I usually go with Rome, on a Standard size map with 8 Civs and No City States.
I hand pick some interesting neighbours, China, Germany, Songhai, Dido, Atilla, Monty and Japan. However, on Prince this is a Cakewalk, but I've just finished two games on King and it's been a different matter altogether.
In both games Germany became a runaway success, with 15 Cities and 9 puppets. From the 1500s or so they were a full era ahead in tech. In 1785 they already had WW1 era aircraft, and got their rocket away in 1954.
I'm assuming the huge city count = huge pop = high science. Checking the end of game demographics, Bismark had 99% literacy (I had 90%), and 40 million vs my 30 million pop.
Things started pretty well. I built the Great Library in turn 47, my second city and the National College were founded in the 60s or so. Then i had Atilla DoW at turn 68, followed by Askia in turn 73. It was a close run thing and i had to endure 10 turns of Atilla pillaging all my tile improvements.
I had tried to be disciplined about building improvements, assigning a low priority to culture and none to religion. I used to go tradition but in this game i tried to play "wider", filling out the Liberty tree then taking two from Tradition before moving into Rationalism. I bought two Settlers and used my Liberty freebie to found four cities, but that really seems like all i can manage in the Medieval era. For one, i was getting into negative happiness despite getting quite lucky with all the luxuries. By the Renaissance era, i've got more Happiness buildings researched and would have been able to expand a bit more.
Unfortunately, the cityspam of the AIs had taken all the available land. In retrospect, i should have started exploring the seas at this point, there was a large island off the coast i was able to found another two cities on in the 1800s.
Bismark ended up wiping out Atilla and Askia. Dido eliminated Japan, then was herself reduced to a single city in the 1800s by Bismark attacking with rocket artillery etc. He then began plotting against Monty, but decided to attack me instead, probably because i'd started constructing a rocket. He never advanced more than a tile or two inside my border, despite demanding my complete capitulation at the negotiating table, but beat me to the launch of the ship by 20 turns or so.
Do you think the decision to play with 0 city states helped the AI?
I hand pick some interesting neighbours, China, Germany, Songhai, Dido, Atilla, Monty and Japan. However, on Prince this is a Cakewalk, but I've just finished two games on King and it's been a different matter altogether.
In both games Germany became a runaway success, with 15 Cities and 9 puppets. From the 1500s or so they were a full era ahead in tech. In 1785 they already had WW1 era aircraft, and got their rocket away in 1954.
I'm assuming the huge city count = huge pop = high science. Checking the end of game demographics, Bismark had 99% literacy (I had 90%), and 40 million vs my 30 million pop.
Things started pretty well. I built the Great Library in turn 47, my second city and the National College were founded in the 60s or so. Then i had Atilla DoW at turn 68, followed by Askia in turn 73. It was a close run thing and i had to endure 10 turns of Atilla pillaging all my tile improvements.
I had tried to be disciplined about building improvements, assigning a low priority to culture and none to religion. I used to go tradition but in this game i tried to play "wider", filling out the Liberty tree then taking two from Tradition before moving into Rationalism. I bought two Settlers and used my Liberty freebie to found four cities, but that really seems like all i can manage in the Medieval era. For one, i was getting into negative happiness despite getting quite lucky with all the luxuries. By the Renaissance era, i've got more Happiness buildings researched and would have been able to expand a bit more.
Unfortunately, the cityspam of the AIs had taken all the available land. In retrospect, i should have started exploring the seas at this point, there was a large island off the coast i was able to found another two cities on in the 1800s.
Bismark ended up wiping out Atilla and Askia. Dido eliminated Japan, then was herself reduced to a single city in the 1800s by Bismark attacking with rocket artillery etc. He then began plotting against Monty, but decided to attack me instead, probably because i'd started constructing a rocket. He never advanced more than a tile or two inside my border, despite demanding my complete capitulation at the negotiating table, but beat me to the launch of the ship by 20 turns or so.
Do you think the decision to play with 0 city states helped the AI?
1954 rockets is not "runaway" 
is pretty abysmal. I had to build wonders and happiness buildings to keep growing, and I simply could not keep up strong growth without any CS allies. I also admit I was very rusty because I've been playing BNW and not G&K. I think I got dynamite about T210.
They're just pixels, but i end up pitying them. Despite handpicking 7 of my most hated leaders!
