[ajuc]

The game is set up like that. Military victory has the most mechanics and is the most fun. Other victories are basically watching numbers grow with little interaction with the enemy.

There's few games where non-combat mechanics are as fun as combat mechanics. If you like strategies I recommend Crusader King series - it's about dynastic politics and plots instead of combat (combat still exists but it's not the main focus). It tends to generate very dark Game Of Thrones-like scenarios by the basic mechanics not by hardcoded plot.

[pintxo]

CIV VI (and its add-ons) has slightly improved here with religious units that can actively distribute your religion and also fight other religious units. Also the "band" gaining cultural points for your civ are somewhat going into this direction. But I agree, combat still has the most fun game mechanics.