Here’s a short story how I managed to win the Deity level via diplomacy, I hope this helps you too to finally get a good night sleep 😉 This was my first standard map size game on Deity difficulty and I won it – I’m a little bit disappointed that the game isn’t harder. But I can sleep again! Okay, let’s go:
THE WORLD
Size: Standard
Barbarians: Sedentary
Land mass: Archipelago with the smallest islands
Civilization: Persians
Rivals: Random (7)
Rules: Default (all)
Difficulty: Deity
GAMEPLAY
1. Founded Persepolis 3950 BC. I had a goal of at least conquering my island and just try to survive as long as possible – to see how hard deity level is and how fast they would develop/spread/kill. Made two warriors, another worker and barracks. Developed Iron working and started making Immortals. I founded no other cities during the entire game.
2. Conquered the island 1375 BC. There was only one other civilization on the island – Zulus – which I destroyed with I guess 7-8 Immortals. I started the trouble with Zulus when I got my third Immortal. Got a leader which I used to make the Pyramids. From then on I was at war with both Japanese and Indians who kept founding cities on MY island. Some of the cities I raged, some kept. I got another leader from the battles which I stored (fortified in Persepolis) for later use.
3. Peace 260 AD. The whole island to myself and a bunch of elite Immortals. Made resource trade agreements and embassies with everyone as they revealed themselves to me and tried to grow the cities. My island was pretty much all desert, so it was very difficult. Important: Build a harbor and roads to your luxuries fast, that way you can trade. No one attacked me after 260 AD peace – I guess because of the trade agreements and some gifts everyone was gracious towards me. I also didn’t make any military agreements nor military units.
4. Democracy 850 AD. So what now? I’m on deity level, with practically everyone else more advanced than me. Surprised that I was even still alive. I discovered that I could buy technology more quickly than I could develop it so I toggled my science research percentage to zero and started buying. My goal was to use the leader to make the Hoover dam – to catch up with others. But guess what? By the time I was ready to make the damn dam, I couldn’t because on my dry desert Island there wasn’t a single RIVER! I (luckily) had to set a new goal – to reach for Fission technology and make the United Nations with the leader. And guess what:
5. Established UN 1325 AD. Diplomatic victory! I got four votes out of six possible. Game over. 5318 points.
ABOUT ATTITUDES
When dealing with other nations, making 20 round trade agreements often turns a “cautious” or “annoyed” emperor to “polite”. When you give something for free to him (science, luxuries), he turns to “gracious”, that’s why they probably chose me as secretary general and didn’t start war once. Don’t trade all your luxuries with one or two nations, give everybody something and renew the agreements. That way everyone is happy.
ABOUT SCIENCE TRADING
If you’re gonna use the strategy of buying technology – please – PLEASE – sell it also! I could’ve had even easier game had I traded the technology both directions, not just buying it like a regular shopaholic. But stupid is as stupid does. More sophisticated people call trading science the “Science broker” strategy, “Pope strategy” or similar. I bet there are articles about them. I might call mine the “Switzerland” strategy 😉
I hope this article helps you!