Alright, I've been playing the current game (a genuine attempt to move onto Noble fully and not just screw around with it and give up when I get bored) for a few days, and as far as I can tell I think I've messed up irreparably.
Noble difficulty, Tectonics, Standard map with 7 civs, as Boudica of the Celts. City flipping after conquest and Permanent Alliances are active, no other non-default options are set.
I ended up in a small island start with Pacal for a neighbour. I warrior-rushed him, and set about trying to peacefully expand. I was hoping for a situation similar to one I'd run into recently - a chain of islands all accessible by Galley.
Unfortunately, I got one largish island, a smaller one south of it (with Horses, a couple of seafood, and not much else), an even smaller one north-east of it (with Iron and nothing else) and that was it until Astronomy.
Even worse, all the other AIs got lumped together on another large landmass - about nine turns away by (Nav I promo'd) Galleon. And they'd set up a Hindu bloc.
I've been managing to keep some form of parity by trying to aim for techs the AI aren't likely to get first and trading like crazy, but they're still pulling far ahead of me. I got lucky in getting Tokugawa to Pleased, even if it cost me my diplo with Pericles, and I'm hoping to make him a voluntary vassal.
Being Boudica, I figured war was a good way to try to grab a foothold, but the other continent seems so far away I'm not sure I should risk attacking them directly. Pericles and Ramesses have both settled on some of the islands near me, and I was considering attacking them (particularly Ramesses, who doesn't appear to have Gunpowder yet, while Pericles has Riflemen), but again, I don't want to start waging wars without a clear goal in mind, and I'm not sure how much good I can really do here.
I have a proto-SOD ready to go, and a small fleet of Galleons ready to carry it to whomever I target. However, by this point (1700s) I don't think it'll make a difference anymore.
Thoughts? Advice?
Noble difficulty, Tectonics, Standard map with 7 civs, as Boudica of the Celts. City flipping after conquest and Permanent Alliances are active, no other non-default options are set.
I ended up in a small island start with Pacal for a neighbour. I warrior-rushed him, and set about trying to peacefully expand. I was hoping for a situation similar to one I'd run into recently - a chain of islands all accessible by Galley.
Unfortunately, I got one largish island, a smaller one south of it (with Horses, a couple of seafood, and not much else), an even smaller one north-east of it (with Iron and nothing else) and that was it until Astronomy.
Even worse, all the other AIs got lumped together on another large landmass - about nine turns away by (Nav I promo'd) Galleon. And they'd set up a Hindu bloc.
I've been managing to keep some form of parity by trying to aim for techs the AI aren't likely to get first and trading like crazy, but they're still pulling far ahead of me. I got lucky in getting Tokugawa to Pleased, even if it cost me my diplo with Pericles, and I'm hoping to make him a voluntary vassal.
Being Boudica, I figured war was a good way to try to grab a foothold, but the other continent seems so far away I'm not sure I should risk attacking them directly. Pericles and Ramesses have both settled on some of the islands near me, and I was considering attacking them (particularly Ramesses, who doesn't appear to have Gunpowder yet, while Pericles has Riflemen), but again, I don't want to start waging wars without a clear goal in mind, and I'm not sure how much good I can really do here.
I have a proto-SOD ready to go, and a small fleet of Galleons ready to carry it to whomever I target. However, by this point (1700s) I don't think it'll make a difference anymore.
Thoughts? Advice?