Alhambram's 1001 nights (turns) stories as Persia.

[Alhambram]

Turn 21-24:

Killed barb slinger with my slinger, got Archery eureka, with finished warrior I mopped out two barb warriors earning Bronze Working eureka. I finished mining and I am researching Bronze Working now.
Then my builder repaired horse pasture and built a citrus plantation netting me inspiration for Craftsmanship which I shall get in 2 turns.
   
Slinger got promotion and I gave him +5 ranged promotion and when warrior is healed, they together shall raze that barb camp in east.

My scout in east didn't find anything, warrior at northwest met Armagh (religious city state) and with that I met 3 city states, earning inspiration for Political Philosophy. Also my warrior found Poland borders east of Armagh, I shall try to check the city for some information. Suboptimal also already founded his second city, I shall finish settler after 4 turns, so still bit time to think where I should plant my second city.

[Alhambram]

Turn 25-27

I decided to delay craftsmanship with 2 turns till settler is completed, since 1 extra production from Urban Planning make difference between finishing settler one turn earlier or not.
   
So next turn settler and craftsmanship complete and I shall swap to Ilkum to produce a builder in Aladdin, new planned city need some improvements quickly. I am keeping discipline since I am about to mop up two barb camps. 
My planned spot for second city north of jade tile:
   
Not most ideal terrain, not many food in beginning but great production potential if I mine all that hills, also plenty flat lands for some Pairidaeza's (I need to keep in mind that it can't be placed upon tundra tiles, so districts at tundra tiles if possible).
Slinger and Warrior are underway to deal with that camp, speaking of barb camp I am dealing with other one now:
   
I am going nab it under nose of Emperor K, Emperor K already got Pantheon: City Patron Goddess Belief (25% faster first district), so he plan to build something fast.
Notice that Emperor K got natural defense wall, if I plan to invade him, there is a choke point of just one tile between mountain and sea. So I might consider to capture Armagh first as forward point. Another alternative is a naval invasion over inland sea. It seem that every player is starting in corner with a inland sea in middle.

Oh I also met with Suboptimal in east, he already started to build a campus at breathtaking tile:
   
Which mean that TheArchduke is exactly opposite of me at northeast corner, which mean I don't need worry about potential Macedonian rush.
Valletta city state is placed very strategically between me and Suboptimal, it is going be key if war between us breaks out.
I didn't mention city states request did I? Hattusa is a bummer: recruit a Great Writer. Valletta is doable with gain eureka for Wheel (mine a resource: Jade or Iron if it pops up), Armagh ask for trade route but it is currently too far for me.

[Alhambram]

Turn 28:

Completed settler and craftsmanship, policy swap to Ilkum and start builder in Aladdin (completed in 4 turns).
At turn 31 I shall found my second city, meanwhile warrior close Emperor K's borders shall raze barb camp next turn.
I plan to buy trader if I got enough gold at my second city, Persia's traders give me extra 2 and 1 at internal trade routes.   
With Foreign Trade still ongoing for 8 turns from now, that mean 4 more turns in Ilkum which opts me to finish another builder after one currently producing now, eventual with chop.

Major international news came from Suboptimal who completed campus in his yet to discovered capital. My scout already uncovered his second city with Campus in construction.
So Suboptimal soon have more than 10 per turn thanks appeal bonus of Australia. Well, I might to find his capital first and pillage his campus with scout and afterwards pillage second campus if it is completed to keep Suboptimal's snowball in check.
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 28-32:

At turn 29 razed barb camp near Emperor K, nabbed 50 gold and inspiration for Military Tradition. However camp has spawned a slinger, my warrior managed to finish off it, but is now redlined.
And at east barbs suddenly act tactically around barb camp at east using hills (a coincidence I think) : 
   
Had to retreat slinger here to hill which led to this situation.
   
My warrior and slinger smacked at barb spearman, but next turn my slinger was redlined and retreated to west while warrior killed barb spearman.
Barb slinger remained at same tile and I could finish him off, but all of this charade delayed settling of my second city.
   
I shall finally settle my second city at turn 33, note that I completed second builder and got enough time till Foreign Trade to cram out another builder using Ilkum policy card.

I finished Bronze Working and note a Iron resource west of Aladdin around planned site for my 3rd city, I would like to grab eureka for Iron Working.

International: TheArchduke also settled his second city and I yet have do it...
More importantly I found Suboptimal's capital and its campus. His slinger is nearby but at turn 31 it did stand upon campus tile and now it moved away from it.
Next turn if slinger is gone, it is pillage time of Campus, it takes 3 movement points to pillage and my scout has 3 movement points, normally it would move and then next turn pillage.
But I as Persia get 2 extra movement points when declared surprise war, so next turn I might pull off it already and slow down Suboptimal's science rate.
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 33:

Suboptimal's slinger is nowhere to see, so I made a shortsighted decision!   
   
And do my units get extra movement points? Yes but not SAME TURN that I declared war. So my scout did move upon campus but is unable to pillage it yet.
Next turn however it gets 5 movement points, so it can pillage and then flee.
   
But Suboptimal do have 100% extra production now thanks my declaration of war, at least he can muster up some forces for eventual attack from TheArchduke.

At my lands I founded my second city: Sinbad. My builder shall get 2 extra movement points from next turn, so he can improve things much faster.
   
