[akots]

I think I'll take the first few turns and may be make some plans for the future. But the more feedback is here, the better our opening will be, so please let's discuss something.

We play Zara who is Creative (free culture expansions, cheap libraries and theaters) and Organized (cheaper civics, cheap courthouses, factories, and lighthouses). Traits are not bad and early libraries are very helpful. In the mid-game Organized trait is very good, saves up to 30% of civic maintenance. Also, because of lower expenses, inflation rate is better so, we can save even more, up to 40% total for up to Modern Era. Courthouses can be built early on and these are really good giving also nice espionage bonus. Lighthouses may be also helpful if there is some watery areas. Factories are nice but not really something important, by that time the game is already decided usually.

We start with Hunting and Mining which is quite good since there would be a scout and we can start on Bronze working right away. We don't need religion to expand borders, and IMO, religion can be completely neglected in the early game.

Our UU is Oromo which is also not bad. it is basic musketman with free Drill I and Drill II promotions who is immune to first strikes. Which makes it a good unit against longbowmen and catapults/trebuchets and even cannons on the right terrain. Once upgraded, it will make a nice core of rather good riflemen army.

Unique building though sucks. It is Stele which is essentially a monument (we don't need monuments for culture expansion) which gives 25% bonus to culture. The bonus would be quite useless unless going for cultural victory and that is quite impossible in multiplayer games.

So, IMO, at the beginning, the standard strategy can be used and this was quite successfuly played out in many games. The main component is REX, which means to settle as much land as possible as early as possible while simultaneously rushing one neighbor and securing peace with the other neighbors. Meanwhile, research required worker techs (BW, AH for chariots, Pottery for granaries not for cottages), and then straight to writing and Code of Law (after doing path to Preisthood and may be Math). Then, immediately going for Alphabet for spies. If the neighbor can be rushed, we get large piece of land, can build more cities, more libraries, more courthouses, and get this all functional. This will give us technological lead for the middle of the game through to Middle Ages and Gunpowder. Then, there would be time to rush another neighbor (preferably some weaker and smaller one) making sure that it is all secure and safe on the other sides. If we still can keep the lead tech-wise, we can try to rush some other player.

I would not go for early wonders, for early Music, or for much of Great People farming and would try to emphasize growth and production as usually.

I would estimate that for comfortable Space victory, at least 30 cities are needed on huge map size. But 20-25 would still allow us to stay competitive through the end of the game.

For Rexing to work, in the early game, we should try to build only workers (about 2 per city depending on the map) and military with occasional barracks. Libraries can be started after writing and Courthouses after CoL. There is no particular need for other city improvements. For early rush, some axemen and chariots are usually enough since the most important thing is to disconnect copper/iron. It would be better to rush a neighbor who is neither protective (powerful archers) nor aggressive (powerful axemen). But rushing aggressive neighbor who is guaranteed to have no metal is also OK. Rushing protective neighbor who has only archers is also OK as long as his production capacity can be crippled.

Of course, for this to work, all forests should be chopped as soon as possible and slavery has to be used heavily. Typically, only bonus tiles are worked, all extra citizens are slaved for workers/settlers and units. The red faces will go away if we are able to connect resources for happiness. IMO, getting to the largest reasonable size is very important.