GOTM 30 Final Spoiler III: Modern Age / End Game Submitted

[ainwood]

This is the final spoiler for GOTM 30: Spain

Well, you have made it throught the middle ages to industrialise your nation. Did this provide you with the resources to impose your will on the rest of the world? If so, then how did you go about achieving this?

To qualify for this spoiler, you must have either finished and submitted your game, or at least have reached the start of the modern age. Feel free to post screenshots, but as always, please don't post any that would show modern-age resources (Uranium, Aluminium etc), nor mention where these resources were found.

 

[scoutsout]

Well, somehow I managed to squeak out a space race win. I never got oil, and my navy at endgame was an awe-inspiring combination of Galleons, Ironclads, and Nuclear Submarines...

I posted something similar to this in the other spoiler thread. We can call this "Scout's Ouch, Take 2":

And here's another screencap that looks remarkably similar to one I posted in the other spoiler. This is what the "diplomatic" situation looked like while I was on my way to the launchpad. (Abe was unable to attend this party...)

 

[zagnut]

OPEN PTW 1.27

I finished in 1550 with a Diplomatic win. Maps such as this give one a certain freedom because the AI is so bad at amphibious warfare. I therefore only built up my military from Knights to Cavalry. There were only two wars in the entire game and they were of my chosing. I took out the Vikings and the English. None of the other civs declared war on each other.

I delayed a victory by my lone Conquistador until I was about half way through the Middle Ages and the resulting Golden Age propelled me into the Industrial Age. From that point on my strategy was to get to the UN as quickly as possible. I gifted the other civs all of their techs during the Industrial Age. I only traded with the other civs for 3 techs during the IA.

In my game, the Han, Persia and America were the 3 civs that could research any worthwhile techs. The others were all too backward. Even when I gifted them all the techs they needed to catch up, they soon fell behind again.

I had no cultural flips, even though for the first time in a long time, I was ahead in culture. Only one Great Leader, who I used for a Palace build in London.

I would imagine that the highest scoring games in this GOTM will come from the early domination victories. In retrospect I wish I had started on the war path earlier. By the time I woke up to that fact, it would have taken me longer to conquer the world than to love it to death.

Very enjoyable game, ainwood. Thanks.

 

[ainwood]

Originally posted by zagnut
OPEN PTW 1.27

I finished in 1550 with a Diplomatic win. Maps such as this give one a certain freedom because the AI is so bad at amphibious warfare.

This was actually the reason why I was very tempted to make it a deity game! That and the slow tech pace.

 

[smackster]

open PTW 1.27f

IA post

I'm now in 1100AD, in a GA, fighting Celtic spearmen with Cavalry, and I get another defensive leader, second in this game. As I had big pre-builds going for the TOE I decided to hold the leader for that, and hold the pre-build for Hoovers dam.

I'd researched both Steam Power and Industrialisation first, to get the boost that they provide.

The celts were gone by 1170AD, and I continued the tech charge to Electronics. I was now getting huge GPT from the AI for techs, and I gifted a number of techs to try to get them to do something, but it was a forlorn effort.

About 1300AD, I researched replaceable parts and realised that I had no rubber. Even this was no problem, as Toku had one spare and I noticed that our old friends the English had one, with their two cities. So a Galleon was sent out to secure that rubber.

Only when I tried to build my first tank did I realise that I had no oil. The Han had one not far off the east coast of the main Island, so another force was sent out to secure that.

I had not quite got into MA when the AI started building the TOE. I should have been ready to wipe it out, but was not, so had to rush mine and take two IA techs, I had wanted to take MA techs.

Now in the Modern ages, I was getting a little bored and decided to take the remaining oil that Scandinavia had. That war took longer than I thought, even with tanks, the war weariness slowed down the tech rate. Maybe I only lost about 4-5 turns, but still it was very uneccesary, even if somebody decided to attack they would not get far as the AI is useless at amphibious war.

