Secondary question

[Ming]

Some good advice above...
But also, protect your cities from diplo's and spies late in the game. Once you get the sciences needed to start building your space ship, the AI's will flood you with diplo's and spies in an attempt to catch up in sciences by stealing them. For your land locked cities, have all access points protected. Keep a navy or airforce patroling the cities with sea access to keep them away.

At the end of the game, it is amazing how the AI can cheat and crank out a space ship. How many times have we heard about how somebody lost because the AI built a faster ship and landed before you, even though they launched after you.

If they don't have the sciences to build it, they can't cheat on you

[Smash]

and build the super science city.With Collosus,Cope's,Sir Ike's and Shake's Theater(optional).Preferably in your capitol and/or a city with good trade resorces.Such as whales,wine,gold,spice,gems,ivory or silk.Try for a location with more than 1 of these in the radius.Rivers are nice also.

Establish trade routes

Follow specific tech path.Paul's OCC path is best with a diversion for Mono,

Bronze Working
Monarchy
Writing
Trade
Construction
Republic(for smaller civs otherwise you may want Mono first)
Astronomy
Medicine
Sanitation
University
Banking
Theory of Gravity
Democracy
Economics
Explosives
Refrigeration
Railroad
Automobile
Computers
Robotics
Spaceflight
Plastics
Superconductor
Fusion power

NO FLIGHT before Robotics as it kills the Collosus

This a goal path.Not a specific path.You will have to research techs in between

[The Mad Monk]

The key here is to have a technological and industrial edge. To do this, I usually skimp on purely military techs as much as possible. after you pick up Monarchy, pick up Trade ASAP; this will help you generate loads of gold and science, and help you build wonders much more quickly. Contrary to what I've read from other posters, I don't spread my wonders around. I determine my future science city fairly early, make it my capital, and build ALL of my wonders there.

If you do this, build several cities around your capital, no more than four squares away (if territories overlap, your captital takes precedence). Their sole purpose will be to build caravans, which will be fed into your capital. Your capital should build a temple first, then any wonders available, then scientific and economic buildings. If there is nothing like that available, build caravans and stack them. Shift your tax rate so half your non-lux is gold and half is science. Gold counts more at this point.

After Trade, research your way toward Monotheism, picking up Republic and any economic techs as they present themselves (science techs if they are not available). Build and buy economic buildings early, as the gold they provide will combine effectively with the caravans in wonder-building. If Republic shows up before you've built twenty cities, don't revolt until you do (if Demo shows up, don't look at Rep); the two-food expense for settlers, and shield for all units, will put a crimp in your expansion efforts. Because you're pushing for Mono, don't build Oracle--it will be obsolete very shortly.

Next, head for engineers; by the time you reach them, you should have Leo's up and running. Then railroad. Build Darwin's if your comfortable. After that, a push toward refrigeration is in order. I tend to avoid refining as long as possible, because I don't like losing Leo's and the Colossus; also, by concentrating on the other techs first, you give economic and scientific buildings and wonders more time to do their work.

Remember to check the tech tree for preqs; more than once I've been delayed getting to Mono because I forget Feudalism was a preq. Don't pick fights; give your non-military techs to the AIs freely--they never use them to the extent you will, it will take them longer to research military techs, and they will like you and not molest your ships and caravans for a good, long time. When you are about to get gunpowder, dump ALL your techs on the AIs. Do this again just before you hit Conscription. You'll still have six-turn research, while the AIs will be floundering at twenty. By the time you get automobile, your dominance should be fairly well assured.

This usually works for me at King level--it should dominate at Warlord. Remember to build lots of cities early on--as a general rule, I have at least one settler/engineer active for every city I own.

[Jim W]

Okay, now I got plenty of information on how to win. Next question is, how to win specifically by getting the soaceship off to Alpha Centauri first?

Once again, consider that I am playing against the computer, since I just dfon't have the time for MP games.

One thing I know, fill up the empty speaces quick, otherwise they get filled up with barbarians.

Jim W