What's a good general strategy for winning an emperor level game with no strategic resources? I just entered the industrial age with no iron, no horses, no saltpeter, and now after researching steam power, no coal. There isn't (and never has been) any extra resources to trade for.
Going to war would be very difficult as I need to go halfway across the map for coal and iron and getting enough cannons and longbows there to take and hold a city would be quite an undertaking as I would need to build a huge navy and go through war weariness problems (I'm democracy).
I thought if I could just get coal I could maybe win a space race, but with the low shield output from no railroads that doesn't seem likely. I only have 16% of the world's land so a diplomatic victory isn't possible without war. Anyone got any tips or ideas?
Going to war would be very difficult as I need to go halfway across the map for coal and iron and getting enough cannons and longbows there to take and hold a city would be quite an undertaking as I would need to build a huge navy and go through war weariness problems (I'm democracy).
I thought if I could just get coal I could maybe win a space race, but with the low shield output from no railroads that doesn't seem likely. I only have 16% of the world's land so a diplomatic victory isn't possible without war. Anyone got any tips or ideas?