Strategy for the game based on luck?

[Haas888]

I am always trying to prioritize green cards > gold coins > cat > resources > war.
Are you doing it any different? I really struggle to win and I'm just wondering if I'm just that unlucky or there is something terribly wrong with my approach. My opponent usually seems to pick up at least 2 or 3 green tokens, sometimes even 4, massively boosting their economy, while I repel those and consider myself lucky if I manage to pick at least one until the game is over.
Is there any special way to maximize my chances for green cards?

[luffydude]

If you lose 3 wars then your enemies have a huge advantage over you

[ErikLevin]

I am always trying to prioritise...

There's your problem. ;)You shouldn't always prioritise the same cards. It depends on what your opponents are doing, what cards are drawn, and what wonder you have.
If your opponents are getting green cards and extra turn science tokens, pick resources and end the game before they get too much card advantage.
Likewise if they are picking permanent shields, hoping to win many wars. Pick resources to end the game before they trigger a huge number of wars.
If they are picking temporary shields (trumpets) to rush wars, pick permanent shields defensively so they can't win them.

Science tokens are good, but not that good that you should blindly take all green cards. That will make the opportunity cost too high. If you randomly draw one, then sure, probably prioritise picking another of the same. Or if you have Alexandria you can pick one and try to dig for the other.

... Bump the cat way up that ranking! The cat helps you with literally every strategy and gives points.

Also be mindful that some cards and strategies vary a lot in value depending on the number of players. Cats are even better with fewer players, and hate-picking what your opponents need is also more valuable with fewer players.

[tyranno25]

Good advice there from ErikLavin. I would add that it’s good to know the distribution of cards of each civilization. There’s a file on Boardgamegeek. This will help you know a little better what to expect to appear after you draw from a side deck. Each civilization has a somewhat different character and optimal kind of strategy. There are layers to the game that you pick up the more you play, and sensing the pace is one of them, and so is a better sense of the probabilities at each stage of a game. You’ll still lose quite often enough to better luck by the other player or players, but your win ratio gets ever a little bit better as you get more experience. Note too that our current ladder leader, Lin… , has won the arena tournament twice in a row and is about to win a third, it seems. There are a few others who are quite consistent about reaching the top ten.