The problem with Domination relies on unintended consequences. I agree with Silver Witch that in theory the game should have encouraged fighting. However, it completely backfired. This is not the fault of the developers. You can not predict everything. It is likely Prohibition Laws and the War on Drugs.
Prohibition in the 1920s United States, originally enacted to suppress the alcohol trade, drove many small-time alcohol suppliers out of business and consolidated the hold of large-scale
organized crime over the illegal alcohol industry. Since alcohol was still popular, criminal organisations producing alcohol were well-funded and hence also increased their other activities. Similarly, the
War on Drugs, intended to suppress the
illegal drug trade, instead increased the power and profitability of drug cartels who became the primary source of the products.
We should realize that many leaders and players are more Farmville type of players. They do not like to attack or have wars. We have a peaceful bunch of players. This makes it tough. They only attack on big groups.
The problem of Domination is that the the "winning" conditions are not based on a clear cut standard that relates something that causes direct conflict and wars. The history of warfare is not based on war for the sake of war or territory for the sake of territory. The Romans did not go in to Germany because there was nothing of interest for them at the time. The went into Egypt to control the grain. They went into Spain to control the natural resources. They went into North Africa to control the Trade (Carthage). They went into West Europe to the the fertile land. The list goes on. The same for more modern Empires. The Americans are in the Middle East for the Oil, the Americas for safety and natural resources.
This is what the game is missing. A conflict is created when group of people have to control a specific resource. World Wonders was specific.
At the moment, the domination conditions are really vague and non specific in terms of land or resources. As the previous poster stated, a city that is 1,000 counts the same as a city of 17,000, which is not only silly but does not create inherent conflict.
In addition to non specificity. Then we have the problem of unintended consequences. The game became a bartering of players or auctioning of players or cities. This started since the start of the server.
Does anyone knows why they do not have simple domination of highly desirable areas? (i.e. higher resource productivity)
Alternatively. Why not just go for domination of an ocean?
Does anyone knows why they do not put regulations of having World Wonders on different oceans and that in order to win they have to hold the world wonder for lets say 1 or 2 months with no possibility of rotation of crowns?
These are really simple solutions. The simpler and more concrete the game, the better. However, it has to reflect some sort of resemblance to reality. Otherwise, there is no conflict. People do not fight for the sake of fighting. They fight when there is a resource or safety is at stake.