Here's the next update:
Within time, I met the Babylonians (east), Sumerians (far north-east), Byzantines (north), Ottomans (far north)
Here is the breakdown of power and islands:
1) Sumerians
on island with
4) Russians
3) Byzantines
on island with
5) Ottomans
2) Babylonians
on island with
?) <green border, germans, unmet, northeast>
I am on my own island in the south. Babylon looks like they will get a few colonies on the east part of the island, but I should be able to claim most of the remaining land. I have pretty much secured the north and west from Russian and Byzantine landings. Just a few more turns to ensure this.
So I continued expansion. I built a few more barracks and granaries, trying to establish some sort of temporary military force and also encourage city growth a bit.
I built five main worker groups:
Group one would concentrate on getting mines to where they are needed.
Group two would concentrate on getting irrigation covering the west.
Group three would concentrate on getting irrigation and roads covering the northern plains.
Group four would concentrate on getting irrigation covering the east.
Group five would concentrate on getting roads into the east and northeast, so as to speed up settler movement
These groups are almost done with their appointed tasks. I have begun sending more workers to the east to make sure the roads are done faster.
But alas! The AI with their super fast research were already becoming Republics and Monarchies and nearing the medieval age. The Byzantines on the dawn of the new era!
I had to do something.
I started with setting up the Bank of Maya. There's no way I was going to let these AI risk doing something stupid like upgrading units or buying an alliance! So I started making various deals to AIs as they had lump sums for my GPT. I started with Babylon, 33 GPT for their 584 gold.
Then, I found some odd deals to make. As it turns out, the Ottomans would give me a bit of gold and Ceremonial Burial for Pottery. Amazing, their border touched with Byzantine, who definitely had Pottery (I traded it to them earlier, Pottery for The Wheel and a bit of gold). Seems Byzantine did not want anything the Ottomans had for Pottery! I repeated this for some gold in a similar fashion on the Sumeria/Russia island.
I found I had a source of horses.
Next I finished up in 550 BC my 50 turn Writing gambit. I was a bit worried, but I managed to find that the Russians had no writing. The dawn of trading was upon the Maya...
1) Writing and 330 gold to Russia for Bronze Working, Warrior Code, and Mysticism.
2) Writing to Ottomans for Mathematics and 4 gold.
3) Mathematics and 4 GPT to Russia for Horseback Riding and 321 gold.
4) Horseback Riding to Byzantines for Code of Laws and 14 gold.
5) Horseback Riding and Code of Laws to Ottomans for Polytheism and Iron Working (1 iron in my territory).
6) 1543 gold to Sumeria for Construction
7) As I suspected, Babylon was willing to pay out big for Construction. I traded Construction to Babylon for 477 gold, 83 gold per turn, Map Making, and Philosophy. Wow!
I was still 'backwards', down Currency from Byzantine, Monarchy from multiple civs, and Republic from Babylon.
I then conducted my banking with Sumeria: I gave that 83 GPT from Babylon for the majority of my Construction money back: 1494 gold.
I figured, if I were able to get Republic from Babylon, I could manage to get Currency and all my money back. This was not possible, I could not afford to risk spending 2600 gold on Currency without being certain of being able to get Republic. Since Sumeria used up that GPT I gave them instantly, they did not have any money to give me for Currency. If I could sell Currency at third to Sumeria for the GPT, then Currency + gold + gpt to Babylon for Republic, I could then sell around Republic to get all my gold back and maybe more. Oh well, I'll get Republic and Currency soon enough, perhaps within a few turns. I'm keeping my eyes open for more big time deals
I started the whole sequence with 'Alphabet', 'Ceremonial Burial', 'Writing', and 'The Wheel', as well as about 2500 gold. I finished with all ancient techs but 'Monarchy', 'The Republic', and 'Currency', and had near 3200 gold

Thanks AI!
I have no screenshots yet of all this trading because I haven't uploaded. Hopefully I'll be able to provide screenshots of my curragh routes and trades soon.
But I can show you my empire, circa 530 BC!
Main Maya Empire:
East Maya Empire:
The only two downsides to all of this:
My forbidden palace has gone rather slowly because I haven't given it enough attention. My workers have been so busy with other projects that they really haven't gotten around to that city
Second, I have more plains open for the Byzantine's 'taking' in the north. By 400 BC, the coast should be blocked off by cities. I have 2 settlers already heading to the north, with 3 more soon to come, and another 3 to fill in space that will be chopped from corrupt cities. Hopefully Byzantine does not get a grab on my island. One civilization (Babylon) is already bad enough

.
But I like this position. It's the best I've ever had on Sid level.
My score and cities comparison (though at this point, I'm just making sure I win in the first place

):
Me, 530 BC: 1416 score, 44 cities
Moonsinger 88k, 530 BC: 1448 score, 35 cities
Moonsinger 81k, 530 BC: 1608 score, 48 cities
Kuningas 81k, 530 BC: 1349 score, 32 cities
Pleb 64k, 530 BC: 1336 score, 31 cities
So I'm hanging in there, I suppose.
I hope with harbors coming in soon, I will be able to keep on this track by trading for luxuries from foreign lands (not enough happiness is where I've tended to lose points on so far)
As for what happens after expansion here is done... only think of this:
-Elear