While I love the game (kudos to firaxis, I barely sleep, although it's a bit too easy to win right now), I think it needs some balancing. I'd change the following things :
- World Congress is too easily exploitable by the human. AI doesn't fight for delegates nearly as much. Being a powerful tool, you can basically win the game just buying city states (I play on emperor level and it's really too easy to take over the congress right now), which is hardly "diplomatic".
- either reduce the city states influence OR put a smaller number of city states in game (1,5 * number of civs instead of 2 ?). Basically you should NEVER have a way to have 37 delegates and another civ has 1 or 2, the absolute max should be your vote matters 100 % or 200 % more, otherwise YOU are the congress and it's not really a congress anymore. So nerf the tricks (wonders / policies / city states votes) that increase the number of delegates. Every vote should matter. You should never vote what you want all by yourself, especially since the congress is extremely powerful.
- maybe make a few more congress resolutions available, we're running a bit out of ideas in late game proposals.
- make diplomatic victory overall harder to achieve (or at least make it happen later), it seems every game is a diplomatic victory now.
- on the other hand, make domination a bit more likely (there's like zero AI domination victory chance right now), maybe by nerfing city defense a bit and making the AI build more siege weapons / improving in (early) city attacks (see my thread about tactical city attack AI)
- AIs should be able to vote for really good friends in host and not only for themselves (especially if it's unlikely they'll win the vote) and even diplomatic victory. You just need them to love you a lot.
- make gold donations less crucial in city states influence and world congress, OR reduce the gold available in game (1st solution seems better, diplomatic victory should never be an economical victory, quests should matter more)
- buff autocracy, which is a bit weaker than order and freedom, especially outside of military aspects
- defensive pacts : they don't work, you shouldn't be called a warmonger because you automatically "attacked" because of your defensive pact...
- difference between sea trade routes and land routes are too big. Make it maybe 50 % more instead or 100 % more. Right now cities without sea access are just bad. It could also help in the way there's too much gold in late game, making buying city states a bit too easy.
- reduce the gold from trades a bit globally, banks or markets are a bit weak now compared to big trade cities.
- nerf the food routes a bit maybe, it just looks too powerful to jump start a city with a food trade route right now.
- I'd make musicians slots available earlier, or musicians available later. You don't know what to do with them for some time right now.
Feel free to comment and add other ideas.
- World Congress is too easily exploitable by the human. AI doesn't fight for delegates nearly as much. Being a powerful tool, you can basically win the game just buying city states (I play on emperor level and it's really too easy to take over the congress right now), which is hardly "diplomatic".
- either reduce the city states influence OR put a smaller number of city states in game (1,5 * number of civs instead of 2 ?). Basically you should NEVER have a way to have 37 delegates and another civ has 1 or 2, the absolute max should be your vote matters 100 % or 200 % more, otherwise YOU are the congress and it's not really a congress anymore. So nerf the tricks (wonders / policies / city states votes) that increase the number of delegates. Every vote should matter. You should never vote what you want all by yourself, especially since the congress is extremely powerful.
- maybe make a few more congress resolutions available, we're running a bit out of ideas in late game proposals.
- make diplomatic victory overall harder to achieve (or at least make it happen later), it seems every game is a diplomatic victory now.
- on the other hand, make domination a bit more likely (there's like zero AI domination victory chance right now), maybe by nerfing city defense a bit and making the AI build more siege weapons / improving in (early) city attacks (see my thread about tactical city attack AI)
- AIs should be able to vote for really good friends in host and not only for themselves (especially if it's unlikely they'll win the vote) and even diplomatic victory. You just need them to love you a lot.
- make gold donations less crucial in city states influence and world congress, OR reduce the gold available in game (1st solution seems better, diplomatic victory should never be an economical victory, quests should matter more)
- buff autocracy, which is a bit weaker than order and freedom, especially outside of military aspects
- defensive pacts : they don't work, you shouldn't be called a warmonger because you automatically "attacked" because of your defensive pact...
- difference between sea trade routes and land routes are too big. Make it maybe 50 % more instead or 100 % more. Right now cities without sea access are just bad. It could also help in the way there's too much gold in late game, making buying city states a bit too easy.
- reduce the gold from trades a bit globally, banks or markets are a bit weak now compared to big trade cities.
- nerf the food routes a bit maybe, it just looks too powerful to jump start a city with a food trade route right now.
- I'd make musicians slots available earlier, or musicians available later. You don't know what to do with them for some time right now.
Feel free to comment and add other ideas.