Help me win this immortal game

[Lidjis]

I usually play emperor but decided to try my hand at immortal today.
Game settings: Pangea, normal, immortal, Huayna Capac
The game has gone well so far, I wiped out nappy, then moved on to take a chunk out of the number two AI, brennus. I currently have the most land area, although my population is falling behind. However, i am struggling to keep up in tech right now. The remaining enemy civs consist of Mansa, Asoka, Cathy, and Sally, with brennus trailing behind.

Mansa is of course teching like mad. He and I got education on the same turn, but then he researched banking and then liberalism before i could research liberalism, even though i was going at 100 percent.
Cathy has been trading with mansa, her buddhist buddy. She has the most territory of course with that imperialistic creative combo.
Asoka just swapped into free religion, and he and mansa are also trading.
Saladin got shut out of the tech loop, he is lagging behind on techs and although he has alot of territory, most of it is subpar.
Brennus has only the northern part of his empire left, most of it is relatively poor land, he is the only one who i am ahead of in power.

I would post a screenshot, but i don't know how. I am a better civ player early game then late, but i don't want to lose my first shot at immortal so i came to you guys.
Here's the save:

 

[Giaur]

Very impressive game.

This time is very dangerous to stay back in tech a little. When you see F9 screen, take a look on the last line (in Demographics). Your rivals are taking twice as you benefit from trade. Maybe you should exchange P.Press for Economics. If it demands some gold, you can always spend one turn on researching Economics. Then you will have to pay only for the rest of that advance. Perhaps adopt Free Market and Beaurocracy next. It will be more lucrative than Free Speech while your cottages have not becaome towns yet. Mansa and Cathy will go possibly for Corporation next. In that time you should advance Replacable Parts and exchange for Corporation. Also when there is one civ which highly stays behind in tech (Brennus in your game), it makes usually that many civs don't want to trade with you, so prepare for destroying him completely. You adopted Universal Suffrage ... it's a good move, but you have to count yourself how many towns you have. Your capital has too many resources. It does not need so many. Maybe you should shut down some transactions with other civs. Especially do not export health resources or resources that produce 2 happy faces like gold, silver, gems and Corn, Wheat and Rice. And the last strategy is to turn one civ against the another. Put on table some tech and demand war for that. Mansa is always willing to trade, so you can make him a victim.

BTW. There is an open game running currently on this forum. It's an immortal space race game. It's for fun and for conclusions. Maybe you would like to join us.

 

[Lidjis]

Thanks, that is some good advice. I'm not to familiar with the various information screens, that tip about the demographics screen was very helpful. I have the bad habit of not regularly checking my trades with the AI, i will definitely cancel some of those resource trades with the AI that I don't need. As you pointed out, i have plenty of resources right now, no sense in giving the AI the extra edge. Thanks again.

 

[lilnev]

I haven't looked at the save, but my generic advice for someone with the most land is to cover it in cottages, get to Democracy for Emancipation, and play for the space race. See aelf's current game. It helps that your neighbors are generally stable (but do keep an eye on Cathy, she's not afraid of a late-game war).

peace,
lilnev

 

[slaze]

Edit: I don't know how to take that unhappy face off, it doesn't mean anything, excellent game

Looked at the save.

Grow your cities higher. Cuzco, at pop 14 could easily be 19, and then it would produce the University faster. The same could be said for most of the others.

As they grow they can (at least for the ones you want) develope their degree of specialization. It's too bad the Herioc Epic was built in Paris. With its dye, gems and even its sugar on a river as finacial, it should have been a commercial city. With a river running through it and grassland it has potential for production, but who knows. If you want an example of an excellent, specialized, modern city look at Walata in Sistuitl's latest Mansa game.

If you cottage everything like lilnev said you'll be fine. work the farms to grow and cottage over. you have plenty of good land for the long run.

As far as civics, you seem a little too eager to use those "town" civics. you have what, two towns and not too many villiages. There's a good handful of villages up in Camundulum but no multipliers.

I'd probably keep the peace and coast, but Bibracte's -4 unhappiness due to "we yearn to join our motherland" may become a problem. Brennus probably has to go. But that will piss of cathy, so watch out.