4x game that plays like real history; you start off with enemies around you and have to gain territory through fighting; no arbitrary penalties for extra cities. E.g. Civ V had free space for settling first few cities, but tried to make "tall" a valid playstyle by punishing expansion.

In the real world, the earliest human clans had to fight, a lot, to gain any territory. But apart from war losses there were no disadvantages to doing so. What's the best 4x (against AI) where you're trying to constantly win mini-wars to expand? Preferably one I can finish in 100 hours or less in a first playthrough on easiest mode. Civ 2 with raging barbarians? OK with space/fantasy setting, as long as play loop is same. I like "Return of the Precursors" but early expansion is free, and I want an expand->defend play loop. IRL defense is 3x more efficient than offense, generally speaking. In Civ V, even VP/CBP, I dislike the arbitrary punishments for more cities.