How to not score highly?

[Snotty]

I guess this is really an MP specific question, but the score system is an aspect of both MP and SP so I put it here.

I have found myself getting bundled in MP games as I score better than my friends and they take their frustration out on me by trying to burn my stuff down. I think a lot of this aggro could be avoided by having a lower score (or at least lower than the points leader)

Wonders seem to give a lot of score, almost a disproportionate amount. A guy can have a score lead by having a few wonders but no real power to back it up.

Population seems to be another large component of your score, so would limiting your growth by using specialists be a good idea? just so you can stay out of that top score spot. The whip also works for keeping your population and score under control

The MFG and GNP graphs can give you an idea of whats going on in your opponents land. If they have high MFG chart you know they will be able to launch or receive an assault at shorter notice than you. if your opponent has high MFG and high power then you will need an ally to take this guy down, and a joint attack by weaker civs is exactly what I am trying to avoid being on the receiving end of.

The GNP graph can show an empire with lots of towns to be pilaged, or show someone who is aiming to tech, and so is someone you want to take out sooner rather than later

I guess you want a high power graph to deter attackers, high MFG to build and high GNP to tech. How you acheive this while keeping your score, GNP and MFG down on the graph I dont know

[Dominae]

Good players know that Score is not a good indication of the overal strength of a civ (that is, what it's capable of and thus its threat level). This is no more clear than in the early-game, where actively pursuing those things that boost your score - Religion, Wonders, and the like - is a great way to get yourself eliminated. Even without looking at the Demographics screen, it does not take long to realize that score is not everything; just ask yourself: why does that player with a low score always end up on top?

If you really want to minimize your score, the best things to do are to avoid building Wonders, keep poprushing, and refrain from expanding your borders. You can also stop doing any research, but that's more like a recipe for suicide. As for the Demographics indicators, it's almost impossible to mask your strength against a player who knows how to read those stats (there's a tread on CFC about this somewhere).

Another way of avoiding the "score problem" is to play a format where score actually matters, like the MP ladder's "cton". This format is Always War and has a strict time limit, usually around 125 turns. This gives enough time for the warmongers to turn their conquered empire into a score machine (mostly through population), and also for builders to remain competitive in score by teching (and also through population!). In a cton, therefore, the top dog in score is actually the favorite to win, assuming the game goes to time (which it always does). ctons are not for everyone, but it's certainly a skill-testing format.

[Thrak]

Alternatively, you could keep you score low and only let it jump high (finish some wonders, finish some techs, finish some units) after some of your mates start to fight inbetween themselves. Then goto war and take advantage.