How do you handle this type of start?

One thing to consider is that if you look carefully to the left of the SW Bonus Grassland and SW of the hill, you can glimpse a coast...
My first move would be to send the worker on the SW BG and see if it's really a coast (salt water), a lake (fresh water) or some wicked tundra. At this point the mini map can help us figure out for the tundra too. It should be a desert tile NE of the north plain too.

If it's fresh water i would plot the city right away.
If it's salty..ack, either i would move on the grassland W to plot a coast city or i would move SE to avoid having a (useless) sea tile in a non copastal city.

Actually it looks like a challenging start but not a desperate one. So bad you did not keep the save.

 

Ok here's my attempt at this:

First thing I did was move to the hill and settled Istanbul. First Warrior moved south. The second stayed on duty at home to make a content citizen since the population was about to increase. Third went north. Forth went Northwest. Fifth went Southwest. I next built a settler that met with the northern warrior to build Edrine.

I continued to improve the tiles and micromanage. I built graneries in both cities. Northwest warrior came back to Istanbul to provide happiness.

Built settlers with both cities. First settler out of Istanbul settled Bursa. Bursa started working on warrior. For the next thousand or so years I just produced warriors and settlers and occassionally a spearman. I settled in this order: Iznik and Uskudar almost simultaneously.

Here is a pic at 1425 BC (3 turns later than 1500 sorry):



Izmit and Aydin were founded in the following 5 turns. I made sure to have atleast a warrior on guard in every city, 2 as soon as was needed, and eventually up to 3 at Istanbul (a few spearman mixed in). I also produced some workers in the southern towns.

Konya and Antalya were settled by 1000BC and I had 6 turns left for philosophy. I was leader in tech at this point. My 2 Sothern explorers had found the Aztec, Maya, American, and Inca and I stayed ahead by looking at every turn to see if new techs were available.

1000 BC:



I continued on since I was only a few turns from hitting the Republic slingshot:

By 800BC Sinop has been founded and we have just discovered Philosophy -> Republic. Americans have just discovered Monarchy but won't trade it (they don't have Philosophy, Code of Laws, or Republic but don't want them). Incas don't have Philosophy or Republic. Aztecs now have Construction but won't trade it (they lack Philosophy and Republic). The Maya lack Philosophy and Republic as well. So far the tech situation is going wonderfully. I will let the AI research Construction and Curency and then trade them. I have 12 turns to Literature.

As of right now the Ottomans have:
10 towns - 21 population
2 graneries
1 temple
4 spearmen
12 warriors
9 workers
Iron
Embacies with Aztecs and Incas + Right of Passage with both.

I will hold off on switching to Republic I think for 12 turns (Literature). By then I will have completed perhaps 5 temples. I will trade techs and hopefully enter the MA still at peace.

As of date 850 BC the Ottoman Empire looks like so:



Tech Tree:



I took the most time I have ever taken on this introduction. I carefully micromanaged every detail every turn. I usually don't do that but you can see what a big difference it makes.

 

I took my shoot at the challenge.

I played until 900BC before I realized that I played too much, so the 1000BC autosave was the only save and screeny that I got, sorry.

I played my start as a true builder, claiming as much territory as possible, aiming for an early FP in Bursa.

My game was altered by two major game events. 1) the Aztecs and Incans fought an early war in my game, allowing me to expand further than most players. and 2) I missed Philosophy by 1 turn. I guess it made up for the good luck.

Highlight:

After moving the worker southwest, I moved the settler west before settling. This being a continent game, coastal is not nearly as important.

I then decided to try an extremely early granary, so after just 1 scouting warrior, I started Istanbul on a barrack pre-build for the granary. The research choice was pottery on max, of course.

I finished the granary on turn 18 (3100BC) with the help of a forrest chop. I think my granary was finished before Istanbul reached size 3.

After the Granary, I build 2 more exploring warriors before starting the settler. My initial warrior had gone westward, treking more or less along the northern coast. The 2nd and 3rd warrior went south and east respectively.

My 2nd city was Edrine which I founded on turn 30 (2550BC). It started a granary immdiately. Which with the help of 2 forrest chops, finished on turn 46 (1910BC).

For the rest of the game, I ran Istanbul as a warrior+warrior+settler 10 turn factory (not much of a factory, is it?) and Edrine as a warrior+settler 6 turn factory.

I found out on turn 49 (1790BC) that my two closest neighbors are fighting. I decided right then this is going to be a builder's start. I'm going to settle towards the AI first, then fill back.

Turn 69 (1275BC) was a major turning point in my game. Maya threatened for my entire treasury, which was only 3 gold at the time . In most situations, I would have given in, but for that turn I was running -1gpt, if I had given in, then I would have to lose one building/unit. That was unacceptable. So war was declared. During the same turn. The Incans researched Philosophy, beating me by one turn .

1500BC (turn 60)
4 cities
4 workers
2 settlers
about to found Uskdar in 1 turn and Izmit (the Dye city) in 7 turns.

1000 (turn 80)
9 cities
10 workers
1 settler
about to found a new city in 5 turns.

Here's my empire at 1000BC


and the save

 

Wow good game! I still have lots to learn it seems. =)

 

Wow! I had to leave the comp for a whole week, and it looks like some of you have played pretty good.

 

I think I could have gone with some better city placing... something between mine and SJ Franks would be ideal. An early war between Inca / Aztec would have been too good to be true. Also if I had done 2 forest chops on my 2 graneries I could have gotten a bit better lay out.

 

That Inca/Aztec war was also a curse. It give the Incans a golden age, and lost me the Philosophy gambit. So instead of being the tech leader like you are in your game, I'm 3 techs down to the leaders and at least 60 turns from Republic.

I think as long as the player settled the Iron in the initial expansion, they should have no problem taken those other territory via , should they chose to go that way.

 

Oh wow that was a curse.
I just noticed that I wasted the eastern whale on my city placement also. =(
Lots of things learned from this game though!

 

Okay, guys, note my sig. If someone wants to take charge as the ringleader of this thread and put up new start saves, please do so.