How can I win this game?

[Gibsie]

I've gotten to about the 20th century in my latest game, as Shaka... I've got a good empire, everything I need, branching out onto the adjacent continent, highly-developed cities (My GP farm was +100 per turn at one point, without pacifism!), but I'm just getting the feeling that I can't win at this point. Most of the AI's are starting to get out ahead in the tech lead, despite the fact they're all fairly restricted and small. All I can see in the rest of this game is the AI getting more techs more quickly, passing all the techs around to each other (While refusing to trade any with me), taking all the late-game wonders, building all the space-ship parts they need and finally winning the game.

So here's my save, anyone want to check it out and advise where to go from here, I would be grateful! Check out the cities the AI has whacked up the top of my main continent, surrounded by ice, they must have ridiculous maintenance requirements...

[Swiss Pauli]

I had a quick look at this and I feel the reason that won't win is that you've not tailored your game to winning! It seems you've done things for their own sake, or to boost score, and not to win (Domination, Spaceship, Diplo, Culture).
I think you can still take a Spaceship victory, but you need to shift everything to research. And not having Oxford by 1894 is not good at all, so build this in your science city ASAP.

[Ming]

Having a game plan from the early part of the game is key to victory as long as you allow the space ship victory option. The victory condition you should target should be based on the world you are playing on... the lay of the land... and the civ you are playing. You don't seem to have any real game plan here.

Without a clear focus, you are right. The AI's will nail you in a space race. It's amazing what they can do with only a few cities

[Gibsie]

I do like to keep my options open, and I have a hard time seeing how others don't when they play! I mean, if you focus on building, your power level will drop stupidly and then you get invaded time after time... but if you focus on military, you fall behind in science.

In that game I'd like to mop up the rest of the Mongols, but I can tell as soon as my troops head over to his city, everyone in it will be upgraded to infantry and I'm going to be seething... plus if I do dare to do that, I'll again fall behind in science. It's an annoying situation, I haven't quite got the hang of it yet.

[Quillan]

That's why having the game plan helps. If you aren't going after a military win, you need to build enough troops to keep you safe without overproducing. In the other spots, you build the structures you need to enhance your revenue generation and science output. Then, when you do go to war, it doesn't have nearly as big an impact. In a number of games, I've managed to keep 90% science rate while still having the largest army in the game. That was due to having a shrine to a religion, pushing that religion until it was one of the most widespread in the world, and building every cash-modifying building in that holy city. It got markets, banks and Wall Street.

Find the city that generates the most raw commerce for you, with potential for more when it grows. Build a library there, then a university, then an observatory and finally a laboratory if the game goes that long. Build Oxford there when you can. Build an Academy there when you get a great scientist. Create some science specialists if you have to. A city specialized to produce research can compensate for a lot of lower research rates at unspecialized cities.

[Gibsie]

Thanks guys, some of that I already knew, but it's good to have it re-iterated. Is there a way to increase power rating at minimal cost?

[007]

I'm a newbie to civ4 (have hard time beating the Monarch).
can you guys point me to a good strategy thread. I'd like to read up on a "good game plan"

[Swiss Pauli]

Originally posted by 007
I'm a newbie to civ4 (have hard time beating the Monarch).
can you guys point me to a good strategy thread. I'd like to read up on a "good game plan"

Vel's strategy thread (topped here) and solver's newbie guide (in the general forum) make good reading.