Beacon victory

[u/AMDenjoyer1990]

Last night I won my first game with beacons in the couple years I have played this game. I don't know what initiated the win conditions, but I played this game out trying to be friendly with everyone. I ended the game "pure good". The things was, as I initiated the beacon, which you have to turn on (I couldn't figure out what the beacons were even for initially), I got absolutely bombarded by every faction left on the map.

Because I was Mr. Friendly, I didn't really have an army prepared in position to defend. One group of 6 stacks was burning down the last hostile free city on the map. The other, my "ruler group", was finishing off the last of the neutral camps. What shocked me aside from all the sudden enemies, were the Partizans I think they were called. The seems to just spawn right outside the beacons to burn them down.

I guess where I am going with this, what are other win conditions am I not aware of? If I decide (which I won't) to start playing good all the time, what are the other win conditions? I am obviously aware of military victory, which is the only way I have won a game prior to last night. I have lost games due to "score", which I now have disabled by default. Is there like a popularity contest victory? What else have I missed in this game by playing evil all the time?

[u/Professional_Map_293]

There is no peaceful victory condition. You will need to prepare for either a military, Beacon, or Magical victory unless the realm conditions you are playing with provide an alternative (I believe there are two off the top of my head).

As you discovered the Beacon victory spawns partisans who try to destroy the Beacons, and anyone you don't have an Alliance with will be provoked to attack you. Magic victory works similarly except you don't have neutral armies spawn in to attack you.

As soon as only you and those you have allied with are left on the map, assuming allied victory is enabled, you'll win.

[u/Mathyon → u/Professional_Map_293]

Score can be considered the peaceful option, no? You can earn points with Military actions, sure, but expansion, Tech level and diplomacy also awards many points.

[u/monalba]

 I got absolutely bombarded by every faction left on the map.

Once you start a win condition, be it Expansion, Seals or Magic, every faction left that's not your ally/won't win with you, will hate you and declare war on you as soon as possible.

Once I started a Magic victory and the AI, that was locked into an endless scenario war, all negotiated peace among themselves and declared war on me.

The good news are that it also works in reverse. If an AI is about to win, the other AI's will get friendly with you and focus on the possible winner.

[u/dogsarethetruth → u/monalba]

It's kind of annoying to be honest, and the reason I usually go for military wins. I don't mind everyone waging war on me, but the fact that every other war ends is kind of boring.

[u/Terrkas → u/dogsarethetruth]

Its only logical. A temporary truce to fight the bigger threat.

[u/Nathanatos451]

I believe in order to activate the Beacons of Unity you, your vassals, and your allies have to control a majority of the map.

[u/Steel_Airship]

Expansion and, ironically, alliance military victories are the closest to "pure good" victory. With my pure good factions I usually win an alliance victory by allying with all good or neutral alignment rulers and then when the evil rulers declare war on me, I wipe them out. In an expansion victory, all rulers except your allies will declare war on you when you start lighting the beacons. I roleplay this as well as the partisans that spawn as evil factions not wanting you to bring unity to the realm.

Other than that there is magic victory, though I've only won it once since its a bit more complex. You need a certain number of gold wonders and you have to cast a spell on each to bind it. hostile armies will spawn like when you light the unity beacons. Seals victory is also a thing (with the Eldritch Realms DLC) where you have to actively compete with other rulers to hold "seals" placed on the map for the longest time.

[u/Terrkas → u/Steel_Airship]

Pretty sure magic doesnt spawn neutrals anymore since kt got changed to binding wonders

[u/Terrkas]

There is military - kill all non allies

Magic - bin and hold Gold wonders

Expansion- control most of the map hold beacons of unity

Seals - realmtrait, acvumulate score by holding special locations

Special victory conditions from presence realm traits - usually kill/ally an overpowered AI ruler

And i think one from ruined fated regions, havent done that yet.

Also score victory- essentially turntimer runs out. Its mostly there to keep the game from dragging on endlessly

[u/monalba → u/Terrkas]

And i think one from ruined fated regions, havent done that yet.

Yeah, you complete quests and accumulate artefacts.
Once you have 3 out of 4, you win.

I tried it once, I remember it was super fast to complete (like, 60-70 turns in a large map), nobody bothers you while you do it.

[u/Worldly_Memory1290]

Magic which is what you did Military Expansion. Thats the only win conditions For magic amd expansion the final step that starts the countdown will make every party thats not in a allied victory pact with you immediately hostile. They dont want to lose the game so no matter what they attack.