First time playing one of the forum games on CivFanatics. I'll go Immortal/Normal.
Have It Your Way: The Charlie Horse Chronicles
4000 BC - 1 AD
1-1000 AD
1000 AD - 1230 AD
Have It Your Way: The Charlie Horse Chronicles
4000 BC - 1 AD
Spoiler :
Turn 0 (4000 BC): I laughed upon seeing the starting position. Nothing but sheep and ivory? This will be a treat. I debated on whether to settle two east on the plains hill, but I couldn't justify the move, so I ultimately settled in place. Might as well start researching Animal Husbandry; I need to improve what little food I have. I'm building a worker first, but that's a no-brainer.
Turn 13 (3480 BC): Finished Animal Husbandry. There's horse in my capital? Sweet. I've got enough production around here; if there's an AI close enough, perhaps I'll rush with horse archers. Or war elephants. Trolololol. I'm going for Mining next; I have an unforested hill, and I need to open the way to Bronze Working.
Also, on the same turn, my scout located Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia. He's a reasonable distance away, along the coast, in the middle of grassland forest and jungle. He might be the AI I'm looking to crush, but I'll scout around some more.
Turn 15 (3400 BC): My worker's finished, and I've moved him to the plains/sheep/hill by the river. Next up on my capital's build list: Warriors. Lots of warriors. I need to break the fog of war surrounding my capital.
Turn 20 (3200 BC): Met Sitting Bull via a work boat near Zara. Could be worse.
Turn 21 (3160 BC): Mining's finished. The Wheel's next. The ivory's not by a river, so I'll need to road the tile for +1 Happiness.
Turn 25 (3000 BC): Met Napoleon through his scout west of Zara. I haven't met anyone to my capital's north or east, though. Where am I on this map?
Turn 27 (2920 BC):
Marble? With all of these hills and forests, I have a shot at claiming some of the game's marble wonders.
Turn 29 (2840 BC): The Wheel's finished. Writing's next; I'll need it no matter what I decide to pursue.
Turn 39 (2440 BC): My capital just grew to four, and I decided to build a settler instead of more warriors. Aachen's working all of its resources; that's good enough. The settler will only take five turns.
Turn 42 (2320 BC): Writing's finished. Research is down to 70% courtesy of my warrior spam, but that's okay. Opened borders with Zara, Sitting Bull, and Napoleon; the latter two are each other's worst enemies. I approve of this. My settler will be finished in two turns, but there's no way I can justify settling for the marble right now. I need a valuable city, something which can stand and grow on its own. Consequently, Agriculture is next. There's some dry wheat nearby... which isn't inspiring, but at least it's food.
Turn 47 (2120 BC):
I just settled Prague. I still haven't met anyone to my north or east except for barbarians. Why do I get the sneaking suspicion I'm alone up here? These mountain peaks may be all that's saving me from a deluge of barbarians.
Turn 52 (1920 BC): Agriculture finished. Peculiarly, I'm going Fishing next, as the only good food exists on the coast. I will want Pottery eventually, though, for access to granaries. I'm going to need a lot of help growing these cities.
Turn 55 (1800 BC): Vienna settled at the clam site four south of Aachen. Fishing in three turns.
Turn 58 (1680 BC): Fishing's done. I think I need the granaries. Pottery's next. None of the AIs I've met have Alphabet.
Turn 65 (1400 BC): Nuremberg settled at the clam site between Zara and myself. I needed to claim that site before he did. I shifted Aachen from building workers and settlers to chariots; the wave of barbarian pressure I feared from the east has
arrived, and my warriors can't survive forever.
Turn 67 (1320 BC): Pottery finished. Bronze Working's next. I need to chop down these forests, and still no one has Alphabet.
Turn 71 (1160 BC): The Great Wall finally goes... to Zara. The AI must also be having a hard time on this map for it to go so late.
Turn 84 (775 BC):
Bronze Working's finally finished. A spawnbusting chariot has spotted one source of copper far to my north, but that's it. I have espionage on Zara, and I can see he's two turns away from Writing. I still haven't met anyone else; this seems like a huge continent for only four civs. This looks like a very slow tech game for everyone, but I'm still going Aesthetics next. The AI usually ignores it. Eventually, someone will get Alphabet, and I can make some good trades.
Turn 99 (400 BC):
Aesthetics is done. No one I've met has Alphabet, but Zara picked up Hinduism, which probably means someone else is on this continent. I'm going after Masonry next, followed by settling a city next to the marble. I really want The Great Library.
My chariots have good odds versus archers on flat terrain, but I am continually getting swarmed by barbarian archers from the northeast. For the time being, Prague is permanently on chariot production.
Augsburg's not an amazing city, but it still is a city, and it appears I have this land entirely to myself. If I can hold on until Currency (or find a few gold tiles up here), these money woes will go away.
Turn 101 (375 BC): Napoleon got Alphabet. I traded him Aesthetics for Iron Working and Sailing. There's an iron tile next to Nuremberg; if I hadn't settled this city in Zara's face, back when I thought it only had clams, I may not have had it.
Turn 113 (50 BC):
Just finished grabbing Literature; I also had to snag Polytheism, but that didn't take very long. Four of my cities are each running two scientists, allowing me to supplement my research despite my pitiful economy. Another settler will be out of Aachen in eight turns, finally allowing me to settle the marble site.
I'm getting another great scientist in six turns from Prague. I used my first to create an academy in Aachen; additional ones likely will be settled in my capital due to my low slider, but I may change my mind depending on the situation.
Things have changed diplomatically. Sitting Bull founded Confucianism, and it spread over to Napoleon. Now they're no longer worst enemies. Instead, Napoleon's worst enemy is Zara. Also, courtesy of the Foreign Advisor, I discovered that Zara is the worst enemy of Suryavarman II - I haven't yet met Sury, but I presume he's somewhere on this continent and he's running a different religion.
Truly, I'm looking forward to refusing more requests from Napoleon. He'd probably find a way to kill me if he had open borders with Zara, but the Ethiopians are definitely in the way.
Turn 13 (3480 BC): Finished Animal Husbandry. There's horse in my capital? Sweet. I've got enough production around here; if there's an AI close enough, perhaps I'll rush with horse archers. Or war elephants. Trolololol. I'm going for Mining next; I have an unforested hill, and I need to open the way to Bronze Working.
Also, on the same turn, my scout located Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia. He's a reasonable distance away, along the coast, in the middle of grassland forest and jungle. He might be the AI I'm looking to crush, but I'll scout around some more.
Turn 15 (3400 BC): My worker's finished, and I've moved him to the plains/sheep/hill by the river. Next up on my capital's build list: Warriors. Lots of warriors. I need to break the fog of war surrounding my capital.
Turn 20 (3200 BC): Met Sitting Bull via a work boat near Zara. Could be worse.
Turn 21 (3160 BC): Mining's finished. The Wheel's next. The ivory's not by a river, so I'll need to road the tile for +1 Happiness.
Turn 25 (3000 BC): Met Napoleon through his scout west of Zara. I haven't met anyone to my capital's north or east, though. Where am I on this map?
Turn 27 (2920 BC):