I nearly launched another war, with Persia as they developed SETI just before I. I even sent the tanks down there, and got a ROP so they could get in position. But in the end I realised it would not be very clever to do that. I decided to read what the SETI actually did. Hay I don't play into the modern age these days.

Still it was a long slog through the MA techs and seemed to take forever without help.

By the time the space ship was built, I don't think the AI had even got one part.

Space Race win 1752, 4024 Firaxis points

 

[Offa]

This game was all a bit of a bad experience for me. Despite being at war almost all the time I only got 2 leaders and one of these was about 2 turns from the end when he couldn't help much (made an army). The other chap built Smiths, but really should have built a new palace.
I therefore only ever had the original island with worthwhile production.

Not realizing at the start I was trapped on an island I started down the polytheism research branch and I didn't start out researching map maping straight away which was clearly optimal. failed to make early contact with anyone else, first meeting the Vikings in about 500bc and the English just after. Next, I failed to build both the Great Lighthouse and later on Magellans. This was really bad on this map. It did make me very keen to secure the lighthouse in sgotm1 though, perhaps too keen.

After all this I eventually limped to a domination win in 1490ad. At least I beat Colombus to America by 2 years.

 

[grs]

Civ III - Conquest

Ancient Age
Middle Age

I qoute myself from my middle ages post

Now at
1240 AD

I have about 40 rounds left till I can build the UN. Madrid will be producing around 55 shields then, so I can hit it with a prebuild in the same round. Shortly before that, I will switch to Democracy – as all others are in – and give away some techs. If all runs well Lincoln will stand no chance in this vote.

That was assuming all would go well…

1265 AD

I switched to Democracy; all civs were polite, but Elisabeth and Brennus who were gracious even.

1400 AD

I have miscalculated a bit – the UN will be finished in 1505 AD. Still I am happy about winning diplomatically that soon.

Lincoln lands a single (!) archer on a lone and totally worthless island without any luxury or strategic ressource. Elisabeth and I share this island, he lands on my territory and we have ROP. I start thinking ... he will be contesting me for the UN general secretary … I may get him into a serious war now, so no one will vote for him ... and do something horrible stupid without any need to … I sign MPP with all but Elisabeth and him, expecting him to attack her. They are all gracious now. The disaster starts slowly …

1405 AD

Lincoln declares war on the Britisch. Liz sings alliance with Persia and they declare.

1410 AD

Tokugawa signs alliance with Lincoln and declares on Liz. I have allies on both sides now and begin to think …?

1425 AD

Lincoln invades Persia and we have to declare on him. Not good, but not too bad either, isn’t it???

1430 AD

Hell breaks lose.

Tokugawa declares on Persia.
Vikings and Tokugawa sign MA vs. Persia.
Vikings declare on Persia.
Vikings enter Persia.
I have to declare on Vikings.
Lincoln enters our terrirory.
Keltoi declare on America.
Han declares on America.
Tokugawa declares on America.

1435 AD

I still have 5 gracious, 2 war.

Vikings enter our territory.
Keltoi declare in Vikings.
Han declares on Vikings.
Tokugawa declares on Vikings.

1440 AD

Keltoi and Tokugawa sign MA vs. England and declare.

1450 AD – 1495 AD

Persia attacks Tokugawa and we have to declare.
Keltoi and Han declare on Persia.
England declares on Kelts and we have to declare again.
Han declares on England.

I really raped myself, I ran into the MPP trap I have read so often about catching the AI in, but this time it is me. I have no pic from the diplomatic advisor at this time, but you can be sure it was colorful.

In all the wars I did nothing, I broke no treaty and attacked no one. I had some attacks on my cities, but my infantry did a good job.

1500 AD

The MPPs run out, I cancel all and make peace with all but Liz who does not talk to me. I give away techs and gold to all.

