Bought Civilization V about a week and some ago. Loaded it up and hit "quick-play" and here I am, a settler and a warrior in an unknown land. First Washington, then New York and Philadelphia, all the while fending off barbarians and dealing with two city states. Soon, I learn that we three are on a continent of our own. Pleased, knowing that I wouldn't have to deal with any civilization trying to do something stupid, I focused America on culture, science and sea fearing. Building costal cities and eventually conquering one of the city states that was positioned on a critical choke point. 
 
With ocean crossing ships, came the knowledge that  Napoleon was a skip over a small canal on a continent to the east. Being cautious, I decline opening my borders to him and decide to explore his mass of land. Soon I learn that France is sharing its borders with India on a fairly large continent. Of course, they are not so pleased with each other and continually ask me to aid one of them. Not wanting to pull hostility towards my quiet land, America remains neutral. I order my ships to sail further east, finding the Egyptians and Siam sharing a massive continent, the 3rd and final on our little plant. The most comforting thought in this excursion, is that America probably has the largest fleet in the world which, hopefully, will prevent the need of a large land armies to protect my country. Leaving my coastal cities building more ships and expanding my fleet, and my inland cities building wonders, buildings and improvments instead of soldiers. 
   
Knowing that on my small continent, I will forever be restrained in resources both luxury and stratigic, I decide that to further America I must invade the french, which will be the easiest target seeing as they have multiple coast cities and their army will be spread wide after conquering the small nation of India. I build up some more ships and a few minutemen, because obviously, you can't conquer without a land unit. My ships set sail, parting my fleet to attack three cities at once, Two on the south and one in the north.  Napoleon, one of the great generals, doesn't believe my lies and amasses forces in the south. Keeping my invading forces to the north a little behind makes him believe the south is the only front and I get to pummle three cities with bombarding ships, weakening thier defences and keeping the french army wounded. The stage is set for an invasion and American minutemen land on the beaches and conquer one city to the south, and one to the north. Sadly, my intelligence was not up to date with the armies that  Napoleon has built, and he takes back his southern coast, but not long after realizes that his northen city is lost, begs for peace. Offering gold, resources and payments in the negotiations. 
 
Peace remains for a long while, but it is no surprise to see the French building forces that will one day try to take the city back. unfourtunatly, my borders on the french lines do not stretch wide and I have little room to plant defending forces. Things look bad on the political stage, as the world leaders view my actions as hostile (well... they were) and it becomes harder to sign trade agreements and research pacts. So I focus on my America, building schools, libraries and universities to educate my people and make America known as a leader in technology and science. 
But this endeavor doesn't really succeed. In the past, I wasn't focusing on it and it seems like America is always a step behind Siam. So if I can't be remembered for scientific achievments or being culturally magnificent, America will be remembered as an all around civilization. Spreading wide on the land, being strong and smart while also developing culturally. 
This means conquering Egypt. 
  
Egypt only has three cities, all three on this penninsula, meaning that using my fleet will make conquering them an easy task. I send my fleet and ready some invading forces, only this time I know Egypt barely has any armies. Everything is in place, I begin my attack and... France Attacks ! In my foolishness, I forget about  Napoleon and he tries to take back his city. I resist for a while, but eventually lose the city, pulling my ships back to avoid losing them as well. In Egypt on the other hand, America has great success as we devour the small civilization. From here, I think to myself, i'll be able to keep hold of these cities and grow my civilization enough to edge out Siam when the book is closed. 
Siam has other ideas... 
 
Not long after taking Egypt, Siam attack my newly taken cities and all my forces are just no enough to withstand the huge land and air units storming the land. So instead of trying to keep my new land, I decide to make Siam pay. I'll take over thier eastern shore with the large naval fleet America still has in those waters, together with some B17 bombers to help weaken the coast cities to a point where it will be easy to just march into the city. All this, while Siam has it's forces to the west of the land. Taking over the first two is easy, but takes time because this was not planned before hand. From there, I move my bombers over the small ocean and begin bombarding 3 more cities with air strikes and naval cannons. I take two more cities before I see the mass of armies that Siam still had closing in and tell Siam I'd rather end the conflict here than have more bloodshed. They agree and "peace" is present again. 
 
Now, seeing the end near, I see that just trying to be memorable won't be enough, I pour all my resources into researching space exploration. Building each part of the space ship as fast as I can, but alas... 
 
2050 AD comes and I have all but one piece of the space ship ready. The book is closed and America will never be remembered as the greatest civilization ever formed. Instead, it will be remembered as those who are always a step behind Siam and their king.

