I'm not sure how to take a screenshot on this laptop, but has anyone ever seen Byzantium get Military Tradition and build Basil's Cathedral, have late-gameish armies of monster proportions, maxed out cities, control of Italy, Marseille, Vienna, the Northwest Black Sea and Moscow, plus vassalization of France, HRE, and Poland, all by the 13th century? Seven wonders in the capital, and incredible cultural pressure from everywhere.
This was a 3000 BC game. I started as Rome, and tried to recreate the historical Empire. Sure, I played kingmaker in the east to make things more in line with the 600 AD scenario, but most of the real changes were in the west. It also could be the resource placements, but I've used them in other games and haven't ever seen a monster like this. Their stability actually flatlined for a while.
I can't get over it.