Should I just stop playing on King? It seems too difficult.

[reddishrecue]

I was using king and I couldn't believe how well I was actually doing. I took ulundi, mecca and recently I took Cuzco. I couldn't believe that I was able to do it and the ais weren't that hostile against my conquering since I did liberate a few city states that were captured by the ai. I have a few doubts though, I'm last in literacy and I still have about 4 capitals left for domination and it is late (1800s). I did better than last time but I guess it was fun or thought that count.

 

[kb27787]

people giving deity advice
On king it's actually beneficial to wonderwhore a little (esp. things like GL and ToA and whatnot) and to stay OCC or close to OCC until turn 90 or so.

 

[LoneRebel]

If so, how can I as the player, have tons of gold, tons of happiness, build every wonder and be ahead in tech?

You seem to be misunderstanding something. You do not necessarily need to be ahead in every category in order to win a game.

Especially building every wonder...don't tell me you're STILL trying to do that? Even on Prince, you won't be able to build every ancient and classical wonder, there are just too many.

And what makes you think building every wonder is necessary to win? These AIs you speak of that are always ahead of you in everything - do they build every wonder?

 

[kkapalk]

Joncnunn gives good advice and it is worth reading his posts. I am only a mediocre player, so cannot really give you much help. I also play on King and find I win 80% of the time. My losses are usually when I neglect my military for all those juicy buildings and wonders. But I accept these losses and still enjoy the game, retiring and looking back at where I went wrong. If it really grates on you to lose then stepping down a level is probably a good option. The point in playing Civ is to enjoy it, so I would find the level between too easy and too hard and just learn from there.

 

[shaglio]

The answer to your question boils down to WHY you play Civilization 5. There is no wrong answer to this question; everyone plays for their own reason.

If you enjoy trying to beat the highest difficulty level you can and continually improving upon your losses, then stay on King and keep revising your strategy.

If you play just to blow off some steam after a long day at school/work, or for something to do during commercials while watching TV, then drop back down to Prince if the frustration of losing on King gets too much for you.

None of us here can answer this question for you; you need to answer it for yourself. (I should quit my job and go get a degree in Philosophy or something).

 

[ToothedBomb]

You and CivAddict here claim that it is impossible to win vs the AI on King, because you are unable to keep up your economy, infrastructure, military, and wonders, correct? (I realize that you're not exactly agreeing with him, but it sounds like you're in the same camp).

I'm not saying that winning vs King is impossible at all. I've been playing since vanilla, and have won numerous King games. A lot of times with a huge lead.
Not saying I'm great at the game or anything, but I understand the mechanics for the most part.

If we assume your statement to be true, how can the second statement be true? How is it possible for other players to win on higher difficulty levels and find King to be trivial? I am genuinely interested in the answer from both of you to those questions.

The first question I already answered. The second is simple: There's certain strategies and playstyles that fit with the higher difficulties. I don't really enjoy those, to be honest. Like shaglio mentioned, it depends on what you're looking for in the game.

 

[Abraxis]

I wonder if I should just stop playing on King. It's too difficult for me. The AI will always be ahead no matter what. If you build wonders, you're behind in soldiers. If you build soldiers, you're behind in money.

This is the point. The key is in leveraging whichever you do build to its fullest to off-set where you fell behind.

If you could do everything, that would not be strategy.

 

[Chum]

This is the point. The key is in leveraging whichever you do build to its fullest to off-set where you fell behind.

If you could do everything, that would not be strategy.

Well, the point would be if we could actually have a conversation with the guy, instead of him just dropping random complaint threads on the board and then never responding to any of the answers/discussion contained within.

That would probably go a long way towards fixing his problem as well.

The first question I already answered. The second is simple: There's certain strategies and playstyles that fit with the higher difficulties. I don't really enjoy those, to be honest. Like shaglio mentioned, it depends on what you're looking for in the game.

I don't know what you're getting at here. Strategies for anything below immortal are pretty varied. Especially on King (the topic of conversation), you have leeway to do basically whatever you want and still win, because the AI doesn't have the advantages it needs in order to win at that level.

 

[ToothedBomb]

I don't know what you're getting at here. Strategies for anything below immortal are pretty varied. Especially on King (the topic of conversation), you have leeway to do basically whatever you want and still win, because the AI doesn't have the advantages it needs in order to win at that level.

