Everyone should try this

[civplay]

Start Renaissance Era,Epic speed, Continents, standard size map.

For me CiV has gotten a bit repetitious. Pretty its always go liberty, build 3-5 total cities. Mass units (chariots, archers, warriors). Conquer my neighbor. Use the free GP to rush HS, either use free GP to rush PT or ND or bulb LS, knights, or crossbows. Upgrade units conquer the rest of the continent. Press enter for the rest of the game and win in which ever way Im in the mood for. On lower levels the games to easy, on higher levels I feel cheated.

Changing the settings of the game to Renaissance Era on epic speed was the worst idea I ever had. Yesturday I litterally played 3 or 4 games back to back to back. It was awesome.

There was just so many options and startegies. Do I go honor and mass medival units, conquer my neighbor and go from there? Do I go rationalism, mass pikes, upgrade to rifles? Do I go liberty take advantage of the free workers, settlers, and GP? Tradition? Do I rush astronomy? When it comes time do I buy a settler or use the money for CS, or RA? Well you guys get the point.

Theres just so many different ways to play and it was the most fun I've had playing CiV or anyother video game ever. The 2 settler start really makes a non-liberty start viable, and also makes the AI seem less cheaty, when they start off with an extra settler. The 3 starting pikes keep you safe from an early AI dog pile. It was great.

I recomend everyone try it. I will probably will fail all my bio tests next week, because this is all im doing this weekend.

 

[strijder20]

Changing the settings of the game to Renaissance Era on epic speed was the worst idea I ever had. Yesturday I litterally played 3 or 4 games back to back to back. It was awesome.

So, you don't like awesome games ?
Sounds like fun: starting on another era indeed offers a wide range of possibilities.

 

[ense7en]

Yeah i really need to trry this, or any later era start really.
Industrial gives you the option to go Order or Autocracy immediately, which could be pretty fun as well.

 

[Disgustipated]

I'm trying it right now. It does make the initial build for the city an interesting choice. That's as far as I've gotten so far. I did your settings except I chose marathon speed. I also did random leader and got Siam. First time playing them which makes my build choice even more difficult...

edit: well this makes the game really easy. The ai doesn't seem to know how to handle it. Which makes me wonder what cheats the ai gets even on prince level (the level I'm currently playing). I have over a 400 point lead. Why is this so different from the regular game? The ai doesn't seem to expand properly with this setup.

 

[Ranos]

Try a Future start, Pangea, with only Time and Domination as victory options. Add one or two extra civs in to crowd the place up. Wars start early, happen often and quickly decend into nuke fests! Most fun games I ever played!

 

[Camikaze]

I've never actually tried a Renaissance start. Will have to give it a go one day.

Try a Future start, Pangea, with only Time and Domination as victory options. Add one or two extra civs in to crowd the place up. Wars start early, happen often and quickly decend into nuke fests! Most fun games I ever played!

Yeah, those are pretty fun, the only problem being that the number of units can get annoying to move pretty quickly.

 

[callan]

edit: well this makes the game really easy. The ai doesn't seem to know how to handle it. Which makes me wonder what cheats the ai gets even on prince level (the level I'm currently playing). I have over a 400 point lead. Why is this so different from the regular game? The ai doesn't seem to expand properly with this setup.

Yeah, most AI's will stop expanding naturally at around 3 cities in this setup. I don't think it's a bug persae, rather that the AI priorities are not adjusted for later starts meaning that the priority list for build orders is several eras behind (most likely the AI feels it does not have enough troops) and so it must try to catch up. You'll notice that if you play for long enough they will eventually get there and expand massively in a very short time if there is space available.

 

[Disgustipated]

strangely in my game the AI didn't build troops either. I was surprised I was #1 in troops with like 2 of the Siam elephant thingies and 1 pikeman.

It's like ez mode on this setup. But it's still kind of fun. I think what happens is the ai gets stuck with long buildtimes and research times at the start. I did, but I prioritized getting my workshops up for production. I think a lot of the rates are easier too. I had no trouble maintaining a good cash flow. If only normal games were this easy to make money...

 

[smallfish]

So on looking at this thread, I started up a new game on Large Ice Age (Wide Continents). Emperor, Epic speed, Aggressive Barbs and one team composed of Washington and Wu Zetian.

