I don't know why I keep doing this, but I had to try this game again with a different plan. I really want to see how this game plays out without aggression, sticking to the plan of just one city. A space win is possible, though my dream right now is to win by culture by flipping Seoul and Moscow.
So what's the right spot for the city? I thought about it, then decided on the marble. Mostly to maximize cottage count, on 5 grasslands plus one plain and one hill. This gives up some food, but we'll be okay once the city takes the sheep tile from Korea, and the 3-hammer city square is wonderful (literally.)
Then I realized that moving 1NW would have brought Moscow's corn in range, along with the fish. That's clearly superior but requires spoiler info to know that the corn is there. I'll at least pretend to be playing fairly, so on the marble it is.
Also moving away from the seafood lets me skip Fishing. Animal Husbandry was obvious. Then the tech path was Mining for the gold, Mysticism - Polytheism to enable the Temple of Artemis, Masonry to enable the marble. Yes, Temple of Artemis is my immediate goal, both to jumpstart GPP production and also as the earliest Marble-enhanced culture wonder.
With nothing else to build, I started Stonehenge for the fail gold, but then decided just to let it finish. Fail gold doesn't much help in an OCC, and I really need the sheep ASAP for food. I'd had a forest grow over the one bare grassland, which was actually quite bad - I'd intended to farm it, but couldn't yet chop.
After Poly and Masonry, that was all the prerequisites for Judaism, so I grabbed it. More culture. Bronze Working next to get choppy, then Writing to turn on the Artemis trade routes. Pottery (whoops, forgot the granary!)
I considered waiting on Judaism and Org Rel until a Golden Age from the first quick GP, but decided not to. Org Rel pays back hammers for the two turns of anarchy very quickly, in just 8 turns.
I'd founded Judaism, but look at that slate of Buddhist civs. I must join them. Let this be another lesson on how founding your own religion just isn't worth it. I could have four pennies from the Jewish shrine, or an aggregate +50 or so total diplomacy with all these civs. No-brainer.
I got Priesthood in 1600 BC, but the Oracle fell that same turn (quite early on Emperor!) In 1560 BC, the sheep tile came my way. Slipped in a Jewish Monastery, then got started on the Pyramids. Finished them in 800 BC and went right to Rep/Slavery.
While building the Pyramids, researched straight to Bureaucracy without missing a beat. Mathematics (with more chops helping the Pyramids) - Code of Laws (founding Confucianism; wouldn't spread it but could be useful for culture victory) - Civil Service. Traded for Alphabet pretty soon, also collecting the usual Monarchy and Iron Working.
Great Person #1 spawned as a Merchant, defying considerable Prophet odds from the Artemis priest and Stonehenge. Definitely settle him, we need the food. GP #2 and #3 were both Prophets. See, even when a shrine is available, it's often better just to settle. Without spreading Judaism, the shrine gold will always be less than the prophet's 5, plus the hammers and Rep beakers are needed much more. Settled the artist from Music too.
Bureaucracy in 525 BC. Hanging Gardens followed. Aesthetics - Literature - Music while cranking out Marble wonders, Parthenon - Great Library - Sistine Chapel. Here's the 1 AD overview.
Here we are. Seoul is dead meat, it's already revolted once. Moscow will take longer; it's at fourth-ring from my city instead of third, and I'm still trailing 45% to 30% (the rest being Byzantium), and it has five garrison. But I should get it eventually.