If you ever get bored of trying to beat Monarch or Emperor or Deity or whatever level you kids are doing these days, then try dropping down a few levels and attempting the following challenges, either one at a time or several together in a chaotic game (I have ran 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 concurrently at Chieftan before). Number of stars in brackets indicate the likely difficulty of this challenge.
Challenge #1 - The Aimless Scientists (***)
You are not allowed to choose which technology you research. You must roll a dice to randomly determine what you will research next.
Challenge #2 - Wonders should be Frickin' Wonders! (**)
You are only allowed to build one wonder or project in each city. In addition you are only allowed to construct one at a time.
Challenge #3 - I Ain't Getting on no Damn Plane (***)
Space Race stays on but you are not allowed to build any spaceship parts. In addition you are not allowed to build any air units.
Challenge #4 - Sponsored by the Liberal Democrats (***)
You are not allowed to declare war on another Civ. If they declare war on you then you may be as ruthless as you like, but you must accept any offer of peace.
Challenge #5 - The Mad Obsessive Scientists (***)
At the start of the game, randomly determine a technology from the modern age. All your research must be directed towards getting that technology. You may only research a tech that is either a direct or indirect pre-requisite of that technology, until it is yours. You may trade different techs from other civs, but only at their suggestion.
Challenge #6 - I Don't Care, Just Let me Play (*)
Everything about the game setup must be determined randomly, including your Civ, map type, sea levels, mountain type and whatever else it asks you. In addition your first city must be built in the square your settler starts in.
Challenge #7 - Hardcore Xenophobia (***)
Before the game, nominate 4 civilisations that you hate. If you encounter any of those civilisations during the game, you must maintain a permanent state of war with them.
Challenge #8 - Sponsored by the Liberal Democrats Part II (*)
All great people must be used (in some way) the turn they are created.
Challenge #9 - Slow Development (**)
You are not allowed to build Settlers unless all your cities are size 4 or more.
Challenge #10 - Paranoia (**)
You must have at least two of the strongest units possible defending all your cities at all times. If you discover a tech or comandeer a resource that allows a stronger unit, you must immediately suspend production in all your cities and build 2 of this new unit. When determining 'strongest' you are allowed to take into account that some units don't get defensive bonuses.
Here are some challenges added by other creative folk in this thread. I have modified some of the difficulty levels.
Challenge #11 - Pacifist Challenge (****)
You are not allowed to declare war on any nation. If somebody declares war on you, you're allowed to continue, however if you kill any of enemy units (whether attacking or defending) you lose. You are allowed to capture enemy units.
Challenge #12 - The Old Ways are Best (***)
Your people are so traditionalist that no new civics may be enforced i.e. you must stick with the most basic civics all through the game.
Challenge #13 - Jealousy (***)
whenever someone else builds a world wonder you were building, you cannot capture any other cities and cannot build anything but military units and military improvements until you've captured the wonder. For another star: while not in wonder-capturing mode, build all world wonders you can (put them on hold as soon as one of them is built by someone else).
Challenge #14 - Love Thy Neighbor (***) - You can't start a war with any Civ you share a border with. Iif they attack you can only defend or attack when inside your borders, no capturing their cities (toughest part, so try not to goad them into declaring on you), and you must cooperate, trade, be nice in general, even if they are Alexander, you may attack any civ you are not sharing a border with.
Challenge#15 - The Fanantical Believers (****)
Choose a religion at the start of the game. You must build the Holy City for your choosen religion, or retire. You may not have holy cities of any other religion. You must spread your religion to every other city in the world. You must raze all other holy cities. All civ's must adopt your state religion or perish. You must have a theocracy as soon as it becomes available. You must be nice to fellow believers (after you raze all their holy cities), and be ruthless with the unbelievers. If another civ adopts 'free religion', feel free to use nuclear weapons on them.
Challenge #16 - Kamikaze (***)
Any time one of your units is successful in battle, you must sacrifice it immediately.
Challenge #17 - Units Only (****)
You can only build units, no buildings or wonders.
Challenge #18 - Friend of Mine Enemy (***)
Any time you declare war, or war is declared on you, you must immediately go to war with anyone who is "friendly" with that empire. You must immediately attempt to get anyone who is "friendly" with you to declare war on them as well, giving them whatever they ask in return. Any time an empire asks for peace, you may accept. If you do, you must try and make peace with every enemy, and get all friendly empires to make peace as well. If unsuccessful, you must redeclare war after the peace treaty expires.
Challenge #19 - Power To The People (***)
Whenever an advisor says something, you must obey it no matter what. When "suggestion circles" appear when having a settler, you must settle in the closest one. You cannot settle a city outside of your borders. And, you can only add additional citizens to your citys. You can only add Engineers as specialist for any of your citys, and, as soon as they become available, you must have these civics: Representation, Free Speech, Serfdom, State Property, Pacifism.
Challenge #20 - The 'Yes Man' Leader (***)
Whenever an AI asks for something, or for you to give him something, or for you to convert or etc, you MUST do it. You also have to vote for the other Civ in a UN Election and cannot declare war on anyone unless the AI wants it. (Or declare peace unless the AI wants it)
Challenge #21 The Utopia Project (***** - not sure you can possibly win without a couple of early settlers/workers)
Your civilization may only build buildings and wonders, unless no further buildings in a city are available at the time, at which point military units are permissable. To prevent deliberate tech stagnation and thus permit unit building, all offers of tech trading must be accepted, and the tech slider may not be dropped below the point required to break even monetarily.
