I spent quite a long time looking round our Empire, significantly modernised in the centuries since I last saw it, but I didn't make any significant changes. Took a citizen in Sparta off the Farm he was working, even though someone else built it, that sort of thing. Nothing major.
Boy, you really weren't kidding about our military, huh? Were we Spiritual, I'd be sorely tempted to get a round of drafting done, and never mind how long the growth takes. I'll try very hard to get some Rifles built when there's time.
Turn 1 (1630): Corporation comes in. I'd quite like the Great Scientist available at Physics, since we can't afford to run specialists to get our own Great People. The major downside is that it would require Astronomy, obsoleting the Colossus after only 20 turns or so. However, it also requires Chemistry, and so I can get that and Scientific Method before we have to make that decision. A couple of the AIs also have Chemistry, so picking that will also let me see whether they have any beyond that, and thus whether it's a fool's hope to get the Scientist. Chemistry is of course also on the path to Assembly Line as suggested by Kylearan, so I'll work out the details in another 3 turns (I love our research rate)
Chengdu grows out to an unhappiness, but since half its villages are becoming towns over my round, the Aqueduct will build quickly and I can get it to a happiness building.
Turn 2 (1635):
Gandhi comes calling offering Chemistry for Democracy. Not interested, thanks, since we're halfway there ourselves now. Also he's the most advanced AI, and not nearly as much our friend as he was back when he was Confucian (when did he change to Taoism, anyway? I must have missed that one.)
Turn 3 (1640):
Rush Statue of Liberty with Cai Lun.
Our Curious Cat got slaughtered by a Camel Archer, despite being in a stack with the best part of a dozen of Qin's units.
Turn 4 (1645):
Chemistry comes in. I check that noone has Scientific Method: they don't, and so I decide to push for Physics, rather than going straight for Assembly Line. Nice as factories will be, even in this game they can wait. An Academy in Washington would be... nice.
For the free specialist, each and every city gets an engineer. Production is far our greatest worry!
Sparta's borders push Calcutta back a step. We've got some unexpected breathing space!
Turns 5-7: Nada, really.
Turn 8 (1665):
Oxford University started in Washington. The last two forests there will be chopped to speed it, it's worth over a hundred beakers a turn!
Turn 9 (1670): Astronomy started, for Physics. Gandhi has Scientific Method now, so I don't think any more delay is affordable. The Colossus isn't worth all that much to us. Astronomy won't finish during my turn, though, so the next play can change the plan if everybody disagrees with me.
Scientific Method shows us that we have two Oil, both at Philadelphia. One is on land, one in the sea.
Turn 10 (1675):
Two things here. First, New York has built its first Rifleman. I've set it to a 1-turn Temple to wipe out the new unhappiness, but I recommend it goes right back to military after that.
Also in that shot, Qin has taken an Arabian city. I'm thought it was the first, but buying his map for 20 gold shows that Bismarck managed to get to Medina before he did, and that's fallen too. Unless they sign peace soon, Saladin may well be dead. From our side the war has been a complete nonentity, of course, since Saladin's been on the defensive. And that's as it should be.
At handoff, about half the cities are building Riflemen. All the ones that didn't have a pressing health/happiness need, I set to Rifles, though most were slowed by the need to build Barracks first. The Rifles are coming along, though. One day, we might actually have a military!
Washington is not, of course. Oxford University is 6 turns from completion, with all the forests chopped. It'll increase our science rate by about a sixth, on its own! Not that we *need* it, or anything... Our star is rising:
I'm done. Bede is Up.
--Garath