Turn 100 (375 BC)
Jowy revolted into OrgRel, Hereditary Rule
and Confucianism this turn, without being in a golden age.
Meanwhile more people are getting Currency and Archery, making it cheaper for us to pick them up once Calendar is done. Coruscant will give us a great person next turn, with about a third chance of engineer.
State of the Empire
So far we've been making the most out of our traits, and several cities have lighthouses and forges; almost as many as have granaries! We've also landed Moai and the economic twins Colossus and Lighthouse. On the other hand, our first library was just whipped this turn and we're still making do with only 6 workers.
Opponents
6th: Ruff
With three less cities than the next-to-last person despite having cheap settlers, I suspect that Ruff's economy has run to a grinding halt. He just got Currency this turn (revealing 0gpt and 18 in the bank), so there's still hope of restarting, but he's getting far behind. There's also been some border scuffles with Jowy, and a very extensive road network.
5th: Superdeath
SD has been able to keep up in city count, but the window for his Keshiks to be relevant is closing. There's still time for him to mess up someone's game though, here's hoping it's somebody else. We don't know too much about his territory as we're the only ones he won't sign open borders with, trying to extort us because we built his lighthouse. Migh have been able to benefit with Jowy being distracted by Ruff.
4th: Jowy
Jowy had some border scuffles with Ruff which seems to have distracted his expansion somewhat.
3rd: AutomatedTeller
Having just landed Iron Working, AT is coming into his most dangerous time of the game. So far he hasn't shown any signs of agression, prefering to expand southward, and I hope that continues.
1st: Serdoa
The leader in city count throughout the game, landing Stonehenge for effectively a third trait. Serdoa has been playing a great game from the start, and the main way I see him not winning this is getting into a dogpile. He doesn't seem to be cultivating too many friends, having only open borders with Ruff.
Planet Overview
Coruscant
Our capital has been reduced to a settler whip-factory lately, but right now it's generating a great person first.
Kessel
Kessel was sacrificed to get a settler for the marble, but should be growing onto more cottages and a library soon. (Don't mind the cottage, it was changed to the gold after the screenshot)
Fondor
Fondor will be whipping it's Baray into the Hanging Gardens in two turns, before going more unit oriented for a while. This lighthouse is one that probably wouldn't have been built without ORG bonus.
Kuat
Kuat is currently growing to max size in order to quickly build the Mausoleum
Mon Calamari
Mon Calamari has grown into a beautiful city, able to work 2/1/3 coast while throwing out the odd whip.
Endor
Still mainly a strategic city, it's still profitable with minimal infrastructure.
Bespin
This satelite city was originally founded to claim stone, but was cruelly slaughtered by Serdoa before we could use the stone for Hanging Gardens. We did plan to rebuild it, but had to focus more on defense when AT teched IronWorking.
Corulag
Growing in to be a good commerce city.
Kashyyyk
This jungle-infested site is slowly turning into a productive and profitable city, but it needs to rest some from the whipping.
Ralltiir
Too fresh to contribute much, right now it's biggest contribution is early warning for any attack on Kuat.
Naboo
Lovely little island city that's mainly going to be working coasts and whipping out what it needs, but it gives us internal ICTRs.
Nal Hutta
Will be a solid commerce city once it can grow into some infrastructure.
Dantooine
A very crappy city whose main importance is sealing off the border to Superdeath. Once borders have expanded onto the clams and the lighthouse is built, it can start being more productive.
Technology Thoughts
T0: Hunting, essential for bringing our strongest tile online.
T0: Mining, for fast research of BronzeWorking.
T16: BronzeWorking, for chopping settlers and workers.
T31: AnimalHusbandry, for bringing online the best tiles for all of our first four cities.
T39: Mysticism, for an attempt at Stonehenge
T45: TheWheel, for connecting cities and resources
T48: Fishing, for finally working some water commerce, and starting on Sailing
T58: Sailing, for trade connections and lighthouses (cheap and Great)
T62: Masonry, for Great Lighthouse
T66: Agriculture, for Kuat's rice and Pottery pre-req
T68: Pottery, for granaries, MetalCasting pre-req and cottages
T81: MetalCasting, for forges and Colossus
T87: Writing, for general progress
T95: Mathemathics, for Hanging Gardens and pre-reqs
T102 (est): Calendar, for Mausoleum
Wishlist, in no particular order:
Archery, for cheap defenders
Construction, for expensive defenders
Currency, for finances
Meditation/Priesthood, for Monarchy and cheaper CodeOfLaws
Iron Working, for Iron and removing jungle
HorsebackRiding, for Ballistaphants
Reflections
I've been very happy with our choices so far. Both of our traits are giving great value, not least in hammers saved for infrastructure. All those early forges are going to be paying off handsomely in the future. We've managed to snag some important wonders, and our economic savings have let us keep up in city count. Most of our research so far has been either as leader (for the rewards of being first) or as one of the last stragglers (for cheapest possible tech), which I think has worked out well. Given the start I think Khmer was a necessary pick, but a part of me wants to know how the Vikings would have done. The map is turning out to be about as water focused as I had thought it would be, and that extra move would have been great.