Random Deity Troublemaking, inherited turn 1250AD
Little pointer: don't keep artillery units in flip-risk cities, especially when railed...they don't help with reducing flip-risk and will be lost if the city does flip...keep them safe in the core.
Examine our empire. We're in for an uphill struggle and it looks like a peaceful victory is our only chance. We must keep Russia sweet in particular, they could wipe us out at a moment's notice if they felt so inclined. Change military builds to infra, especially commerce-producng buildings...we need cash, more cash, and cash on top of that. NIx research, we can't wait 45 turns for atomic theory. Fiddle with mm, wake up the workers, our tiles are far from optimized.
Could I iterate the point Microbe made earlier? Please keep an eye on per-turn deals. Right now we have a Sumeria lux deal that can be renegotiated and is massively in their favour as it stands...how long has this been the case? I hope we have not been missing out on the benefits of renegotiating for too long. As it is, the difference from renegotiation is MASSIVE. The deal was dyes + ivory for furs + spices. It is now dyes + ivory for furs, spices, wines, 1073g + 16gpt. Sheesh.
What is worse is that our rep is almost certainly about to be trashed. Byzantium is down to 2 cities yet we are supplying them horses for 10 more turns. I don't know the circumstances in which that deal was made, but I did warn specifically about the dangers of trading resources to a dying civ earlier in the game...was our need for this deal so desperate? The only means I can see of saving our rep is trying a tech steal from Byzantium and hoping for war. In fact after the deal with Sumeria I can do this now. But since Byzantium has some decent tech I go for a careful steal rather than immediate (2092g) - it succeeds, and we have refining, but no oil. Boo.
I demand espionage from Byzantium...they refuse. Oh well, worth a try
Early: make a deal with Portugal to keep them in the tech picture...they are our best hope of 2fers. We give a number of tech and pick up saltpeter, communism, democracy and a bit of gold.
Byzantium and Mongols make peace in 1260. Byzantium is reduced to 1 city in 1270.
Sell dyes to Russia for 875g.
Middle: I have a real dilemma regarding the Byzantines. We have 6 turns on the horses deal...can they possibly survive that long? I doubt it. They have no tech worth stealing, and I am concerned that even if we were to be caught they would not declare war, and I do not wish to waste precious gold for that scenario. i decide to gamble and hold...if Byzantium comes up with a decent tech I will go for a steal, but I'll keep an eye on Caesarea for any tell tale signs of collapse.
In 1280AD I cannot bear the strain and decide to spend gold to examine Caesarea (187g) - it is defended by only 2 guerillas and 3 rifles (1 conscript, 2 elite) - they are all uninjured, which would suggest that there is no immediate attacker, but the elite rifles would contrarily suggest that there was ongoing fighting. Great help

I decide to delay again.
Russia demands and receives 100g.
Late: OMFG IS THAT HOW FAR BEHIND WE ARE???!!!
Russia goes modern and starts the UN

Sumeria is also modern. We are 7 essential (and ridiculously expensive) techs away, and they are both scientific, which means that 2 modern age techs might already be discovered. I'd say our chances of a diplomatic victory are somewhere between zilch and diddly squit. I'd say our chances of a space victory are diddly squit more than zilch
We have to do something now or this game is over. As the host I'm going to take the initiative right now, in what I think is our only chance: a superpower war. We could well end up squashed, but we might as well go in a blaze of glory.
Immediate tech steal from Sumeria...you know the result:
Sign Russia against Sumeria for 24gpt. Then sign free rop.
Sign Mongols against Sumeria, giving ivory and picking up incense, oil, wm + 19g.
Portugal has some gold so give them refining for free artistry, 101g + 13gpt. We do NOT want to sign in Portugal against Sumeria, because Sumeria will crush them without noticing and we will lose our best 2fer partner.
Buy silks from Russia for 28gpt.
Russia promptly completes Hoover Dam and Sumeria starts the UN...if that is a cascade then Sumeria will surely land it.
Portugal and Byzantium make peace, which could prove to be handy for us.
We reach 1300AD and incredibly Byzantium is still alive and our rep is saved!
Next player: don't want to put too much pressure on you but your turn will be critical!

We need to catch up in tech and we need to do it fast. I have spent sparingly and you have 2622g + 423gpt with 2 more stock exchanges due to complete very shortly. Stealing wll be the best resource, and that means Sumeria...in turn, that means we need to get ahold of espionage (which we can, cheaply), build the Agency, and plant a spy. Then steal judiciously.
We have an interesting situation with Byzantium now, with 3 options:
1) We can keep them around as potential 2fer partners or a source to steal from (not worth it, IMO, since with only 1 city they won't be getting much tech...BUT, they are scientific and their free modern tech, if we get them there, could be crucial!)
2) We could sign an alliance with Russia against them, in the same deal including an expensive tech (atomic theory) for a massive gpt payment...we then hope Russia eliminates Byzantium quickly so we get out of the per-turn payment and pick up a tech very cheaply (if we do this, I wouldn't do it just yet, since any Russian landing near Caesarea will be swarmed upon by Sumeria...maybe hold this option seeing how things go).
3) Least likely but also potentially the most rewarding - we could declare war and try to take Caesarea ourselves (it has 2 wonders and coal) - but the problem is that we would be facing Sumeria
Good luck, do your best, and have fun! It's a crazy situation we're in but I just have a feeling that there might be a sniff of a chance still for us....this could be epic!
bed_head7....UP NOW
Sir Bugsy...ON DECK
Microbe
el_filet
Nad