Does anyone else roleplay? I'm not talking about custom scenarios or maps, either.

So basically when me and my friends play, we all begin the game on neutral terms, and alliances have to be made in game. We don't usually start conflict without a reason, and if a player becomes a tyrant, he may or may not be ganged up on. But we don't usually kil each other off, we allow tribute payments and negotiation. The diplomacy and backstabbing is a huge part of our games.

We're basically all TURTLE players and territorial lines shift about as we all jostle with or without allies to get in the best positions possible before a war breaks out, and the outcomes are always very unexpected.

Usually the economics of the game gets pretty wonky. The whole map will be deforested or something, and at that point wood is worth more than gold in the market prices. And of course, if you're the one who has most of the wood, you're in a really good position.

I once funded a proxy war that won purely because I was secretly supplying gold to the side I wanted to win, lol.

I know, it's pretty goofy, but fun. Anybody else do this?