The start:
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The AI's I didn't check much, since on my first turn, there was a hut ready for pop. I set research on CB, cross fingers, and get Alphabet ... mort de rire. Research on writing, full steam.
I computed no gain from mining first, so I went across the river and roaded first. Curragh goes next after the grunt. Low food start, can't wait to get republic and irrigate two of those grasses for a 4 turner.
So Spain, Russia, America on top of Maya, England, Greece, Turky and Germany. Regent AS, so they are just there to fuel my research at start and hog a bit of land temporarily. I know SW will watch me closely and so will I him. The other 3 are wild cards, I'm not sure how I'll deal with them.
First thing I know:
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Second lux. That means I'm not making any kind of MP anytime soon. However, javs will be awesome for barb chasing. Raging barbs with 1/3 chance of slaving one every shot ...
Best case scenario, I meet 2 AS and Praetorian, get a deal for WC and build up a military so that no one bothers me until I can mass horses. Worse case scenario, no one has WC, I need to research it after my philo gambit and will do so before republic. At any rate one of the AI's should have it, but it might be a bit late.
Plan is to play conservatively at start, escort settlers against raging barbs and all. Don't want to paint a target on my back - not right now. Use my UU for massive worker farming against the raging barbs. None of us have "good" timing UU anyways, except the Turks, which won't last to their horses. So I just might waste my GA too early, but I'll play this carefully so as to not get stuck with a despot one.
Gather intel, learn what the continent looks like, and start conquering when it fits best - which probably will the late horseman epoch (3 out of 8 have spears, so if I get one or two friends that didn't build those up enough...), but maybe the early knight one (the natives aren't gonna put men on these sipahis if I have my say on it, and there's nothing I wanna do against hoplites).
I doubt this game will last beyond cavalries. We all seem pumped for quick action.