Marble? With all of these hills and forests, I have a shot at claiming some of the game's marble wonders.
Turn 29 (2840 BC): The Wheel's finished. Writing's next; I'll need it no matter what I decide to pursue.
Turn 39 (2440 BC): My capital just grew to four, and I decided to build a settler instead of more warriors. Aachen's working all of its resources; that's good enough. The settler will only take five turns.
Turn 42 (2320 BC): Writing's finished. Research is down to 70% courtesy of my warrior spam, but that's okay. Opened borders with Zara, Sitting Bull, and Napoleon; the latter two are each other's worst enemies. I approve of this. My settler will be finished in two turns, but there's no way I can justify settling for the marble right now. I need a valuable city, something which can stand and grow on its own. Consequently, Agriculture is next. There's some dry wheat nearby... which isn't inspiring, but at least it's food.
Turn 47 (2120 BC):

I just settled Prague. I still haven't met anyone to my north or east except for barbarians. Why do I get the sneaking suspicion I'm alone up here? These mountain peaks may be all that's saving me from a deluge of barbarians.
Turn 52 (1920 BC): Agriculture finished. Peculiarly, I'm going Fishing next, as the only good food exists on the coast. I will want Pottery eventually, though, for access to granaries. I'm going to need a lot of help growing these cities.
Turn 55 (1800 BC): Vienna settled at the clam site four south of Aachen. Fishing in three turns.
Turn 58 (1680 BC): Fishing's done. I think I need the granaries. Pottery's next. None of the AIs I've met have Alphabet.
Turn 65 (1400 BC): Nuremberg settled at the clam site between Zara and myself. I needed to claim that site before he did. I shifted Aachen from building workers and settlers to chariots; the wave of barbarian pressure I feared from the east has
arrived, and my warriors can't survive forever.
Turn 67 (1320 BC): Pottery finished. Bronze Working's next. I need to chop down these forests, and still no one has Alphabet.
Turn 71 (1160 BC): The Great Wall finally goes... to Zara. The AI must also be having a hard time on this map for it to go so late.
Turn 84 (775 BC):

