What settings do you use in setting up the game to maximize your fun?

I was going to title this article “What are the best settings to beat the computer playing as Deity?” but changed my mind at the last instant. For me fun in playing civ 5 is playing a very challenging game but still able to win it. I have been playing civ since civ 1 first came out, and now have played 1,2,3,4,5 plus Gods & Kings. Of course the settings you use in setting up the game have to be made in tandem with the restrictions you put on yourself in playing the game, such as how much you can reload it, and what are the exploits that you will not use.

For me in the past, I have always allowed myself to reload it as much as I wanted to, and then played on the hardest level I could win at. The reason I play this way is that if I play on a easier level without reloading I could invest a lot of my time playing the game, only to find out it is to easy to win, thus not challenging and a big waste of my time. I also sometimes make real stupid mistakes that I can't accept so I feel I need to reload it.

I have uploaded 2 games starting at turn 1 should anyone want to play. My third upload is the first upload played out until I won. The reason for this upload is so someone could look at the map before deciding to play it.

Settings for the first:
Augustus Caesar
Map: Archipelago
Map Size: Large
Difficulty level: Immortal
Game pace: Marathon

Settings I changed from default:
Sea level: Low
Resources: Strategic Balance
No Ancient Ruins

Settings changed for the second game:
Suleiman
Same map as first starting at about same start location
Deity
Disable start bias

The reason for selecting Caesar in my first game is because I thought he was my best chance at beating the other civs on Immortal level. I think his 25% production bonus for building already in the Capital is huge, plus he has 2 very powerful early game units which will help me survive the early game. I changed that to Suleiman in the 2nd game because his bonus of being able to capture enemy ships plus only pay 1/3 cost for his navy was I thought a even a bigger bonus on a island map.

Usually I play out 3-4 randomly selected games for about 50 turns, looking over the terrain before selecting one to play. I also usually play on continents instead of Archipelago. In this case I fell in love with the first Archipelago one I generated and played it. I have come to the belief that Archipelago maps are the best type of map to beat Deity on, because they are so defensive, and I think the AI is poorer on sea combat than land combat. I also like the idea of having long stringy islands where you can build a city to connect 2 oceans together.

I like large maps and I put sea level low so I had even more land area to play on. I didn't select the largest map because of concern how well my computer could handle such a large map, and how slow it would be.

I selected Marathon because at the time I believed it would help me win, I believed I could get a tech advantage on the computer and this advantage would then last longer. I also like long games. In reading some of the articles on this forum I have discovered that on Deity you will be behind in tech no matter how hard you try.

Finally I have selected no ancient ruins. The reason for this is simple. I want to find the best strategy in playing this game. The luck of my finds in the ancient ruins can put a huge unwanted randomness in how I do in the game.

Anything that is specifically matching the civilization I play. It's easier than a random setting, but I like the feeling that my civilization is the "chosen" one for the world. It makes me feel like God, leading my chosen people through greatness.

I always play on Emperor, but I tell people that I play on King.

In more detail, I'd say map settings that give more opportunities to build UI's, and longer time frame if there's a UU I can really take advantage of.

Map type, mainly. I liked the inland sea map with IV and still like it now. Rivers are common and coastal starts are uncommon, I like that. Exploration is relatively quick, too.

I was never a fan of barbarians in earlier Civs, but I frequently use the raging barbs setting, especially if UA mentions barbarians and I want to try again to make honor work.

I like hammers, so sometimes I set the age low.

I feel that a game played with lots of map rerolls leads to a very limited palette of optimal strategies, which isn't as fun. It also takes the difficulty level down at least one notch.

So, for fun, I'd prefer to take the difficulty level down a notch or two and play completely random settings. And I mean completely random - map type, map size, and civs, including my own. Usually standard speed and emperor or immortal.

This usually results in developing a strategy very specific to that game, which is fun.

I try to play every civilization while moving up the difficulty ladder. Now I'm stuck with 8 more unplayed civs that I can't think of a good reason to play at Immortal/Deity >.>.

I couldn't use your '1 choice only' vote, because I manually select all of those things, and many other things every time. All of the above.

I'm still playing with random Civs and map types. I've gone between largest and standard maps and am back at the largest. Toying around now with maxing out the civs just to see the effects it has on them. So far so good. Still get some good runaways with a couple of good turtles depending on who they land next to.

The one thing about playing with a lot of civs (20+) is diplomacy is an absolute madhouse! In my current game everyone hates everyone. I'd win a diplo victory if they voted now just because of the sheer amount of AI hate going around. And this is after I backstabbed a friend and told others I would go to war with them then said "changed my mind" when the time came. Any other map I'd be pond scum, on this one I'm the least hated player. Diplomacy was so player friendly I had to make sure I wasn't playing warlord.

Although I will admit to starting another game if I roll a civ I've had enough of. Wish we could blacklist Civs we don't want to play as...

The reason I usually play out 3-4 randomly selected games for about 50 turns, looking over the terrain before selecting one to play. Is this:
It is the challenge! I don't want the game to be to easy or to hard. With playing this way the challenge will be more consistent.