pre-turn: I sign open borders with Louis because you don't get a rep hit for doing that even if they're enemies with another AI. I think it's only on resource deals that that happens. I don't think even techs do it, but I'm not positive. We want Louis to spread his hinduism our way. Man 30 more turns to research theology. We are going to want to capture that barb town as soon as we can build some swordsman too, before the AI takes it. Which 3 cities are going to be our culture cities? I'm thinking Berlin, Munich and Cologne. Hamburg is going to have food problems so it probably won't be able to work all of its hills. I take a warrior out of hamburg and send him north to bust up some fog and reduce the chance of barbs spawning up there. Take one out of Berlin to do the same. Turn science up to 80%, 22g, -2gpt, theology in 22 turns. Ok that's not as bad.
(1) 675BC - An Egyptian Buddhist missionary appears SW of Cologne. It looks like she's taking him to China or something, though.

Confuscianism is founded in a faraway land.
(2) 650BC - Berlin library->settler. Oracle built in faraway land. Caesar converts to Confuscianism. Munich grew. Put worker on forest, still 2 food surplus, pyramids in 6 turns. The Germans founded another city grabbing the copper to our NE. The AI's are closing around us already.
(3) 625BC - A forest has grown near Munich.
(4) 600BC - Not much.
(5) 575BC - China sends an archer and a warrior into the barb town borders with 3 archers in it.

Way to throw away units Mao. Another Buddhist missionary heading towards China/Persia. What the hell Hatty, send them up our way.
(6) 550BC - Nothing much.
(7) 525BC - Caesar calls up and wants Polytheism for Meditation. It's not a bad deal. Comparable techs but we don't really need meditation until we have a religion. Then again, theology is due in 10 turns and it's not like caesar wouldn't learn polytheism in like 2 turns anyway. I do it.
(8) 500BC - Pyramids complete.

Hmm, I want some swordsman to take barb town, but do we need a barracks first? Surely the free city raider promotion would help, probably even save a swordsman. But at the same time we could get nearly two swords out in the time it takes to build a barracks and then we can get back to building culture. On the other hand we could always turn research down and upgrade a couple warriors, but that's rather expensive. We'd need to turn research down for a long time. Oh wait, warriors only upgrade to axemen, not swords. Ok swordsman it is.
(9) 475BC - WTH? Christianity has been founded in a far away land. Looks like it's China. Man, I can't believe the AI beelined for that. I decide to continue on theology anyway. We can at least get some trade value out of finishing it. The AI's already have the other techs we can work on anyway. Settler built in Berlin -> settler. I'm sending the settler up to the NW to get the whale and the game I guess and the horse after a couple expansions. If the next leader thinks there's a better spot then feel free to change his course. We still have that coastal city to build SW of berlin as well but no hurry on that. There's also land jutting out of the fog south of us that can be settled if we build a galley, but then we need a coastal city for that. The barb town would work once we capture it. Mao is still sending warriors at the thing...I thought the AIs were smarter now?
(10) 450BC - Hatty wants iron for fish. Uhm, no thanks. Note, you don't get a rep hit if they offer a trade and you reject, only if they want a gift. Well we're out of cash, research down to 70%, theology in 8. This tech pace is rough. I'm sure it will get better when our cities are built up, though.
end turn - You can probably take barb town with 3 swords. You could risk it with that (bring an archer as well in case he's needed to clean up a low hp defender) or bring 4 swords to be safe. Swords will lose to archers sometimes. At least it's not a hill town. You'll want it to be size 2 before you take it so it's not destroyed, but I imagine it will be size 2 very shortly. Cologne is a slow starter; it needs a lot of irrigation and mines. Irrigate all around it because it's going to need the food to work the 6 hills and 2 plains forests tiles. Oh I just realized I didn't pick a new government. We're going to want representation I think.