Runaway AI on Deity

[TheBeerBaron]

In my last few Deity games, a challenge I have run into is one AI just running away with the game. In example, in my most recent play as Gorgo, I was able to keep myself within 1 era of Tech and Civics for the first 50 turns because I found the awesome hard to pronounce 2-tile/mountain Natural Wonder that gives +2 Food and +1 Culture. I have 2 cities around it, and 2 other good cities by turn 52 in Online Speed despite being DoW'd by 2 AIs and seemingly all Barbarians. I am in the Classical Era for both Tech & Civic. Meanwhile, the other Civs are in Medieval, which is normal, as they start faster.

However, I met Alexander of Macedonia who is in the freakin' Atomic Era for Tech at turn 52! He's 55% of the way through the Tech tree when only 21% of the way through the game!

The game prior to this one I had a similar occurrence where China was 2 eras ahead of any other Deity AI who in turn were 1 era ahead of me.

Thus, my question, when you find a Runaway AI, or, better yet, see one emerging, what do you do about this to try to reign them in?

 

[EpicWestern]

I don't think there is a simple answer. My most recent game was a loss in which I started next to Germany, without chokepoints, who conquered another civ and mass expanded. I was able to friend them for a while, in the hope I could tech up to something like mechanized infantry in time to defend myself from their mechanized infantry armies, but I came up short. There is simply no counter to mass infantry armies when you are at least two eras behind. For land based games where you have no chokepoints to squeeze off attacks, I really think your only option is to treat whatever victory you are going for as a science game and tech up to mech infantry ASAP, and only after that actually start to think about winning.

 

[Victoria]

Lol, make the AI too smart and this is gonna happen when you have OP civs

I have not played enough deity yet, busy testing on emperor. It does sound like buckling down might make sense. I just played one game and was too much

You need to assess their Vic req I guess. Its great this is happening.

 

[DrCron]

is in the freakin' Atomic Era for Tech at turn 52!

in Online Speed

This is your problem. Online speed was made for multiplayer only. There's no way you'll have enough time to catch up to the deity AI on that speed. Even on quick it's harder than usual. The solution is always the same: early conquest and expansion, so that if an AI is running away in a different continent you eventually get more cities than them and can catch up thanks to playing better than them. But this is harder to do on quick speed, and not sure if even possible on online speed.