You tell me

Jimbo30 said:

Most Civ players try to find a level that challenges them the most without resorting to gaming the broken AI and micromanaging every single aspect of their play.

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I think this is true.

Emperor is basically the last level where you can do that while still enjoying the majority of the game, and without turning it into a "who can win fastest" contest.

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I don't think that is true. I play pretty causally and don't bother locking tiles, but I can win half the time or more at Immortal. I am not good at the whole “who can win fastest” approach (and don't try) but several board regulars complain that Deity is too easy. So maybe even Deity games can be enjoyed for the majority of the game?

You want difficulty? Try Sweden, Korea, Inca, India, America, Arabia and Egypt, and win a time victory...

Why I say this: Korea, Inca and India will go for a science victory, and are good at getting one; Arabia and Egypt are good at suppressing your wonder building, preventing you from getting the wonders you want; the Swedish AI grabs CS allies like mad and tends to aim for a diplomatic victory, which will probably happen unless you stop them; the American AI is a moderate warmongering player which rarely causes problems with other AIs but will keep you busy should you try to suppress the other AIs militarily. You would need to prevent the other potential victories (both for yourself as well as for the other players) with the Americans meddling all the way while waiting for 2050.

Iroquois, archipelago, culture victory with Indonesia, Venice, Polynesia, Morocco, Siam, Poland, Brazil.