Is religion a must?

[make]

Thank you Shaka, for youre good inputs. I very much agree with youre strategy, and play almost the same way you do now.

Only differences I can see is that I go archers first before bronzeworking and I play on continents, no culture flipping and no tech trade.

[Shaka II]

Archers first is safer of course. I think continents map will give you more time to settle cities before the AI closes in. Pangea is so fast that it's often better to only build three cities and take over barb and a few AI civ cities, since they have the edge on getting settlers out. But that's why Pangea is so fun, it's tight, and causes a lot of AI struggles from the beginning, and they don't need a boat to come over and make good on their threats.