Racinante
Dragon
That didn't answer either of my questions
I didn't mention actual difficulties, only Class names ... other than by inference from the fact that Civ4 games are often one difficulty level apart.
My point was that games played at significantly different levels would NOT be comparable at the spoiler level, regardless of Jason scoring. So a less able player would learn little about how to play from the smart guys playing the higher level. And if they were released as two separate games, playing the same map twice makes it difficult to compete for those who didn't play it the first time.
Sorry, let me try again. No, not like Open / Predator. While those options are interesting, the one time I played Predator, it lengthened the game a little, but really didn't affect game play. Since historically the two have been scored together, the size of the player pool was not really relevant.
What I have noticed is that when a higher difficulty level game is offered (like Demigod or Deity), the player pool shrinks. Now I know that some players prefer to play at the higher levels, but some do not have the skills, time, or inclination to play at that level. Some of us play for the sheer enjoyment without regard to speed, score, or micromanagement of the game.
I do understand that the spoilers would not be comparable, but then again, most of the spoilers contain information about what was done when, but not why and frequently not how. Both of which are necessary for a good learning experience. (Much of this is, of course, in the articles on the CIVFanatics website).
I find the game replay option on this site to be more useful for seeing how my game compares to others over time and how each player approached the early growth and expansion phase of the game.
Actually, for those that are playing the DG and D games, their bad scores are generally in the 9k range with most ranging from 10-12k. Would they care if they were playing with less skilled players at that high level who knew what the map looked like? Some may find it more challenging and possibly more fun. The key would be to make sure that map spoilers were not allowed in the write-ups. If you don't have the early game basics down, knowing the map in advance is not going to help much at the higher levels.
Regardless, I just wanted to offer some thoughts and options that could be considered. There have been times I would have liked to play a Deity starting spot or map on a lower level, even if the score didn't count, just to play something other than another random game on my computer.
. Amazon still claim to have it available, and there may be other online retailers who have it.