1505 AD

The UN is built and it’s

Ferdinand 4
Wu Ti 1
Abstains 3


Yes, I really deserved it!

1560 AD

There are still some minor wars going on – especially with the vikings in them. The second UN vote is held and it’s

Ferdinand 6
Brennus 2

I finish with 3883 Firaxis, should be 6385 Jason, could be about 6600 in 1505 AD

Half an hour later I am very satisfied with my game, being my first GOTM and my best game overall for sure.

Thanks for the nice game ainwood!

Below is the world at the end of my game. Tobago is my rubber ressource btw; I had to rush a harbor and temple there.

 

[a space oddity]

1.27 - Open

That certainly is a good game and a good date too, grs. I'd try Open class next game if I were you.

I relied on the AI to research for me far too long, the early conquest did pay of score-wise though (4153 firaxis). Here's the timeline of the IA:

1330AD - We complete Smiths' and we finally enter our Golden Age.
1365AD - The Celts are history and so are the English, we will enter a period of peace, so we revolt to Democracy. We researched Steam, and we have 1 source of coal.
1425AD - Persia lands forces on a small island and declare war when I ask them to leave. We attack and get the first leader!
This allows the ToE and Hoover, the last built on the former English Island.

1565AD - Radio comes in.
1605AD - Combustion, sell it around, start Flight and hope the AI will take the other route.
1630AD - They did Electronics. We're about 17 turns away from Fission.
1670AD - We reach the modern age, Fission due in six turns
1690AD - Gift away tech and other stuff, Fission in 2, there was an off chance that Persia will get it as their free tech, they didn't.
1715AD - UN due next turn, MPP with everybody. America is very likely the other candidate (didn't use mapstat to verify).
1720AD - Victory! Only Toku and Abe voted for America, all the gifting worked in the end.

I made sure to sign the MPPs only when I was pretty sure I would win the vote. It can easily backfire, as grs has noticed...

In hindsight I should have built the libraries earlier, I had hoped by feeding the AI, who had some pretty decent land, they would actually be able to research *some* IA before we would, Isabella was very very rich to be able to buy everything she wanted. Turned out I overestimated the AI...

All in all, a very enjoyable game, thx Ainwood!

 

[Auk]

Open civ 1.29f

Going for 20 K cultural victory.

After a leaderless AA and MA, I got my first one soon after finishing the last of the MA wonders. Great.
Without anything much to do with it I rushed a FP in London, and got 2 more soon after - first was used for an army so I could build the heroic epic and the last to rush build a wonder. I had a pretty crummy game military wise, largely because I wasn't really concentrating on score.

Culture Wise, I built in Madrid

Palace 3950 BC 784 total culture
Temple 3500 BC 1528
Oracle 1500 BC 2572
Great Library 430 BC 3174
Library 310 BC 1533
Hanging Gardens 390 AD 1544
Collosseum 490 AD 712
Cathedral 430 AD 1122
Sistine Chapel 810 AD 1452
Copernicus' Observatory 1070 AD 728
Unviersity 1090 AD 720
JS Bach's Cathedral 1265 AD 966
Newton's University 1345 AD 870
Shakespeare's Theatre 1435 AD 1016
Theory of Evolution 1575 AD 297
Battlefield Medicine 1670 AD 80
Heroic Epic 1690 304(hmmm. seems odd timing there...might have noted that wrong)
Wall Street 1725 138
Seti Project 1782 144
UN 1792 172 (GL rushed)
Research Lab 1796 82
Longevity 1834 66
Apollo Project 1858 20
Pentagon 1872 3

Ah well.
I won in 1878 with score of 3030. Probably my last GOTM as I start work next week. thanks guys!

 

[dojoboy]

Open 1.29f

This was a very enjoyable game. The fact that Spain had no oil or uranium (a deposit did pop up later) added a bit of drama to the game-play for me. The victory goal was space, which was decided upon in the last spoiler.

