Tips for Surviving Elimination

[F-F]

Anyone have any good tips on how to survive on deity level the 50 turn elimination?

Should one strive to get score from tech or population? Both?

The best obvious solution to the problem is conquest: you grab their cities and thus they lose score and you gain score. But due to distance and difficulty level that is not always an option. So I'm more looking for advice how to peacefully gain the score advantage.

 

[Yared]

wonder-spaming with an industrious leader?

 

[F-F]

That's possible, but usually the first 150-200 turns are the hardest. Not many wonders there; would you build Deruptus' Brewing House? Heron Throne?

 

[slowcar]

grow your city maximally helps most of the time. throws you back a bit in other parts though.

 

[JonathanStrange]

Anyone have any good tips on how to survive on deity level the 50 turn elimination?

Should one strive to get score from tech or population? Both?

The best obvious solution to the problem is conquest: you grab their cities and thus they lose score and you gain score. But due to distance and difficulty level that is not always an option. So I'm more looking for advice how to peacefully gain the score advantage.

I've played and survived on Deity the 50 turn elimination several times.

As you note, conquest is usually impractical, at least early on. Great if you have the opportunity.

I've found that an emphasis on techs to be somewhat more useful in avoiding the first round eliminations. Whether being given techs from scouted villages or researching low techs (more, iirc, cheap techs being better than a 1200 tech since you get the points earlier), I believe have paid off better for me to avoid a quick trip to the game over screen. (I can't recall for certain but I think tech contributes more to your power rating early).

The early round eliminations though do force one to not neglect anything. I'd put growing the city & establishing new cities, just above military strength. Of course, I've had to build an insane number of warriors at times because Deity level AIs can field huge armies early, but troops have a dual protect/power rating role.

The 50 turn elimination in the early game can be brutally fun but I don't see - at least, my experience has been that way - building wonders early as a viable gamewinner. Perhaps if you're isolated from attack? My experience is on pangaea maps though and neighbors show up to eat our lunch at breakfast.