Bronze Working's finally finished. A spawnbusting chariot has spotted one source of copper far to my north, but that's it. I have espionage on Zara, and I can see he's two turns away from Writing. I still haven't met anyone else; this seems like a huge continent for only four civs. This looks like a very slow tech game for everyone, but I'm still going Aesthetics next. The AI usually ignores it. Eventually, someone will get Alphabet, and I can make some good trades.
Turn 99 (400 BC):

Aesthetics is done. No one I've met has Alphabet, but Zara picked up Hinduism, which probably means someone else is on this continent. I'm going after Masonry next, followed by settling a city next to the marble. I really want The Great Library.
My chariots have good odds versus archers on flat terrain, but I am continually getting swarmed by barbarian archers from the northeast. For the time being, Prague is permanently on chariot production.
Augsburg's not an amazing city, but it still is a city, and it appears I have this land entirely to myself. If I can hold on until Currency (or find a few gold tiles up here), these money woes will go away.
Turn 101 (375 BC): Napoleon got Alphabet. I traded him Aesthetics for Iron Working and Sailing. There's an iron tile next to Nuremberg; if I hadn't settled this city in Zara's face, back when I thought it only had clams, I may not have had it.
Turn 113 (50 BC):

Just finished grabbing Literature; I also had to snag Polytheism, but that didn't take very long. Four of my cities are each running two scientists, allowing me to supplement my research despite my pitiful economy. Another settler will be out of Aachen in eight turns, finally allowing me to settle the marble site.
I'm getting another great scientist in six turns from Prague. I used my first to create an academy in Aachen; additional ones likely will be settled in my capital due to my low slider, but I may change my mind depending on the situation.
Things have changed diplomatically. Sitting Bull founded Confucianism, and it spread over to Napoleon. Now they're no longer worst enemies. Instead, Napoleon's worst enemy is Zara. Also, courtesy of the Foreign Advisor, I discovered that Zara is the worst enemy of Suryavarman II - I haven't yet met Sury, but I presume he's somewhere on this continent and he's running a different religion.
Truly, I'm looking forward to refusing more requests from Napoleon. He'd probably find a way to kill me if he had open borders with Zara, but the Ethiopians are definitely in the way.
1-1000 AD
Spoiler :
Turn 127 (300 AD): Finished The Statue of Zeus in Nuremberg. I primarily built it to protect my border against Zara. Speaking of Zara, I just cancelled my open borders with him. He was moving several swordsmen through my territory to capture the barbarian city near Prague. No.
Turn 132 (425 AD): Finished researching Currency and built The Great Library this turn. In order to get Currency so quickly, I had traded Aesthetics to Zara for Meditation, Monotheism, and 100 gold; the deficit research netted me my objective. Music's next to secure the free Great Artist followed by Code of Laws to kick my maintenance troubles in the teeth.
Turn 138 (560 AD): Traded Currency and Meditation to Napoleon for Monarchy and Archery, along with Clams for Dye to improve my happiness. I'm tempted to switch into Hereditary Rule now, but I think I will wait until I get Music. I will probably use the free Great Artist on a Golden Age to jumpstart my economy. Also, I settled my seventh city, Ulm, two turns ago near the copper to the north.
Turn 142 (640 AD): I'm the first to Music! Great Artist on Golden Age, heading for Code of Laws (5 turns), building Sistine Chapel in Aachen (15 turns), and switching to Hereditary Rule and Slavery.
Turn 147 (740 AD): Finally met Sury after he built the Apostolic Palace (and Buddhism had spread to two of my cities). His -4 disposition for trading with his worst enemy (Zara) is nullfied by +2 for voting for him plus an additional +4 from trading Aesthetics to him for Priesthood and 40 gold.
Turn 151 (820 AD):
Finished The Sistine Chapel. For 820 AD on Immortal, my beakers per turn is horrendous, but I'm not far from a tech lead. The religious strife on this map and lack of a strong techer have combined to slow down the entire continent. I'm sure there are other AI somewhere, but I haven't yet met them.
Also note that Sury and Zara are both plotting war. I highly doubt I'm in danger, but I'll prepare some defenses in Nuremberg just in case.
Turn 155 (900 AD): Finished Civil Service. Gave Literature to Sury by request. Traded Civil Service and Literature to Sitting Bull for Feudalism. Researching Paper, probably followed by Education.
Turn 132 (425 AD): Finished researching Currency and built The Great Library this turn. In order to get Currency so quickly, I had traded Aesthetics to Zara for Meditation, Monotheism, and 100 gold; the deficit research netted me my objective. Music's next to secure the free Great Artist followed by Code of Laws to kick my maintenance troubles in the teeth.
Turn 138 (560 AD): Traded Currency and Meditation to Napoleon for Monarchy and Archery, along with Clams for Dye to improve my happiness. I'm tempted to switch into Hereditary Rule now, but I think I will wait until I get Music. I will probably use the free Great Artist on a Golden Age to jumpstart my economy. Also, I settled my seventh city, Ulm, two turns ago near the copper to the north.
Turn 142 (640 AD): I'm the first to Music! Great Artist on Golden Age, heading for Code of Laws (5 turns), building Sistine Chapel in Aachen (15 turns), and switching to Hereditary Rule and Slavery.
Turn 147 (740 AD): Finally met Sury after he built the Apostolic Palace (and Buddhism had spread to two of my cities). His -4 disposition for trading with his worst enemy (Zara) is nullfied by +2 for voting for him plus an additional +4 from trading Aesthetics to him for Priesthood and 40 gold.
Turn 151 (820 AD):

