Do you typically play with Crises on or off?

[Nares]

2. AI cannot handle them. People say that the crises are another way to keep a runaway player in check, but in reality the crippled AIs handle them so much worse.

Both can be true. Events are used to keep the player in check precisely because the AI isn't up to the task.

Mods which disabled or delayed the end-game crisis event in Total War: Warhammer were (among) the most popular mods I published for that game. Popular enough that Creative Assembly overhauled both the campaign and end-game crisis scripts to make it easier to disable when I stopped updating my mods, and by Total War: Warhammer 3 they eventually programmed in a menu option when starting a campaign to disable (or intensify) the end-game crisis.

 

[shmily_dana]

I've started to turn them off. I got tired of the citizens destroying the exact same building on every turn. No RNG seemed to be active, it seems like there should be a probability of a building being destroyed. Not the exact same buildings every turn.

 

[disjointaccount]

I would like to see the crisis be optional not at game setup, but at the end of the age similar to the one more turn feature. It could be a risk to play through it but give you a chance to get some wars or builds done. If so, I think it could be much harsher with an easy out retiring to the next age if you want.

I really like this idea. Like the age goes from 1-100% progression as it normally would in a game with crises off, but then you get the option to extend it into the crisis period if you had something you needed to finish/want more time for whatever. So you get the time to do that, but it comes with the tradeoff of having to deal with the crisis. Really nice solution to the frustration of not quite having enough time in an age.

 

[WeirdDud]

I've left them on ever since I learned you can unlock additional legacy cards depending on which crisis the previous age had. For example, Antiquity's plague crisis unlocks a 2 culture point legacy that gives you Piety for free and +50% hammers to building temples. Or exploration's religion crisis unlocking a 2 point military legacy that gives +3 war support on wars declared against you.
I think if the game telegraphed each crisis' mechanics (how plague spreads, how revolts explicitly work, etc.) and their card unlock conditions better, it'd be toggled off less often.
That said, I think they do need more meat and polish. One off the top of my head, the government swap in exploration's revolution crisis should come earlier than it does. Hard to feel the effects at 90% age progress.

 

[Goodenuf]

I have them off more so because the AI can get crippled by them. The idea is interesting but the way the AI deals with them needs to improve.

 

[Krikkit1]

I have them off more so because the AI can get crippled by them. The idea is interesting but the way the AI deals with them needs to improve.

I really think they need to be woven into the difficulty levels. Higher Levels should make it harder for Humans and easier for AI….if they can add that, then they could also make it harder for players that were ahead.

 

[McSpank01]

The problem is, that with them on or off, the game doesn't seem to work that well towards the end of an age.

I've tried both ways, and always bounce between both settings. Instinctively I keep them on, because as a general rule I like to play a game in the way the developers intended (one reason I don't like gameplay mods). Turning them off just exposes the tedium at the end of an age, where there isn't much to do and you are just ending turns or rushing through techs. With it on, the other side of the coin is that now you end up with a bunch of frustrating modifiers that just slow down stuff you want to do, which is not fun either.

So overall there is no good option.

 

[protocol7]

I've also recently turned them back on because with them off you end up three times pressing enter to end turn when you know you already won, which is the opposite of what the intended. Still mostly the case, but now there's an occasional collapsing AI to or two to watch and get cities for free from.

 

[Lord Lakely]

I had them on during my first game, and then never again. Utter contrivance.

"Let's screw players over for no real reason, so that the setback at the start of the next age feels like makes sense. " Amazing game design. If you play D&D under those rules you impeach the DM.

 

[Canadian Bluebeer]

off. The concept is ... odd (leave it at that), but the implementation is horrid.
(ok, it's a stupid concept, and the implementation is just ... words fail it's that bad)

(yes, I tried it. Went WTH??!!?? then yeah, off again. stupid on stilts)

 

[fantsu]

Random stuff is never good. That is why all players play without goodie huts. Takes skill out and makes it more videogamey instead of quality wargame.