Hey, quit holding hands you guys! Cut it out!

[Cornhog]

Okay, strange title, but it got your attention obviously. First some background

I'm playing an Emperor, Fractal, large map game as the Dutch. It is a strange looking fractal map. I'm on an island completely isolated from everyone. Everyone else is on one giant round continent. I didn't meet anyone until around ~500 AD or so. I didn't found (or get) any religions either.

On the main continent there are two religious blocks. The Taoists and the Christians (I play with choose your religion. I like it. It varies the religions and the game.) I'm doing my damndest to catch up, but there's a big problem...

Everyone is friends! Everyone is pleased with everyone (Except Togu, but he's a dick). I'm trying to catch up, but they are all researching things and trading amongst each other. They are all pleased with me, and more than willing to trade, but I'm behind so I have nothing to trade.

Are there any tricks/tips to getting Civs to fight amongst each other? I can't bribe them to war because they are pleased with everyone and I have very little to bribe with. I'd start the game over, but I think I'm doing pretty well considering my terrible start (island, few resources, etc etc)

 

[AnaNg]

HAHAHA The minute I read your title I knew you'd been playing my games.

OK not really you're much higher level than I, but it seems like that's been happening a lot. I'll have even highly religious civs on the "other" continent (or even my own) that have different religions that are just the best of pals.

Very annoying, don't know how to stop it so don't have any tips for you. But I feel your pain.

 

[Gooblah]

Hmmm. Nice Title choice...
But as to the game: How are Taoists and Christians so cool with each other? I mean, shouldn't they be hating or something? Use Tokugawa as your pawn. Try to get him into one religion or another (Missionaries if either Taoism or Christianity spread to you). As for the tech thing, to bribe him, look around and try to get Civs to give their least-expensive tech to you. Or give em cold, hard cash. Something to get a tech Tokie would want, but doesn't have. Then gift it to him and use him to screw over the rest, creating a continental War. Pick a side and/or stay outta the conflict somehow.

 

[Cornhog]

Using Togu doesn't seem to be much an option. He's the only enemy in the world. Since I traded with every other Civ, I have a -4 You have Traded with Our Worst Enemies rating from Togu. I don't have that with anyone else

If I remember right, he is Taoist. But no one likes him anyway cause he won't trade with anyone.

 

[KMadCandy]

try looking at favorite civics bonuses. random example, sometimes Gus is using free market and earning +s with mansa but it's not Gus's favorite civic, or vice versa with Mansa in Rep. try to switch out the guy who's in the other guy's favorite, that'll take some of the +s that other guy is giving him away. this works even better in BtS than it did before, due to spies. downside is you can only bribe/spy them into civics you're using yourself, so you might have to deal with the hassle of anarchy (part of why i love spiritual).

it can be really effective. it won't lead to instant trumpets of war, but it can take away a -5 "you have wisely chosen your civics" with the click of a button. that can sometimes take pleased down to cautious, or at least friendly to pleased. it's better than bribes to stop trading (which won't work if they're friendly enough anyway), since you don't earn any negatives with either party (as long as your spies don't fail).

same idea with breaking up religious blocs, espionage them into FR. that they'd probably not stay with tho, so you'd have to hope you could bribe them into war during the 5-turn anarchy lock-out period. good luck!

sometimes i use the UN in the same way, for diplomatic victory. if the hold out voter is Mansa and he's really close to voting for me but he likes the opponent too, and they're both in FM, time to try to get environmentalism passed. he quits liking the other guy's civic so then he likes me more relatively with the other bonuses i've worked up, bingo!

 

[InvisibleStalke]

If your island can match them in land area you should be OK - esp with a financial civ.

You might want to try setting 100% espionage slider and choosing a tech victim and see if you can steal your way to parity. If you can steal techs from a tech leader and then trade them to the others before the leader does you might get up quickly. Financial means you can easily switch back to 100% science afterwards.

I wouldn't worry about creating war opportunities - if they don't hate you at this stage thats enough.

If you want to win by diplo, start looking for who has the largest pop. You want to ally with the other religious block. And you want to start wars, but it may take a long time before you can do that - be patient.

If space, then just continue stealing techs until your tech rate matches or exceeds the AIs.