The first thirty turns or so are immeasurably slower than on Ancient Start (93 turns to research Astronomy lol), but once your first two cities get libraries, NC and pop growth running, it speeds things up. I never really do the two city-NC start, or even plonk a good majority of my SP choices into Honor, but the Renaissance start allows me to be a little more flexible than usual.

Ok, its also kind of a weird start, because except me and Arabia (who started off in a mostly snow tile subcontinent), everyone else is apparently in this icelocked Pangaea and wars have been flaring up for the past 100 turns or so. Also despite being on a team, Wu lost her capital to Isabella and she and Washington still think its a good idea to DOW lonely odd man Greece.

Yeah I notice Arabia hasn't expanded beyond his three core cities, but that may be due to his really crappy continent (and the fact that he just started exploring the wider world with caravels). The rest of them on Pangaea madhouse seem to be going for wars of expansion of their own to make up for lack of natural cities.


e: upon meeting Bismarck, I noticed he has 4 cities and a conquered CS...

 

[smallfish]

Also despite being on a team, Wu lost her capital to Isabella and she and Washington still think its a good idea to DOW lonely odd man Greece.

lol, okay so Alex seems like a pushover in the Renaissance age right? No-can-do without comp cav or Hoplites?

Well, he continues to surprise me.

Spoiler :

Even with Tercios and Longswords, Spain seems... lackluster against those dominantly runaway types

Also apparently having a Renaissance start (and in a team to boot!), America doesn't do well whenever he starts off next to Deutschland

Spoiler :

But he got better:

Spoiler :

I'm guessing this is the point when he is starting to spam out Minutemen, and it really helps that their mutual terrain is mostly jungle.

We'll see though, given that Bismarck has just hit Industrial a turn right after me and his second UU is coming up

 

[civplay]

It's like ez mode on this setup....

Should of mentioned that you should play a higher difficulty. The AI don't get much of the cheat advantage b.c. you also start with an extra settler, worker, and 2 units. Also, the slower the game the easier it is.

So normally I play emperor when I want to screw around, immortal when I want a real game. On this setting Ive been playing immortal/ Diety.

Also, about the AI not building units. Last game I settled next to Denmark who massed an army of beserkers, before I could tech gunpowder to get the Ottoman UU. He just steamrolled me and I raged quit. So Idk, maybe the AI just emphasize different strats.

 

[smallfish]

Also, about the AI not building units. Last game I settled next to Denmark who massed an army of beserkers, before I could tech gunpowder to get the Ottoman UU. He just steamrolled me and I raged quit. So Idk, maybe the AI just emphasize different strats.

No crossbows to finish them before they could come in melee range?

 

[civplay]

No crossbows to finish them before they could come in melee range?

Ya don't remind me. Denmark who was the only civ near me went Liberty start. I thought I had enough time to build a few workers libary and NC. Get Gunpowder as fast as possible and Mass troops. I didnt build crossbows b/c they dont upgrade to musketmen. Ya it was a bad choice. Also now that I think about it. ifI wanted to rush the UU it prolly would have been faster to build HS, rush PT, bulb muskets. While in the other city I could have built workers then crossbows. Idk thats what I like about this start, theres so many possible moves.

 

[Disgustipated]

well I was lucky to start next to peaceful civs. Germany, Askia/songhai, and Arabia were on my continent. Despite being #1 Germany and Songhai did duel declare on me. But I had 2 cannons, 3 cavalry, and one pikeman at this point. And was on my way to upgrading them. Soon I had 3 cavalry, one rifleman and 2 artillery. I also purchased 2 more rifleman. I lost 2 cavalry (which seem so weak in this game, but I realize making them stronger would make them OP), but made peace with Germany, and razed 2 songhai cities.

 

[The Pilgrim]

edit: well this makes the game really easy. The ai doesn't seem to know how to handle it. Which makes me wonder what cheats the ai gets even on prince level (the level I'm currently playing). I have over a 400 point lead. Why is this so different from the regular game? The ai doesn't seem to expand properly with this setup.

On higher difficulties you start severely disadvantaged and catching up is the hard part. Once you reach technological or military parity, the game becomes easy even on deity. With late era starts you simply skip the most challenging phase and jump right into parity. So of course it's easier. Didn't try but I suspect on lower levels that feels much more like 'normal' game than on higher ones. And maybe even harder, since in such case AI skips the tough part and get a parity which usually on these levels is lost early. Late starts require a totally different balance.

