The game has changed dramatically in this regard. I’ve played 3, 4, and 5, and pretty much always aim to win via science or cultural domination. I can’t remember the last time I tried to win via conquest.
Granted, unless you’re sharing a continent with Ghandi, you usually do still need to have a credible enough military so that they won’t attack you. But in Civ V, I often rely on my city-states to fight for me.
It’s not even really war - it’s attrition down to how many units the region can support. There are a few advances that modify this, namely Metalworking and Engineering, and the Military advance means you get to move last, after all others have committed, but the really aggressive advance isn’t even combat- or resource-oriented - it’s Monotheism. Of course, by the time anyone gets that, the game is pretty much on its last or second-to-last round.
Gandhi is a motherfucker. Don’t trust him. He looks quiet and friendly and those little round glasses of his are cute, but he’s really teching up to nukes as fast as possible to make you his bitch.
And that’s when he’s not just Cultural Winning your ass right out in year 1200.
Fuck Gandhi. I’ll take Montezuma before him any day. At least Montezuma is predictable and upfront about wanting to ruin your shit day in, day out.
I’m pretty sure I’ve beaten Galactic Civilization II without going to war with any of the other races.
Pwned them by dominating interstellar trade. Bitches see me, they hatin’
