when my first city is captured by an enemy civ. Also, if I capture another civ's city, they are wiped out. I've turned off "conquest victory," but I can't figure out anything else to do.

Sounds like you have Elimination Mode turned on.

Elimination Mode is a quick game option that basically puts everyone under "one strike and you're out" terms. It's like regicide, only in this case instead of a king unit you have to protect, it's literally every single town you build, even one of those completely corrupted useless frontier towns. Leave one unprotected, and it falls, and all the Wealth Of Babylon (or Rome, or Beijing, and so on) goes with it.

thanks!:goodjob:

I was so excited with my first elimination game. Changed how I play to defend the city, and had attackers waiting. Took out the first enemy city, and promptly quit the game. A little too easy.

But I'm sure it works out well in it's intended environment: Multiplayer.