Not much to say about this one, really. The massive irrigation/massive specialists thing is going to be sort of strange. Among other things, it's likely going to mean a lot of cities being really shield-poor for a long time. We'll see where that gets us.

Overkill much on the food thing? Sort of like "McCelts: 80 billion served." Hrm.

I can't see a lot of reason not to found on the starting spot, so we do. McEntremont is founded, and we start up some Bronze Working. We've got a plan, see. A good plan. At least, it better be a good plan, if my minions know what's good for them. We'll build a big statue in McEntremont. A big statue of me, with a big sword. And we'll call it RBCiv McCelt. And small children will frolic and play in my shadow. Yes. 'tis a good plan.

First though, we need warriors. And wine. Lots of wine. We'll soon have all those people to serve, you know!

We send out our warriors, seeking to advertise our fine cuisine to the world. The tribe of the Bulgars is so entranced by our food that it helps them to see into the future, which they teach to our deliverymen.

The Iberians, however, are quite rude to our salesmen, calling them names, and hitting them with heavy stones. Little do they know, we have elite salesmen, quite able to defend themselves from danger.

In 2900 BC, we found McAlesia. 49,000 served!

In 2390 BC, our salesmen meet a potential customer, the Egyptians. They are quite friendly at our initial contact, and in exchange for our fine trance-inducing food, they teach us how to better arm our salesmen with ranged weapons. We also meet more potential customers, the Carthaginians, but they're not interested in our food.

In 1830 BC, we open our third branch, McLugdunum. 182,000 served!

In 1475 BC, RBCiv McCelt completes in McEntremont, and many small children are shipped in to frolic in its shadow.

In 1325 BC, we send another food delivery to Cleopatra, who asks us how to write out the check. In return for showing her, she tells us how to refine a new metal, known as iron. We immediately set to work on a new set of stoves.

In 950 BC, it seen that the great philosophers eat at our restaurants. Everyone begs for an invite, and Cleopatra goes so far as to teach us about polytheistic religion.

In 730 BC, we discover new methods of keeping our account books. Hannibal begs us to teach them to him, and offers technology to make our delivery carts roll better, as well as a way to make accurate maps of the delivery routes. With our increased revenue, we found another branch, McCamulodunum. 338,000 served.

The branch manager in McCamulodunum is quite inventive, and adds spicy foods to our menu. Everyone is greatly pleased by this.

In 490 BC, more potential customers, the English, come calling. They are quite troublesome, barging into the restaurant and disturbing the staff, so we eject them.

In 430 BC, the manager at our new branch, McRichborough, comes up with a new way of paying for our food. This goes over quite well with all our customers, who give us the secrets of Monarchy and Horseback Riding as tips.

In 190 BC, somebody comes up with the idea of putting the deliverymen on horses. Everyone is much impressed by this idea, and we enter a brand new age of development for McCelts. Too, the annoyed English are bought off with the promise of 7 gold per turn in damages.

In 70 BC, McEntremont compiles a great library of all our best recipes. Much is taught to the other branch managers from this.

The resultant cascade wipes out pretty much all the other wonders available.

McCelts: Now over 1,000,000 served:

A quiet period of food delivery ensued, until 330 AD, when the people of the world got all snobby and educated, and decided they didn't need our old recipes anymore. They wanted NEW recipes. Well, hrm. Portugul, as it happened, wasn't at all educated, and so we offered to teach them in return for a printing press to print our advertisements on.

And this game is slightly odd, in that you either have ALL the tech, or you have NONE of the tech, which makes it slightly hard to utilize whatever mad trading skillz I thought I had. Nevertheless, in exchange for part of our profits, the Portugese teach us better forms of money storage. We then turn around and offer Cleopatra a discount on our McCelt Meals and Banking. In return, she teaches us some interesting things about the stars that she learned while eating one of the discounted McCelt Meals.

And life in the restaurant business is hard sometimes. I mean, all these people fighting for spots in line:

Really, folks! There's plenty for all! No need to shove!

In 500 AD, Caesar apoligizes, and comes looking for something. We tell him about astronomy and banking, but demand his theories on alchemy and music in return.

By 700 AD, the whole new recipe thing has worked out fairly well, and we're selling McCelt Meals like mad. This enables us to buy the knowledge of physics from Elizabeth. This new knowledge is promptly tested in a massive fry-flinging battle in McEntremont. In 740, seeking to better understand fry physics, we buy Theory of Gravity from Carthage. We then trade this knowledge and a McCelt Meal discount to Egypt for some magnets.

At this point, we start running a 50 turn scientist on Nationalism.

In 900 AD, it is decided that the whole warrior with stone axe look for the bounces is just horribly, horribly retro, and decide for some nice bronze spears. Going to iron spears was considered, but they were awfully expensive, and besides - bronze looks better.

In 980 AD, with the profits rolling in, we spring for some steam powered trains from England. As it happens, we have coal, too, so we spring for some Egyptian iron, and begin railroading. Too, we decide it's about time for the bouncers to pick up iron spears.

