Does anyone play for the organic beauty of it?

[Sussemilch]

I'm reading a lot of informative posts about optimal paths and efficient strategy, but that isn't why I play. I enjoy starting civilizations on random worlds and just watching them grow and develop and discover. There's a lot of beauty in that random creation, and that's why I play, just for the relaxation of it. Am I alone in that regard?

 

[Mount Suribachi]

Not at all, but the higher up the difficulty levels you go, the harder this approach is.

TBF, Civ5 isn't as bad as Civ4 in this regard. First of all, it looks so much better (the map is gorgeous when you turn off hexes and icons). Secondly, Civ4 felt much more like a highly complex mathematical puzzle than 5 does.

 

[Sussemilch]

Not at all, but the higher up the difficulty levels you go, the harder this approach is.

I found a level of difficulty where the AI can be an obstacle to what I want to do, but they're no threat to eliminate me. I play at that level with no ambition to be "better", just to enjoy the variations of game play.

 

[danaphanous]

Yes. I play this way as well. You actually can do it and win on deity you just have to make sure you don't fall too behind on science and save a few great scientists and you can pretty easily fall back on a spaceship victory in my experience

 

[Socratatus]

I'm reading a lot of informative posts about optimal paths and efficient strategy, but that isn't why I play. I enjoy starting civilizations on random worlds and just watching them grow and develop and discover. There's a lot of beauty in that random creation, and that's why I play, just for the relaxation of it. Am I alone in that regard?

I am much like this too.

I do what`s needed for my Civ in general, but most of my decisions are not numbers based. If there`s a policy I don`t like I won`t take it, no matter how `advantageous` it is. However, that `relaxation` doesn`t last long if I end up in a war.

I also leave all my options on random (except size, I like Huge sizes) and just go with what i get.

 

[apocalypse105]

I thinx king is the best difficult level for roleplaying. You can actually play youre own way but you still have to watch out or else you lose.

 

[danaphanous]

For me, anything below immortal feels impossible to lose. Even if you ARE roleplaying as long as you regularly keep your cities growing and make halfway decent choices (which I usually do even when roleplaying) then even an emperor AI can't keep up.

Immortal is usually what I play my terribly suboptimal strategies on. Deity on anything halfway decent. Below that the AI really can't intervene in your affairs because they just don't have the military presence or intelligence to launch a dangerous invasion.

I realize this is an opinion statement, just wanted to clarify that you can definitely experiment on high levels and still win.

 

[apocalypse105]

For me, anything below immortal feels impossible to lose. Even if you ARE roleplaying as long as you regularly keep your cities growing and make halfway decent choices (which I usually do even when roleplaying) then even an emperor AI can't keep up.

Immortal is usually what I play my terribly suboptimal strategies on. Deity on anything halfway decent. Below that the AI really can't intervene in your affairs because they just don't have the military presence or intelligence to launch a dangerous invasion.

I realize this is an opinion statement, just wanted to clarify that you can definitely experiment on high levels and still win.

Problem with emperor is that you have less options to built certain wonders.

 

[Jawaka]

I do. I'm actually obsessive about building the most efficient roads between my cities and creating farms on land where I can.

 

[Socratatus]

I still believe games like CIv 5 suffer terribly from a lack of random events. Storms at sea, earthquakes, floods, etc should all have an impact on a leader when world building. NO ONE should be able to make a perfect Civ just by getting all the numbers right. that`s not how reality works or we`d just employ a Civ Player to make our realworld economy (and everything else) perfect.

It also stops boredom. Sometimes the game gets really boring because you`ve done all you need to do and are waiting for th next advance or city growth. I`ve nearly fallen asleep how quiet my games get, not even a storm to get my attention sometimes.

 

[Mount Suribachi]

I still believe games like CIv 5 suffer terribly from a lack of random events. Storms at sea, earthquakes, floods, etc should all have an impact on a leader when world building. NO ONE should be able to make a perfect Civ just by getting all the numbers right. that`s not how reality works or we`d just employ a Civ Player to make our realworld economy (and everything else) perfect.

It also stops boredom. Sometimes the game gets really boring because you`ve done all you need to do and are waiting for th next advance or city growth. I`ve nearly fallen asleep how quiet my games get, not even a storm to get my attention sometimes.

Well, we had them in Civ4, but high level players used to complain about them and turn them off (goody huts as well) because they introduced too much chance into their highly structured games

 

[Socratatus]

Well, we had them in Civ4, but high level players used to complain about them and turn them off (goody huts as well) because they introduced too much chance into their highly structured games

I don`t mind that, they had the CHOICE. We don`t have that choice in Civ 5. It`s why I still play Civ 4 sometimes.

