It's Sid plus plus becuase the AIs are exploiting the gpt bug like crazy! !!! By the time I met them and before I was able to make my first deal, IIRC, the Incan and the Indian already got over 20000 gold piling up in their treasury. Even Japan and America (the poorest among them) had more gold than me.
Anyway, a recap on my starting position:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/ms_sid4000bc.jpg
To save time and shield, I popped most of the nearby hut by settlers. And here is my little world at 2190 BC with 1 granary in full operation and two more were about to come online shortly:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/ms_sid2190bc.jpg
Peacefully expand in my little corner around 650 BC and beyond:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/ms_sid650bc.jpg
Anyway, a recap on my starting position:http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/ms_sid4000bc.jpg
To save time and shield, I popped most of the nearby hut by settlers. And here is my little world at 2190 BC with 1 granary in full operation and two more were about to come online shortly:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/ms_sid2190bc.jpg
Peacefully expand in my little corner around 650 BC and beyond:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/ms_sid650bc.jpg
Methinks me will be waiting for a patch...
). The problem is that when the party is over, they don't want to leave my land and usually leave me with an option of "leave" or "declare war". In most case, I turned all my citizens into tax collector to pump up my income to the max then buy as many techs from them as possible (sometimes I asked them for a big loan), then ask them to leave, they declared, and I don't have to pay them back anything.
Sorry, it's an exploit but what else could I do.
I will let Aeson and you guys to decide whether to allow or disallow. Since the AIs were trading like crazy among themselves (and with the gpt bug), I don't stand much of a chance if I don't exploit them back. Anyway, here is the snapshot of the weathiest civ on the planet: