How do you deal with an isolated start on emperor?

[vale]

First off, I'm probably not well equipped person to deal with such a start. I am not a builder at heart and much prefer to war agressively early throughout the game. But, I gave the last one the old college try and got handled pretty bad. My continent was relatively large considering I didn't have to share at first, but there were no early happy resources at all.

 

[Cam_H]

Vale,

I reload the game with a new map if I have found myself with an isolated start at this level (it's happened twice with a Fractal map setting). I know that sounds weak, but I'm not a very confident Emperor-level player yet!

The two typical options when isolated are going for Cultural or bee-lining the Ocean technologies of Optics and Astronomy, and trying to catch up tech-wise and later stage an invasion.

Happiness can be dealt with by the whip and Hereditary Rule if you're down on luxury resources and haven't sprung a few religions.

 

[lilnev]

HR and chear garrison troops (try to avoid Hunting or don't hook up Copper).
Cottages, cottages, cottages.
Democracy for Emancipation, perhaps by way of Liberalism.

I prefer to let the other folks figure out Optics, and trade for it when they arrive. See for example:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=208028
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=214076

peace,
lilnev