Originally posted by Ision
As the Americans at Diety I often targeted Hanging Gardens (AI does not prefer the bottom tech row) and Copernicus - I tended to beeline to Monarchy, followed by a beeline to Military Tradition -VERY heavy Middle age warmongering - real heavy,
followed by a peaceful tech leap in Industrial Age with ToE and then a Space Race Victory attempt OR a beeline to Tanks - followed by a final push to a conquest or dom victory. One or the other - you can NOT do BOTH the ToE AND the Tanks gambit at Deity - you will lose if attempted. This is not Regent/Monarch!
Hope this helps.
My first demigod game was played as the Americans! I won by domination and triggered my GA with a F15. I have never, never tried for the Hanging Gardens in any of my games? I always try, for the Great Library or if this fails, I go military. I got the ToE in that game and killed basically everybody using tanks? OK, this was not Deity, but it still worked quite well.
As far as the American Traits. I think they are awesome and you can see the developers are probably American...
Early map knowledge is key in winning at higher levels. Securing that second or ever third luxury source is key for trading techs with the AI. More often than not, the AI will form a military alliance with me for a luxury and then there is also the GPT right through the game.
Secondly, I will never play a game with a non-industrious civ. I don't have the patience. Early roads and mine/irregation is key for quick expansion and later shield production is really great.
(Personally I still prefer the French, though I would have loved a scout. I now have to great early warrior to scout and it is so slow...)
The F15 is a awesome unit! It doesn't have the French units laugh, but is the best unit for air superiority. (Stealth unit doesn't have this) (I got my GA by killing a unit I already blew to pieces with my artillery)
Ok, enough said. America rule if you play the higher level against the AI.