Here's a few tips on Deity,
Deity is usually won by diplomacy or spaceship.
Don't bother with great wonders unless you have a great leader.
Don't bother with science research unless you have a reason, put a single scientist in a non-productive city, set science rate at zero and buy techs from AI civs, act like a day trader, trade everything from maps, Rops, communications to techs, luxuries and resources.
Contact AI Civs every few turns, don't miss the oppurtunity to get techs cheap.
Micromanage your cities and lux rate.
Expand fast and expand smart, build a granary in starting city if it has no wheat, cow or flooded plain squares. Set up several core cities around the capital and race to luxury spots ASAP.
Trigger the golden age at the right time, it's best used for infrastructure push in core cities, make sure you have at least a monarchy government.
If an AI Civ demands tirbute, it's a good idea to yield.
Early war is actually a good thing, as AI doesn't understand how to fight an effective war, just make sure you are ready for the war and have friends willing to help you, friends can be bought by techs or money
