First GOTM and first game played above Regent level. I general am in solid control on Regent, but enjoy a building game so I wasn't interested in playing more tooth & nail game.
I developed scouts but had poor luck; I had a few killed early on and didn't explore much past Babylon. In retrospect I should have built some more scouts (since no other expansionist civs) but I didn't think it worthwhile.
China was crowding me, but fenced off so I let them sit while I prepared (I'm into infrastructure and don't like early wars). India nabbed the furs which annoyed me, but not enough for war yet.
I got the GL, and set tech to 0% and went along for the ride (at this point I knew everyone).
Japan: They declared war on me, I bought Babylon in and sat back (distant war). Later I saw that Babylon was getting reamed, so I took a stack of swordsmen north and razed two big Japanese settlements.
Persia was easily the powerhouse, but I was able to get India and France to hound them off and on. They are still easily the strongest, but that's kept them honest. France has been mostly useless, except a counter to Persia ambition.
Way behind in tech for the middle ages and China is still sitting on my flank. I get to chivalry ASAP (via the GL) and build knights. I wipe China out (getting the Pyramids as part of the bargain). China has built a lot of little cities up the coast to Japan, and they come over to look at the northmost city, which is precarious. I trade it to Babylon (they are down to 2 cities at that point and can use the help).
Japan comes down with an army of samurai and longswords (one samurai army, and a bunch of extras). I am able to get most of them out in the open, although I lost some units. It took some effort to kill the samurai army but got it before it could take my city (it took one weak city that I didn't want/need).
I don't have saltpeter (India has several sources) so I start looking that direction. Can't get anything better then knights so it's touch and go. Then Persia attacks me with Calvary, ouch! I saw their units but didn't do anything about it. India sneak attacks Persia that turn and the heat is off me (lost the one city -- no chance to defend regardless).
At this point everyone is at war with everyone, except me and India. I get nationalism and go to mobilization, and crank out riflemen/cats (still don't have mil trad
ready to upgrade and take India. Get ToE and use it for Repl Parts and Electricity (on my way to Hoovers). I had a city building Suffrage but just missed it, so I didn't need to use my leader for ToE. Saved it and built Hoover's in a turn
Rubber is in India's territory as well, no question about the attack. Set my science to 0% for a few turns to upgrade my cats. India was trading me for coal, but I didn't renew the agreement. They attacked me a few turns later. I used the arty and moved my stack of rifles into Delhi and took it easily. Moved a fair amount south to take Bombay, and Delhi (with Shakespeare) switched back! I lose several riflemen (vet/elite) against Bombay's 1HP rifle, figure it must be city size. Bomb it to rubble (size 1) still lose. Argh I don't have the units to handle this. Paris culture flips back on me and I know that I need to take Bombay, Delhi, and one other so the capitol will move far. India is on its heels at this time also at war against Persia. I move 12 artillery and 10 rifle onto a mountain next to Delhi, and 12 artillery and 10 rifle next to the other city (with the furs!!). A turn later and both cities are mine. Well placed railroads let me move most of the force and take Delhi quickly. Rushed temple and I am or should be in the clear.
It's ~1600AD and I am barely in the lead or just behind, but have a tech lead and am ready for the home stretch. I haven't decided whether to use infantry to take India or wait for tanks, but I think I'll wait and give my citizens some peace. Thank god that riflemen don't need saltpeter, or I'd have been screwed. I got spices, fur, rubber, and saltpeter from the indian cities that I took!
I built my second city down next to the three furs, and it has been the production powerhouse that I expected. I have done very well with wonders, although I lost copernicus with 3 turns left :-( :-( :-(
I got Pyramids from China and Shakespeare from India. I built the GL, Sistine, JS Bach, Newtons, and Hoovers myself. Only two GL even after the epic, but I've done ok anyway.
I actually thought about quitting the game at 0AD or so, because "I could win it, but don't know if it's worth the effort". I'm glad that I stayed in, though, because it made things interesting. I was never in big trouble, but there were a few forays into my territory where I needed to scramble. Oh and the time that India snuck back and took Peking (I had left it undefended, and forgot to move units into it after the landing :-( ).
