Conditions: from 2-6 nations, medium or large maps, with a larger terrestrial territory and GG

A month ago, there was an article "ABC of multiplayer game" by Dmitry (Diman000), in which he briefly described the right moments when developing on a tiny / duel map. The points described in that article are very important when playing at fast speed and a duel / tiny map, BUT at medium speed and larger maps, much different ...

Aboutfast-games.
The first thing I would like to note is that the developers made the game for medium speed and therefore the game at other speeds is less balanced (the cost of science / production, etc., is only proportionally changed there). At a fast speed, unique units of different nations become obsolete very quickly and simply do not even build (not to mention the fact that they often often do not have any effect on the game). Therefore, when nations have a property or a building instead of a unique unit, then this is often preferable, since it has a more lasting influence on the nation. In addition, it often happens at fast speed that there is simply nothing to build in the city (everything has been rebuilt, and science for new buildings has not yet been opened), which also indicates a certain inconsistency in the balance of fast-play, at medium speed this happens extremely rarely. It is also important to note that by default the time per move in a fast game is less than in a medium game (which often simply does not leave time to plan the strategy of the game, and sometimes just finish the move itself); and this, taking into account the huge production of cities (and, accordingly, units), a good fast-click has a strong effect (the volume of production per turn of a city is the same, both in medium and in a fast game; at the same time, the cost of objects / units at fast speed is significantly reduced - that's why there is often simply nothing to build in the city when playing at fast speed).

The only important reason why fast games are held is the ability to play the game without finishing the game “in one squat”, while playing at medium speed almost always requires finishing the game.
I myself have already played more than 50 network games at medium speed (most of this is a duel, but often with the addition of 1 to 4 computer players), and some games (with standard card sizes and more) lasted a week and required up to 3-5 replay in the evening ( 3-5 hours each). But if the game was equal (and it is often equal, since there is a way to determine the very size of the bonus to the opponent for the game), then the final outcomes turned out to be especially interesting (I did not see such endings at fast speed, since there the game goes like as a rule, head-on and is won simply due to a larger volume of production / science, as well as a good fast-click).
In addition, in almost half of the games I have played, they began to start not from antiquity, but from a later era. It is strange that the beginning of the game, not from antiquity, is little used by players. When playing G&K, this severely limited the choice to only one of the three cultural institutions (in fact, will or tradition).

The principles of good play at medium speed:

1. Choosing a capital:
Since playing on medium-sized maps, quite often involves playing before atomic bombs and bombers, then the choice of the capital should be approached extremely thoroughly.

The main criteria for choosing a capital (approximately equal degree of importance):
- river (the capital must grow well, since it usually gives the most science and money)
- the presence of a miracle (of course, if it is possible to build in 3 cells from a miracle of nature, then this must be done)
- on the high seas (now, when there are merchant ships - this is extremely important, + additional possible wonders of the world)
Advice for beginners: If you place a city on the ocean coast, then provide it with either minimal shelling from enemy ships or control the sea (and also place the second city near the ocean both to conquer the ocean and for sea trade routes between your cities)
- near the mountain (the growth of science from the observatory is very large + additional possible wonders of the world from the neighborhood with the mountain)

Less important are the factors that are extremely important on fast-play dueling maps:
- a city on a hill (at the same time I agree that at a fast speed and a small map - this is possibly one of the main criteria)
- the presence of rare or strategic resources (the capital can increase the territory by 5 cells and reach an important resource, and you can take happiness and resources from the GG)

I would also like to separately mention the miracle of "Peter". Sometimes it is worth building a city / capital for it, but in this case you should be practically sure that you will be the first to build it (I do not recommend building it if there are less than 3-4 petrohills). Desert cages with Petra give production as with a plain, therefore, if you are not sure, take the capital away from the desert, so that later you will not regret that someone built Petra before you (and the capital turned out to have a lot of lost desert cells). A more reliable option is to build Petra in the second city, which is maximally tailored for production (Petro-hills), after studying the enemy's territory at the expense of caravans or a great man.

2. Intelligence
If intelligence can be neglected in fast games, since the war begins (and often ends) before modern times (spies do not play a role), then for games at medium speed / maps this is a more important factor.
Firstly, since often the capitals are far from each other (from 15 to 25 cells, or even further), often illuminating the capital (territory) of the enemy:
a) it is possible and necessary to protect one's own from its enlightenment by the enemy (and this is a huge advantage and economy of science due to stolen technologies :)
b) know what he is building in the capital, and what resources there will be / are potentially on his / next territory
c) plan military operations to capture / control / retain territory or resources and trade routes

3. Trade routes
After the appearance of trade routes between your cities, you need to try to make them safe (from barbarians and opponents) and build them to the maximum. At the same time, if you play through tradition (although freedom on medium / large maps is usually generally preferable), then still build the 2nd city as early as possible, additional food, and later production is much better than if you let caravans to neighbors for money. Only at the later stages (not earlier than industrialization) can they be transferred to the accumulation of money.