Challenge #22 They Are Not Great! (**)
You are a fine ruler. However, you are highly skeptical of your Civilization and believe that no one in it can be greater then they already are. Every time a great person appears in your citys, you must delete it.
Challenge #1 - The Aimless Scientists (***)
You are not allowed to choose which technology you research. You must roll a dice to randomly determine what you will research next.
Challenge #2 - Wonders should be Frickin' Wonders! (**)
You are only allowed to build one wonder or project in each city. In addition you are only allowed to construct one at a time.
Challenge #3 - I Ain't Getting on no Damn Plane (***)
Space Race stays on but you are not allowed to build any spaceship parts. In addition you are not allowed to build any air units.
Challenge #4 - Sponsored by the Liberal Democrats (***)
You are not allowed to declare war on another Civ. If they declare war on you then you may be as ruthless as you like, but you must accept any offer of peace.
Challenge #5 - The Mad Obsessive Scientists (***)
At the start of the game, randomly determine a technology from the modern age. All your research must be directed towards getting that technology. You may only research a tech that is either a direct or indirect pre-requisite of that technology, until it is yours. You may trade different techs from other civs, but only at their suggestion.
Challenge #6 - I Don't Care, Just Let me Play (*)
Everything about the game setup must be determined randomly, including your Civ, map type, sea levels, mountain type and whatever else it asks you. In addition your first city must be built in the square your settler starts in.
Challenge #7 - Hardcore Xenophobia (***)
Before the game, nominate 4 civilisations that you hate. If you encounter any of those civilisations during the game, you must maintain a permanent state of war with them.
Challenge #8 - Sponsored by the Liberal Democrats Part II (*)
All great people must be used (in some way) the turn they are created.
Challenge #9 - Slow Development (**)
You are not allowed to build Settlers unless all your cities are size 4 or more.
Challenge #10 - Paranoia (**)
You must have at least two of the strongest units possible defending all your cities at all times. If you discover a tech or comandeer a resource that allows a stronger unit, you must immediately suspend production in all your cities and build 2 of this new unit. When determining 'strongest' you are allowed to take into account that some units don't get defensive bonuses.
Here are some challenges added by other creative folk in this thread. I have modified some of the difficulty levels.
Challenge #11 - Pacifist Challenge (****)
You are not allowed to declare war on any nation. If somebody declares war on you, you're allowed to continue, however if you kill any of enemy units (whether attacking or defending) you lose. You are allowed to capture enemy units.
Challenge #12 - The Old Ways are Best (***)
Your people are so traditionalist that no new civics may be enforced i.e. you must stick with the most basic civics all through the game.
Challenge #13 - Jealousy (***)
whenever someone else builds a world wonder you were building, you cannot capture any other cities and cannot build anything but military units and military improvements until you've captured the wonder. For another star: while not in wonder-capturing mode, build all world wonders you can (put them on hold as soon as one of them is built by someone else).
Challenge #14 - Love Thy Neighbor (***) - You can't start a war with any Civ you share a border with. Iif they attack you can only defend or attack when inside your borders, no capturing their cities (toughest part, so try not to goad them into declaring on you), and you must cooperate, trade, be nice in general, even if they are Alexander, you may attack any civ you are not sharing a border with.
Challenge#15 - The Fanantical Believers (****)
Choose a religion at the start of the game. You must build the Holy City for your choosen religion, or retire. You may not have holy cities of any other religion. You must spread your religion to every other city in the world. You must raze all other holy cities. All civ's must adopt your state religion or perish. You must have a theocracy as soon as it becomes available. You must be nice to fellow believers (after you raze all their holy cities), and be ruthless with the unbelievers. If another civ adopts 'free religion', feel free to use nuclear weapons on them.
Challenge #16 - Kamikaze (***)
Any time one of your units is successful in battle, you must sacrifice it immediately.
Challenge #17 - Units Only (****)
You can only build units, no buildings or wonders.
Challenge #18 - Friend of Mine Enemy (***)
Any time you declare war, or war is declared on you, you must immediately go to war with anyone who is "friendly" with that empire. You must immediately attempt to get anyone who is "friendly" with you to declare war on them as well, giving them whatever they ask in return. Any time an empire asks for peace, you may accept. If you do, you must try and make peace with every enemy, and get all friendly empires to make peace as well. If unsuccessful, you must redeclare war after the peace treaty expires.
Challenge #19 - Power To The People (***)
Whenever an advisor says something, you must obey it no matter what. When "suggestion circles" appear when having a settler, you must settle in the closest one. You cannot settle a city outside of your borders. And, you can only add additional citizens to your citys. You can only add Engineers as specialist for any of your citys, and, as soon as they become available, you must have these civics: Representation, Free Speech, Serfdom, State Property, Pacifism.
Challenge #20 - The 'Yes Man' Leader (***)
Whenever an AI asks for something, or for you to give him something, or for you to convert or etc, you MUST do it. You also have to vote for the other Civ in a UN Election and cannot declare war on anyone unless the AI wants it. (Or declare peace unless the AI wants it)
Challenge #21 The Utopia Project (***** - not sure you can possibly win without a couple of early settlers/workers)
Your civilization may only build buildings and wonders, unless no further buildings in a city are available at the time, at which point military units are permissable. To prevent deliberate tech stagnation and thus permit unit building, all offers of tech trading must be accepted, and the tech slider may not be dropped below the point required to break even monetarily.
Challenge #22 They Are Not Great! (**)
You are a fine ruler. However, you are highly skeptical of your Civilization and believe that no one in it can be greater then they already are. Every time a great person appears in your citys, you must delete it.
this how I always play...
