I'm starting to win on Emperor pretty regularly so I thought I'd post this. I've played standard maps and won but I find small maps more enjoyable since the game can be finished faster.
1. Civ Choice
I usually choose a Financial civ that starts with mining so I can research BW immediately to chop and find copper. This means I play with Catherine, Victoria or Mansa Musa. My favorite is Victoria since the expansive trait is so nice in high level play. Industrious is weak since only a couple wonders are necessary and you only need to build one or two. GW is great in the latter parts of the game but since he lacks mining and mysticism, that's at least one extra tech you need right off the bat to chop and expand borders. Catherine has mining and doesn't need mysticism so that's quite a starting advantage.
2. Starting Position
