Just lost an OCC culture try on King (Small, Pangaea, random civs), because Greece was sitting on 35k

and has built the UN.
Anyway here are some tips.
- don't be a hero, tick "legendary start" in resource distribution
- Wonders do not need ukpeep money; play as Rammeses for starters
- select your opponents by aggression level (no Greece, for example)
- if start not on 2-3 rivers, start over
- Military and war isn't your biggest enemy until
Artillery and
Flight; you can easily outsmart the enemy with an inferior force.
- Happiness is never a problem if you take Tradition. No matter how large you grow, you'll always be happiness positive with 2 happiness resources. You won't even need colliseums.
- Suggested policies are: Tradition, Freedom and Rationalism. The other two at your leisure, but either Patronage, Honor or Order.
- Build All the National wonders ASAP. You'll need all these bonuses. The Heroic Epic can wait, but you should build it too.
- Prioritize Wonders.
- If you are planning to buy off city-states, do so early before AIs get interest in them; you can't defend them so pissing of an AI is not an option.
- You need at least one aluminum for the Hydro Plant and one coal for the Factory. Both can be gained by a single happiness resource trade.
Tech advancement tips:
- Beeline to Writing, then finish Trapping before completing the Great Library; finish TGL and slinghost to Medieval with Civil Service.
- Slingshot to Acoustics via Education and Chivalry.
- Slingshot to Industrial via either Archeology (preferred) or Scientific Theory.
Essential wonders:
- National College
- National Epic
- Iron Works
- National Treasury
- Hermitage
- Stonehenge
- Oracle
- The Great Library
- Sistine Chapel
- The Louvre (22

per turn with Hermitage and 2 landmarks built).
- Syndey Opera house (if needed)