Who are bored with base BTS?

[AW Arcaeca]

I simply don't bother with mods. I can barely succeed in a regular BTS game and I don't need something that adds all these unfamiliar, alien features. I also just don't feel like going to all the trouble of finding, downloading and installing mods. I also tend to think any texture pack makes graphics worse, not better - including Blue Marble.
So I voted "long live stock BTS".

 

[dohh]

I strongly recommend multiplayer, if AI gets booring. I surely understand there are few main beelines that beat the AI best and the higher difficulty, the more outcome depends on starting location, nearly perfect play and luck factor of course.

Some suggestions how I have managed to make game more interesting apart from multiplaying with my friends.

1) play huge World map and pick Huana or Tokugawa, You will be far from regular beelining.
2) Play against all 17 AI allied and always war option in. At beginning You may choose islands, later on lakes for even more fun. Completely different game from regular. Chiefan is doable, prince very hard already... Dont forget to tick off huts as 17 AIs that share techs will have so huge tech advantage, You get frustrated
3) Always war makes a different game overall. could not be booring beeline-->rush-->cease fire-->heal-->rush cycle anymore.
4) Pick s strategy that You want to follow at the start of game, to avoid regular beelines again. For example Seraiel´s Cho-Ko-Nu rush.

Good reading about what makes games enjoyable: Aaron Dignan, Game Frame. Briefly, there is a feeling known "FLOW" where Your skills and challenges are about equal - this is where You enjoy the game (or job, or life) most. Boredom, on the other hand, appears where You lack skill or challenge.

The "worst side effect" of this forum is, that You guys are really really good in CIV IV mechanics and strategies. You have "cracked it" almost completely. I can easily say so, as when I few weeks ago joined this forum, I had difficulties with immortal, now I have won couple of Deity games already. You have got it... You are nearly perfect in CIV IV. So the options: play against people (best if they where Your real life friends, to add some social factor), make unusual starting settings to force You away from regular beelines or play another game for a while.

I never get bored of PC games even tho I have only few of them. If for some reason I dont feel like CIV IV anymore, I wont start new game and play for example UFO series for few weeks, and CIV will be attractive again!

Hope this helps

 

[dohh]

I play 25 civ huge maps with improved AI, and I consider that pretty much unmodded. But I also play other games so it isn't like all BtS all the time.

Which mode allows 25 civs and improves AI?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Which mode allows 25 civs and improves AI?

Better BAT AI is a merge of BAT with the improved AI mod and comes with an optional 50 civ dll.

 

[AdamCrock]

If I am bored with Civ 4 I simply play cRPG One character developement is like catalyst for me I always think that I would for example made a better city for the character I'm playin and this always brings me back to civving ^^

 

[Drakarska]

I haven't played stock BTS in forever, mods for me. Most notably VIP, HRW, and AND 2.1 are my usual mods of choice. I'm also a huge RI fan (ever since vanilla) and am patiently waiting for the team to finally complete the next version.

As for C2C, I also have the dreaded BT issues (which I oddly don't have on the wife's lappy) and trying to unpack and do a whole host of other NASA Geek trouble shooting makes my teeth itch.

BM is a "meh" IMO, as I usually like PM or custom map scripts. Although in all honesty, I'll take BM over Civ V maps any day of the week.

Concerning MP; Other than playing with my sons via Direct IP, or a group of dedicated friends on MP, I don't go into the MP lobby anymore. TBH, it's worse than supervising a group of 5yr olds who are hopped up on energy drinks. I'm not really into FFA's all that much, and the amount of bad sportsmanship and rage quitting/trash talking one has to endure if successful in a game makes me want to shake my head and despair.

 

[Qgqqqqq]

While I ticked the last, its more a preference to play - I still come back to BTS from time to time.

The MP lobby is pretty bad, I only go on when I have a group to play anyway.

 

[Mathalamus]

I usually only play plain BTS. i couldn't stand the long loading or computing time that usually comes with mods.

 

[AdamCrock]

Mods only for me

Pure BTS just doesn't make the cut anymore for me because:
- Awfull terrain graphics (Blue Marble at least is mandatory for me )
- Too little techs for my tastes but it's not that bad if You choose epic or marathon speeds
- To predictable - You always know what to do, what to build, You know all the strategies etc.
- "Been there, done that"

Top 3 mods from my list (my all time favourites) are :

FFH2 (simply amazing) , RFC and it's mod-mods (epic stuff) and ... a drumroll please ... :

VIP mod (all-hail to VIP mod ) The author took several years to develop it and it's a job very well done - so BIG R.E.S.P.E.C.T goes to certain Mr. Vincentz for all his hard work I'm practically a VIP fanatic now

The mods I'd like to try out next :

Realism Invictus, Quot Capita and ofc. I need to test RevDCM - heard it has a pretty cool options like archers siege, specialists assasination spy missions, bomber 'target specific building missions' etc.

 

[Drakarska]

Mods only for me

Pure BTS just doesn't make the cut anymore for me because:
- Awfull terrain graphics (Blue Marble at least is mandatory for me )
- Too little techs for my tastes but it's not that bad if You choose epic or marathon speeds
- To predictable - You always know what to do, what to build, You know all the strategies etc.
- "Been there, done that"

Top 3 mods from my list (my all time favourites) are :

FFH2 (simply amazing) , RFC and it's mod-mods (epic stuff) and ... a drumroll please ... :

VIP mod (all-hail to VIP mod ) The author took several years to develop it and it's a job very well done - so BIG R.E.S.P.E.C.T goes to certain Mr. Vincentz for all his hard work I'm practically a VIP fanatic now

The mods I'd like to try out next :

Realism Invictus, Quot Capita and ofc. I need to test RevDCM - heard it has a pretty cool options like archers siege, specialists assasination spy missions, bomber 'target specific building missions' etc.

Additional shout out to VIP from me as well. Well crafted mod that's lean, as well as a fun challenge on the difficulty level I play at. I have yet to complete his max civ Domi challenge and that keeps bringing me back for continuous attempts.

@ Adam; I highly recommend RI, as the immersion factor is incredibly entertaining. QC mod is a rather pleasant surprise, as SOG has done an incredible job of updating it and eliciting feedback from his fellow civvers.
As for RevDCM, may I suggest you check out AND 2.1? The mod team has resurrected Afforness's mod and is hell bent on cleaning it up and improving it. The RevDCM is stable (as far as I can tell) in the mod, and makes playing AND 2.1 a real treat.

 

[Pisskop]

I use the Kmod, and new maps, but really just switch up the vanilla settings.