I think hoarding is especially difficult in this game, because of the mods, but mostly because of the huge number of magic sites out there. If every province you take is worth around 3-5 gems, hoarding seems to be less valuable.
Boron, you're making me blush!
Growth-3 has hooked me up in this game, it's incredibly good with the mods. And more important, I've been way out of the way for most of the game, so no one has paid any attention to me. The recent Atlantis offensive against me was the first attack made by another player on my home area... and it's turn 70-something (80 something?)! I had better be powerful!
And still, the Mictlan/Ctis alliance looms large. They will be hard to beat.