Returning to the game

[shl7070]

After long hiatus I'm trying to return to the game, at Emperor level.
The question is what to do with the current game.

The setting is standard,continents, Emperor.
The situation is that I control the western continent, have a slight tech lead but completely unprepared to invade. The plan is to build a cavalry/artillery/infantry stack while researching to replaceable parts, then upgrade and invade.
Currently also completing Newton's and 100% sure to get it, also have smiths and sistine while AI has the rest.

Is there a better plan and what generally should be done?
And, should I get sanitation?

 

[Elephantium]

I wouldn't bother with Sanitation. There are more serious issues though...

First -- you should have 30 Workers, not 10. Also, they should be working on more roads to connect all your cities together. They should never be left fortified when there are tiles to improve!

You should also have more cities. Now, granted, you don't have a very good continent, but I'd have more like 50 cities in that space. I would've put Aleppo N-NW from where it is (the hill by the river delta would have been a great city site). Similarly, I would've put a city on the hill by the horses near Hattusas. It's pretty close to your capital, but there are plenty of tiles to share -- and it would have been another strong riverside city.

Past about Alaca Huyuk, it would be worth settling CxC and setting up science farms.

You have a lot of irrigated grassland at your capital -- those would be more useful mined. You're wasting food!

You have way too much military -- especially obsolete military. Disband all your Warriors, Archers, and Spearmen for a HUGE boost in gold per turn! You'll still have your Cavalry, so you won't have to worry about AI attacks. It will also make it a lot cheaper to build an invasion force if you don't have to pay the 2gpt each for your ancient Warriors.

Build some Galleons in Hubishna, Dover, and Vladivostok to go exploring. You'll quickly find out where to best land your invasion force for the other continent.

Hope this helps! Despite my (hopefully constructive) criticisms, you're in a good position in this game -- you should be able to win this handily

 

[shl7070]

I see.
The additional core city was put upriver on the east bank to get the horses and the spare floodplain tiles.
I quickly discovered the enemy continent with a galleon from Tarsus. The Iroquis rule it dominating the 2 other civs there.
Aleppo isn't in the best location but it was put to get silks ASAP at that time.
And I also disbanded all warriors and most other regulars, all others will be upgraded with RP. Increased workers to 20 to railroad and with the slaves that I have it'll be enough.

 

[Elephantium]

Have fun and good luck! Also, please post another save once you get the invasion underway -- I'll be interested to see how this goes.

 

[shl7070]

Ah, the invasion. It's the first time i had invaded on Emperor and I underestimated the enemy. It was a bloody WWI style war. I blasted something like 200 Iroquis infantry and cavalry with my arty/cav stacks losing like 40 units, reaching max war wariness and then having a cease fire several times. It took 3 long wars to finally edge them to conquer their core (and their military priorities helped as they took all their army to eliminate the mongols instead of defending their capital!). Tanks and convenient placement of oil sources finally nailed the victory at about 1910 and now domination seems at hand (49%land, 55% pop). The enemy reinforcements are now reduced to a trickle.
Internally I went to sanitation to turn the core cities into metros while temporarily creating additional workers to railroad the continent. Some of those workers were reabsorbed into the cities, especially the capital while neglecting the science farm issue. (that war consumed all attention), the support costs eased initially but the invasion force requirements with all those arty, cavalry, tanks and armies that were needed to win caused me to reduce research to 50%. After finishing the Iroquis I'll use those units to crush the rest weaker civs to pulp and reach domination circa 1970.
Also building some bombers.
During the last cease-fire in 1898 I checked the technology status and I have a significant lead currently (the tech lead was doubled). I'll advance to modern in 5 turns while the Iroquis lacked refining and steel and the scientific method (and I had ToE) so I'm pretty confident that they won't have tanks and airforce anytime soon.