A very good way to win the game by domination(works even on deity)

[TiLiKouToS]

I allow only two victory conditions, domination or conquest, because i think they are the more realistic(even a not so strong civilization may advance culturally , but noone has managed to dominate 66% of earth's territory), and play a large continental map.

I play Hellenics(commercial , scientific ).In the beginning of the game i try to expand but i also build hoplites,(only veterans after the first 2-3).Instead of researching fast, i prefer to accumulate gold.By this way , i can get most technologies as soon as they are discovered by sb else and also have a lot of gold.If i am in a danger, i pay an other civ to help me against the agressor(most times they are more than willing to do so).I also build libraries ,because i can gain cities culturally and make sure my own cities do not defect.I always change to Monarchy as soon as it is possible.

The only military unit i build until the discovery of replaceable parts ,is hoplite which i upgrade to infantry ( i trade all sources of saltpeter and try by the time i get nationalism i prefer building factories ).As soon as i get infantry ,i upgrade all my hopites to infantry, build some artillery units (7-8 are sufficient) and then i start war against the nation which has sth i desire( luxuries or strategic resources or even a great wonder).Using infantry and artillery,i conquer him slowly but steadily.If by that time you have in your possesion sun tzu's art of war or leonardo's workshop you won't have any trouble and even if you don't yoy can do it but the financial cost will be grave.Then, as soon as sb gets into the final era, i buy or steal the technology from him, and get into the era, get the advance which i sell to the civilizations from which i had bought the required technological advances and so i am at the same status as they in science and at a better financial state ( even 10000 gp more the wealthiest AI civ).If i have managed to gain a lot of tradeable resources, i can aslo increase dramatically my financial income.

Then by using mech infantry + tanks(upgradable to modern armor) i conquer the continent in which i start and then prepare a amphibious and air assalut against the other continet.To succede in this part you must use a very good tactic, especially if sb else has managed to entiraly dominate the other continent.Oh and i forgot to mention that as soon as you get to the last era you start researching too(it's easy to build science imrpovements with the Hellenics).

This tactic has worked fine at 3 emperor games and 1 deity game but completely failed when i was an isolationist.

I await your critics and suggestions

[notyoueither]

Sounds similar to what I usually do, if ancient civs aren't too close to start. Except I kick the research into high gear in late Middle Ages to get the lead. I also very much enjoy campaigning with Knights and Cavalry so I do so. It's a hybrid strategy. I call it BuildMonger.

[Giovanni Wine]

Sounds like the opposite of my strategy!

I usually prefer to attack and kill the nearest civilization ASAP, even with warriors if that is what's available.
after that I start grabbing all the land I can, filling tha gap between my cities.

As soon as I have Iron and horses connected I vassalize another civ, kill it, or either finish off the old civ (if it respawned or if I couldn't kill them completely)

Set science at 10% and trade as much as i can with the AIs

Whe I'm near to Chivalry I set the science at 100%, start building units and rush another neighbor, go back at 10% science

Do the same when Military Tradition is nearby.

I usually take the tech lead in the first half of the Industrial era.

Once Tanks come eround I take my continent for myself.

Than play peaceful but, via diplomacy, make the other AIs in the other continent warring, selling supply, making moneys, and giving gifts to the losing civ, in order to balance the war again.

That way, I have no competition for the Spaceship victory, or, if I want, I can just build up my army and navy and destroy the other civs (achieving either a Domination or a Conquest victory).

This strategy works well in almost all levels, Sometimes I lose at Emperor thou, I couldn't win at Diety yet... but that's because I suck, and I can not even do my own strategy the way it's supposed to be.

Saluti

[Theseus]

Hellenic vs. Roman strategies... some things never change.

[Coracle]

Once we hit the Industrial period and I have more than a third as many points as my nearest rival there is hardly any reason to continue with the game. The AI is far too stupid to ever catch me, so there's no point in continuing.

Why I rarely even get to tanks.

[Txurce]

Why wait for tanks to start your world conquest in a domination game?

[kcbob]

Originally posted by Theseus
Hellenic vs. Roman strategies... some things never change.

LOL! Very astute observation!

[High Lord J]

I usally play Aztecs and kill my nearest neighbor off with only Jaguar Warriors I love those guys in the begining I can get to the other civs capital and kill them before there second warrior is bulit.

I then kill any other civs around me off with mass archers

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Coracle
Once we hit the Industrial period and I have more than a third as many points as my nearest rival there is hardly any reason to continue with the game. The AI is far too stupid to ever catch me, so there's no point in continuing.

Why I rarely even get to tanks.

Try something besides chieftain.

[MiloMilo]

Originally posted by Theseus
Hellenic vs. Roman strategies... some things never change.

Indeed...

NYE, BuildMonger, I like that, sounds like what I tend to do.

By the start of the industrial age, I try to have maybe 20% of the landmass (out of 12 civs), a handful of vassal states to call upon as allies and buffers, fully developed infrastructure, and a slight-but-secure tech lead. Unlike most people, my science rate stays ganerally steady at 70-80%. Achieving this under a monarchy gov't allows me to win by any victory type I want to.

[Coracle]

If you only build hoplites I assume you rarely go to war. Because if they send some spearmen wandering into your territory PILLAGING improvements you will be hard-pressed to attack them successfully. What do you do then?

[King of Rasslin]

That just doesn't work, man. There are better ways to beat the AI, but many of them are just plain cheating.

Leave your capitol empty. The enemies will beeline to it but will ignore the artillery pounding them on the way. They will get butchered by the time they get there. I don't play this way but you can get away with it.

[TiLiKouToS]

With a lot of hoplites i can build a defensine line.If the enemy tries to break it,they will surely have many losses.I always try not to get in a war with a nation that our borders are extended.I usually get in a war just a little before knights are discovered and have 5 strong cities.Then my golden age is triggered(usually with the first or second hoplite victory) and each of these 5 cities can produce 1 hoplite per turn,so i can build a inpenetrable defense line.I usually give to one of the cities the task of building an improvement or wonder so that they will either build that wonder or some turns later switch to leonardo's workshop( i need that one bad).Ah, and if i sometimes wish a city so much,i will take it out by swordsmen+hoplites if i have iron, or hoplites+ catapults if i don't have.

And about the capital empty trick. it rarely works, you must have a 4 square distance if you want them to go for it...And by the time i got artillery i can butcher them in their own cities.