Should I salvage my game? HOW??

[Knowname]

I am Maya my aggressor is America and they are happiness killing me! Large map (10 civs, 20 states, pangea) and I took London early afaik I'm the only one with 2 palaces it's turn 350 (only prince difficulty). Anyway I'm the best at darned near everything so that's reason 1 why America (2nd best) hates me, but what I want to know is when declared upon why did America all of a sudden gain half the city states?? HOW?? Is it cheating?? now my bad is I I kind of ignored and worked around it. Now he's allied with most of the other city states and they ALL hate me (cuz when he loses ally the hate remains). So yeah, that's not that hard to work around, just take them over. My bad 2 is I should have done this BEFORE the world congress cuz he has nearly DOMINANT power (we'll see they haven't convened once yet... but I know how this works) and I have very little happiness to work with.

I'm just coming back to Civ V (waiting for Gathering Storm... than waiting on a sale...) but a) I probably won't get any bills passed (what's delegates? I can get 1 maybe 2 if I take the spy out of my cap... is it worth bribing city states that don't already hate me?? there are a few cuz like I said there were 20 and hardly any seem to be taken over... though that may change... BUT) and b) I've hit a bump in happiness that I guess everybody hits mid-game (everybody but the cheating AI)... I can't even accept a surrender the unhappiness KILLS me and I only have like 6 cities! so conquering, while certainly not impossible (working on a fleet of Frigates), is kind of out of the question, or slow at best.

What would you do? I have 2 defensive pacts with distant weaks civs and 1 moderate close civ (Inca? I dunno a hostile civ where tolerance is the best you'll do ) but 2 civs I warred with or they warred with me (England obviously and Celts declared on me even tried to surrender I took it than had to go back to autosave as I couldn't take -15 happiness or something... I took their gold :/ they'll probly attack again). I don't know if War Weariness is a thing but this war with America has been going on for CENTURIES I tried but America won't even talk to me. I might take his coastal towns but again, HAPPINESS.

One more thing, even with a slight technological deficit, with a 10-15% happiness hit to combat efficiency I'm starting to lose battles to his pikemen and lancers so if he invades I'm screwed.

Sorry for the long text but basically what I want to know, is if this game is worth salvaging, where I went wrong? Or is this just something everybody faces at the mid game crises? Is trying to bribe city states worth it? Should I post Delegates and to which civs, the ones that hate me or the ones that like me or the moderates? After the circus maximus is built (almost done) I should be good (0 or barely over) with happiness but how long will that last? I have barely no other buildings to acquire and it seems my culture has stopped :/ I should work on culture that's my weak point.

 

[Knowname]

I've played 20 more turns and researched tips a little... I forgot city states don't automatically peace out in this game (rather than VI) lol so now it at least doesn't look like everybody against me xD America sure definitely plays the ally game though and I can't figure out how. Anyway it's all good now and I gained another alliance and unlocked ethics it's rather exciting whereas before it was just depressing lol.

 

[so_what]

Possibility to salvage depends on a few things:
What version are you playing? BNW or G&K?
What victory are you aiming for? What is your current tech level (and game speed), how many turns you are away from your victory condition?

why did America all of a sudden gain half the city states?
From your description, I would think the AI probably already has a high level of influence over most City States, and later won a common quest issued by the City States.

Where did you go wrong?
In general, I would like to think that your social policies have not been optimized for one victory condition. You should always aim for one victory condition, even if you change your mind later. For all the cases, you need to emphasize Science and Production, as well as the other necessary factor to support your victory condition (e.g. happiness for domination).

That's not the only way to win, but is probably the surest way to win. So at prince level, you should lead in Science by a huge margin.

 

[Knowname]

(edit- I'm playing BNW, the G&K stuff was just me talking about something else, sorry) Ok thanks! I'll plan it out now... well I suck at culture so probly not that... it's like turn 400 (I'm nearly done with the industrial age but most have just gotten it!) so it's likely gonna be a score game. My first actually.

Anyway this experience (thanks to your tips) may help me plan out my next game. I have an EPIC research time or w/e not QUICK or w/e is default so... maybe it's impossible to really win with that setting in anything BUT 500 turns? Or maybe I'll actually get to the modern age and this is just me complaining? I don't know. Anyway I'd think future games would be better if I planned it. I'm working on acheivements btw so I kinda had to go liberty than commerce xD but apparantly the Maya are a GREAT liberty civ xD I had fun. My next game I should be able to plan as I think I'll have all the social civic thingies... I'll just have to be one of a handful of civs and map sizes xD. I constantly underestimate happiness :/.

That America thing just kills me though... I mean (and not just him, Russia had 9 points in the second world congress lately!! The AI cheats!) diplomacie is NOT my game but I don't think it's possible to get 5 or more allies going in like 3 turns!! Science and Production got it, thanks. I have one city with like 50 hammers only 7 pop that's why my game started so well really... it's settled next to king Solomon's tomb (8 hammers?) and I added a manufactory (Great Engineer) it's a monster!

 

[so_what]

For City State diplomacy, you just need 2 things ~ 1 patronage opener, 2 to send spies to coup once they reach lv3 (plus abit of S/L). This is sufficient to get half of the C'S to be your allies.

Happiness is best tackled by Ideology.

Civ 5 is really just about planning ahead and getting your key techs asap.

Liberty+Commerce sounds like a domination game play. Personally, I would say that for learning purpose you should always try Tradition's Artillery domination on standard map size/speed (thats the most balanced setting). It is arguably the most stable victory route (suitable for any Civ, up to Deity level) and you will learn both city planning/warring.

Some benchmarks for Prince (at higher level it should be even faster).
For Xbow into Artillery rush, see if you can get (Civil Service>Machinery) by turn 135 and (Education>Artillery) by turn 200.
For pure Artillery rush, see if you can get (Education->Artillery) by turn 185.

 

[Knowname]

For City State diplomacy, you just need 2 things ~ 1 patronage opener, 2 to send spies to coup once they reach lv3 (plus abit of S/L). This is sufficient to get half of the C'S to be your allies.

Happiness is best tackled by Ideology.

Civ 5 is really just about planning ahead and getting your key techs asap.

Liberty+Commerce sounds like a domination game play. Personally, I would say that for learning purpose you should always try Tradition's Artillery domination on standard map size/speed (thats the most balanced setting). It is arguably the most stable victory route (suitable for any Civ, up to Deity level) and you will learn both city planning/warring.

Some benchmarks for Prince (at higher level it should be even faster).
For Xbow into Artillery rush, see if you can get (Civil Service>Machinery) by turn 135 and (Education>Artillery) by turn 200.
For pure Artillery rush, see if you can get (Education->Artillery) by turn 185.

Thanks so_what that has got to be the best advice I'd ever found! After this game ill have to try that! Yes I went the autocracy route and I want darned near every l2 one in that ethic! Definitely advantageous to what I think will have to be a domination victory lol if I can do it in time. Anyway kudos I really appreciate the tips!