 

[Disgustipated]

I was actually playing Prince which is equal anyways.

Although I started a Prince game on ancient start again (fractal map) and I still got a 400 point lead. Which leads me to believe I'm getting better (possible), or my main problem was the map type. I was playing the Earth map mainly, although one game I did the Americas map. I seem to struggle on those maps. They seem to lack rivers and resources I need. The AI seems to do better on those maps for whatever reason.

 

[smallfish]

I think I'm gonna try Deity for this sort of start. The AI civs have the right idea on how to conduct Domination-only victories, especially since they keep building carriers (with Zeros and potential B17s filled in) and getting their units swimming undetected in my direction. I'm going to see if spamming more naval units will allow them to actually surprise take my island capital; in this game, Oda Nobunaga almost did such a thing, except he only brought in Samurais, crossbows and a cannon or two, when I was sitting with Infantry.

 

[The Pilgrim]

Although I started a Prince game on ancient start again (fractal map) and I still got a 400 point lead. Which leads me to believe I'm getting better (possible), or my main problem was the map type. I was playing the Earth map mainly, although one game I did the Americas map. I seem to struggle on those maps. They seem to lack rivers and resources I need. The AI seems to do better on those maps for whatever reason.

Was it some DLC type of map?
Default Earth maps are by far the easiest out there, IMO. Abundant resources = instant win. Seriously thought, tons of strategics and 2 luxes per CS? Don't get the point but they are fun for sure.

 

[smallfish]

Deity Future Start on Great Plains is hilarious.

Even when I placed strategic resources balanced, the start gave me... 3 aluminium and some coal. I had to beeline a settler towards my nearest source of oil, which was pretty close to a source of 4 uraniums, which was blocked by... Monty. Fought a long war with him since the start of 2013 AD that wouldn't have been possible if I didn't immediately invest in Autocracy (fun fact: he also did!) or Monty had uranium (all the AIs completed Manhattan by Turn 4-6). It was terrifying, he kept spamming mech inf and artilleries and infantries like nobody's business, and when that didn't work, he brought in fighters and bombers as well. Had to take and retake and take and retake and take and retake my third city... Also during this time, runaway Rome took the opportunity to DOW me, but he was easily beaten back even with my hands full on the Aztecs.

So now I'm 12 Stealth Bombers short (need alot, alot of SBs to take out the Babylonian/Polynesian/Siamese runaways, have only 4 Logistics SBs), I dunno where I'm going to get that aluminium (Babylon has a lot of stealth bombers and Modern Armor, and he shares a border with me!), I have two city-states sitting right under my second city and capital that's allied with Siam and have tons of Mech Inf and artillery and SAMs. I guess I could try conquering them, but they have no aluminium to speak of and... at least I got loads of oil. Could try spamming Logistics Bombers lol

Also Polynesia settler spammed a city near me even though his nearest city is like twenty plus hexes away to the northwest. At least that's how I got to meet him.

e: its a puzzle to solve

e2: everyone should try this too! For better challenge, set resources to scarce!

 

[smallfish]

On higher difficulties you start severely disadvantaged and catching up is the hard part. Once you reach technological or military parity, the game becomes easy even on deity. With late era starts you simply skip the most challenging phase and jump right into parity. So of course it's easier. Didn't try but I suspect on lower levels that feels much more like 'normal' game than on higher ones. And maybe even harder, since in such case AI skips the tough part and get a parity which usually on these levels is lost early. Late starts require a totally different balance.

I think one way would be to give their units more than just the one promotions each time they roll out of a city instead of being equal to the human player. It would be interesting to fight an AI who could spam Logistics Lv5 Stealth Bombers (or even just Bombers/B17s). Another would be to take away their reluctance to blast a 4-pop city with a nuclear missile, and stop spamming GDRs/nuclear plants when the wars have gone completely nuclear.

Also some of the victory conditions, especially on Future Starts, need to be reworked. Like, Time shouldn't be just waiting till 2050 to win and there really shouldn't be a Science vic given that all the techs have already been researched. Extending the deadline victory to 2150, or reworking it to be like in G&K's steampunk scenario where one civ has to amass the largest amount of units or cities based on the percentile system (hence tying it into Domination).