Victory Conditions (always science?)

[GrumboMumbo]

Firstly I would like to thank Firaxis for a great update, which fixes many of the problems I had with the game, and has added many great new features.

On to the main topic, I just wanted to ask what peoples most common victory condition is. I always seem to default to a Science Victory. Even when I am trying to win in another manner, it always seems to come first. Perhaps I need some tips on how to win other VCs?

So, do you think the victory conditions are well balanced? Or do the victory conditions even need to be balanced?

 

[Vandlys]

Firstly I would like to thank Firaxis for a great update, which fixes many of the problems I had with the game, and has added many great new features.

On to the main topic, I just wanted to ask what peoples most common victory condition is. I always seem to default to a Science Victory. Even when I am trying to win in another manner, it always seems to come first. Perhaps I need some tips on how to win other VCs?

So, do you think the victory conditions are well balanced? Or do the victory conditions even need to be balanced?

I can't really vote on this because I often turn Religious Victory off.

But if I had to guess which I would get easiest? Culture, hands down...(which is also why I often turn it off) Domination is boring to me, and science and diplomatic always come way too late.

If I turned RV on, it would always be religious. That one is too easy to get, in my opinion. But I also think it's tedious, because it's basically veiled domination. It's still combat, health, strength..

 

[BenitoChavez]

What about score?

When I last looked at my in game stats I had a roughly equal split between science, domination, and culture. I think dom and culture are the most interesting and complex as there are multiple strategies you can take to win. Science is much simpler and straightforward but I feel like I get to experience the entire game by going for a science victory. Religion is basically domination only much much simpler. I find haggling with the world congress to be tedious so I avoid diplo.

 

[kaspergm]

I used to default to science, but since the introduction of rock bands, I sometimes go for culture instead, if I can see it's quicker. The last eras of the game are usually a total bore, so any opportunity to win game before science is welcome. Religious victory is too much of a chore, and I don't play for domination.

 

[Rosty K]

Diplomatic then Culture. Even if I aim hard at Science - I win one or another before... My observation is that diplomatic happens if I build Mahabodhi Temple (then I can get 20 points before the vote starts), and cultural - if AI builds it. I play on King/Marathon though. I'm never going for religion/domination cause on Marathon it'd take forever

 

[GrumboMumbo]

What about score?

Added

 

[aguliondew]

Score victory takes to long. Diplomatic victory seems impossible to get. I swap and get a science/culture victory quickly after losing one of the winning votes. 30 turns per vote is enough time to win science/culture victory at that point of the game. I am not that aggressive to when a ~300 turn domination victory. I get a science religion or culture victory most of the time.

 

[iammaxhailme]

I would estimate my games end in the following ways, excluding games that I reroll immediately or pretty early...

1: I just straight up quit around the modern or atomic era becuase I'm really far ahead and can't be assed to finish: About 40%
2: Culture Victory: About 30%
3: Science victory: About 25%
4: I start to go for Religious or Domination victory, wipe out two or three civs but then realize how much clicking I'll have to do to win, and then quit: 5%
5: Diplomatic victory: Only got once at GS launch and once again at diplo rebalance, so basically none. It's still waaaaaaaaaay too hard (maybe hard isn't the right word, but too slow? long? Annoying that it basically turns into "everybody votes against you forever!" in the lategame)

I usually play on Emperor, huge maps. Often turn the civs down to 8. Immortal isn't really fun for me, but Emperor can be a bit too easy at times.

 

[Victoria]

Fastest VC is culture. If you push for it.

 

[Stilgar08]

RV is the easiest, Domination the most tedious one (for me, since I'm a builder) to achieve - Most of the time I tend to get CV and SV - Which gets easier if you focus - I tend to roleplay a bit during my games taking me off the ideal track to victory.
Didn't try Diplo yet but will to fill up my HoF although I'm not that interested in it...

 

[leandrombraz]

None. I play all victory conditions equally. My favorite is cultural though.

 

[blackcatatonic]

Culture for me too. Sometimes I try to go for one of the others but culture victory happens beforehand.

Religious I think I've done once, ever. Just don't have the patience for it.

 

[LMT]

It's interesting that many people think CV is easiest and fastest (not just on this thread). I struggle with them. Probably because I rarely build wonders.

Science is my go-to. The one thing about it I don't like is it seems like other civs can repair their spaceports much faster than I could repair my own after they're disrupted by spies!

Unlike a lot of folks, I like religious victories, although they can be really, really long on higher difficulty levels and larger maps. And they always lead to grievances, and then, almost everyone hating you. Oh well.

 

[Disgustipated]

Science is my highest one, followed closely by cultural. I often choose science because I actually want my games to go as long as possible. Science wins take me the longest. I still like cultural victory a lot. Dom victory I tend to only do with certain civs, but I have done it with Mali.

 

[qadams]

Well, I love building wonders, so unless I turn it off I'll almost always win a cultural victory even when I'm trying for something else.

 

[Loderingo]

Culture followed by diplo

 

[Kouvb593kdnuewnd]

Culture, unlike science, Culture is something you can work on early on and also its difficulty depend on how much Culture the other civs produce which tend to not be too much while science require you to get alot of expensive Techs and build alot of expensive Projects even if the other civs play poorly. Domination is kind of easy due to how easy it is to snowball when playing for it while spreading religions is mostly a waste of faith but getting a religious victory is not hard but can be alot of grind.

Culture is thus the easist to achieve since you can play quite passively and still get it.

 

[SephiBBZ]

Well it just depends on the number of players.

12 players map => science
1v1 => not even one science victory

In 1v1 vs deity the most easy way to win is religion, in something like 30-50 turns, depends on leaders.
Un 1v1 with human, only domination counts.

4 players maps are the best, you can win with all victory types.
6 players it starts to be a little broken.
8 and more, only science counts, rest is for fun, for instance you can try culture especially VS stupid computers but vs humans you won't win by culture.

 

[aguliondew]

On huge maps culture victory is easier to get because you can buy great works and relics from multiple civs. They only stop selling you stuff once you get close to winning. Not many civs have alot of culture to stop your tourism from over taking them.

 

[Abaxial]

Culture then religion. I usually hit one or the other before science becomes an option. Domination is tiresome on larger maps.