How do I not be an evil warmonger?

[Dis]

I might not actually be considered a warmonger player. Although i do use war after my REX is done. I just need to establish at least 25 cities. And if it takes war to do this then fine.

But after that is done I am very peaceful. I only go to war when I have pacts with other nations or when I can't help it. I usually try to get out of them because I'm in a democracy.

So I see my ancient age wars as justified. It was a brutal time.

See- I do play realistically. In modern ages I don't go around like a bloodthirsty dictator. That is just not how its done.

Also considering I win all my games by culture or space ship victory I guess that makes me a builder.

[igloo_boy]

I personally enjoy playing a peaceful builder game most of the time. One problem I have encountered in quite a few games is trying to peacefully contain a powerhouse AI that is beating up on its less powerful neighbours. This can be especially difficult when this rowdy AI is on a seperate continent (I usually forgo building much of a navy putting me in a position where military intervention is impossible).
My solution to this problem has led to a few stratagies designed to peacefully hurt the strong AI and help his/her weaker neighbours.
As a builder (I play on Monarch btw) I am usually the world leader in tech, or close to becoming so. This leads to stratagy #1:
Bankrupt the powerhouse AI. I try hard to sell it all the brand-new tech I've researched, at exorbitant prices. The goal is to drain his/her treasury and future treasury (through gpt) making the AI unable to rush projects and causing its large army to become a financial strain. Preferably, I will be selling the warmongering AI "useless" techs. By useless I mean techs that dont help it military success (hey China, want Free Artisty for 600 gold and 100gpt?).
The alternative to stratagy #1 is helping the weaker neighbours fend off the bully.
Stratagy #2: help the little guy. Again, with my tech lead allows me to direct militarily helpful technologies to those in need. Gifting Gunpowder, Nationalism, Replacable parts, or Computers really helps bolster the defence of your allies. If possible, also gift a lump sum of gold and any spare luxuries you have lying around. Dont forget to send any resources that musketmen, infantry and mech inf. require if your ally doesnt have them. (Is Cathy bugging you with those cossacks? Here's Rep. Parts, 1000gold, and rubber. Tell the Russians to shove it.)
These 2 stratagies go hand in hand to help balance out the power in the rest of the world, allowing you to rise to the top. Let the powerful civs spend their shields on calvary to attack infantry, while you spend your shields on the hoover dam, banks, cathedrals and spaceship parts. Its like playing Robin Hood, rob from the powerful to give the weak a fighting chance. And as a great side effect, following this plan practically guarantees you a diplomatic victory. The weak civs of the world love you for giving them so much free tech money and lux. And the powerful see you as a peaceful trading partner. I will win UN votes by 7-1, 9-3 margins.
I hope this helps people to better meddle in international affairs without having to "send in the marines".
Constructive critizism wanted!

[ThaddeusAlexander]

igloo_boy (great name btw... ) , firstly i like what you wrote. Its all very true and I use this enough if a bully is too far away to bother with. However, you really should build a navy. Even if on land, all my cities have only one or two defenders, I always have a dozen or more destroyers and battleships and carriers (at least 5 carriers). They up your Power rating and thus the respect of rival nations, and they virtually eliminate the need the for a strong, land-based "first strike" force if the enemy lands .... since if you play it right, you'll sink 'em before they can!

Also, if you trade a lot with the weaklings and you're friends with them, chances are the bully's attitude towards you will drop. What I usually do to ensure a run is sell or even give the bully a luxury it doesn't have .... i haven't yet run in to a game where an AI declared war on me while it was getting a luxury from me.

I'm not big on selling on techs to other civs, especially if they're contending the #1 spot. You have to remember that even if you don't want Free Artistry and you think its useless to the AI, the AI obviously doesn't! I know I can sell end-of-age techs to rivals for tons of gpt, but one thing you have to realize: even if you sell them a tech that isn't military oriented, you selling them Free Artistry WILL help them get to those military techs! The AI never misses a tech, so if you give them Free Artistry, you're really giving them a military tech a half dozen (or so) turns early because the AI will spend as long as it takes to get free artistry before it moves on in the tech tree.

Just some food for thought.

Cheers
~Thadalex