Culture Problem - thought this shouldn't happen

[johnc214]

I've played a few games of CivIII and never seen this before. I had a moderate size island with 4 medium sized carefully placed cities. As is its way, the AI plopped a poorly placed city near but not particularly interferring with mine. A few turns later, the AI's smaller 1-point city expanded and took over some land I already was using and were within the radius with a size 8 city! Furthermore, this particular civ was only about 2/3 the size of mine, and my score was twice his. What's the deal? Why his inferior culter and smaller city taking over mine? how do I fix it? If I attack, the AI's (which all formed alliances against me even through I have been agressive), then all will attack me.

[Ethelred]

Sounds like you have been neglecting to build cultural improvements. Build some quickly.

You should be able to take the city by culture flip but not if your lackadaisacle about it. City population means little in this. Culture points in each city, nearness to the capital, total culture for each civ are what counts. Cultural flipping depends on keeping the target city from controlling a 21 of its tiles. The more of your opponents tiles you controll the better your chances of getting a flip are and the same for him so start to getting your culture NOW. Pop rush if you have to.

[Willem]

You can't just go by your overall culture, you have to consider individual cities as well. If the other civ's borders are encroaching on yours, obviously you have to build more cultural improvements in that particular city. You can't just rely on your inner cities for all your culture, you have to spread it around, especially on your borders.