I'm talking about playing on Deity difficulty.
On King you do have a lot of options, like you said.

 

[Chum]

I'm talking about playing on Deity difficulty.
On King you do have a lot of options, like you said.

Well, it sounds like you're either confusing the topic or confusing yourself then, because you said --

But the AI sure can. They can crank out wonders, religions and cities all around you, while you struggle to compete in even one of those areas.

I always play on King, but certain games are just more difficult than others.
It depends on the specific Civs, the land, weird AI stuff. There's so much randomness going on in this game that it can get very frustrating when nothing goes your way.

-- that the AI can beat you on everything, and that you always play on King. It doesn't make any sense to interject Deity comments into a thread specifically designed around King difficulty. Of course the AI outpaces you on everything on Deity. It's designed to. But that's not what we're talking about here.

 

[ArguCa]

If you don't enjoy the game on King just try something easier. After a few games, you'll be good for King difficulty.

 

[ToothedBomb]

Well, it sounds like you're either confusing the topic or confusing yourself then

I answered the question you asked yourself.

How is it possible for other players to win on higher difficulty levels and find King to be trivial?

They can win on the higher difficulties by using certain strategies that, for me, suck a lot of the fun out of the game.

 

[LoneRebel]

They can win on the higher difficulties by using certain strategies that, for me, suck a lot of the fun out of the game.

People should not be able to win on the highest difficulties using any strategy. That is true of any game, not just this one.

 

[Moriarte]

If so, how can I as the player, have tons of gold, tons of happiness, build every wonder and be ahead in tech?

Conquest.

They can win on the higher difficulties by using certain strategies that, for me, suck a lot of the fun out of the game.

You can lose on higher difficulty and still have fun.

 

[Memoryjar]

They can win on the higher difficulties by using certain strategies that, for me, suck a lot of the fun out of the game.

Except selling lux and strategic ressources to AI, you can win on higher difficulties. Even on Deity, without stealing workers and bribing AI to avoid early war. It's pretty hard and doesn't always work. But you can.

My last Deity victory was peaceful culture with only stealing one only worker to a CS. Other tricks were just selling resources and sometimes paying an AI to go to war against another. And a 156 gpt for an open borders.

 

[Novalia]

Or do I just suck?

It's not that you suck. Well... you probably do.. But that would seem harsh to outright say. Your main problem is your unwillingness to improve. I've had the misfortune to have clicked on more threads started by you than I wish I had and they all have the same theme: Some random complaint. This is followed by pages of responses by people attempting to help.

Why don't you just follow one of the opening guides step by step?
I'm pretty sure I know why you won't.

 

[Furtherado]

I wonder if I should just stop playing on King. It's too difficult for me. The AI will always be ahead no matter what. If you build wonders, you're behind in soldiers. If you build soldiers, you're behind in money.

It seems like it's too hard to keep up with the AI. You try to have as many soldiers as them? You're in debt. You try to build wonders? They always beat you to it one turn before. You have a high population? Your population is unhappy.

The AI in King seems to be able have a huge empire, build every wonder, while having hundreds of soldiers, while being in the lead in science and having tons of GPT. I just can't seem to emulate this as a player.

Basically seems like, if you're ahead in something; you're behind in something else.

I mean, I've had a few good games on King; but I might just play on Prince. The AI advantages are just too vast.

I'll get the Great Library and the National College but still be behind in tech. I'll build a market in every city but still have low money.

Or do I just suck?

If so, how can I as the player, have tons of gold, tons of happiness, build every wonder and be ahead in tech?

As the player, you DON`T build every wonder, earn all the money and being in the tech lead isn`t always crucial, if you compensate for it with a big military or stand with enough votes for the diplo win. It seems like you worry too much about trivial things and just go back and forth trying to plug small leaks, "i don`t have alot of money, so i need to build markets" when you need to have the greater goal in mind "winning a cultural victory".

You can win without wonders, so if you`re going to build them make sure it`s not at the expense of something that is more useful. To win at strategy games you need to make sure the moves you make are multi-purpose and essential to the goal (as in moving a chess piece to both defend a piece and also checking the king f ex)

Instead of building a science or culture building automatically in every city, stop for a moment and think if it`s better to build an unit or a caravan instead. Of course, i don`t know what you are actually doing since you haven`t posted a save file or a screenshot.