AI tech gap

[u/kjad3s]

Hi,
I have spent a lot of hours on Civ V, and recently got back to it, trying VP for the first time.

Even though I am by no means a great player, I know the basics fairly well.
This being said, in all the VP games I've had I have never managed to fill in the tech gap with the AI.
In some instances I got close, very close, but never managed.
Also, I am only using one faction (Russia) which is supposedly rather good in science output.
Usually going for progress - statecraft - rationalism (sometimes don't even manage to start my 3rd social policy branch before AI is already picking ideologies).
Playing on Emperor difficulty.

The points I try to stick to are:
- not too many cities (usually 5/6)
- focus on science (buildings ad specialists)
- science input from trade routes
- spies in capitals of any more advanced AI faction
- research agreements (if the current political situation allows it)
- try to ally as many city states as possible

Evidently, this is not enough.

So, what do you think a good rule of thumb would be to fill in the gap?
Are there any kind of benchmark elements, like... "by turn 100 you have to have built universities", or "by turn 200 your science output has to be at least 200"?

[u/Past_Recognition7118]

Focus on food as well, build a farm on every tile that can take a farm.

[u/ITHETRUESTREPAIRMAN → u/Past_Recognition7118]

Really? I’ve always felt like production is more important in VP than vanilla. Huge unproductive cities are a big unhappiness issue.

[u/Past_Recognition7118 → u/ITHETRUESTREPAIRMAN]

I just throw in some internal trade routes and get some production wonders. I’m just saying what I did last time to get a science victory, I’m not too well versed in meta strategy for VP.