Finished The Sistine Chapel. For 820 AD on Immortal, my beakers per turn is horrendous, but I'm not far from a tech lead. The religious strife on this map and lack of a strong techer have combined to slow down the entire continent. I'm sure there are other AI somewhere, but I haven't yet met them.
Also note that Sury and Zara are both plotting war. I highly doubt I'm in danger, but I'll prepare some defenses in Nuremberg just in case.
Turn 155 (900 AD): Finished Civil Service. Gave Literature to Sury by request. Traded Civil Service and Literature to Sitting Bull for Feudalism. Researching Paper, probably followed by Education.
1000 AD - 1230 AD
Spoiler :
Turn 162 (1020 AD):
Finished Paper. Received Sitting Bull's map for free by request. Turns out he's on his own little continent. Also, I'm grabbing Construction first before Education; the lack of bridges is getting annoying, and I want access to War Elephants just in case.
Turn 163 (1030 AD): Sury declares war on Zara. Zara had been massing troops on my border with him. Looks like I won't be at war after all.
Turn 172 (1120 AD): After taking at least one of Zara's cities, Sury successfully calls an end to the war through the AP.
Turn 183 (1230 AD):
Finished Education. My beaker rate remains terrible, but I'm the only civ I know with Education. I could have been researching quicker, but I've actually been expanding - after I captured a barbarian city last turn, I'm up to ten cities. Honestly, I'm not sure WHY I'm expanding; I think this map is screwing with my head. Certainly, this is the worst I've done on Immortal in a long time, but here I am, continuing to settle cities which are mediocre at best and impair my chances of winning the race to Liberalism.
Diplomacy-wise, I traded Music to both Sury and Sitting Bull for a total of Calendar, Horseback Riding, and 80 gold. The gold will be used to fund deficit research, and I've taken to begging for gold from all of the pleased civilizations. Considering my superior production, if I can obtain a significant tech advantage (Read: Cavalry versus Longbows), I shouldn't have any trouble bruteforcing my way to victory.
Despite my ineptitude, I'm actually pleased with my performance thus far. This map script's definitely a curveball, but the AI has also been impeded by the map specs - I've never before seen The Oracle last until 375 BC on Immortal. So long as I keep my head, I should be victorious.

Finished Paper. Received Sitting Bull's map for free by request. Turns out he's on his own little continent. Also, I'm grabbing Construction first before Education; the lack of bridges is getting annoying, and I want access to War Elephants just in case.
Turn 163 (1030 AD): Sury declares war on Zara. Zara had been massing troops on my border with him. Looks like I won't be at war after all.
Turn 172 (1120 AD): After taking at least one of Zara's cities, Sury successfully calls an end to the war through the AP.
Turn 183 (1230 AD):

Finished Education. My beaker rate remains terrible, but I'm the only civ I know with Education. I could have been researching quicker, but I've actually been expanding - after I captured a barbarian city last turn, I'm up to ten cities. Honestly, I'm not sure WHY I'm expanding; I think this map is screwing with my head. Certainly, this is the worst I've done on Immortal in a long time, but here I am, continuing to settle cities which are mediocre at best and impair my chances of winning the race to Liberalism.
Diplomacy-wise, I traded Music to both Sury and Sitting Bull for a total of Calendar, Horseback Riding, and 80 gold. The gold will be used to fund deficit research, and I've taken to begging for gold from all of the pleased civilizations. Considering my superior production, if I can obtain a significant tech advantage (Read: Cavalry versus Longbows), I shouldn't have any trouble bruteforcing my way to victory.
Despite my ineptitude, I'm actually pleased with my performance thus far. This map script's definitely a curveball, but the AI has also been impeded by the map specs - I've never before seen The Oracle last until 375 BC on Immortal. So long as I keep my head, I should be victorious.