1555 AD - 1700 AD

* Traded Physics to England for Economics, then traded Magnetism, Theory of Gravity, & 25 gold to England for Democracy & Monarchy (1560 AD); WTH, Spain plans to knock them out soon, very soon.
* DOW England (1565 AD) which triggers England's MPP w/ Persia; captured Brighton (England); capture Dover in 1570 AD, England destroyed.
* Sign peace deal w/ Persia (1605 AD), gaining 101g & 1gpt.
Researched Medicine in 1615 AD; trade Medicine, Steam Power, wm, & 275g to Han Dynasty for Nationalism; trade iron to Han for 4gpt

[Tokugawa builds Universal Suffrage in 1620 AD, which was when no one had Scientific Methd so there was no cascade to the ToE. Everyone's (except me) US build became wasted shields.]

* Purchased Electricity (1640 AD) from the Vikings for wm & 475g; trade Electricity to Keltoi for Sanitation, Navigation, wm, & 18 g; trade Sanitation & Electricity to Han for Commuism, Free Artistry, & 3g; IBT -> fringe city (Detroit) flips back to America.

[Spain is 7 turns from Scientific Method]

* In 1675 AD, Spain reaches Scientific Method first, switch palace prebuild to ToE (3 turns to build); trade Scientific Method to America for Industrialization, wm, 62gpt, & 280g; trade it to Tokugawa for Corporation & 15g; trade it to Persia for Espionage, 5gpt, & 80g; trade it to Vikings for dyes.
* London builds the ToE (1690 AD), set to Hoover Dam; researching Replaceable Parts.

1700 AD - 1800 AD

* Once Spain feels confident of aviding wars, a switch is made to Democracy (1750 AD).

* Trade Atomic Theory to America for wm, 85gpt, & 60g; trade it to Persia for 32gpt & 70g; trade it to Tokugawa for 630g; trade it to Vikings for dyes, 2gpt, & 18g.
* London builds Hoover Dam (1780 AD).
* Reach Combustion (1790 AD) and notice the only oil depost atm is within Owase's (Tokugawa) radius; begin considering offensive v. Tokugawa, weighing potential alliances.
* Trade Combustion to America for 204gpt, wm, & 160g; trade it to Persia for 62gpt & 640g.

1800 AD - 1900 AD

* Spain enters Modern era w/ the discovery of Radio in 1838 AD.
* Trade Radio to America (1840 AD) for268gpt, wm, & 140g; trade it to Tokugawa for 55gpt & 90g.
* Reject America's extortion attempt of Mass Production in 1844 AD, no consequences.
* Reach Fission (1854 AD) and switch palace prebuild in London to the UN (7 turns).
* 1868 AD - build UN in London (no elections ever held).
* 1870 AD - build Wall Street (finally) in Barcelona.
* Switch palace prebuild in London to the Apollo Program (2 turns); trade Fission to America for Amphibious Warfare, wm, 308gpt, & 170g; trade it to Tokugawa for 135gpt, & 710g.

[need uranium for ship component]

* London builds Apollo Program (1884 AD); trade techs around for remainder of this time period, gaining gpt deals and uranium.

1900 AD - 1963 AD

[Tokugawa builds Manhattan Project; Spain begins nuke build-up]

* Trade Satellites to America (1920 AD) for 444gpt, wm, Advanced Flight, & 340g; trade it to Tokugawa for247gpt & 480g.
* Trade Nuclear Power to America (1955 AD) for wm, 353gpt, & 670g; trade it to Tokugawa for 169gpt.
* Spain launches spaceship in 1963 AD:

Firaxis score = 2619

Assessment:

Loved going through w/ out a single tank, nothing but cavalry, artillery, & bombers to protect the "Empire." It kept me on edge somewhat, but knowing an effective AI invasion would never come. The nukes now could've made a real mess. But, I stayed peaceful when needed for uninterrupted research. Not having uranium was a concern, but once I got it in trade, I quickly built the spaceship part (?) that required it. America, as you can tell, was my sugar-daddy. Love that Abe! Edit: One more thing, I forgot to mention that I never triggered my GA. Thanks ainwood and staff. Enjoyed!

