I have to say i thoroughly enjoyed this game and its a good example of a reasonably simple game that needs actual play to appreciate certains nuances. The game started with all players mirroring moves, Dave and George started a bit of a border dispute and whilst Josep and Andrew bared teeth building up their navies,  i having negiotated a peace with George built my economy and knowhow. As the game progressed we all started getting more aggressive, Andrew felt the squeeze of the  Persian (me) / Phoenician? vice and Dave and George were taking chunks off each other.

In the end as all players realised that you needed to up a gear and smash temples and grab technologies whilst stocks last the game entered its climax. I was on course for a blitzkrieg victory but just lacked that final few troops needed, Josep who could easily have been caught out then had the edge in terms of getting recruits marching and seized (stole) a well planned victory.

Sure if this and that had happened things would have been different. I could have delayed my push to see if Josep and Andrew started a war, but either of them could have taken the chance to get aggressive so i stole the march.

One of the interesting aspects of this game is that whilst there are a variety of ways to score victory points early to allow for a variety of strategies, the middle to end game soon becomes a race to score the ever dwindling set of victory points available. I've only playedthis once, but i played other civvy type games and including a 5 player game of Vinci i enjoyed, this arguably has ben the most enjoyable and balanced.

I'll play this again.