Something I've been trying for a long time....

[Ben Kenobi]

But haven't posted yet. First attempt was 11948 in 1938.

Second attempt will be close to 10000 in 1850.

254 cities founded.

New tricks discovered - there's no need for Fundy - you can run it straight in democracy. If you hut tip with no cities, and destroy all the civs but 1 city, you can use your philosophy storage + Invention + Banking for early democracy in 1500 BC.

Early demo = Early engineers. I only settled just to the unhappiness minimum before engineers + railroad (through trade + SSC), and then settled the entire planet afterwards.

Want to see if I can beat Smilo's 24k. Railroad grid is built. Working on transforming all the desert.

Next up is the great transition from Automobile -> Mass transit to corral pollution before it cripples the game. Then the food caravans which Ming says is crazy.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

what? large map... 750 million something population, 412 cities.

[Ben Kenobi]

Not with Civ2. City cap is 254, 255 with recycling civs and trapping a settler but I believe the 254 without recycling civs is actually the superior start. Tradeoff on huge map is just too advantageous without civ restarts.

1500 insta-democracy appears to be the best opening without restarting civs. I will test a couple of midrange strats to see.

New testing will be to buy Shakes, celebrate up to a city size 12, buy KRC, build the SSC with Colossus + Copes and research Steam Engine + Railroad. Research Gunpowder, then build Darwin's for Chemistry + Explosives.

I did not try early celebrating. Once I get Explosives, I can start expanding with impunity.

Explosives in the BC years are vastly superior to spending money on settlers.

[asim595]

what? large map... 750 million something population, 412 cities.

Yes, it is spreading rapidly.