 

[Offa]

Originally posted by Auk
Open civ 1.29f

Probably my last GOTM as I start work next week. thanks guys!

Can you not work and play Civ?

 

[trajam]

Open class - PTW 1.27f

This was an enjoyable GOTM for me. It seems that most people probably did okay if they figured out early enough that they were on an island and researched Map Making ASAP.

I had expanded okay early, but then settled in too much to a status quo state, before deciding I would try to conquer the world. I did take out England in the early middle ages, and then decided I would take out America, who although strong, was behind in technology. I took out several American cities, but was not able to do much on their main island (I need to work on my Island penetration techniques). However, they were weakened to the point that they were later destroyed by the Tokugawa.

I successfully researched Scientific Method and built the TOE, putting me way ahead in technology. However, I also saw that the Celtics were going to attack me, and I was already at war with the Vikings. In a bold political move, I signed three MPP's with the Tokugawa, Han and Persia. Unfortunately, I failed to pay attention to the fact that Persia was also at war with the Han and Tokugawa, so I ended up at war with the Tokugawa, Vikings & the Han.

Then, the Celts also attacked as expected. To further make matters worse, I would repeatedly make peace with the Han and Tokugawa before my MPP with Persia ended, switched to Democracy, and end up back at war the next turn.

My diplomatic blunders plus the lack of Oil pretty much caused me to abandon any hope for a Conquest or Domination victory. I probably wasn't looking too good for a Diplomatic Victory, so I went after the Spaceship. The Spaceship victory was easy, and no one else was even close to me. I also eventually got the oil back, as I had a well placed Caravel when the Celts attacked me again, and took the oil base

Overall, this was a fun game. Thanks to Ainwood and staff for developing it.

 

[samildanach]

Predator 1.27f PTW

I finished with a space race win in 1792 and a Jason score of about 4000. I can't say I envy the colonists I've sent on their way to Alpha Centauri - I've got a Beagle II feeling about it, just as well you don't have to get there to win as in civ 2.
I had to, in the end, go for a space win as at some point in the IA I attempted perhaps the most incompetent ROP rape in civ history.
I was still stewing over the celts sneak attack at the start of the middle ages and had sworn vengeance against the painted savages. So I ROP raped them only to have all four of the cities I took from them flip back.
I would like to say I did something right in this game, apart from of course winning, but I didn't. I only wish this had been a succession game so I could blame my team mates

 

[Hergrom]

PTW 1.21f Open


Well, I have finished the game, and I was right not to expect great results.

I skipped the middle ages post, 'cause not much noteworthy happened.

I achieved my GA by completing the wonder you get from Theology (can't seem to remember name...) Used this to rocket to military tradition AND build many knights. Can't remeber the date of my GA, but somewhere in the 600 to 900 AD range.

Only used knights to dismantle England, after that the rest of the game was cavalry. After having seen the whole map, I decided it was domination. Conquest would just take longer than I really wanted. The onlt civ I did not fight was Persia. They were my great trading and warfare partners!

One thing that hurt me was that I only got 1 Great Leader, and he was in the late middle ages, or very early industrial. Too late to make a difference. He built FP on the Scandanavian island.

Anyway, I slogged through continent after island after continent.

Domination achieved in 1550AD with 4500 Firaxis points and a modest Jason score of 6800.

In retrospect, had I gotten an early leader to build a FP in England, I probably could have chopped off 200 to 300 years. Chance is best left to chance.

Great game GOTM Staff! Thanks!

Hergrom

 

[UCB_ari]

Thanks, ainwood! Really fun game and a brand new CIV experience for me in that a) I won by space race [1856 AD], which I'd never done before, and b) never fired a single shot in anger (against another player, anyway... I had a large army of Marines which I sent to exterminate 30+ stacks of island barbarians, just to gain experience for a future war that never happened).

