How to stop superpowers from steam rolling everyone

[Txurce]

I wouldn't include luck, but I agree that you need an army regardless of your path to victory.

That's good, and should be obvious if it wasn't for how stupid vanilla's AI was.

I mean what would you do if a nearby civ was an easy target? Even as a cultural victory I'd probably war them, raze some cities and vassalize them. Otherwise you're leaving resources on the table.

When going tall, luck comes into play with runaways. War with them may not result in actual defeat, but just the unhappiness will set you back more than you can afford.

I often get greedy with easy targets, but have realized that friends and DPs are critical when going tall, and you don't want to develop a rep as a warmonger. Vassalizing is fine, but I've learned the cardinal rule is not to take a capital -- even when snagging a religion.

 

[CrazyG]

That's interesting -- do I have to take that over Pacifism? I do have an addiction there, even if it did me little good being next to Ethiopia.

I probably pick either zealotry or pacifism in 90% of my games. Sainthood is the only other belief I give much consideration to for tall. What I like about Zealotry is it lets me spend all my hammers and gold on buildings to get a snowball going. In medieval era there are so many good buildings available

I mean what would you do if a nearby civ was an easy target? Even as a cultural victory I'd probably war them, raze some cities and vassalize them. Otherwise you're leaving resources on the table.

Depends on the rest of the world. I might leave him up as a buffer between the threatening warmongers and myself. If he is a real loser I could get some great trade routes to him. I probably don't want to spend hammers on siege weapons. If I'm on track for a tourism win I'd just turtle and wait. I will go on offensive wars, but its generally a pre-emptive response to a threat

 

[kawyua]

I often get greedy with easy targets, but have realized that friends and DPs are critical when going tall, and you don't want to develop a rep as a warmonger. Vassalizing is fine, but I've learned the cardinal rule is not to take a capital -- even when snagging a religion.

lol, I had to learn that lesson, too. There are so many issues with taking a capital that its kind of insane to think about. Like HOLY horsehocky that diplo modifier is making everyone hate me. it goes up like 10x more then taking any other city
That combat modifier also hurts man. Ugh it is really weird to play around

 

[Txurce]

I probably pick either zealotry or pacifism in 90% of my games. Sainthood is the only other belief I give much consideration to for tall. What I like about Zealotry is it lets me spend all my hammers and gold on buildings to get a snowball going. In medieval era there are so many good buildings available.

I'm going to try Zealotry next. Sainthood is my favorte, out of context. Playing Tradition happiness is less of an issue, so I'll try to lay off Pacifism when going that route, and stik with Sainthood or Zealotry., depending on the circumstances.

 

[intelli]

I am screwed if I can get other civs to start denouncing a warmonger, Ethiopia is attacking everyone on their continent and even after taking half a nation and another capital I can't get any chains of denounciation going, even though I have DoFs, seems utterly daft.

 

[PapaRockett]

I know this thread is focused upon warmongers, but how do you stop a snowballing pacifist? Civs like Ethiopia (mostly), Hiawatha, Pacal. The ultimate wonder whoring, cultural and science powerhouses with the biggest population. They are friends with everyone, allied with most city states, probably have defensive pacts with everyone. None of the other AI seem bothered about how much they're snowballing. Denouncing them would be a disaster, but they have to be stopped somehow, but how?

 

[bigcat88]

I hate to play against Pacal. If they can found religion they are just insane. And in my games they are usually warmongers(not so big, but...)
I found only one way to stop snowball -> ban them in advanced setup
If u have authority and pacifist civ haven't u can DoW them(if they don't have enough DP) and wait, defending. U will have 25% less war weariness, so the more u can wait -> the more profit u will get.
But in my games I usually have so much less techs against Pacal - so I can't def too long. So I try to use WC to stop them(ban res/sanction them,propose bonus to civs with low score)
Another way can be in using spies to coup CS near them, and DOW them after coup.

 

[CrazyG]

I know this thread is focused upon warmongers, but how do you stop a snowballing pacifist? Civs like Ethiopia (mostly), Hiawatha, Pacal. The ultimate wonder whoring, cultural and science powerhouses with the biggest population. They are friends with everyone, allied with most city states, probably have defensive pacts with everyone. None of the other AI seem bothered about how much they're snowballing. Denouncing them would be a disaster, but they have to be stopped somehow, but how?

Figure out your win condition, and beat them to that win condition. It doesn't matter how far ahead he is in science or military, if my culture influences him I win.

The Maya used to be the most ridiculous civ, especially in higher difficulties, but I haven't seen him snowball since the Kuna got moved