Is continets map just luck based stupididty?

Being French; I will never tolerate Giant Death Robot producing my cheese. I would rather load cows in a trebuchet and throw it over Ze English !

 

I think biggest issue with higher level handicaps is that they are not tailored properly to AI weaknesses and combat system used.

Just having more units on its own doesn't increase their military effectiveness properly in Civ5. There should be something like bonus XP for newly built AI units, with production bonus for their units lowered compared to now (on higher difficulties).

That way, at least AI will have more quality troops through handicaps, since they are unable to keep them alive and level them up as human player.

 

The sloution is simple; a hard cap on building stuff would help alot, but more important; it;s more realistic. The Germans lost WW2 not because of their crappy tanks or lousy tactics, they lost the war because recources went dry; no fuel, no steel, anything went down. A Nation, any nation comes to a point, that they lack something, if that is manpower or resources; it stalls their militairy expansion.

So, instead of allowing players and AI build unlimited bulks of units; there should be limit; on everything.

 

As a proud owner of a Deity win that involved an intercontinental invasion against an AI continent with two superpowers + slightly advanced tech, my answer will be as follows:

* Mass air, aka the "Civ 4 strat." The AI cannot handle mass air, period. And since mass air can stack....well .

* Blitz units. Chu-ko-Nus upgraded to mech inf are a good choice. Otherwise, you might have to use tanks + xp producing buildings (the horror!).

However, in order to truly figure out how to win, we should ask:

* What's your game speed ?
* What's your tech like @ 1700, 100AD, 500AD? What's your pop? How many cities?
* What wonders do you prioritize?

 

Good call on mass air. I haven't played deity (except a duel with Greece to get the achievement) but I could see how air would be a huge advantage, because the AI never has an answer for it.

Some random comments/observations, to clarify my points:

1. War to clear your continent is huge and allows you to have no standing defense, saving on costs.

2. More cities = more science. Expand as large as happiness allows. Trade routes should boost your economy and allow you to buy Colosseums for happiness.

3. You won't keep up on population. To keep tech parity (or keep it close), libraries are critical for their bonus and science specialists. Great scientists will eventually prove to be your advantage, perhaps allowing a mild slingshot to a more advanced military tech to stem the tide.

4. Be tactical. Do you go right for the AI superpower or try to pick off a smaller civ for their cities to establish a beachhead (and improve science)? When do you send over your heavily upgraded units from your first wars to attack (answer: immediately if you think you can take a city with them with minimal losses, wait until a critical military upgrade otherwise)?

All this said, there's not much you can do if a Greece or something runs over a continent quicker than you and establishes a large tech lead (and it's possible, especially if you fight an early war or attrition). But the AI is horrible at closing and overseas wars, so there's still a good chance you could win by diplo or space.

Oh, and prioritized wonders: Chichen Itza, Taj Mahal, Forbidden Palace. The Louvre is also high up there. I try to stay in a perpetual golden age from the time I take my continent through my first war or two on the next continent - it helps for cash rushing units to the frontlines, buying off city states, buying happiness infrastructure...