Waiting for Huitzilopochtli
Because stealing is easier than crafting original thoughts, from Wiki:
The Aztecs were a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central México the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. They called themselves Mexicas, which was reflected in the name of the later Republic of Mexico. The civilization has a rich mythology and cultural heritage. The capital was Tenochtitlan, built on raised islets in Lake Texcoco – the site of modern-day Mexico City.
Variant Rules:
Rule #1: Location, location, location.
Aztecs found the omen from the god Huitzilopochtli signaling the location where their capital city Tenochtitlan should be built.
We must wander about the jungle until we see birds take flight from the trees, in a sign from the mighty Huit-. We shall found our city on that spot.
Rule #2: Roads.
The main contribution of the Aztec rule was a system of communications between the conquered cities. In Mesoamerica, without draft animals for transport (nor, as a result, wheeled vehicles), the roads were designed for travel on foot. Usually these roads were maintained through tribute, and travelers had places to rest and eat and even latrines to use at regular intervals, roughly every 10 or 15 km. Couriers (paynani) were constantly traveling along those ways, keeping the Aztecs informed of events, and helping to monitor the integrity of the roads. Due to the steady surveillance, even women could travel alone, a fact that amazed the Spaniards since that was not possible in Europe at that time.
All cities must be connected before ANY other tile improvements are built. Each road must be guarded at all times (w/exceptions.)
Rule #3: Religion.
Veneration of Huitzilopochtli (literally, "hummingbird of the south"), the personification of the sun and of war, was central to the religious, social and political practices of the Mexica.
We must found either Buddhism, Hinduism or Judaism, or WE LOSE. We must spread it aggressively. Once any conquered city comes out of revolt, we must whip the most expensive city improvement to cleanse the city of heretics, and reduce the city to as near as Pop1 as possible.
Rule #4: Human Sacrifice
For most people today, and for the European Christians who first met the Aztecs, human sacrifice was and is the most striking feature of Aztec civilization. While human sacrifice was practiced throughout Mesoamerica, the Aztecs, if their own accounts are to be believed, brought this practice to an unprecedented level. For example, for the reconsecration of Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487, the Aztecs reported that they sacrificed 84,400 prisoners over the course of four days, reportedly by Ahuitzotl, the Great Speaker himself.
We must whip 2x population every 30 turns (starting w/the discovery of BW), where x = the number of cities we currently have.
Rule #5: Slavery
Slaves or tlacotin also constituted an important class. Distinct from war captives, this slavery was very different from what Europeans of the same period were to establish in their colonies, although it had much in common with the slavery of classical antiquity.
Once we discover Slavery, we must revolt there and stay there at all times. To that end, we must build the UN as well.
Rule #6: Nerf Herding
Much has been said about a lack of animal proteins in the Aztec diet. Although the Aztecs had domestic animals, like turkey and some dog breeds, these were few and usually reserved for special occasions. Hunting -- deer, wild hogs, ducks-- was also another source of meat, although the eventual population within the Valley of Mexico precluded hunting as a major food source.
We can not “Pasture” any resource until we reach the Renaissance era. We can not build any mounted unit until Cavalry. Camps on Deer, Beaver and Elephants, are, of course, allowed.
Rule #7: Education
The Mexica, one of the Aztec groups, were one of the first people in the world to have mandatory education for nearly all children, regardless of gender, rank, or station. Until the age of fourteen, the education of children was in the hands of their parents, but supervised by the authorities of their calpulli. Periodically they attended their local temples, to test their progress.
We must build any science buildings that are available, before any other buildings. The two exceptions to that are the initial sacrifice once a city is out of revolt, and to build units.