When to decide on strategy?

[TeeWee]

Playing on Noble right now, and I'm confident that if I get through the start fairly decently, I'll win through Space race. I haven't really managed to win in another way yet. I lack some military finesse (or perhaps determination or "will to win") to really push conquest until Space race is by far the easier win and Cultural, Domination or UN have also not really been in sight. (so to push myself to have more conquest-feel, I'm playing Japan now, but Space race still seems most probable (1700AD)... I can't seem to push for conquest early enough! Julius will be my next game perhaps. But that's a different topic altogether)

Anyway, the question I have is, how soon do you people here decide on a strategy and which win-condition to shoot for?

I sort of assume that the start of the game is more of a tactical nature than anything else (do I have resources to work, does it "feel" safe to build something different from a warrior, which way and how soon to expand, which tech to research first).

So, when does that sort of thinking turn into "I think I'll go for a cultural win and I think that a mainly-CE is the way to do it"? What factors influence such decisions, is it natural environment, predetermined by play style, proximity of other civs, barbarians influence?

 

[cabert]

3 different moments:
- very early stage (say up to 2000BC) : i see if i've got what it takes for a cultural win (=early religion, room to expand for 3 big cities, early wonders).
- middle age : if i need to go to war, i'll do it right = aim for domination (conquest isn't in my usual way of thinking : how can you say you're the best civilization by acting like a barbarian?)
- industrial age : i'll chose the easiest victory condition, given the situation (no time victory for me, i already have one, that's enough)

 

[voek]

Overall stategy starts when selecting leader (or evaluating leader given by random picking). What are his traits and strenghts? What can I do with the UU, where is it suited for? What can I Do with his UB? (assuming you have Warlords) After drawing a overall stragey based on the strenghts (and weaknesses) of your leader, you adopt a operational strategy based on it surroundings which will able you to reach the targets set before. From this point you move on to the points Cabert suggests.