Pushing My Religion

A scary moment for my plans in 350AD, as I saw this message:

Luckily, I had already pushed a missionary into an Incan city, and he had converted in 100AD, but with only one Confucian city and now the Christian Holy City, I was afraid he would convert away. (In fact, I thought it might even be automatic, since I knew you couldn't convert a civ away from a religion they founded once they adopt it).  

Luckily, they didn't, and I made a major effort to push missionaries south.  I researched Sailing, built a galley and sent two at a time along the coast to convert his cities (including Machu Picchu), and he never wavered from the faith! 

The Parthenon's points generated a second GP in 375AD.  This time it was an Artist (Homer), and as I had no immediate need for culture, I used him to get Monarchy for free.  The following turn Currency was discovered, which was a needed boost for the economy.     I was also starting to open trade routes, as Qin offered Wine for clams, and Kublai traded Incense for some of my Ivory.  Even better, not only goods but my faith began to travel along these routes, as Confucianism spread by sea to Philadelphia in 560AD, and Roosevelt converted the following turn. 

 Notice that my original religion (Hindu) has spread to Kublai, not exactly how I wanted things to work out.  I began sending a steady stream of missionaries his way now, and was able to convert him to the desired faith by 840AD.  (By the way, one thing missing from this shot is that I also completed Hanging Gardens this turn, in Thebes, but I didn't catch the message in the shot).  You can also see that I am three turns from Calendar, which would open a fortune in plantation resources.

Tech Envy

You may have noticed that I've yet to mention any tech trades.  That's because it wasn't until 640AD that one of the AI researched Alphabet!   That's also when I realized how far behind in tech I was:

 (I know, I still haven't gotten around to researching that pesky Archery...)  Well, I could definitely use Metal Casting, and Construction would be great, but there's a slight problem.  I don't have anything to trade!  .  I decide to go for Compass, and hope to trade that for some of these techs.  I research it in 760, but Huayna and Qin already have it by then.  I am able to get Construction from Kublai (+60g) for it, and then head for Civil Service.  I pop another Great Artist, who would give me.... Alphabet. Funny, real funny.  I save him for a possible GA later.  

While I'm here, I want to show some info on where I stand:

As usual (for me), I'm last in Soldiers, and (somewhat suprisingly) last in GNP (but with Calendar, that will soon change).  Also as usual, I am first in pop, crops, and production.  If I can now convert all that potential toward research, I should be in good shape.  

Civil Service turns out to have been the right choice, though, as I complete it in 960 and I have a monopoly!  Civil Service (+50g) to Huayna gets me Feudalism and (finally) Archery.  From Qin, I get Theology, Meditation, and 110g, and finally Kublai gives me Metal Casting and 260g.  Horseback Riding is still out there, but my Chariots are doing fine for now.  (For all the arguments about tech trading being restricted, it's still alive and well, you just have to choose your timing and use it wisely).  This brings us to 1000AD, time to take a look at my world:

You can see Forges ordered up around the empire.  Still room for some fishing villages, and I already have some forces headed for Burgundian, which will be my SW outpost, blocking the expansion of the Incas.  You can see in the inset that all is right in the world, the continent is now solidly Confucian.    Missionaries would continue to travel to fill in more of my neighbor's cities, but the stage was set for Peace In Our Time.