Forcing an isolated start.

[SilentWindODoom]

This is the first CIV game i've played and im loving it but like many others i'm pretty sick of dealing with the AI..at least in the early game.

It's not that i cant kick their teeth in on my difficulty (normal) it's just that it's a chore. In the first 50 turns i already have a "list" with people to kill because i know they will A: declare war on me for being too close. B: settlerspam (F*** you Hiawatha). C: Be otherwise ******** and annoying.

So, my question is.. is there any way to ensure an isolated start? I've had a few lucky ones where I was pretty much isolated (save for a pair of narrow passages).

 

[BeyondCivilized]

That map with Isles Archipelago or whatever.

 

[SilentWindODoom]

That map with Isles Archipelago or whatever.

Yeah I've tried those, but these are hit and miss with regards to isolation, nor are those islands very big! I want one of those lil continents i see the AI having all to themselves.

 

[sosueme]

Try one of the larger map sizes and small continents from the advanced setup options. Still hit and miss as to whether you end up with a neighbor on your landmass or not, but you've got a better chance of being isolated than on a standard continent map and a better chance at having a decent amount of land to work with than on an archipelago map.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Alternatively, play Archipelago and tech your navy exclusively. The AI is too dumb to do this and you will have a huge time lead in both shallow-water and ocean navigation, allowing you to expand to whatever islands you wish before the AIs finally get off their starting islands.

 

[jaldaen]

You could create a mod that changes the globaldefines (I think that's where the map starting position stuff is). It might mean more barbarians, but you'll be further away from other civs.

 

[bryanw1995]

yeah, start location is very important. immortal isn't so important, but on deity you usually know if you have a chance within 10-15 turns. last game I was in between napoleon and rome (uh oh). 50 turns in I get dow'd by nap. manage to fight him off with 2 horsemen, 2 arches, and 2 warriors. just as I'm finishing the defense phase of my nap war, 3 legions, 5 archers, 2 warriors and a spear from rome rush in and finish the job If I'd been isolated I could have taken out nap and won the game (or at least made it interesting).

 

[SilentWindODoom]

Try one of the larger map sizes and small continents from the advanced setup options. Still hit and miss as to whether you end up with a neighbor on your landmass or not, but you've got a better chance of being isolated than on a standard continent map and a better chance at having a decent amount of land to work with than on an archipelago map.

Yeah, it's a pain in the ass especially since the debug mode crashes my game, so i can't reveal the map at the start (only to check for other AI's on my landmass, honest). I'll get lucky sometime and cherish that savegame forever.

 

[Mongolia Jones]

Map size: Large or Huge
Sea level: High (for further continent separation)

Reduce number of civs by 30% to compensate for the reduced land area due to high sea level.

Maybe reduce number of city-states as well to keep the civ-city state ratio the same.

Note that you may still start on one of the larger continents with 2 or 3 competing AI.

Chances of being sufficiently isolated is roughly 30%-40% (due the number of re-starts I have to do to achieve the same isolation feel.

If you want to be the ONLY civ on a continent then it may be more like 10%.

 

[Monthar]

what I miss from Civ 4's advanced set-up on a continents map is the option to have one continent for each player. That setting put everyone on their own continent. It was great for forcing folks to build a nay like an archipelago map, but with a more room for your core cities in your starting area.

 

[LDiCesare]

Should be possible to create a map script fro that, forcing one player per continent.
It's about the opposite of what I want to play, though, and worse, it can't be tested in the WorldBuilder, but it's certainly possible.

 

[Tylerryan79]

The best way (I think) for a good overall game with early isolation is this:

Small Continents, pick a large map but with #civs for standard size(adjust for huge map but large# for civs etc) use low water level(increases continent sizes, with less civs overall you'll still be isolates).