Bought Civilization V about a week and some ago. Loaded it up and hit "quick-play" and here I am, a settler and a warrior in an unknown land. First Washington, then New York and Philadelphia, all the while fending off barbarians and dealing with two city states. Soon, I learn that we three are on a continent of our own. Pleased, knowing that I wouldn't have to deal with any civilization trying to do something stupid, I focused America on culture, science and sea fearing. Building costal cities and eventually conquering one of the city states that was positioned on a critical choke point. 
 
With ocean crossing ships, came the knowledge that  Napoleon was a skip over a small canal on a continent to the east. Being cautious, I decline opening my borders to him and decide to explore his mass of land. Soon I learn that France is sharing its borders with India on a fairly large continent. Of course, they are not so pleased with each other and continually ask me to aid one of them. Not wanting to pull hostility towards my quiet land, America remains neutral. I order my ships to sail further east, finding the Egyptians and Siam sharing a massive continent, the 3rd and final on our little plant. The most comforting thought in this excursion, is that America probably has the largest fleet in the world which, hopefully, will prevent the need of a large land armies to protect my country. Leaving my coastal cities building more ships and expanding my fleet, and my inland cities building wonders, buildings and improvments instead of soldiers. 
   
Knowing that on my small continent, I will forever be restrained in resources both luxury and stratigic, I decide that to further America I must invade the french, which will be the easiest target seeing as they have multiple coast cities and their army will be spread wide after conquering the small nation of India. I build up some more ships and a few minutemen, because obviously, you can't conquer without a land unit. My ships set sail, parting my fleet to attack three cities at once, Two on the south and one in the north.  Napoleon, one of the great generals, doesn't believe my lies and amasses forces in the south. Keeping my invading forces to the north a little behind makes him believe the south is the only front and I get to pummle three cities with bombarding ships, weakening thier defences and keeping the french army wounded. The stage is set for an invasion and American minutemen land on the beaches and conquer one city to the south, and one to the north. Sadly, my intelligence was not up to date with the armies that  Napoleon has built, and he takes back his southern coast, but not long after realizes that his northen city is lost, begs for peace. Offering gold, resources and payments in the negotiations. 
 
Peace remains for a long while, but it is no surprise to see the French building forces that will one day try to take the city back. unfourtunatly, my borders on the french lines do not stretch wide and I have little room to plant defending forces. Things look bad on the political stage, as the world leaders view my actions as hostile (well... they were) and it becomes harder to sign trade agreements and research pacts. So I focus on my America, building schools, libraries and universities to educate my people and make America known as a leader in technology and science. 
But this endeavor doesn't really succeed. In the past, I wasn't focusing on it and it seems like America is always a step behind Siam. So if I can't be remembered for scientific achievments or being culturally magnificent, America will be remembered as an all around civilization. Spreading wide on the land, being strong and smart while also developing culturally. 
This means conquering Egypt. 
  
Egypt only has three cities, all three on this penninsula, meaning that using my fleet will make conquering them an easy task. I send my fleet and ready some invading forces, only this time I know Egypt barely has any armies. Everything is in place, I begin my attack and... France Attacks ! In my foolishness, I forget about  Napoleon and he tries to take back his city. I resist for a while, but eventually lose the city, pulling my ships back to avoid losing them as well. In Egypt on the other hand, America has great success as we devour the small civilization. From here, I think to myself, i'll be able to keep hold of these cities and grow my civilization enough to edge out Siam when the book is closed. 
Siam has other ideas... 
 
Not long after taking Egypt, Siam attack my newly taken cities and all my forces are just no enough to withstand the huge land and air units storming the land. So instead of trying to keep my new land, I decide to make Siam pay. I'll take over thier eastern shore with the large naval fleet America still has in those waters, together with some B17 bombers to help weaken the coast cities to a point where it will be easy to just march into the city. All this, while Siam has it's forces to the west of the land. Taking over the first two is easy, but takes time because this was not planned before hand. From there, I move my bombers over the small ocean and begin bombarding 3 more cities with air strikes and naval cannons. I take two more cities before I see the mass of armies that Siam still had closing in and tell Siam I'd rather end the conflict here than have more bloodshed. They agree and "peace" is present again. 
 
Now, seeing the end near, I see that just trying to be memorable won't be enough, I pour all my resources into researching space exploration. Building each part of the space ship as fast as I can, but alas... 
 
2050 AD comes and I have all but one piece of the space ship ready. The book is closed and America will never be remembered as the greatest civilization ever formed. Instead, it will be remembered as those who are always a step behind Siam and their king.

cool story bro.

*Napoleon.

" cool story bro. "

" cool story bro. "

This is why I love Civilization.