🚀 go-pugleaf

As many people are noting, pyrimids are wonderfull for skipping right
on into higher governments, especially, in my honest opinion, DEMOCRACY.

Playing at Emperor level, I have found that if I have not finished
the pyrimids by 1000 BC, I will most likely lose.  Once, I did win,
but that was because low tech, hi pop me was on one big continent,
and everyone else was altogether on the other bigger continent.  That is,
after I killed off the locals early on...  8-)
Thus, when I landed and stated exploring "over there" the big boys
basically said "go away and die, weakling nothing, or give me lots
of money."
Thus, I encourage you to go democracy early on in the game.
HOWEVER:  make sure YOU have control of the continent, while still in
despotism, before going democ.  When you go democ, you will not be able
to go on an offensive war untill about 1000 AD, or whenever you have both
tanks and transports, and the womans suffrage wonder built.
Until then, you must fill the continent with your cities, and staff them
with armies to repel invading armies.

Don't be afraid to right away set your luxery rate up high.  Your people
will breed like flies, and at 1000 BC, even a tech rate of 4 can pruduce
technology quite rapidly.  Throw in some libraries and maybe a good knowledge
WOW if you can spare the resources (since you will want cathedrals ASAP).

Wonders are usefull.  A deadly combination I could suggest:
Copernicus Obs., Newton's College, and the Collosus (or SETI program later...)
A good way to mass produce wonders is to use caravans on roads.
When my tech starts to lag in the AD's, I find it convenient to use mass
production of caravans which pipe resources into a central city which has
a high resource production rate to consequently mass produce all
usefull wonders, especially those to do with knowledge, or that will
stay throughout the game.

Wars are fun as a democracy!  All you need is 1 nuke, 1-2 armor units,
plenty of diplomats, and lots of cash (easily gotten by gearing up taxes 
for a few turns..)
The attack is begun by getting your armor unit in position to get to the enemy
capitol.  Next, NUKE IT!  Then move armor unit into capitol, capturing it.
After that, in the same turn, buy enemy cities right and left.
Congratulations!  After this exploit, you will probably now be the biggest
power on the planet, so everyone will try to kill you now...  aren't they nice?

            Huh!?   rcj4...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

"Eh?  What did you say?   No I'm sorry, commen sense does NOT apply..."