Tried a 1 city histographic loss on a Large 80% Monarch archipelago map with 6 opponents. Cold, and arid also. Almost all scientific AIs, and Carthage. It didn't seem wise to have The Byzantines or Sumeria in, because of potential increased research ability. We didn't make it to 2050 AD. Someone else won by culture in 1995 AD.
Persia had 130,598 culture. No one else had half of that it seems.
The Internet and The Manhattan Project were under construction, and the U. N. had gotten built. Maybe The Byzantines or Sumeria would have worked out alright. The author has some skepticism that AIs launching the spaceship would make for an issue at this level with stronger researchers, though also wouldn't feel surprised if someone won by spaceship launch.