Favorite setup options

[jogi]

What does your ideal game of Civ V look like? Of course variety is nice, but if you had to choose your favorite setup, what would it be? I like tweaking the advanced settings for each of my games, and I'm curious how everyone else likes to play.

Don't forget to include why.

 

[Matoro]

Map: Continents/Hemispheres/Fractal
Speed: Epic
Large map with 10 civs and 20 city-states. Many civs will make more competion and more conflicts.
Other setting standard.

 

[danieladler]

immortal, epic speed, fractal map, standard size, 13 civs, 13 cs, raging barbarians, all victory types except time. One of my favorite settings, because more civs equals less frenzy about filling out empty spaces with cities.

 

[PhroX]

Map: Random
Civ: Random
Size: Standard or large depending on my mood
AI Civs: default+1
CSs: default+2
Everything else default

 

[Kennan]

Map: Small continents - low sea level
Civ: Random
Size: Small/Standard/Large
Difficulty: Immortal
Everything else default

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I will try and find my favorite setup. I am at the stage where I dont really find much joy of playing the game any more. Well, not the kid of joy I felt just a few weeks ago. I am trying to step up the difficult level and have no problems winning on king but above that I struggle. Or, I know how to play that level but I dont know how to play it and enjoy it so I usually quit half way through.

Lately when I start a game I try to optimize everything from the get go and that takes away some of the fun. It becomes to much of a mathematical game and not a game of exploration and decision making since I just follow a formula. Pottery > Writing > build libraries > get NC > expand empire > build units > conquer closest neighbour while researching machinery etc

 

[Avatan]

Map: Pangea+ or Continent+
Size: Standard
Difficulty: immortal
Ressources: Abundant
raging barbarians
Everything else default

abundant makes conquest/expansion more worthy, and I like beautiful cities. The only problem is that immortal civ runaway harder.

 

[Rombizio]

Civ: I rotate between them, in order usually.
Map size: Random
Map Type: Random
Resources: Random
Difficulty: King
Speed: Epic
Random Seeds. All victories on. Sometimes I set victory by TIME to OFF.
Everything else default.

 

[Steamtex]

Civ: Whatever I feel like playing. Usually ends up being China, Rome, Babylon, or Germany.
Map size: Normal
Map type: Continents/whatever I feel like
Difficulty: Prince
Speed: Standard/Epic
No barbarians unless I'm playing a civ which benefits from them, because otherwise they're just a pain in the neck for all players.
Sometimes I'll turn off time victory as well.

 

[Lorf Yimzo]

Map-Fractal, sometimes others.
Size-Usually standard, unless I feel like a'conquerin. Than I go 22 civ 41 CS Huge.
Speed- Standard
Num. Of civs- default
Num. Of CSs- default, sometimes less.
Civ- Usually random unless I feel like doing something different.
Random personalities, start bias off, random seed on, time victory off. Legendary start and low sea level.

 

[El Caballerion]

ALWAYS Raging Barbs. Good source of cash right away and gives me something to do.

 

[Sturmgewher88mm]

Small continents
Standard size
Quick
Cheiftain
Mood-specific civs (almost always play against Brazil and Greece)
Default CSs or more
Germany, Japan, America, or Russia
Time and cultural victories off, abundant resources, raging barbarians, complete kills, promotion and SP saving

 

[HerrDoktor]

Pangea
Duel
Deity
Against Venice
With Huns

loldeity

 

[jogi]

Interesting to see how everyone likes to play. I notice a few of you add extra CS or civs, or both. I like to add one or two additional civs to make the game a little tighter and more competitive, however lately I've been in the habit of lowering the number of CS. I like to think that this makes it more competitive and challenging, but I realize that it might also make it easier to dominate world congress when that comes about. Thoughts?

 

[Kintara]

While I was messing around with the advanced era start options, I noticed that the Classical era seems like a nice sweet spot. The nicest thing about it is that it essentially adds a whole lot of possible options to the choices in the first turns. There are a lot of techs to choose from at the start of the Classical era. All the ancient era wonders are unlocked and available. It basically gives you more of a chance that you can choose to do something no one else is doing. Also, simply having more choices to weigh makes for more interesting decisions. You start with a couple of spearmen and a worker, which is particularly nice if you like the longer time settings. It gives you more to do immediately.

 

[eewallace]

Map: Continents or small continents
Size: Standard
Speed: Standard
AI Civs: Random (standard number)
City States: Standard number
Me: Working my way through all the leaders
Difficulty: Emperor

 

[iconocast]

standard/quick speed

map fractal ( the best of continents and pangea all in one map)

imortal

 

[jogi]

While I was messing around with the advanced era start options, I noticed that the Classical era seems like a nice sweet spot. The nicest thing about it is that it essentially adds a whole lot of possible options to the choices in the first turns. There are a lot of techs to choose from at the start of the Classical era. All the ancient era wonders are unlocked and available. It basically gives you more of a chance that you can choose to do something no one else is doing. Also, simply having more choices to weigh makes for more interesting decisions. You start with a couple of spearmen and a worker, which is particularly nice if you like the longer time settings. It gives you more to do immediately.

That's quite interesting, I've never considered playing a game without starting in the Ancient era, but you bring up some good points. I'll have to try this some time. I wonder if the AI players receive free techs like they do when you start in the Ancient era at higher difficulties?

 

[Kintara]

That's quite interesting, I've never considered playing a game without starting in the Ancient era, but you bring up some good points. I'll have to try this some time. I wonder if the AI players receive free techs like they do when you start in the Ancient era at higher difficulties?

I'm honestly not sure. But I think what happens is that the AI has a bit more of a choice than it does in a normal start. The ancient tech bonuses are hard-coded, but I think the advanced start bonus is a more generic lump sum that they spend according to their personalities.

 

[CaptainPatch]

King+ Difficulty
Marathon
Huge map
Pangaea continent
Ancient era
8-12 civs
41 City States
world age 4 billion years
Temperate
Normal rainfall
Low sea level
Abundant resources