 

[SYKOJAK]

I like to play in this same vein of thought. I have experienced all of the types of settings the game has to offer. I prefer marathon speed, huge map, and completely random maps. It makes me feel as I am the immortal ruler of a said civilization. I just love seeing how a civ developed over the eras.

 

[Sebulous]

I was like that when I first got the game. Now I know too much about the game and different paths to victory, it's quite hard to get into the mindset of roleplaying a Civ and playing them for story value, rather than trying to win with a Civ. That being said, I'm a sucker for huge and clean looking borders.

 

[Mesodius]

I play this way most of the time anymore, even though I know the 'optimal strategies', and just drop the difficulty a bit instead. I find it a lot more fun to just role play and still try to survive and build a different sort of empire each time and see how it develops. You're not alone, OP.

 

[Sussemilch]

I do. I'm actually obsessive about building the most efficient roads between my cities and creating farms on land where I can.

I do that too sometimes. I get a big buzz from putting a city in the perfect spot to take advantage of terrain features for unique civ developments like ponders and moai. And I almost never go to war unless someone sends missionaries into my zone... that's an aggression I will not tolerate.

 

[apocalypse105]

I do that too sometimes. I get a big buzz from putting a city in the perfect spot to take advantage of terrain features for unique civ developments like ponders and moai. And I almost never go to war unless someone sends missionaries into my zone... that's an aggression I will not tolerate.

I am not a agressive player i only declare war if someone does something wrong..
I dont start wars to expand my empire usally only built 3 cities and thats it.
I dont even care if a Ai settles next to me it happens i will just settle some where else.

But if someone backstabs me or ignores my request of spying, and keeps stealing techs.
or the promise of not sending missionaries they will fear my wrath. And i whipe them out i dont care about the warmonger penalty.
There are ocasions where i let them live and if i do i embargo them and ban luxuries to keep them weak..

 

[danaphanous]

I am not a agressive player i only declare war if someone does something wrong..
I dont start wars to expand my empire usally only built 3 cities and thats it.
I dont even care if a Ai settles next to me it happens i will just settle some where else.

But if someone backstabs me or ignores my request of spying, and keeps stealing techs.
or the promise of not sending missionaries they will fear my wrath. And i whipe them out i dont care about the warmonger penalty.
There are ocasions where i let them live and if i do i embargo them and ban luxuries to keep them weak..

lol, the only problem with that is that the AI will ignore requests to cease spying, and will steal techs all game. I've never seen them listen to the request in my games. So with that philosophy you'll probably be wiping people out every game. Also, sometimes the AI explores with missionaries or prophets but doesn't actually convert your cities so be careful automatically declaring war, especially if it's a friend.

 

[IronfighterXXX]

I'm reading a lot of informative posts about optimal paths and efficient strategy, but that isn't why I play. I enjoy starting civilizations on random worlds and just watching them grow and develop and discover. There's a lot of beauty in that random creation, and that's why I play, just for the relaxation of it. Am I alone in that regard?

No, you're in the vast majority of players, even on this forum called 'civfanatics',
I'm, as 'optimal' player in minority

You actually can do it and win on deity you just have to make sure you don't fall too behind on science and save a few great scientists and you can pretty easily fall back on a spaceship victory in my experience

Yes, it's true. I just hope that civ 6 deity will be much harder, with not so many ways to fooling around and still win (for this are 7 other difficulties imo )

 

[apocalypse105]

lol, the only problem with that is that the AI will ignore requests to cease spying, and will steal techs all game. I've never seen them listen to the request in my games. So with that philosophy you'll probably be wiping people out every game. Also, sometimes the AI explores with missionaries or prophets but doesn't actually convert your cities so be careful automatically declaring war, especially if it's a friend.

Its usally one civ that allways keeps stealing against me.. Other civs ocasionlly steal something but it isnt constantlly they olso spie on others..
Olso if they are really friendly and you ask them not to spy on you they actually do it.. I've had civs who kept their promises. But certain civs england aztecs just dont give up..

its not like i get mad if they steal 2 techs but if they steal throughout the game.
I've had a game where england kept stealing techs from renaissance to information era.. lets say i nuked her when she stole another tech..

And the missionary thing i am talking about actually converting one of my cities with a great prophet and dont stop and keep sending prophets result WAR.