what are your game settings with regards to barbarians?

Usually just on. Off in HoF obviously. Definitely off in MP.

On. I don't like them, but it feels like cheating to turn them off.

They annoy me but it still feels like cheating to turn them off so I play with them on. As a marathon player on large maps they can sometimes get fairly bad but now I have gotten a lot better they don't bother me nearly as much.

On. They can be annoying, but the game wouldn't be the same without them. And they are good for gaining some experience. :D

They occasionally save me a settler of two.

On so they're a nuisance, but not Raging and therefore insane.

I usually play raging. I build enough units to protect from the barbs I wlll (usually) have enough units to protect me from most AI Civs. Plus the barbs are good for XP and occasionally a good city site.

Once upon a time, I turned off Barbarians because they screwed with my games too much. Then I finally learned how to deal with them and the rest of my game improved quite a bit, so I gave up the crutch of turning off Barbarians.

The funny thing is that I now turn on Raging Barbarians when I want a game with a crutch and I need an advantage over the AI. :mischief:

Usually just on. Off in HoF obviously. Definitely off in MP.

Why off on the HoF? I'm not saying that you should/shouldn't have them on, but what is different about the HoF to make you turn them off?

Just curious. I've never done anything with the HoF before.

Why off on the HoF? I'm not saying that you should/shouldn't have them on, but what is different about the HoF to make you turn them off?

Just curious. I've never done anything with the HoF before.

barbs are a lot easier for the AI to deal with as they start with archery, multiple archers/scouts and have combat bonuses against them. therefore, in a competitive game, the human does better if the barbs are off.

On. Like most features of this game, Barbarians have their own challenges and rewards.

And since I don't have either expansion, I try and get as much content out of my poor li'l Vanilla game as possible. :(

barbs are a lot easier for the AI to deal with as they start with archery, multiple archers/scouts and have combat bonuses against them. therefore, in a competitive game, the human does better if the barbs are off.

This is true, but also don't forget that in HoF you don't want to hurt yourself OR the computer (hurting the computer usually slows down the finish date). Given the rigged nature of HoF games/starts it's not like the human would ever lose to the AI over something like barbs anyway, but they're not likely to be helpful.

Usually with them on, cuz even though I sometimes want to rip my hair out with those dang Barbs it feels like I'm cheating when I turn them off.

I play with them on, because it feels like its cheating to turn them off, plus they usualy give me a free city or two by the end of the game :)

I always leave them On, rarely Raging or Off. I enjoy the ability to get XP without having to fight an AI. I also like to play island maps, so they tend to build a LOT of cities for me. In addition, I am an Aesthetics-Lit kind of guy, and opening the HE without a war with an AI is a bonus.

off in OCC, or LHC series, on otherwise

ON in all games. I just don't feel right when I play with them off because you can use all sorts of cheesy and stupid tactics such as sending out unguarded workers and settlers in the jungle without any fear whatsoever. Hall of Fame games should require them on in my opinion.

As much as I hate them, I leave them on. Though there are those times mid-game when I wish I had turned them off.

Raging, the more the merrier, I'm in it for the conflict and challenge, not for the quiet life.

But sometimes it can be nice to be able to have wandering settlers and workers... I know it's been suggested before, but with barbs off, you should play as India and have some fast workers explore the map!!! :lol:

ON in all games. I just don't feel right when I play with them off because you can use all sorts of cheesy and stupid tactics such as sending out unguarded workers and settlers in the jungle without any fear whatsoever. Hall of Fame games should require them on in my opinion.

Unfortunately, like most other HoF settings the "no barbz" thing could easily be simulated by game spam/luck manipulation. It's the same with a lot of settings and with mapfinder.

Or, to put it this way:

You played a perfect game, but barb units killing your stuff early (like animals killing scouting units) caused you to finish 1-5+ turns later than otherwise. Someone with way more time on his hands just SPAMS openings until everything goes his way, and he beats you, even if you were more skilled.

On the flip side, barbs off as an option lets everyone compete anyway. Note that this argument creates a strong case against random events, but w/e (HoF mod takes many events out in an attempt to minimize their impact, and IMO only a handful are left in that mod that are troublesome).

But most of all, HoF is a competition between players and the AIs essentially just become hitting dummies. If you see a score variance between two scores, you can look at the settings and decide what was worth what. IMO most of the HoF rules are well thought-out/regulated. It necessarily won't play like a normal game though.

But, I win a lot more immortal/normal standard settings games than I do matchups against people like ironhead or pauliskhan. The AI is an afterthought...or at most something you try to squeeze as much help from as possible.

Raging, the more the merrier, I'm in it for the conflict and challenge, not for the quiet life.

Raging Barbs is quite possibly the easiest way to beat the AI on any level. Raging barbs = abuse.

I used to play Raging (Monarch/Epic). If I started with Bronze nearby, it was game over as I could defend my cities, build few units and tech easily while the AI had trouble dealing with them. On the other hand, if I was in the middle of a jungle with no Bronze and had to go for Iron, then things got tougher as I would have to first get horses hooked up and build a barracks to improve my archers and chariots.

With Raging Barbs, too much depends on the starting position. Aside from the availability of Bronze (and to a lesser extent horses nearby), geography play a more important role. If you start on the coast on a peninsula you rarely see one, since they can only come from one direction. On the other hand, if you are in the middle of a jungle, they multiply like flies which is odd since there are no plots that offer more than 2 food. What the heck do they eat?

The Great Wall.

I leave them on. The experience is nice, and besides, what would World History be without barbarians to keep the "civilized people" honest?