If I have one complaint about Civilization IV it's that the engine puts too much stock in conquest when determining final scores. While some days it's fun to order up Genghis Khan and go a-whomping, I prefer to avoid conflicts unless they become necessary.
Just now I had a great game, Asoka and the Indian Empire on Chieftain (I'm on pain meds today, so turned the difficulty down.) I chose the Indian Empire for two reasons. Asoka's leadership traits are Spiritual (There is no anarchy when changing a civic, double production speed for temples) and Organized (Civic upkeep reduced by 50%, double production speed for lighthouses and courthouses). Also, the empire's special unit is the Fast Worker, meaning I could build and expand faster.
I had a great starting position at the southern edge of a vaguely Africa-shaped continent and was able to expand fairly quickly. I shared this continent with several cultures, none of whom were of the "insanely aggressive" variety. I founded Buddhism, and did my best to spread it far and wide. Very soon I was surrounded by states that were Buddhist and friendly. Careful attention to trade, generosity when called for, and making sure that my border garrisons were strong enough to repel anything but a huge force meant that I never had anyone drop below "Cautious" in regards to our relationship. Freed from the need for huge armies, I began working on a three pronged victory. Diplomatic, Cultural, and Space Race.
By carefully assigning specialists, the first man walked on the moon in 1819. I held off on researched the technologies I'd need to build my starship in order to get Radio and Mass Media. (I had already researched Electricity and built Broadway.) With all the cultural boosters being built in my targeted three cities for my Cultural win, and the New League of Nations being built, I ramped up research and began building my starship.
Ended up a Cultural win in 1919. At that point my starship was well on it's way to Alpha Centauri (I think I was four turns from a Space Race victory) and I was a few bribes from turning the one undecided state I needed for a Diplomatic victory. Yet my final score and performance ranking we're way down the charts. I actually am a bit put out by this, since I spent several hours nursing this game along and I'm proud of the fact that my only combats were taking several barbarian cities that threatened my borders.
C'est la Vie. Next time, I just go out a-whooping and a-whomping.