Also ended up with HUGE financial surplusses, as I used the "Mr. Wizard" strategy that I sometimes employ in a more-or-less peaceful game: be the first one to a particular tech advance and sell it to everyone for insane sums of money. (While I'm usually loathe to sell tech, it occurs to me that if I don't sell, say, Espionage to the Americans for 178/turn, then someone else will). This kept me making an average of 800 gold / turn with taxes at 0 and luxuries at 1, buying improvements for any city that wanted it, like a doting aristocrat with spoiled children.

Also, I had enough lying around to steal tech a couple times, which I'd also never done (stole advanced flight and ecology, I think....)

I got jacked on wonders several times as well (usually by the persians), the worst being when I was one turn away from the UN, which would have certainly led to a diplo victory -- the world was at war with itself except neutral, unassuming Spain -- but Persia swooped in, built it, and smartly never held an election.

I also had a secondary strategy of building up huge amounts of culture in my border cities to force flips, but honestly that only worked once or twice.

 

[dojoboy]

Originally posted by UCB_ari
Thanks, ainwood! Really fun game and a brand new CIV experience for me in that a) I won by space race [1856 AD], which I'd never done before, ......

Also ended up with HUGE financial surplusses, as I used the "Mr. Wizard" strategy that I sometimes employ in a more-or-less peaceful game: be the first one to a particular tech advance and sell it to everyone for insane sums of money. (While I'm usually loathe to sell tech, it occurs to me that if I don't sell, say, Espionage to the Americans for 178/turn, then someone else will). This kept me making an average of 800 gold / turn with taxes at 0 and luxuries at 1, buying improvements for any city that wanted it, like a doting aristocrat with spoiled children.

UCB_ari, your game sounds very similar to mine. Although I've won the space race before, it was my first GOTM victory by space race. And, I too became the tech broker. America was my sugar-daddy. I also agree w/ you about selling technology; they're going to get it from someone so why shouldn't I benefit from the windfall of gold. Of course, in some games it may be necessary to deny the AI critical techs.

 

[Qpdaj]

Well, unlike everyone else posting here, I lost this one, my first GOTM!

I had a difficult time from the beginning, as I usually play on continents; the corruption from having my cities so spread out was a bit overwhelming for me.

I built a grand total of one wonder the whole game (ToE), and was never more than one tech ahead of the AI's. I also never managed to trigger a GA, nor did I get any leaders (I only went to war once, against the Vikings to get oil).

Anyway, in 1776, someone else built the UN, and, as usual for me, I lost the vote (4 to 3). At least someone voted for me!

Er, sure, a learning experience, yeah.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Civ 1.29 Open

Originally posted by Qpdaj
Well, unlike everyone else posting here, I lost this one, my first GOTM!

Don't feel too bad - I lost this one as well!

Mind you, the way I've squeaked victories in the past, it was bound to happen...

Here's where I went wrong - after conquering the Viking continent (all but one Han city) I completely lost the plot... I failed utterly to turn it into a productive second core!

In addition, I was aiming to do a Great Library slingshot - not research Education, and gain a load of techs for free by capturing the Great Library (in Entremont in my game).

I actually achieved this in 1800AD - next turn the Persians finished the United Nations and my Gracious and Polite allies voted against me! So I was wrong about Gracious and Polite guaranteeing you votes - perhaps it depends on the player building the UN, rather than an AI civ?

Anyway, my gameplan was pants. I should have jumped the palace, or used my one and only Great Leader to get a fresh Palace smack in the heart of the Viking continent. I was also hindered by having a saltpetre resource on a city.

I just don't like disbanding or destroying cities. I must be more ruthless in future.

