Non Agressive Playstyle Possible ?

[Jmaz]

I like to go right for Judaism (Monotheism), then Priesthood for the Oracle. Bronzeworking is next and then take Metal Casting for the free tech. If someone else pops Monotheism ahead of me I immediately switch to Priesthood. Then it depends on which Resources are close by for the 'basic' techs to learn. Hopefully the religions you don't get are on a different continent and you can keep peace for a long time.

[Rook]

Its possible, but as TR put it, you need to walk lightly but carry a big stick.

[JustAnotherUser]

It is an extreme example but there was someone (Kylearan) that won a game at Monarch level WITHOUT BUILDING A SINGLE MILITARY UNIT (caps intended)
Sure, he had to remove the no barbs option and had to hand-pick the enemy civ to avoid the more hot headed leaders (like Montezuma) , but even so it is an impressive feat.

link http://www.compoundeye.net/civ/private.html
Check the other games, too. they are fun.

[Yosho]

I've won games at monarch without ever fighting a single war. However, those were on games where I started out on my own island or continent by myself; it's hard to win without fighting on pangea.

[HaplessHorde]

Let's settle this peacefully...

I always set out trying to win without going to war, and it can be done, at least on the lower difficulty levels (still working on Noble, so...)

What I've noticed is that, unless you can win a war quickly, you're better off not starting one.

In my last game, I got repeatedly attacked by two civs, but I was too strong defensively, and while I did not win the game, the two AI civs that started trouble with me eventually got wiped out entirely, which gave me some elbow room to found more cities.

Since they were the aggressors, I never sued for peace, and just kept building and fortifying units. Against a city with 15+ units, an attacker needs more than double the number, and every time my units win, they gain experience, making the odds even worse. As the war drags on, the combatants slide down the leaderboard, and when your opponent finds himself below you, he starts thinking about throwing in the towel, for a little while, at least.

[Son of David]

War is awesome. Why would you even *want* to play a game without it?

Building things is merely a necessary evil. Genocide and conquest is where all the fun's at.

[marvinkosh]

I would love to kick off a war in the game I'm playing right now but my options are limited, not least because I have a Defensive Pact and the main threat is a Malinese-American alliance who are technologically on par but don't have anywhere near the same amount of production as me.

I've turned off Diplo, Space Race and Score victories so it's basically a case of waiting until either I can take on both of them at once, I get that alliance I've been waiting for, or the culture win kicks in.