Here's what the world looked like, after I had moved my scout south two spaces.
Where should we found? Two possibilities: the starting square, or due south of the lake. The starting square would always have the gold tile in play (trade bonuses DO apply to the city square) - since I'm going to need every bit of commerce I can get to beeline to Literature. The city would be limited to size 7 before harbors, even with that forest cleared, but would still make 12 shields then. Plus it's on a hill for defense, mostly against barbarians.
South of the lake could reach size 12 with those plains irrigated - which might take a while - but the gold tiles wouldn't come into play until the city leveled off, and those last few growths would take quite a while. So the starting square it was.
The hut was deserted. Unfortunately, we don't start with Alphabet, but we do start with Pottery as Expansionists, so we can immediately begin the Alphabet - Writing - Literature beeline.
I started by building two more scouts, a warrior, and a granary. I intended to make full use of the Zulus' sole advantage of Expansionist, making contact with all the other civs quickly and hopefully brokering some deals.
We discover some wines to the south. I plan to speed the first settler here as the Forbidden Palace site, but Rome shows up first! And they, being Commercial, have Writing! I immediately give them Pottery plus 5/turn to get Alphabet and start the minimum-science run on Writing. My scouts proceed through Roman territory heedless of demands, and emerge on the other side.
Also in 3500 BC, the worker has finished the mine+road on the bonus grassland square, and now moves onto the FOREST by Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is working the lake at size 2 for the commerce, and so I can take the time to clear the forest for the shield credit and see if there's a bonus grassland underneath.
Three more huts soon present themselves! I decide to swap off Writing to Ceremonial Burial to lock it out and make Writing possible from a hut. No dice - all we get is Bronze Working. Back to Writing, this time at MAX science.
In 3050, we meet the Aztecs. They lack Alphabet! I trade it for Ceremonial Burial and their 35 gold. And we also meet England. They lack Warrior Code (we started with it), so I trade that to them for their 35.
In 2630 BC, the granary completes, and an impi is begun. England's made contact around, and everybody has Masonry, Iron Working, and the Wheel up on me.
In 2150 BC, Writing shows up among the other civs. I have to trade 122 + 2/turn to Rome for it. England didn't get it; I trade it to them for Iron Working. Of course, we have no Iron anywhere. Literature at max rate started.
After the impi, our first settler is begun. With him, I decide to grab whatever land I can in Rome's direction.
Zimbabwe wants to build walls, but we don't have Masonry. Heh. It starts a worker.
France completes the Colossus. Excellent, since we absolutely must have the wonder cascade end before anyone gets Literature. I need all three early-ancient wonders (Pyramids, Colossus, Oracle) to be completed before anyone can swap to a later one.
In 1575, Map Making shows up. Nice - they didn't beeline Literature! Unfortunately, that means the Great Lighthouse can continue the cascade. Well, I keep going, and trade around my map for 42 gold total.
1525: Iroquois complete Oracle. Two down, two to go.
1400: Aztecs start Great Wall! Hmmm. London completes Pyramids. Yes! Aztecs complete Great Wall!! And there's only one city building the Great Lighthouse - so no more cascade! This plan may actually work!
1325: Code of Laws shows up, but still no Literature. I'm 11 agonizingly slow turns away.
1150 BC: Literature comes in! I'm first to get it!!! Zimbabwe had something timed to complete this turn, and immediately starts the Great Library!
But three turns later, in 1075 BC, everybody else starts the Great Library. No way can my size-7 capital beat the other size-10 capitals with the Deity discount. Oh well, so much for this game; on to another Epic.
Index | But Wait...