Paris: 22304 culture, +260/turn, 107 turns to legendary.

Orleans: 13701 culture, +210/turn, 173 turns to legendary.

Tours: 13304 culture, +147/turn, 250 turns to legendary.

There are 269 turns left.

In 1714, Alex comes demanding more cash. I decline. If he wants to fight through half the world to get to me, he's more than welcome.

In 1720, Railroad comes in, and it's on to Physics through SciMeth. The workers get right to work on RRing my whole country.

Beshalbik is down to 37% Mongolian culture, and is surrounded by my culture, save for one diagonal route out.

Li Po, the Great Artist, is born in Orleans in 1726, and immediately runs over to Tours for the obvious reasons.

It turns out that I have Oil at Paris. So, I imagine, does everyone else.

That Great Artist in Tours did some interesting things. I'm amazed Beshalbik, at 32% Mongol, still isn't mine. Too, Teotihuacan is down to 52% Aztec.

In 1732, we find out that I am, somehow, the wealthiest civilization in the world, followed by Alex, Gandhi, Khan, Monty, and Washington. Too, my ex-buddy Khan comes demanding 260 gold, and I cave, because it's not like I don't have 2k more where that came from.

George, as it happens, went straight for Biology, leaving me open for Physics.

Gandhi, not being content to just fight Alex, has Khan declare on him as well. As for me, I'm willing to trade him Corporation, SciMeth, and Astronomy for MilTrad, Rifling, and 540 gold, which is all his cash.

In 1738, Cimmerian builds me Wall Street, because I was desperately short of cash. Yes. Shortly thereafter, Physics comes in, I get the Great Scientist, and start work on Electricity. I in fact have two Uraniums, near Cimmerian and Texcoco.

Orleans, I decide, needs an Academy.

In 1742, Monty comes along demanding Chemistry, and I cave, not in the least because everyone else already has it. He then turns around and declares on Gandhi, who decides fighting three guys at the same time is a bit much even for him, and declares peace on Alex.

In 1750, the Great Prophet Shankara is born in Paris. Pretty much useless, but he can be a specialist in Paris, so he is.

In 1752, Beshalbik FINALLY flips to me, having been starved by lack of culture down to size 3. This alleviates a lot of my tension with Khan, and gets me a free pair of rifles. And a city, of course.

In 1754, Paris gets the Ironworks, grows, and we complete Electricity. Anybody who then says "Oh, he's OBVIOUSLY going to start Broadway!" wins a prize. Anybody who guessed "And then he's going for Assembly Line for factories!" wins another prize.

"Oh yeah," I say. "Emancipation." Immediate revolt to comply with the rules. Tad late on that.

As of 1766, I am over 1,000 points ahead of Gandhi, my closest competitor. Too, Assembly Line comes in, and we start on Radio.

That's done by 1782, as is Broadway, catapulting us into the Modern Age.

We detour slightly for Biology here, and Paris takes a 4 turn break for a factory, and then on to the Pentagon while Orleans does Rock and Roll and Tours does the Eiffel Tower. After Biology, we go for Mass Media, at the completion of which anything we need from science will more or less be done.

Here's one. In 1794, Washington demands Physics. If I decline, he's probably coming for me - we're at -9 rep right now. On the other hand, chances of him walking through Khan and Monty to get to me? Slim to none. I decline, he stalks off in a -10 rep rage.

As of 1804, Mass Media comes in, and we're off for Medicine and Hospitals. By 1814, that's in and we're off for Industrialism. I'm also steadily turning down the science rate and pushing it into culture.

There's nothing like railroading a bunch of random land you culture borged at 5 tiles out.

Bang, Pentagon.

Bang, Rock and Roll.

Bang, Eiffel Tower.

(You know, I sure don't remember any nifty fountains when I was there. Oh well.)

Culture update. As of 1824:

Paris: 37,053 culture, +367/turn, 36 turns to legendary.

Orleans: 25,222 culture, +280 turn, 89 turns to legendary.

Tours: 26,951 culture, +180 turn, 129 turns to legendary.

The observant reader will note that I have access to the UN, but am not building it, primarily because if I did, every other civ on the planet would unite to screw me over, and I don't much want that.

In 1830, Industrialism comes in, and we start on Combustion. I have aluminum at Rheims for the win.

I am, as of 1832, the second weakest civ in the world, which is I'm sure why Khan immediately comes demanding Biology. I give it to him.

There are also twenty million Frenchmen at this date.

This is why we don't neglect our culture:

In 1842, Combustion comes in, and we're off for Plastics. And, in one of those "Oh, I sure wish I had known that BEFORE" moments, I learn that if you railroad lumber mills, you get +1 hammer per turn.

In 1854, I get a French revolt in Teotihuacan. On that same note, it must be really humiliating for Khan to have me railroading Karakorum's first ring tiles for him.

In 1857, we pull in Plastics, and start on Genetics via Refrigeration and Computers. Also...

Apparently in celebration of all those great movies, Teotihuacan revolts in 1858 and joins me. All 12 pop of it. Next stop, Karakorum!

In one of those moments of irony, it turns out that Teo is the only city in my whole country that can build Three Gorges Dam.

In 1859, Mohammed Shah gets born in Paris, and I hang on to him.

Apparently Monty wasn't down with the whole Teo thing, either, because he declares on me in 1860.

Well, fine. If that's how you want it to be...

In that epic struggle between tank and, you know, catapult, well.

It's been some time since we've established the borders of our empire, so let us do so: