So, in what ways did the AI beat you so far?

[Tryhard]

I do not have time on this game. I want to start Next War afresh without the Space Race option. Or with fewer nations. The problem with the start is the many civs. Most exchanged at once all sciences they got*.
* BTW I customed once a game with the no-science-exchange options. It failed as they still stole each others' sciences - and mine (as you know, the AI cheats immensely, so at Monarch they always succeed).

 

[covok48]

When I do lose its by conquest. Most of the time its a failed warrior rush backfiring.

However, recently I lost by domination in a " clash of the titans" me vs. the rest of the vassalized world scenario. Its was the only time I've lost a game post-riflemen and when I owned over 50% of the land area. I was stunned that my massive highly trained veteran army got overwhelmed by an even larger, more experienced army with slightly more advanced units.

Very humbling and forced be to rethink my overall strategy from top to bottom. You really do learn more when you lose.

 

[qlaw]

Most of my wins and loses come from the space race. That is why it's always off now

 

[Codpiece]

I've been surprised with diplomatic victories once or twice (UN-era), and I've been pipped at the Time post when I was a noob. However, I'm like a couple of others on this thread, in that I tend to give up on games where the situation is hopeless, with one notable exception, which I suppose would be a conquest loss.

I recently played a game as Qin Shi Huang where I had a vicious Montezuma to the south, a belligerent Bonaparte to the west, and an opportunistic Alexander to the north. I fought off a vicious attack from Monty, only to get attacked by Napoleon the moment I made peace. This was shortly followed by Alexander, and then Monty again a few turns later. I could just about sustain a war with two, but not with three, especially when Boney-vassalised Babylonians reached my borders. I think I played about three iterations of this game from 0-1500 AD (the first one, then with a pre-emptive strike at Monty, then with massive buttering-up of Alex and lots of defensive build-up), but there was no way I could win.

 

[plasmacannon]

I have been beaten in conquest.
I remember playing Hannibal on the next more difficult setting at the time, and found myself without a horse resourse.
Babylon was at war with me early (great bowmen and aggressive melee). I had made peace with most of the rest of the AIs.
Then, Russia joined the war against me. I was cought off guard when their stack came through the Babylonian territory.
My attempt at an early water economy was limited due to very few water resourses, and my coastal cities had few hills.
I considered it a poor start and restarted at the level lower to get better with Hannibal.
He is now easily one of my top 10 favorites.

 

[NihilZero]

I lack the patience to play games to the end when it's clear I'm not going to win, so I don't see a lot of AI wins go to completion. I have actually seen the defeat screen twice - Sitting Bull won a Space race on Monarch or Prince in something like my third game ever, after wiping out my pitiful desperation stack that I sent to attack his distant, land-locked capital; and I also saw Huayna win with the AP when I absent-mindedly misclicked and voted for him...