What to do now?

[shl7070]

I started what was supposedly an easy challenge: standard,arch 80%, 3 AI but now stuck.
I could build only 4 core cities because my continent is almost all tundra, have only one luxury- a colony and bunch of corrupt cities beyond the sea.
My advancement rate is extremly slow although it's not total backwardness relative to others but still a problem. The forbidden palace will be ready within 70 turns or something and the fight with Egypt is looming.
The plan is wait till Feudalism and then strike them with MI/knights while filling the tundra with 2-pop cities for unit support to gain their luxuries and territory, is that feasible?

 

[vmxa]

ICS all tundra tiles immediately. Pack them in as tight as you can. Do not make them 2 pop. Put the citizen on science or tax and build no structures, no growth. This should have been done as soon as you knew you were on an island with lots of tundra.

 

[shl7070]

Thanks for the advice.
I did put some cities there but built them on the coast and built a harbor to allow them pop 6 and significant commerce.
The luxury problem solved as Egypt was crushed and added 3 luxuries.
The tech is still an issue as I am at 1255AD and still at middle ages and being the tech leader forced to make the research. The Persians were discovered but are useless, they are behind in tech and have no tradable resources. Byzantines the same.
Now, Is it better to wait till Galleons and cossacks to ship the armies away from Egypt to Persia or strike now while they have only spearmen?

 

[vmxa]

If you indeed only have 3 civs in the game and one is dead or near to it, the other is useless, what is there to fight about? You also state the Byz are weak, so that is all three.

Given that, you are free to do as you please. Some pikes and MDI and knights are plenty. Use caravels and have your way.

 

[GamezRule]

I didn't count the tiles yet but that's a lot of water. You could probably do with some mines in you're core, since you have only got a couple productive cities, and you're two best cities have bonus food.

 

[shl7070]

After trying another game with similar settings I can say that this start was almost perfect relative to the new one
Had an Island much crappier with almost all tiles being mountains, no Iron until half the world from the starting location, runaway mongols with SOZ which managed to crush the Iroquis, this needed really unconventional tactics:
Creating farm cities 5 tiles from the capital, putting all eggs in the basket of knights templar, beeline to navigation ignoring everything else (to gain resources), starting wars in republic to snatch iron in 1275AD, saltpeter fortunately depleting to the AI and appearing right where I need it and else like that...

p.s.
Used the various advice to achieve domination in the russian game in 1906AD using cossack SODs.

 

[vmxa]

Sounds like time to at least add in the default number of civs and roll the dice.