Help! I can't win :(

[grifflyman]

I have probably played 20 games since the expansion and I can't seem to win. I like playing smaller empires and I just can't keep up.

I always end up quitting around the industrial era and remaking the game! How do take over other cities without a massive army? I always feel like making an army to attack a city will put me behind.

Any general tips, no matter how noobish the tips are will be greatly appreciated!

The last game I played I lost to Ethiopia, who had 5 cities up in 76 turns on epic speed. He was spamming every wonder I tried to make and was out teching me by at least +5 when I called it quits.

 

[Esperr]

I have probably played 20 games since the expansion and I can't seem to win. I like playing smaller empires and I just can't keep up.

I always end up quitting around the industrial era and remaking the game! How do take over other cities without a massive army? I always feel like making an army to attack a city will put me behind.

Any general tips, no matter how noobish the tips are will be greatly appreciated!

The last game I played I lost to Ethiopia, who had 5 cities up in 76 turns on epic speed. He was spamming every wonder I tried to make and was out teching me by at least +5 when I called it quits.

First of all, happiness is wayy easier to manage now, so city spamming is easier(and more cities is always a good thing, at the very least it just means more raw research power). If he was five ahead of you he probably hit NC and education faster then you and specialized and then shooty faced using GS from his cities and the tower.

Second, the key to warfare pre modern warfare is artillary, cats are pretty balanced and so are trebs, but cannons onward are wayy OP against cities. I generally build more artillary then actual units(although in G and K you need a more even mix now because arty doesnt affect regular doods as much and cities more).

Also, just as an aside, 5 cities at turn 76 means liberty and pure settler production asap, a warrior or two or going for a sword rush would have put him out of the game easily. When a dude shoots that many cities that quickly hes got nothing on defence and you can steamroll him back to his capitol with just a few warriors/spearman.

 

[prince_caspian]

I hope this may be of help.

 

[Xile]

Welp, what difficulty are you playing on?

If you have problems with tech pace, you should try playing Nebuchadnezzar(he's really OP atm, since you double your science output at turn 20 or so, because settling a GS in G&K is actually worth it compared to vanilla). Go pottery -> writing, settle the GS. That should give you enough time to pick up the techs for your luxuries and get philosophy for the NC in a reasonable time frame.

On emperor and below you can easily get GL, so that makes teching even easier.

 

[grifflyman]

I was able to tech and get GL and NC. He was pretty far away from me so starting a war would have taken at least 10 turns to get my units to his first city.

In all honesty I only ever beat this game twice, but that mainly because I play epic games lengths.

Is it possible to win a cultural victory with more then one city? I feel like the only way to do it is through buying out city states.

I also wonder if I give up to quickly, I rarely get into the endsustrial age before starting over.

 

[Xile]

I was able to tech and get GL and NC. He was pretty far away from me so starting a war would have taken at least 10 turns to get my units to his first city.

It would've been worth it. Puppet him for extra income, science, culture and his luxuries.

Is it possible to win a cultural victory with more then one city? I feel like the only way to do it is through buying out city states.

Doing it with one city is harder than doing it with 3 or 4, just because you can't keep up with the tech pace. Also, puppeting cities gives you free culture(they don't add to the policy costs) and it's hard to conquer an AI, for the said free culture, if you're only on one city.

I also wonder if I give up to quickly, I rarely get into the endsustrial age before starting over.

You should, probably, try playing on standard speed to get more experience with mid and endgame.