Just checked your turn prior to invasion, France is making 1400 gpt
. No Banks indeed, it is upkeep and there is no real need for them if you don't know where to spend +11,000 in cash. Main reason for maintaining a solid rep was assuring I could pay gpt to the AI if needed and they would pay cash together with gpt for techs etc. Afaik not a single event has hurt my rep.
You only need Coal for one turn to build a Coalplant and that's the turn you start construction. After that it is a matter of building and using it. It's main disadvantage is pollution. That hits very hard on this map cause there are very few rivers so you can't build many Hydros.
The most interesting thing about this game is the fully opposite approach to techs and ending up just prior to the Modern Age with a margin of one tech for the techlead. Although the many surviving AI-at-strenght might be a factor here it also clearly shows there are more competitive approaches getting techs. It's also either way imo. Go Unis and seek max. profit deals or go Banks, SE's and get techs cheap.
The buy / steal approach would have been more difficult in the Modern Age imo if the game had continued. First of all the surviving AI would have suffered the same faith as Babs and Greece making stealing the only remaining viable option. Second there are a number of techs that a techleader can plan and play for where a techfollower can't. Nukes, couple of wonders, completing Space Race etc.
Hm, maybe I should replay turn 245b and resubmit.
