In the Beginning - 4000 BC to 3130 BC

This time I have decided to play England, my home country. An English trait is the +2 Movement for all naval units. This is a great advantage because it allows amphibious assaults from outside the visibility range of land units on the coast. A must as the English player is to build the Great Lighthouse which gives the owner further +1 Movement. This World Wonder can be built after Optics has been researched - a Technology which also allows land units to embark and 'walk on water'.

Below are the Unique Units for England; the Longbowman which replaces the Crossbowman and the Ship of the Line which replaces the Frigate. They are available in the Medieval and Renaissance Ages respectively.

I found my capital city London and start building a Monument.

I choose Pottery for first Technology to research.

I can go directly to Optics but it would require a total of 175 turns and nothing else will have researched. I need the three green-coloured Techs, also Trapping and Bronze Working are required to develop the resources of the Realm.

I meet other nations who visit the shoreline on the other side of the English Channel.

3955 BC: My Warrior explores an Ancient Ruins and I receive a Technology, Pottery, the Tech I was researching....

....so I choose to research Mining next - needed to mine the Copper and Silver hexes West of London and will eventually give me 8 Happiness points.

I continue my exploration of the island while an Austrian unit arrives to say hallo.

3775 BC: A second citizen has arrived...

....and we meet Catherine of Russia.

3685 BC: I add a Worker and Granary to the Production Queue - I don't need a Scout yet because it can't leave England until Optics has been researched. Cultural and Population growth have priority at the moment.

3640 BC: The Monument has been completed and work begins on my Worker - we also meet Isabella of Spain. Apart from William of Holland all Leaders are female so far :)

3580 AD: Isabella asks for assistance against William and we agree.

3520 BC: Mining has been researched I choose Archery next - after all, we are at war and a bit of firepower might prove useful.

3415 BC: A third citizen arrives in London and I place it on the Copper hex - it will speed up production at the expense of Population growth.

3385 BC: I choose, as usual, Liberty and....

....in 3520 BC we agree to peace with William. Not a shot was fired but hopefully Isabella will be an Ally in any future conflict with William - a natural enemy of England because of our proximity to each other.

I grant nations an Embassy because the Gold is useful in the early game.

3190 BC: I have finished researching Archery; Sailing is next. As you can see it leads to Optics.

Sailing now only requires 37 turns instead of the 55 turns required at the beginning of the game.

3130 BC: My Worker has arrived I start building a Farm on the Wheat hex.

That is all for this post - cheerio :)