Deity- Need some basic tips

[Faray357]

So I decided that before beyond earth comes out I want to win at least one Deity game.

I need some tips... I am around a 75% immortal win rate now, which is just a giant catch up game (Once I get the tech lead, I pretty much have it).

I had to make a lot of adjustments for immortal, but they don't seem to be enough for deity. Here is what I do to win Immortal

-Don't build wonders early (Almost never get them)
-Go Tradition (I usually end up with 5-7 cities end game, but the boost to the first 4 is just too good)
-Use trade routes internally for food (This helps fast growth, which seems to be the best way for science)
-Sell resources for GPT (Happiness doesn't seem to hurt me early on, and getting that extra 5-7 GPT is huge)
-Try to steal 2-3 workers (If the city states are far enough away I noticed they won't tell each other, and it also might cripple an early civ)
-Build ranged units over melee units (I can hold off an early war, with 1/2 as many units if most my units are from the archer line, as the AI is pretty bad at tactics)

I tried to do this in a few diety games and I can never catch up. I then read that the AI tends to win Science around turn 300ish… but in Immortal I don’t win until 350 so I don’t think I will win with this.
I tried to read on the forums, but they seem to be more focused strategies.. I’m just looking for general tips.

Thanks.

 

[Uzael36]

Your plan seems fine, but you should definitely be winning faster than turn 350. This makes me think that perhaps you are not growing your cities large and not working your science slots. Perhaps you are misusing your great scientists as well.

What tech order do you follow?
You can win by turn 240 with just 4 cities. If you can manage 5 or 6, that can make it go faster, but not if they are built really late. You should probably have all your cities built by turn 100, and no later than 130 (perhaps too late even) if you want a fast win.

 

[Faray357]

I've been trying to get to education as fast as possible for universities.

Then I try to build then and get the slots for them, but that can slow my growth down. After that I kinda of go in any direction getting what I missed, or using spies to grab it.

Great scientist I usually make academies, but I usually don't get that many in a game (3-4, until later), maybe that is slowing me down?

Also last game I tried to make my big science city (National College) a city next to a mountain, but it ended up about 10 population smaller than my capital, so I'm not sure which would have been better.

 

[Uzael36]

Growth is key. You do not want to stunt your growth to work science slots, but you do want to work those slots eventually. You also do not want to work hammers over food most the time. I usually don't get may 2 specialists going until I have a size 10 city, and I may add more later as it reaches near 15-20. I want to see 15+ food per turn at all times. I especially like to see 30+ in the capital.

Your cap should be at least size 10 by turn 100, and about size 20 by turn 150 and about size 30 by turn 210-220. If you are not making those sizes, your capital will not be very effective.

I've come to realize that the National college does not gain anything from an observatory. Nothing at all. The only things that the NC benefits from is population, academies and specialists working science buildings. That usually means your capital is almost always the best choice as it gets a bonus to base science per turn on top of a bigger population with Tradition. The only exception is likely with Babylon with a few academies with an expansion city that is going to grow nearly as tall as your capital, with it built on a mountain. I've not really seen that exception ever come into play.

I used to work really hard at getting my NC up fast, but have noticed that all my best scores come with games where I focused on growing fast, with expansion cities. If the NC is a few turns later, so be it, but once it is up and running, my BPT is much higher with several cities that are growing fast. You still want it finished by turn 80 or sooner. Just don't sacrifice your growth to build it. You do have a couple options on the NC though. If you are in position to build it after 2 cities and get started by turn 40-50, it may not be a terrible plan to build it and add your 3rd and 4th cities after. I often build a settler in my expansion city if I do this.

 

[Faray357]

Thanks for the advice. I'm trying again and doing much bettter. Caught up to the AI around turn 180ish, not sure if that was fast enough, but I'll play it out and see how it goes. I noticed that I don't have a lot of money (Enough to keep buying RA's but that's it).

I think I'm also very lucky this game that the AI's started a bit away and have been warring with each other and seem to love me for some reason.

 

[dragonxxx]

if you want an easy deity win - just play Venice on archipelago. there's basicly 0% chance to lose if you don't spawn with a neighbour on your landmass.

 

[Uzael36]

I've been trying to get to education as fast as possible for universities.

Then I try to build then and get the slots for them, but that can slow my growth down. After that I kinda of go in any direction getting what I missed, or using spies to grab it.

This may also be a bit of a problem. Fast victories are pretty restrictive on what techs you shoot for.

At first you go for Education for Universities, picking up mining and AH early for lux and resource use.

After that, if you have a city by a mountain, go right for astronomy for observatories.

Then you go straight for Scientific Theory for public schools.

Now you go straight for Plastics for Research labs. Some people make a small detour for fertilizer, especially if your farms are not on rivers or lakes.

That will get you to the late game and if everything went well, your research labs will be made by turn 200, but can be done earlier.

 

[myb7721]

Early game it is imperative that you use trade routes externally. This is primarily for the science gain, but also for diplomatic leverage. In the early game *most* of your science will come from trade routes. Also the diplo advantage you gain can turn what would otherwise be an hostile civ into a friendly neighbor that wants to sign RAs.