In the higher difficulties there's no way to compete with the AI with just four. I guess traditional tall is just dead, but it's not as bad as I thought as city management is much easier with districts.
are you saying you needed more or less?
at higher difficulties 3 seemed about as high as you could go before the happiness penalties and the significantly increased costs for policies and tech crippled the civ completely unless you lucked into a shitton of assorted luxuries and managed to avoid fighting anyone by being isolated on your own continent.