Sorry for the lack of screenies - I might post a few when I finish this one. I settled in place, AG>AH>mining>BW>writing>med>PH. Built warrior to size 2, then worker, 'henge, worker, chop rest of 'henge, settler. I popped hunting from a hut.
Met Hammy and scouted his land with starting warrior, popped a scout and sent him south to find Joao, sent 2nd warrior west>NW. When horses popped up in the BFC, Hammy was as good as dead. Settled the gold/grasslands towards him, built a barracks there and in the capital. I got the combat 1 event for chariots just before I built my second one (build 7 chariots to get the free promo). I built 9, kept his capital and another one NE of my second city, but razed a third that was on a miserable tundra hill stuck out into the arctic ocean with no bonuses. I then rushed out 2 settlers to claim the jungle rice/banana spots to the south, just beating Joao to them (I had to settle the SW city one off the coast to beat him to it).
With Joao well and truly boxed in, I built the Oracle and took CoL, founding Confucianism in Thessalonika (my 2nd city with the 2 gold mines). Barb galleys were a PITA around Babylon early on. I eventually built 3 galleys to keep them in check. I built the mids in Constantinople (capital), with only a bit of whip overflow going to them, and switched to Rep. No anarchy sure is nice!
In general, the tech pace of everyone else was abysmal. GGs were popping up IADL, and Joao's research was severely stunted. I went on a wonder-building spree, and the only ones I lost were to Joao (Parth, MoM, Zeus). After researching aesthetics>poly>lit (built GLib in Constantinople, SP in Thessalonika), I got metal casting (Thess built Colossus). Next research path was math>currency>IW>construction>calendar. I traded Joao for some of the religious mono. I settled my first GPriest, built the shrine with the 2nd, and bulbed theo with the third (BROKEN RULE #1 - founded christianity). I built the AP and Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Along the way Joao converted to confucianism, and we became best buds.
Along the way I aggressively settled much of the main continent, grabbing the far NE marble for the wonders. I never got the slider above 40% for a long time, but with rep/caste and tons of scientists I had a really good tech rate. Joao was left completely in the dust, and the fact that nobody overseas was taking any wonders (and all the GGs being born) told me that I was probably way ahead in tech.
Next was CS>mach>eng>paper. I popped a couple of GEs, saved one and settled the rest. I built ND with the saved GE, researched paper and built Sankore in Thessalonika. Bulbed half of edu, but settled most GSs.
BROKEN RULE #2: Researched phil and founded tao (built AW and the shrine, too, with another GP
).
I easily won the lib race, took nationalism (because I knew I would be drafting soon
), built the Taj, and started a consecutive golden age with a GS. Then I went printing press>feud>guilds>banking>econ (got the free GM). I traded Joao for compass and finally researched optics. On the turn it came in all the other AIs showed up at once!
As predicted, they were very backwards (except Louis and Toku had Astro). Toku was the 500 lb gorilla and had vassaled Louis and Brennus. Monty was his usual neanderthal self. With these 4 stooges on the other continent, it's no wonder I'm miles ahead.
Next tech path was RP >rifling >music >mil trad (here comes the cavaly!) >astro >chem >steel >sci meth > communism. I changed to state property and Free speech (BIG help to
and
). I was building cavs in about 60% of my cities, cannons in a few others, and dropped into nationalism a few times to draft rifles. Toku DOWed Joao, and I bided my time until he asked me to help him. Once he did, I took 2 of Toku's cities (Kyoto and one other) and got peace. Joao vassaled to me voluntarily (hey, he's a loyal confucian - tyrants like me VALUE loyalty
). My power rating is at least double everyone else's. I'm fighting samurai, knights, and longbows this cav, rifles, and cannon! I've gifted Joao a bunch of techs to buff him up a bit. (Oh yeah, I forgot - Monty was the first to DOW me, but that was a joke).
Currently I've been shuttling more military to my 2 japanese cities (I've got 30-40 cavs over there, with supporting rifles and cannon), and I'm about to go medieval on Toku's a$$. Research as been corp> steam, heading to RR, combustion, AL (I've already got a fort built on the oil, and about 3000
in the bank). Constantinople is building the SoL, Thessalonika (holy city) is doing wall street. This is really just a mop up operation at this point in the late 1590s or so.
.
