Second Emperor game, how do I play Ghengis?

[madscientist]

OK, my next leader to win with (again I am stubborn ans will stick with until I am victorious) is Ghengis Kahn, because he is the only leader from a multi-leader civilization that I has traits I haven't played yet in BTS.

Huge maps, marathon speed, emperor difficulty.

After several starts which ended up as Isolated (just deosn't seam right for the great Kahn), I got one that started well.

So I have two questions in this thread, any sense playing through the one I started and the other, suggestion on how to get started with Ghengis (aside from any sort of rushes, I know that).

1) Current game: have 5 cities including Paris (sadly Degaulle is no more, courtesy of a chariot rush), horses aplenty, no copper, no founded religion, and I need to drop another city to claim iron. Trying my best to run a SE since I cannot get above 20% on the science slider, and teching is very very slow. I also have on my continent alot of teching financial maniacs: Musa/Wong/Pacap/Hanibal. I am very far behind in techs. SO how can I get competitive here (sorry no screenshots)? I see two choices, A) just be patient and tech it out (I do have land to settle, espcially between cities) or B) settle to get the iron, build military and just start razing the AI cities for needed cash (no way I can support keeping any of those cities yet although Pacal has the Buddhist holy city), sort of an economy of conquest. Oh yeah, we are all Buddhist brothers, so anyw ar will get some -1 diplo, not that Old Ghengis cares what others think.

2) OK, how to really get a good start with Ghengis. I have been going fishing or AH at first based on my start, then focus on mining/BW, pretty standard stuff. Hook up the military resources and take out a neighbor if I can (Degaulle really had to go even if I were Ghandi). I know what Kahn can do with Horse and Sword but what can the Mongol do to start a good economy.

Any ideas would be appreciated, I am willing to fight it out or start from the beginning.

 

[stuttrboy]

I have these same problems on emperor. I end up running as many scientists as possible building up my cities pop and getting economy techs while slowly raising my slider. I build markets and courthouses, get a commerce city or two up and running to get that slider up, or spam farms everywhere possible and run scientists and merchants where possible.

Without screenshots I can't be certain what the problem is. Too many "bad cities"? Too many cities far away from the capital? In the short term you can work tiles with some commerce on them even if it's just 1-2 to help out. bulb some key techs etc. Sometimes it's a good idea to get some extra cash in a pillage and raze war with neighbors. If you are in a good position to do so I would suggest that, while it's still early.

 

[madscientist]

Yeah, that's what I am trying and getting nowhere fast. Cities are spead out since it appears to be an arid map (i use random on the terrain option), and there's desert to navigate, plus one captured barb city is still not hooked up with a trade route (I am about 10 turns from sailing). 5 cities and only 2 with touching cultural borders which is probably half my problems.

So I guess I'll finish sailing, then go meditation/COL/currency. I should have a GS soon, not sure what I can bulb this early (mathematics or alphabet I think), I may just settle him.

At this point I am hoping the AI tech currency soon so I can trade a resource for cash!!