(http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/828/gandhi.jpg)
The little yellow square/head thing is great people, special units generated by world wonders and specialists- more on that later. Anarchy happens (or rather doesn't) when civics are changed. In anarchy, which lasts a few turns depending on amount of changes, no production happens at all. Not getting this is good. We will hardly notice the building things.
Onwards!
(http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/4094/dwarves.jpg)
Unfortunately this is purely aesthetic. Still, fun.
(http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5690/risingsuni.jpg)
Little do they know I have no intention of standing the test of time, but rather the test of can you kill everyone before time runs out? Anyway, more technical knowledge: Our two starting techs are mining (build mines, leads to
bronze working) and mysticism (Can build culture (expands cities borders, bringing more tiles under our borders)-creating buildings (monuments), and the games first wonder- stonehenge, which centers the world map (shows us just how small our land is by allowing us to zoom out to planet scale) and provides a free monument in every city. It also generates a great profit (at double speed). Mysticism also (and this is the fun bit) leads to Meditation (Found religion: Buddhism) and Polytheism (found religion: Hinduism). Religions spread like a disease from city to city, providing culture, more buildings, and happiness (if state religion). Founding them gives you a super religious city, and extra diplomatic bonuses with fellow (religion)s. There are seven in the game: Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Confucianism, Islam and Taoism. Founding one is fun, but only the first to research the appropriate tech gets the cheese! So we'd have to hurry.
Aaaanyway.
The fast worker is a... fast worker. We'll get to that.
The jail thing doesn't come up for half the game, so we'll get to that later too.
(http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9233/heywhatup.jpg)
The warrior is the basic, no tech, two strength unit we start the game with. The guys above him are a settler.
Settler: Actually we're cool with nomadic life. I mean, look at this place. Dual rivers, fertile hills, verdant forests! We'll stay like this, thanks.
Warrior: Gandhi says get down from that hill and found a city or else Gandhi come up there and rip you to pieces.
Settler: We are ready to settle down and found a city!
Warrior: Atta boys
(http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/8843/turn1.jpg)
The settler will turn into a city next turn. He would have done so this turn, but the forest's slowed him. The warrior headed SE to scout the area, finding GOLD (Build a mine to get lots of money, and happiness. The crude pink outline shows what our city will harvest. The complete one is instant, the dotted one is what we get once our culture piles up. Which it will, for your starting city gets a free palace, which provides 2 culture/turn. We need 15 to expand. 8 turns, that's nothing.
(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4255/firstcity.jpg)
Turn 1! The city is founded, and (based on LP history) I name it bay12 for now. The star around the number means it's our capital. The purple area is our cultural borders.
The settlers drop their little bags, raising dust. A city springs out of the ground. Coughing is heard amongst the surviving settlers, who are now citizens.
(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/2703/firstbuild.jpg)
Warrior: Lord Gandhi, the governor of the city wants something to do
Me: Can't they just grow? 1 citizen is a bit lame qua productive power.
Warrior: No, growth is determined by food. Production is determined by hammers. They recommend building more settlers or a monument.
Me: Settlers consume food. If they just idle for 14 turns they can finish it quicker.
Warrior: Nevertheless.
Me: Sigh. I guess I should inspect the city.
(http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6327/firstinspect.jpg)
Right, big confusing screen. I won't explain it all yet, but rest assured all is as it should be. See the highlighted palace, the only current building. In the center we see that the single citizen is working in a grassland/forest, generating 1 hammer and 2 food. Together with the city's other resources, that's 4 food, 2 hammers, and 9 coin. All going swimmingly.
Me: All that matters is the palace. Have them pass the time by training up some warriors to defend the place.
(http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6198/firsttech.jpg)
The tech tree! Green techs we have, and the selected light blue techs we can research. The number between brackets is the time before completion. (should we choose to research them)
I recomend either meditation/polytheism or fishing, so that we can catch those delicious clams of the coast.