Need help with Immortal Difficulty (4P; Domination)

[Manick]

I'm trying for my fourth or so time at a 4 player, Immortal AI, Domination victory only, on a small Oval map and I could really use some help. The first game I played I somehow managed to overpower my neighbor and eventually take over his cities and gained control of about half the continent, but ultimately lost in the end to the other AI. He initially declared war on me first, with a slightly superior army, but took way more losses than me and wasn't replacing his army nearly as fast as I could. But on the previous two games I played, even though I was killing countless units and taking significantly less losses, they were able to replace them instantly and eventually I lost.

The biggest problem I am running into is managing happiness, and being unable to expand as quickly as the AI. It is also difficult to maintain a high gold output when trying to match the enemy neighbors army in strength unless I get lucky and start out next to tons of rivers. I make all the buildings I should, like Colosseums, Markets, etc... to combat the unhappiness and gold maintenance, and of course settle near luxury resources when I can. Is there anyone that can give me a few pointers?

 

[Martin Alvito]

Colosseums are kind of bad now. Grab Animal Husbandry early, find Horses, go up to Horseback Riding and build Circuses. As a side benefit, you get to Horse rush.

Who are you playing and when are you losing? If you play as Askia, exploit Research Agreements (especially for early Chivalry) and exploit Legalism for the easy Culture, I can't see how you could possibly get outteched by the AI.

Happiness is a problem, but solving it basically boils down to puppeting the cities with luxuries, burning the rest, and taking the right SPs.

 

[Rittmeyer]

only 4 players in a small map is an abomination and not really ciV.

if you don't stick to reasonable settings the advice you ask for might be extremely specific, and rare because of that.

small maps (which by the way are default for ciV - not standard maps) should have 6 AI's. if you deviate from that, bad things might happen.