Peaceful play needs help....

[MGee]

Hi!
I'm personally a peaceful player, I usally win in peaceful ways (spaceship, UN, AP, time...) - only won some domination ages ago on lower difficulties.
Now I'm tryin' to achieve domination/conquest victory and got some questions:

1; Should I start this on lower difficulties?
2; Which leader should I pick? I'm thinkin of the Romans, Shaka, maybe the Celtics...
3; Is it good to do it on bigger maps?
4; What kinda maps? I prefer continents, pangea and big'n'small.

 

[Gliese 581]

Well, I find domination to often be the easiest type of victory. But it depends on the settings. The easiest civ is probably the Incas, don't build settlers, build a worker then spam quechua and focus your scouting on locating the nearest target. After you've taken that over, start build quechuas there as well and continue the steamroll for as long as you're able. After the dust settles you'll be in a commanding lead that you can hopefully keep throughout the game.

Edit: Works best on a pangea map or continents map with close neighbours.

 

[Cam_H]

McGee,

My 'gut reaction' to your questions would be;

1. Should I start this on lower difficulties?

I'd suggest one level below what you've won your 'peaceful' wins on ... if you've won a Monarch Cultural, try Prince Domination/Conquest and see how you go.

2. Which leader should I pick? I'm thinkin of the Romans, Shaka, maybe the Celtics...

You can put a case for just about any leader, but I like the idea of being able to expand in the early game without the economy going to the dogs - and therefore a leader with the Organised trait (fast build Courthouses), Gilgamish (Ziggurat), or Shaka (Ikhanda) would be where I'd look. As I say, almost any leader can make some sort of a claim for being up to the task though.

4. What kinda maps? I prefer continents, pangea and big'n'small.

As Gliese notes, Pangaea's well regarded - you soon get in touch with all of the AI rivals and therefore can be active in technology trades without worrying about a bunch of Financial empires on another continent peacefully exchanging technology at a ferocious pace. You can also keep your wave of attacks happening more efficiently if everyone's on the one landmass.

Best of luck!

 

[JBossch]

Play a small Pangea one difficulty down and see how it goes. Pangea is good for warmongering for the reasons Cam mentioned and also because it creates a general atmosphere of warfare with the AI's often in conflict as much as you are.
Augustus is definitely a warmongering powerhouse. His UU is a beast. Anybody who is organized is good. I also recommend using SE if you can. It is, IMO, far superior to cottages for warfare. True, cottages can't be beat in the late game when you are going for space but your pangea domination victory will be over long before that.
I just got my highest score ever with Alex on a small pangea/emperor/standard speed. Domination victory in 1808. Alex is a fantastic SE warmonger. His much-maligned phalanx is just as good as axes for early rush and not vulnerable to chariots.

 

[Lord Chambers]

His much-maligned phalanx is just as good as axes for early rush and not vulnerable to chariots.

The Phalanx used to be a strength 5 spearman with a 25% defense bonus for hills and Uselesssss.