About 1500 or so, Alex and Gandhi make peace, just in time for Monty to switch to Vassalage and Theocracy, and declare on Gandhi, who I'm sure is annoyed by the whole thing.

Also new for 1520 is Alhazen the Great Scientist, who gets rushed down to Cimmerian for an Academy there, which is what I find myself doing with pretty much all my Great Scientists ever.

In 1545, Alex comes demanding 230 gold. Yeah Alex, come on over, and let's fight. Man to man. Just you, and me, and Khan and Monty. No? Well ok then.

One day, trouble will come of this. But that day is not now.

The next turn, I am the first to get to Liberalism, which in turn gets me Astronomy (for the observatories). I continue on with Economics for the civic and the free Great Merchant. I get the civic, anyway. Washington beats me to the tech by 2 turns and thus gets the Merchant.

In one of those "Oh yeah, civics" moves, I change from Barbarism, Tribalism, and Decentralization to Free Speech, Serfdom, and Free Market. I am now at 100% science and +13 gpt. With universities coming in, and banks mostly in, this is only getting better.

By 1595, France holds ten million people, vastly better than anyone else in the world. Too, I must be doing something very right, because Paris, which only has something like a 20% chance of doing Great Engineers, pops a 3rd, Sinan, in 1600.

When Printing Press comes in, I start Replaceable Parts, which is pretty much the only thing I need for my workers to be done improving my land. Gold production has advanced from "sufficient" to "ludicrous."

My buddy Khan, finally deciding to trade Gunpowder, offers it to me for Printing Press. I switch out for Liberalism, which everyone else has, and he'll give me guns and 220 gold for it. I am now down Military Tradition to George.

And a word from our sponsors about culture:

Beshalbik I'm surprised hasn't flipped yet. I'm even stealing tiles from Karakorum. There's about 0 chance of getting culture, but I'm sure trying.

When Replaceable Parts comes in, we start on Constitution on the way to Democracy (guess where this is going, win points), and my workers leap up and...start working. Wherein a whole new meaning is given to that classic term, lumberjacking.

Every time Monty goes to Vassalage/Theocracy, you ask yourself "Who's turn is it today?" In 1652, it's Washington's turn again.

In 1662, Constitution comes in, and I can finally switch to Representation!

...oh wait. Pyramids, as the saying goes, for the win.

In 1674, Democracy comes in, and we start on Corporation. The next turn, St. Augustine pops in Rheims, and goes straight to being a specialist.

Observant readers may remember Sinan. Others may remember the Statue of Liberty. So he gets to finish about half of said Statue in Tours.

Most cities are at this point shifting over to building pure research, except Orleans, which is doing culture, and the odd three doing wonders. Through with Corporation, we're going full speed for Chemistry.

Beshalbik is down to 47% Mongolian culture.

This is, as of 1694, is your brain:

This is your brain on Oxford University:

Any questions?

In 1700, Steam Power comes in, and we begin on Steel en route to Railroad. We have coal at...Tours, courtesy of culture borging of Teotihuacan's tiles. So Tours actually did work out. I wonder how many people will get caught by that.

1702 sees Beshalbik's first French revolt. It is now 42% Mongol.

I'm sure you all worried about this, but in 1710, the Statue of Liberty completes in Tours:

There's this sort of bizzare thing going where Priest specialists are actually better by a gpt than Engineer specialists.  Angkor Wat, and all that.