About # of cities for Domination victory (and befriending Shaka AI)

Between having limited number of cities, but large population versus having multiple cities with smaller population (more akin to the ICS strategy), which one is more suitable for domination victory. I've been reading my forums posts where people suggest to the former over the later for domination victory. What are the advantages of one over the other if you are planning to achieve domination victory? My gut feelings is going for the later because you need to control as many strategic resources to gain the upper hand over others.

Also, does anyone have useful tips on befriending Shaka AI? I heard he's one of the most loyal AI if you plan going for domination victory, but as a warmonger, he's one of the hardest AI to befriend. Should I try building a large army and invading a weaker civilization to earn his respect? Or should I just bribe him with lots of gold?

P.S. If anyone was wondering how I'm doing with the Japanese, I'm getting much success with them. Not because of other civilizations, but dealing with barbarians that constantly take my workers and destroying my tile improvements. Perhaps I should try building more military units, but I'll suffer more gold penalties that way.

And speaking of which, is the ICS strategy still viable in Civilization V for Domination than it was in Civilization IV?

Dark Paladin X said:

And speaking of which, is the ICS strategy still viable in Civilization V for Domination than it was in Civilization IV?

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ICS in the strictest sense of the word has been slammed by dozens of nerfs in Civ 5, even more in BNW with the science penalty. Wide empires are still great, but ICS is pretty much dead. You can have a strong military either wide or tall. My last domination win had me going Tall to start, then breaking out and killing everyone, keeping a bunch of puppets for gold, but I've done it Wide in the past.

I'm unaware of the Civ IV strategies, though. Can you elaborate?

Shaka is easy to befriend if you are not his neighbor. I typically just trade with him while everyone else hates him for war declaring and he becomes friendly with me. He has actually never declared war on me in any games I have had him in, but that is likely because I am never his neighbor.