BjoernLars
Warlord
As the map gets larger, the less likely the map will be fully settled. What do you think the best number of Civs and City-States should you have per map size?
Best Number of Civs and City States per Map Size?
- Thread starter BjoernLars
- Start date
I keep Civs at default, but ALWAYS take less city-states than the default.
I take about same number of CSs as there are Civs.
If there are twice the number of CSs as on default, I feel the map gets WAY too crowded with them, and I love that when there are a bit less CS than competing for their favors gets more intense...
Also I don't like dozen CS pop-ups informing me about their special needs every turn.
I take about same number of CSs as there are Civs.
If there are twice the number of CSs as on default, I feel the map gets WAY too crowded with them, and I love that when there are a bit less CS than competing for their favors gets more intense...
Also I don't like dozen CS pop-ups informing me about their special needs every turn.
CultureManiac
Prince
I often like to use the default number of Civs and CS on a map one size smaller. Gets everybody riled up and fighting from the get go.
I tend to add 50% extra civs, and 50% less CityStates. I might have an extra civ if I am feeling warlike (I want more targets) or 1 less if I want to build a lot of wonders(less chance of egypt nabbing all the early wonders...)
Ideally I'd have a PC that could reasonably run all civs on a huge map... but alas...
Ideally I'd have a PC that could reasonably run all civs on a huge map... but alas...
silverspirit
Chieftain
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2011
- Messages
- 21
22 Civs, and no city states, on huge. City states annoy me, along with goody huts.
Wish I could add more civs though.
Wish I could add more civs though.
Optional
Deity
Since a few people here are saying they put less city states on, I'd like to say I like them, and I always keep everything at default.
bcaiko
Emperor
This. Because CityStates tend to be settled on the best land available and you incur such a heavy penalty for attacking them. I keep enough of them around for a diplomatic victory to be possible, tho.
I sometimes increase the number of Civs by two to increase hostility. hahaha
bokaj
Chieftain
I would love to play the huge maps but I'm not into waiting half an hour for my turn so I usually go with Standard map and 7 civs, 16 city states
Becephalus
King
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2005
- Messages
- 725
If you want it normalized to the number of tiles I believe the ideal numbers are:
Civ/CS
2:4
4:8
6:12
8:16
14:28
Civ/CS
2:4
4:8
6:12
8:16
14:28
I used to put three or four times the standard amount of civs on a small map in civ 4. That was pretty awesome but also pretty scary, since you'll be engaged in superearly war with several fronts.
Haven't done it with civ 5 yet, but now I'm going to!
I tend to keep things at default, because I noticed it doesn't scale well. Adding 1 civ will keep existing civs at their designated place, and stuffs the extra civ near 1 or 2 civs, so it is not an equal situation. But that is my experience with adjusting the number of civs (and cs)
I'm still very new to Civ 5, but what about modifying the barbarian system to include a City State mechanism for the middle and late game? Empty areas of large maps would start to be filled with new city states instead of just endless barbarians with increasingly improbable weapons.
The way I would see it working is that each turn the game looks at the barbarian encampments on the map. If the encampment is at least x tiles from any city (but maybe within y tiles of some source of civilization), none of the surrounding z tiles fall into another nations borders, then the encampment may be eligible to become a new City State.
The actual chance of an encampment becoming a city state would depend on how many turns have passed since the encampment was created. There would be a minimum number of turns it must have survived, and then for each turn over the minimum the chance of founding a City State on that encampment would go up (assuming the previous distance and border conditions are still met).
As the game progresses the minimum number of turns would decrease, while the extra chance for each turn over the minimum would increase. These numbers would be tailored so that City States could first start appearing in the medieval period if the map is not well populated, and by the modern age even a short lived encampment would likely become a City State if not destroyed.
In a historical context this would represent how over time and with a easier access to the tools of civilization the 'barbarians' became less nomads with axes and more tin pot dictatorships with AK47s. We might even take this farther with a 4th type of City State that can only be founded in this manner - the "Rogue" city state. Rogue states might be more aggressive, but have a lower diplomatic penality if you attack them (I'm not sure of the benefits for being friends/allies, apart from giving you their resources and attacking everyone except you).
The way I would see it working is that each turn the game looks at the barbarian encampments on the map. If the encampment is at least x tiles from any city (but maybe within y tiles of some source of civilization), none of the surrounding z tiles fall into another nations borders, then the encampment may be eligible to become a new City State.
The actual chance of an encampment becoming a city state would depend on how many turns have passed since the encampment was created. There would be a minimum number of turns it must have survived, and then for each turn over the minimum the chance of founding a City State on that encampment would go up (assuming the previous distance and border conditions are still met).
As the game progresses the minimum number of turns would decrease, while the extra chance for each turn over the minimum would increase. These numbers would be tailored so that City States could first start appearing in the medieval period if the map is not well populated, and by the modern age even a short lived encampment would likely become a City State if not destroyed.
In a historical context this would represent how over time and with a easier access to the tools of civilization the 'barbarians' became less nomads with axes and more tin pot dictatorships with AK47s. We might even take this farther with a 4th type of City State that can only be founded in this manner - the "Rogue" city state. Rogue states might be more aggressive, but have a lower diplomatic penality if you attack them (I'm not sure of the benefits for being friends/allies, apart from giving you their resources and attacking everyone except you).
I really like this.
Capt Ajax
Warlord
I've played several games like this on various terrain types. I like it. The game usually divides into two or more factions of alliances + the loners like Japan and the Dutch. Last time I tried to play India and win a culture victory with only three cities.......didn't quite come out like I hoped.....
That bends it your way because the AI is too inflexible to realize it shouldn't choose patronage. You can edit an XML file to fix this.
I have as many City States as the map will bear! 
Firstly you get a gp reward for each one you meet early on.
Next I play with Raging Barbarians
, and the City States will attack any Barbarians that come within 2 hexes. So if I have a problem wiping out an encampment because there are additional Barbarian units, I retreat and lure the enemy into an ambush.
Finally I try to satisfy City States' demands as the rewards are useful.
Firstly you get a gp reward for each one you meet early on.
Next I play with Raging Barbarians
, and the City States will attack any Barbarians that come within 2 hexes. So if I have a problem wiping out an encampment because there are additional Barbarian units, I retreat and lure the enemy into an ambush.Finally I try to satisfy City States' demands as the rewards are useful.
snoproblem
Chieftain
A lot of you guys like a crowded map. My preference for quite some time now, is a huge map with six civs including me, and six city-states. One of the downsides - it seems to provoke city-spamming from some AI civs.
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