Pong 2-2: Full Report (Nate)

Since Pong-2 was broken by the recent patch, Joe and I started up another game. We played 47 turns but called a mulligan and we quit this one. An abbreviated report of my play appears below.

Settings: All Standard except Quick speed and Fractal map.
Civs: Random
Mods: None

World map as it will appear at game's end on turn 47

Game opens and I'm dealt Roosevelt of America, one of my least favorite civs in the Civ6. Their abilities don't really appeal to my style of play:
Roosevelt Corollary: units receive +5 strength in battles on the home continent.
Founding Fathers: gov't legacy bonuses in half time.
Rough Rider: replaces cavalry
Film Studio: modern UB
P-51: Mustang: replaces fighter (-plane)

I like my start. Two luxuries (tea, coffee), a river, and a nice balance of yields. I can work with this!

Disappointed to discover the edge of my (home) continent quickly. Terra Australis is a mere 3 tiles SW of me. It's disappointing because Roosevelt's bonus to combat only works on the home continent.

On turn 7, I find Nan Madol, a cultural city-state with bonus focused on coastal cities. Although I doubt I'll have many coastal cities this game, their location is pretty near to my capital, Washington.

Turns pass:
The first two dozen turns are not that interesting.
Starting Policies: Survey and Urban planning
Starting build order: monument, scout, slinger, builder, campus
I find some barbarians in the forests south of Washington and have fun wiping them out. Behind them, I meet the Spanish, who almost immediately starts disliking me.

Further north, I eventually find Rome on another, third, "continent." Though we have a bit of a rocky start at first, we eventually become not just neighbors but friends. Rome begins expanding and starts a war with the nearby city-state, Seoul, somewhere in the darkness.

A number of horse barbarians attack my eastern flank, but I am easily able to repulse them. The Roosevelt Corollary bonus on the home continent is noticeably helping me.

Policies: Agoge, Urban Planning

Not long after, I update them again when I get Political Philosophy. I choose Oligarchy.
Policies: Agoge, Urban Planning, Charismatic Leader, Ilkum – focusing on production of defenses and builders at this point.

Things start get  exciting on turn 34. Spain declared war on the nearby city-state of Lisbon and was throwing about 5 warriors and some slingers at the city. Not long after their little war began, Spain denounced me. Exactly five turns later, I found this settler wandering around toward Lisbon in the midst of their forces. Although it was loosely defended, there were no troops covering it. Consequently, I was able to declare a Formal War (thanks to the denouncement) and my scout was able to capture the settler.

I really thought they'd steal it back, but alas. Thanks again to Roosevelt's Corollary, my ranger-scout was able to protect the settler just long enough to escape back into the forest.

I used it to settle New York at the edge of the home "continent." Phillip never really tried to attack me with much, and he sued for peace soon afterward.

On turn 47, Joe called a mulligan and we quit the game. Things were really looking up for me, so it was probably a good call for the quality of the game overall.

World map at game's end on turn 47