyrus. I decided to take it, since cyrus was still a bit bigger. At the final vote Cathy was friendly and Victoria was pleased, though she still voted for me. I'm not too sure what the conditions are for the voting, but it appeared to be enough.
Noteworthy is that I was quite lucky with tech pops from the goody huts. Too lucky to my feeling, remembering correctly I got literature, music and astronomy that way but also quite a few annoying maps.
Early game:
Settled 1W as most. Started with fishing and build a workboat asap. After that I went for the techs necessary for a CS slingshot. Took a detour through bronzeworking for chopping on stonehenge. Then discovering after the first chop, it isn't as effective anymore as before (needing maths as such).
Because I delayed my worker a bit and mined the gold relatively late (in hindsight a worker first would have been better), I decided to use my great prophet for "code of laws" 1 turn before the oracle finished. CS slingshot in 1260BC. As soon as I got Alphabet (1080BC), I traded all possible techs with washington and after that declared war and stole a few workers. Furthermore I build about 4-5 cities and 2 galleys to circumnavigate the globe.
Mid game:
Diplomatic
Using the 2 galleys I met everyone pretty quickly. I had to declare war on Isabelle to get through her territory. Being the religious fanatic as she is (being budhist and me being hindu), I had no hope of winning her to my cause anyway.
Being the nice guy (except to washington and Isabelle) I gave away my resources I didn't need (when health and happy caps weren't reached). Also I traded any free resource from the opponents with one of my own even if I didn't have them in spare. Just for the diplo bonusses.
Only Cyrus converted to my cause (hindu). Victoria having the lead in population, my goal was set. Convert Cathy and Toku to hindu and go for an easy diplo victory.
Conquest
Of course, I took out Washington. I needed the space for my cities. I already had my mind on their capital for my GP farm. That taking way too much time and washington having quite a few towns on the floodplains, I abandoned that idea and decided to use my own capital (national epic) for that purpose (rather late). Not ideal and rather chancy, I couldn't find a better solution. My capital having all the great wonders churned out great people reasonably well and using some specialists I could affect chances within limits. Finally I took Washington out in around 1000AD.
Techs and Wonders
Beelining for Education to get the Oxford University for faster tech. Took a detour though nationalism and the Tai Mahal for a golden age to get the universities out faster. Needless to say that at some point I build the Great Library for more science and great scientists. At some point I traded for Engineering, just to build the Hagia Sophia for a better chance at a great engineer (for the UN). However, the max chance being about 15-20% you eventually can get one. Not feeling too confident about this, I decided to build the Chichen Itza to get the +1 priest production bonus. Oops.... Of course, I meant the Ankor Wat... Dumb me... Unfortunately, I couldn't torch the stupid wonder and missed out on Ankor Wat.
End game:
Techs
Beelined to Mass Media and delayed on liberalism to get the most expensive tech on route (Radio). Used the remainder of my great scientists on the way for techs. Eventually I was lucky enough to spawn a great engineer just in time.
Conquest
Toku appeared to be annoying as well. He took the iron location an my home continent after I wiped out an american city there and being just 2 turns to slow there myself (wanted a better spot for the city). Also I took his home island rather easily. Archers are really no match for super-improved maceman
. Also I used this war for cathy to join me for the mutual military struggle bonus.Diplomatic
A few turns before I got to Mass Media, I noticed suddenly that technology backwards Cyrus had the 2nd biggest population (16%). He being friendly to me, I really had needed his votes for the diplo victory. Myself being 40% and cathy being around 8%, that was necessary to get 60% of the votes. Now I was having a big dilemma... Victoria having 15% of the population, I wasn't to o sure who would have the 2nd population...
Meanwhile I put all my non-necessary cities on food and made a bee-line to biology, just in case. I hadn't been too bad against Victoria (cautious), I made her declare War on Cyrus and Toku for the small fee of Nationalism, Education and Printing Press. Also I had a galleon on the way full of hindu's. Initially I wanted to convert cathy, but she was running theocracy, so I couldn't convert... So I converted Victoria gave her all my free resources and also horses which I wasn't using.
Meanwhile Cathy had stopped fighting Toku and I needed just a bit more to keep her friendly (had -4heathen religion, but +4civics). So I declared war on isabelle and had cathy join me. Had to make peace with toku to keep war weariness in limits.
I had hoped that Victoria would conquer a city from Cyrus making her the biggest again. The AI, though, completely incompetent at warfare over sea, did no such thing (even far more advanced and having knights). Cyrus was still friendly even if I brought in a war ally. I kept both supplying Cathy and Victoria with all my techs to get the +1technologysharing. In the end Victoria asked me to join the war against Cyrus. I decided to take it, since cyrus was still a bit bigger. At the final vote Cathy was friendly and Victoria was pleased, though she still voted for me. I'm not too sure what the conditions are for the voting, but it appeared to be enough.
)