In 1180 AD, the railroading more or less complete, we turn around and buy the secrets of sanitation from the Portugese.

And then people started getting rowdy in line again.

This didn't go over well with Carthage's MPP buddies, Rome, Portugul, and England, who declared as well. And there was much warfare.

In 1275, a chunk of the profits from the McCelt Meals went to England, who sent back more efficient production methods. Using the last of the Egyptian iron, we began work on some new factories.

In 1315, I made Portugul's day by buying both the Corporation and Electricity for an obscene sum of money. Some time later, in 1375, we think about opening McCelt's Gas, but with no oil to be had, we don't.

In 1475, while Egypt and Carthage fight it out with tanks, I trade my only rubber off to England with some cash for atomic theory, then turn around and trade it back to Egypt for Combustion. Both Carthage and Portugul are modern age now. If I want the UN, I need to get it in gear.

In 1515, all the profits from ALL the McCelt Meals, and ALL the reserve cash, AND the furs, go to England for Mass Production and Flight.

The world, incidentally, is having enormous, enormous world wars, presumably fueled by their desire for yet more McCelt Meals. Everyone is fighting at least two other people, and special folks like Rome and Egypt are fighting three. It's a crazy, crazy world.

In 1615, we dial up Carthage, and offer our horses and 125 gold per turn for Electronics. That done, 140 gold per turn and rubber gets us some English radios.

In 1630, bad news comes. The English are building the UN! We trade Egypt for Motorized Transportation, and we too are in the modern age, with 17, count them, 17 turns until we can get the tech and build the UN. Ruh-roh.

And, well, there it is.

With 8 turns left on the gpt deals, 10 on the prebuild.

Uh, right. "Well, NOW what?" ask the worker peons. Haven't the foggiest. Haven't the foggiest.

In 1762, we revolt into Communism. There's a plan, sort of, but...

But it's not happening.

Well, if nothing else, I can sign the world alliance vs. Carthage, so I do. Which I then break in 1788 because I'm getting slaughtered. I then plant a spy in Thebes, and go for the careful steal, which...totally fails and the Egyptians declare. In 1806 we go for another one, make it, and snag some rockets. We have aluminum, for what it's worth. Another steal in 1820, and we have fission.

And the very turn I snag fission, I get a new source of uranium. Wow.

In 1832, we go for the Ecology steal, and get it. Egypt is, um, out of techs. But England isn't. And when they demand uranium from us and declare, well, that's just a perfect time to get space flight, isn't it?

For the record, England is 6/10 on the spaceship. And I'm just starting Apollo. Yeah. Carthage, England's MPP buddy who hasn't yet declared on me because I'm being wise, has modern armor. This could go very wrong.

Or Carthage could randomly declare on the English. That works too. This is one hella crazy warmonger game, here.

In 1884, we finally complete the Apollo Program. How bad is our SS problem? 22 turns to the casing, is how bad it is.

And Mobile SAMs may be the most satisfying unit on the planet to use.

In 1902, with our parts starting to complete, we snag Superconductor. It's pretty apparent that England could end the space race any time they wanted. Why they don't is beyond me.

In 1908 they try, adding the 7th part. Ruh-roh.

And among other things, England also has stealth bombers.

Fortunately, we're fighting it out over this little spot of ground, here:

Why? Who knows. But in 1914, after shooting down England's STEALTH BOMBER and stealing Satellites, I declare peace. And since it just so happens England razed the Egyptian iron city, I go pull out this settler that I've been keeping in McAlesia for like 2,000 years, and go settle another branch, McVerulamium, in 1918. McCelts: Over 17 million served.

In 1922, the English go to 8 parts, to my 5 complete and 3 in production. Somehow, I also need to get Computers, Nuke Power, and the Laser.

But wait, I hear you say. Doesn't England lack Uranium? Why, so they do. So they do.

By 1950, I'm ready for the next push. If I do things right, I'll have enough gold for all my stealing needs, forever. And, just for something different, we can fail the steal on Portugul. Multiple times.

So, tired of that, I renegotiate peace with Carthage so I can use gpt, and buy computers and nuke power at a vast sum. I'm now down the Laser, Miniturization, and Robotics.

Did I mention how much I love Mobile SAMs? Especially when they shoot down both Portugese Stealth Bombers in a single turn.

In 1953, the English add the second to last SS part, and are somehow building the last one. Oh dear.

So just because, we steal the Laser from them. And perhaps successfully frame the Portugese for it, because they then declare on the English. Woot.

Which still wasn't enough.

Ah well. McCelts: Over 18 million served. And more, now that those bastard English are gone.

And yeah. How good was Egypt doing for leaders? Good:

That was actually only a small part of about 20 assorted AI leaders. Lots of fighting going on.  Funny, though.  I never saw an army.  Go figure.

Too, England was very close to a 100k victory.

Final score, 825.