Preventing an AI diplo victory

[noto2]

I just played an emperor game, as Louis, going for a space win. My ship was nearly built when Saladin won a diplomatic victory with the UN.
Now...I started a different thread talking about how it's difficult to win on the higher difficulty levels with a peaceful strategy, and this is one area I was talking about. When playing a war game, I'm huge and can outvote anyone. In this game I was a relatively small civ (althought not really small, I was creative after all) and technologically advanced. I wasn't the highest in power but I was number 1 in GNP and MFG all throughout the game, which allowed me a decent tech lead. Most of the AIs were pleased with me, and THEY WERE EVEN ALL FIGHTING EACH OTHER. So I'm not sure how Saladin won a diplo victory. How do you post a save? Can anyone give me some hints on how to prevent the AI from winning a diplo victory when employing a small empire strategy, such as a space win?

 

[TheMeInTeam]

1. Build the UN yourself and it lowers the odds.
2. Use spies to swap problem AIs out of each other's favorite civics
3. Razz the UN
4. Control the vote

You can tell ahead of time if they'll vote for someone, and how much pop will do so.

 

[Killroyan]

Again this has also propably to do with hidden diplo factors. Do not trust the glance screen too much. Check my post from this week about that.

 

[noto2]

In this game I actually did build the UN, I was wonderspamming. Man...I think diplo victory is so cheap. I have only done it once out of curiousity...it feels like it doesn't really belong in the game. And that's for the player. As far as the AI goes...wow...what a way to ruin a game. I don't mind being beaten in any other way, but diplo...jeez. It's yet another factor that makes me think the game is geared towards warfare. If I had been the biggest Civ around, that never would have happened, because all my population would have swayed the vote. Being small and efficient and with a tech lead really sucks...

 

[Earthling]

The fix I like is that a civ should be able to defy diplomatic victory - at the cost of lots of unhappiness, and war with the potential winning civ (and other allies, though I wouldn't make it default war with everyone in the world). I think cultural victory should be the same way actually - it should have its own "vote" that is entirely independent but similar in mechanics. 3 Legendary cities shouldn't be required either - when you get one a "Culture Victory Vote" is possible. However, AI's who aren't friendly obviously wouldn't vote for you until you got more legendary cities, and likewise, someone who is furious with you (or crazy like Monty) could still contest your victory.