I failed. Utterly. But I learned that the Great Library slingshot is NOT a guaranteed way to win... I've always thought of it as an act of desperation, and now I KNOW it is.

Thanks to Ainwood and the team for my first GOTM in 6 months - it's changed, but it's still a great game to enjoy.

See you next month!

 

[bigchief]

PTW 1.27f Open

I didn't post in the MA spoiler, as it was a peaceful time of growth, and not much of note happened.

Entering the Industrial period, I was pulling away from the AI civs in score. I had my workers in stacks ready to railroad just before I finished Steam Power. I finished Steam Power, and found I had no coal. England had a coal source on a small island SW of our mainland. I got my forces ready, and headed that way. I had been peacefully building, and didn't have a huge military, so I signed a couple of MPP. I attacked the English coal city, and took it. I was hoping for a short war, but it was not to be. It ended up in a full blown world war. Not much happened early in the war. The AI could not mount any serious amphibious attack, and I was in no position to fill boat loads of military units, so there were a few naval battles, and the occasional land skirmish.

I researched refining - no oil. I found oil on a small spot with 3 tiles on the coast between 2 Celtic cities, and went and settled it. This lead to a few small land battles with the Celts. I went for flight before mass production, which is not my usual method, but I figured bombers would do me alot better than tanks. I built bomber after bomber, eventually ending up with between 35 - 40, and hit every boat, land unit, and tile improvement within reach of one of my cities. All of the enemy civs had huge areas that were as clean as when the map was first generated.

As I researched fission, I began to make peace with my enemies, and for a brief moment it looked like a UN win might be possible. Brennus would be my rival, and he didn't have many friends, I figured the worse that could happen was a no decision, but it was not to be. All hell broke loose again when I was about 4 turns from completing the UN. Built the UN in 1798, but space race would have to be the way to win. I had no Uranium, so I had to go and take an American city to get it. I researched Rocketry. Yay, I have aluminum. About 10 turns later - This source of aluminum has been exausted. Loaded up the boats again, and went and took a Viking city with aluminum and dyes.

I was finally able to launch in 1922.

By using bombers almost exclusively, I was able to stay in democracy the entire war time. I rarely lost a unit and almost never had other civ's units in my territory, or my units in their's.

This was a fun but frustrating game. I don't normally play archiaplago maps, and the lack of rivers for commerce, lack of resources, and constant war made for a challenge.

This is what it looked like for almost the entire time between the early industrial ages and 1922 when I launched:

 

[CKS]

Open, PTW 1.27f

Throughout the IA and MA I stayed ahead in techs and sold them for gpt and resources. I managed to build ToE, which helped. I got most of the science wonders, but only the Han seemed to be researching anything, so I probably could have done it without the wonders.

I had no rubber, no oil, and no uranium, but I did at least have aluminum. I traded for rubber, but couldn't trade for oil or uranium because nobody had extras. I noticed a rubber source near open land, so I settled a city there and proceded to steal it from the Tokugawa by building culture and expanding my borders. When uranium showed up, it was conveniently nearby, and my borders finally expaned enough to get them both. Oil was only one square away from my borders on another continent, but I never pushed back the borders enough to get it from the Han. I could have put a city right next to it and maybe taken it that way, but I didn't. Since I didn't need oil for the spaceship, I decided I'd let it go unless somebody attacked me and I needed tanks. I did move some marines into position to take the Han city just in case.

Towards the end the Han and I were researching different paths, and I traded to get nuclear power and the laser. I was a little worried that they would start building a space ship, but they didn't. They started researching advanced flight instead, and they were still missing some required techs when I launched in 1854. The AI doesn't seem too interested in winning quickly by space ship - this month and last month they've messed around doing other stuff at the end, and I don't know why.

This was my first GOTM win and my first win on monarch, so thanks to all of you who've posted. I've learned a lot from you. Thanks, ainwood, for a lovely game that was easy enough for me to win. (I expect I'll go back to losses for a while now.)