I'm giving this one a try, to see how my game compares with the Civ2 legends. If anyone reads this and has any interest in this game, I can post a more detailed log or even some saves. A dedicated noobie can study my game almost step-by-step if they want. Before I started, I saw the GOTM results (I know... I know.... but I wanted a GOTM with several strong players and I had to look).
GOLD: Starlifter 3042 points in 1570 = 506 GOTM
SILVER: [Chofrtiz IIRC] 740 points in 280AD = 470 GOTM
BRONZE: Smash approx 1000 points in approx 700AD = approx 430 GOTM
Game Summary: It seems van rehoming was allowed in this game, so I decided to allow myself that too. I'm not sure of all the 2002 rules (can anyone summarize the main differences ?). Also, I'm not sure what the old guys aimed for, but I assume they wanted a high GOTM score and a Gold medal, so that's how I played it.
2100BC: Monarchy adv (govt in 2050), 4 cities
1500BC: 12 cities
1250BC: HG
1000BC: 17 cities, war with Zulus, 1st mini-flotillas are out
750BC: MPE, 21 cities
725BC: 1st van pays 200g
650BC: Colossus - I've been playing my usual fast-growth game so far, and still could have played for Early Conquest, but I wanted a big GOTM score, and for that you need trade and repu/demo govt, etc. So, I'm building a modest STC and not sure where to put it. I chose a plains tile (28,36), near a gold tile. This is not an ideal site for the long term, since it is surrounded mostly by mountains, but it serves pretty well until 500AD, and IMO that's what counts. By now, I have 25 cities, and am pretty sure I've grown faster than the veteran players from 2002. I doubt I can play democracy as well as Starlifter, for example, but IMO that won't matter much.
575BC: I've planned my game around Hides and a ship chain to Little Big Horn, but the demand for Hides dries up there, so I have to shift my boats to Spain. About the time I do that, the demand dries there too! I think my overall luck was average in this game, except for these dismal events, which puts it a bit below average.
375BC: Spanish sneak attack and raze a city and a boat. Hides demand is totally gone from this world.
300BC: Pyramids (for growth, for economy + score)
100BC: LH This WoW is not 100% necessary on this map, but I think it pays for itself quickly, and it gives my boats some protection.
75BC: Zulus (eg Zimabawe) down. Not much good for trade anyway.
1AD: Celts down (ditto, plus I wanted the land). A Persian flotilla also takes Athens this turn, but the Greeks had moved their capitol to Rheims. Hides demand returns at Sparta and Cedar Creek. Neither is ideal for trade (not coastal/etc), but I can build a road from CC to the coast, and plant a Persian port there. This works out nicely and CC demands Hides for a long time.
1AD Stats: 56 cities, 5 WoWs, have 22S 15cru, 16tri, 5v, 20misc and have lost about 20 units (slightly unlucky in combat).
20AD: Spain goes down. Maybe I should've left a city or two for trade [in case demand changed again], but I was a bit mad at the Spaniards. A 2nd food van goes into my STC and it's size 6 now (repeat in 100ad, to size 7).
260AD: Mike's
300AD: Switch to Republic. I think the timing was about right; I now have plenty of size 3 cities (and the STC) to benefit from the cele-growth. Most port cities support one boat and not much else. I have about 40 vans and 30 triremes. Am earning/spending about 1000g per turn. My Civ2 score is approx 500; well behind Chofritz's, but I have just started my Republic-growth.
340AD: Invention (sinks trade bonuses for while)
400AD: Leo's (mainly for my boats and settlers, not for my tiny army)
440AD: Adam Smith - I haven't built many temples/libraries, etc, but have many harbors.
500AD: RR->Indus, I have over 100 cities, 42 adv, the STC is size 16. My bonuses are down to approx 250g per van, but I have LOTs of rehomed vans, and they'll be freights soon.
520AD: Darwin, indus->magn->corp->feud.
580AD: Magellan's [my triremes have been upgraded to transports, but they still can't keep up with the huge flow of vans in and out of the STC land mass]. Greeks go down.
I have about 20,000g at the end of each turn, and can RB at will. Now I can see why van rehoming was eventually forbidden - it really makes the game too easy at this stage. If I had a decent STC, my bonuses would be even bigger, probably by about 50%.
600AD: JSB. (and probably WS next turn ... maybe with a switch to Democracy). I'm prepping a batch of size 3 cities for a spurt of growth.
That's where I am now. I'm still in the early Republic phase, and have recently passed Starlifter in GOTM score. My Civ2 score is approx 1200 and should rise 5% to 10% per turn for at least 10 turns if I play it out. The two remaining AI are healthy, but far behind in science, and my cities are encroaching on their homelands.
My conclusions? Some Civ2 players in 2002 were really great, and added a lot of ideas to the game. But the Civ2 community [including myself, but mainly others] has made some discoveries and revised some judgements since then, so a strong 2008 player should normally be able to get the better results. For example, modern players will take more risks, and leave cities undefended, trying to maximize growth or production. IMO Starlifter wasted some early resources on KRC/etc and didn't squeeze all he could have from the early game (though I'm sure his handling of democracy later on was magnificient).
On the other hand, this is just one game, so maybe it doesn't mean much. Sometimes I take too many risks, and just crash and burn.
Is it too late to submit my game ?