4. Interaction with the GG
The role of the HH in the BNW has grown significantly, especially in the fight for votes in Congress. With equal demographics, this factor, as a rule, determines the winner of the game. Therefore, before the Middle Ages, try to determine for yourself those GGs that you are going to make allies on a permanent basis (you can still distinguish 2 categories of GGs: for capturing, for collecting tribute).

5. Interaction with computer players (recommended PC game level: "immortal")
Trade and war with computer states.
In trading, everything is simple - you leave resources to yourself at a minimum (happiness is no more than 4-8), everything else is for trading with a computer player.
War: As a rule, due to the starting bonus in units, before the Middle Ages, the comp. the enemy is dangerous in that he can go to war with decent forces, while, despite the fact that a good player can easily repulse his troops, time (including repairing the destroyed territory) and possibly production (walls / archer) will require this. Therefore, the ideal and painless option is to take out the enemy with frigates (which you prudently get after upgrading them from galleases). But if the enemy's cities do not have access to the ocean, then you can wait for artillery (go out first). Often, the moment of war is determined by the desire of the computer player to trade unfairly or by the presence of specials. unit (playing as Zulus, Songhai, Huns, etc.). At the beginning of the comp. the player is ready to give 5-6 coins per turn for a rare resource and this must be used, as soon as he offers 3 for a rare resource, then the relationship with the computer is not very good ... and you should think about its capture / destruction.
Capturing a computer player: having an advantage in troops over the computer, and after capturing his city, offer him to give up his other city for 10 moves for peace. In this case, you will not only save money / time to capture this city, but also get a city already slightly rebuilt by the enemy with a number of buildings. Nevertheless, it is better to immediately destroy some cities after the capture, because happiness is not rubber, and your cities and the captured computer capital will still grow. And most importantly, when taking out a computer player, do not rush and then you will take out your opponent without loss, and at an average speed it is not so easy to build units again quickly as at a fast one.

6. Cultural institutions.
In most cases, it is correct to close a cultural institution as soon as possible and not be scattered, since the final bonus that is given with the closure is better than any opening of another cultural institution. Also at BNW, institutions are more balanced. With large cards (with a large number of GGs), you can not only open the institution of "patronage", but also close it (after all, we want to control the votes at the congress, and getting a few great people will help a lot). Also on the map continents and the like (if almost all cities are by the ocean) it is very desirable to take travel / marine_infrastructure, because when cities multiply, the initial bonus +3 is a very strong claim to control the ocean and all sea trade routes (+ total production). The only thing, it seems to me, piety does not look in comparison with others, and I don't even know in what cases it can be recommended, and besides, it is necessary to take / close the aesthetics only by playing for Venice or India.
If I remember anything else, I will add, but I seem to have outlined the basic principles of playing at medium speed and a rather large map.

Afterword. Providing a handicap (cash bonuses) to a less advanced player.
Yes, I would also like to add: the level of play is different for everyone, someone is stronger, someone is weaker. But there is a way in which any player, starting a game with a stronger opponent, would consider his chances of winning it decent, and the game would turn out to be equal and interesting. This can be done by changing the file with the difficulty level (in the game folder, the file is called CIV5HandicapInfos). I recommend giving a head start not in happiness, but in money to a weaker player, while leaving the level of development of the GG and the nations of controlled PCs at the level that the host plays. By the way, the last 20 games with my constant opponent - this is how I play, while very many games in this case reach real strategic confrontations, where fast-clicking does not affect the result at all, and the correct and timely direction of the attack or control of the key point allows achieve the final victory.
Let me explain the mechanism of providing a monetary handicap for those who have a constant partner, but he plays weaker (and therefore, real memorable confrontations do not work), but at the same time you want an equal and interesting game.
When we independently change the difficulty level, we set the same parameters for the game / development of computers for all levels. Usually this is the difficulty level at which the host plays (e.g. immortal), and for other difficulties (which less advanced players will play) we only make one change - add a monetary starting bonus (everything else remains at the immortal level). And then at the beginning of the game after the founding of the capital, the weaker players who started the game on the king difficulty or below will have a certain number of coins that they can spend on buying workers / settler or back. I think the following receipt / distribution of initial money for different difficulties is optimal: 300 coins when playing on the emperor difficulty level, 500 for the king, 800 for the prince, 1200 for the commander, 1600 for the leader, and playing as a settler, the newcomer will receive 2000 coins immediately after the foundation of the capital.