Well my strategy was much different from gotm15 - then, I didn't even have one. Although I believed that monarch to emperor wouldn't be that huge, I was badly mistaken, Really, really, really.
Mostly it was to rapidly expand using Moonsinger's starting strategy, give in to all tribute, and all allow ******* AI to use my territory even if we didn't have an ROP with them. I tripped over all these.
I expanded quite a bit but the lack of roads stunted my expansion. Neopolis was pillaged by barbs - I didn't see the barb camp outside in the FOW

I had a barbarian uprising which sacked Piase I think and almost did it to Antium - but I was forewarned and built another spearman really quickly.
Japan was powerful in this game, but got decimated by Germany. America folded fast to the pounding by Germany and Japan. I dunno how it goes, but Japan's samurai crumbled to the sheer might of Germany's Calvary. They razed tons of their cities leaving only two or three. I think I saw what cracker described as an inflatible border - after the capture of Kyoto, Kyoto didn't shrink to the nine-tiles.
The squid were a real problem with 3hp to the regular 2hp conscript galleys. Five galleys - three veteran - were sunk by squids or the ocean. Oh well. The barbarian ridge - I wouldn't have discovered the other civs anyway.
Trade was really tough. In Monarch, after getting that Despotism was really hampering my ability to buy techs, I got Republic and it was a breeze to sail out of the Middle Ages. In this emperor here, I hit wall after wall trying to buy techs. The tech price went skyward to 600-800g, much more than the 400 for a tech. And the Latin names really confused me - what was I trading?
Iroquois erased England, and a France-Greece alliance decimated the Iroquois. Russia was left with one city to what I presume was widespread warring, and met its doom when Greece sailed over and seized their last city. India was getting thrashed when Germany decided to knock out Rome.
Rome had just exited out of the Middle Ages with a hefty 860g for Magnetism. Nationalism was impossible to get with 1500 gold so Rome settled with Germany buying Steam Power for 1100 gold. To ensure its survival Rome signed a continuous ROP with Germany.
While Rome was garrisoning cities with pikemen, musketmen, spearmen, and warriors, Germany was powerfully running around with its panzars, infantry, calvary, and riflemen. Even with the ROP Germany suddenly started to knock Rome out: fourteen cities in one turn. Eight cities were abadoned, and in three turns, Rome lost its last five cities.
Well, that's the end of that. I ended up as Cesar the Fair with a 1000+ score, the first ever. I expect that many others will get much higher scores - and with the conquest defeat, the adjusted scoring formula, my score will surely dip.