If you on Steam and look at % that people have completed x difficulty, that's actually fairly representative. However there's a couple dozen on these forums that post often that are Deity. Which makes this forum feel like it's Deity but actually a lot of the lurkers are lower level. I think I'm about Emporer.
Welcome, my son, come out of the darkness. Lurk no more and become one of the Community.This seems like the perfect lead-in for my first ever post. I have been lurking for a while picking up tips and have won on Emporer.
Though I've been playing King the last few games with randomised leaders and maps to broaden out my playstyle a little.
And figure out how to put together a cultural victory. (Won last night at 1911AD a cultural victory with Arabia on a Pangea map.... The UA helps culture I found - since the double copies of resources from Bazaars can be used to buy open borders even if the AI is getting nervous you're close to winning. I could get 5gpt and Open Borders from most civs. The extra long trade routes helps the trade route tourism modifier too. Doubly helpful when you're stuck in the bottom corner of a pangea...)
Lurk no more and become one of the Community.