I purchased sheep tile for faster growth, Early Empire is needed to unlock Pairidaeza. Also I shall nab barb camp next turn for another 50 gold!

[Alhambram]

Turn 34:

My scout pillaged campus, no Great Scientist Points and science yield for while (last one got fixed at fall patch, before it adjacent yield would still be on).
   
Thus suboptimal's science per turn decreased from 9 to 5. To make matters for him worse, TheArchduke also declared war on suboptimal! 
   
Is TheArchduke about to attack suboptimal or is there other reason for him to declare war?

My scout could move after pillage with 2 movement points, he went one tile west where he got overview at big part of this map. I couldn't find suboptimal's builder, I think to south of stone, but to cross river upon forested tile, you need 3 or more movements points. With possible slinger nearby I decided to bring scout at safest spot as possible.

Meanwhile in my lands builder walked 2 tiles and farmed wheat tile with extra movements. I shall mine jade next turn already thanks increased movement points which shall grant me eureka for wheel. I did select Iron Working as next tech so I can invest 25 pillaged in it, it did decrease research with 6 turns. I shall found next city at west with iron mine nearby, so immortals might come sooner than later. Speaking of west, a new barb camp spawned west of Aladdin. My warrior around Sinbad shall heal to full health first and then run very quickly with extra movements points to deal with barb camp.
   
I plan to swap discipline out for Agoge when I finish Foreign Trade to cram out two more slingers and many warriors which can be upgraded in Immortals later.

[Alhambram]

Turn 35:

My builder moved 2 tiles and mined jade granting me eureka for Wheel. I swap research to archery, I shall research it till it is still one turn left. I shall complete it when I produced two more slingers.
I shall finish foreign trade next turn and swap to Agoge to produce some slingers and warriors. Also due eureka of Wheel, I got envoy from Valletta which grants me extra 2 in Aladdin when producing units.
   
I shall swap away from producing granary in Sinbad and have it produce units with Agoge. Also I shall purchase trader in Sinbad with gold.

Meanwhile in Australian lands, I knew that builder should be somewhere south of stone and I found it.
   
One charge left, maybe I can capture it next turn (builder 2 movement points versus my scout with 5 movement points), I can do additional pillages of stone and rice if possible.

[Alhambram]

Turn 36:

Suboptimal produced a warrior in nick of time to protect builder, so I decided go over his other city and a surprise!
   
Granada city state was over there at south, I missed it when I passed here firstly.
Train a spearman, doable. Maybe suzeraining it in future to make Suboptimal's life harder.
Also Suboptimal completed a builder in Cassowary and he is keeping him in city as long my scout is around. Next turn I shall pillage horse tile if Suboptimal don't have any military units around.

Meanwhile in my lands I completed foreign trade and purchased trader in Sinbad for 195 gold. I shall research Early Empire now, after 2 turns Sinbad grows to size 2 and I shall get inspiration for it.
   
My culture per turn shall improve when my trader creates a trade route, also when Sinbad hits size 2, it shall work at jade tile. I swapped my policies and I have Agoge and Urban Planning in slots now.
Well no faith per turn for now and no pantheon, maybe I should build some holy site in near future next mountain for 2 faith per turn and never bother with God of King, production gets my preference right now.
I shall swap out Archery when it is still one turn to complete till I produced two more slingers, then I likely shall research Astrology. Speaking of holy site, Emperor K completed a holy site and is going for religion.
Poland and its faith converting when tiles get flipped/crusade combo is very nasty. I am thinking how to deal with it.

[Alhambram]

Turn 37:

Sent my trader from Sinbad to Aladdin earning me eureka for currency. 
I finished builder in Aladdin and start slinger, one turn complete. Then I remember that I still need some district for inspiration of state workforce.
I decided to build encampment on hill at Aladdin, I rather put it upon flat tile, but purchasing trader previous turn left me with no gold.
And I made use of builder right away: he chopped forest, instantly completing a slinger and overflow goes in encampment, in 5 turns complete.
   
My builder shall chop and mine 1/3 tile, chop shall go to warrior and with 50% from Agoge it shall overflow once more in encampment. Hopefully I can nab Great General.
Unlike normal archers, Immortals benefits from Great General, turning them in pseudo crossbowman.
My slingers started scouting tundra for city states, I did miss Granada after all, maybe there is more of them in tundra?
Next turn Sinbad grow to size 2 and I shall grab inspiration for Early Empire and thanks jade and Persian trade route my culture has doubled.

International: Suboptimal repaired his campus, guess that scout does minimal damage. (In PBEM 2 my Cossack completely pillaged encampment to ground and it would take 20 turns to repair it when I took city with that encampment). Also he did complete his another campus in Cassowary, well one more pillage opportunity for my scout. I did plan to pillage horse tile this turn, but it came one movement point short due combination of crossing river and zone of control by city. So it has be done next turn.
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 38:

Sinbad grew to size 2, netting me inspiration for Early Empire.
   
In Aladdin I swapped for warrior and next turn forest on hill shall be chopped and overflow shall go in encampment again. I am going nab that barb camp with my warrior and slinger.
I stopped researching Archery for now, Sinbad need 2 more turns to complete a slinger. After that I shall complete Archery, for now invest more in Iron Working.

Around Suboptimal lands I decided that I needed money for eventual upgrades for my slinger, so I pillaged horse tile despite getting smacked by warrior next turn.
   
If my scout survives, then I try keep him alive and aim for campus if possible.