Hardest map type

[Totibbs]

Im confidend playing on Noble. I have won diplo, space and domination on Archipelo and cultural on Pangea.

Now I was wondering about what the hardest map type is to win on. And then, what is the easiest way to win on the hardest map type then I can try that on a new game of Civ IV beyond the sword

 

[Wanderapple]

Im confidend playing on Noble. I have won diplo, space and domination on Archipelo and cultural on Pangea.

Now I was wondering about what the hardest map type is to win on. And then, what is the easiest way to win on the hardest map type then I can try that on a new game of Civ IV beyond the sword

You should ask which map type is the easiest to win, cuz you always do well on noble.

 

[OTAKUjbski]

All map types are equally the hardest and easiest (hrm? ).

It depends on your preferred play style and your approach to the map.

If you lean towards warmongering, you're likely to find Pangaea really easy.

If you prefer peaceful games, I think Continents (or Big & Small) is easiest.

If you love a big navy and do well with them, Pangaea will be difficult -- and vice-versa.

(Archipelago and Island maps tend to be more difficult for Conquest & Domination Victories, but that could just be me not liking heavy water maps.)

In all things, Rocky and Dry climates are always tougher than their Temperate counterparts.


Why do you ask? Maybe we can give you some better ideas ...

 

[pi-r8]

Eh I disagree with Otaku. I think continents is the hardest for pretty much any style. The main problem is that there's absolutely nothing you can do to slow down the AIs on the other continent until you get astronomy. Quite often, while you're bogged down in wars on your continent, the other continent is completely peaceful and teching madly. Or else one AI has dominated all the others, and now has a huge land mass.

Archipelago, tiny islands is the easiest, because the AI just can't adapt to an environment with such a miniscule amount of hammers.

 

[OTAKUjbski]

All map types are equally the hardest and easiest (hrm? ).

It depends on your preferred play style and your approach to the map.

Eh I disagree with Otaku. I think continents is the hardest for pretty much any style. ... Archipelago, tiny islands is the easiest.

@Totibbs: See what I mean .!?

Archipelago, tiny islands is the easiest, because the AI just can't adapt to an environment with such a miniscule amount of hammers.

That shows you how bad I am with my navy that I find Archipelago and Islands tough.

 

[bardolph]

It isn't that different map types are "harder" or "easier," since the human player and AI all start on the same map.

However, certain map types have a greater chance of creating "unbalanced" games, where some civs end up with huge advantages based on starting position.

For example: "Continents" or "Hemispheres" carries a risk that a bunch of peace loving hippie civs share a continent and happily tech-trade their way to victory, while you spend millenia fighting a bunch of aggressive malcontents on your side of the globe, only to find yourself horribly behind the hippie continent. Conversely, your fortunes may be the reverse.

"Fractal" carries a significant risk of the dreaded "isolated start," where you have absolutely no trading partners till Optics.

"Big and Small" has a large Pangaea-like continent and clusters of small islands. If you start off on an island cluster, you are unlikely to have access to much in the way of luxury resources, though you will have plenty of food to trade for such luxuries. Island-faring nations also have a serious hammer problem, and will likely be forced to rely on the whip for most of their production.

Pangaea will give you the most consistent start, though you will have to fight for your survival.

Terra is a lot like Pangaea, but with the added option of colonizing your way out of a box.

Archipelago will give you some logistical problems, but since the AI faces the same problems, the edge actually lies with the human player.

 

[one2tieyourshoe]

I like Archipelago because I like my navy. It's a point of pride.

 

[King Jason]

If you lean towards warmongering, you're likely to find Pangaea really easy.

Depends on your definition of easy. Continental maps don't make warmongering "harder". They just make it take longer. In fact I consistently debate what's worse with myself;

-Playing on a Pangaea thus having military access to everyone when you want it.

-Playing with continents thus being essentially invincible once you secure your continent.

Continental play is usually an exercise in tedium for me, unless the continent I secured is smaller than my opponents. Even then, I can rest assured 90% the time on two facts;

-I will be able to successfully invade them.

-They won't be able to successfully invade me.

Which makes the game pretty easy regardless of what victory I'm shooting for.

All of this of course depends on the "political situation" of the respective continents. But in the event I'm aware that I'm playing a continental map of some kind, I'm quick to establish control over my continent. Which tends to happen regardless, since the end goal of any of my games is conquest. So neighbors tend to fall fast anyway.

Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that I don't think continental games are harder for conquest victories at all. They're just more annoying. If annoying and possibly a bit more time consuming (out of tedium) can equate to difficulty, then sure, it's harder. But in my opinion it's not actually more difficult.

At the moment I think the more difficult scenario is being on a crowded map surrounded by multiple opponents. This could be continental, Pangaea, Big and Small on the main continent, those flat maps (great plains, and the mountain one,etc). Usually with more opponents than the map size. If you're stuck with more people, and less space, and for good measure happen to be surrounded - then things will get tricky.

Oh and finally, as multiple posts have displayed - in the end there's no difinitive. It depends on the player and how they (or, you, OP) handle the map. All you can do is listen to why each of us think, or feel, a particular setting is too hard/easy. Then judge for yourself.

 

[Rvil Plum]

At the highest difficulty levels Continents normal map size with normal number of players is by far hardest of any map type. It is insanely unbalanced for the human and you will be lucky to win 20% of your games. This is because the AI on a different continent can out tech you very fast, and there is nothing you can do about it, and because on a normal sized map with normal number of enemy AI, you simply do not have enough land to avoid an early war.

The easiest maps on a high difficulty setting using normal sized maps are Archipelago and Big and Small, but they are so unbalanced / easy for the human, they don't represent much of a challenge.

The easiest games of all are very small maps of any map type.

Huge maps vary between medium to rock hard difficulty, depending on AI starting positions. If their starting position is such that they make early contact with each other, and trade together, then you get the same tech problems you get with normal Continents sized maps. In other words the AI will out tech you very fast, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Increasing the number of enemy makes the game easier, as each enemy capital city is surrounded by the richest grouping of resources on the map, and if you capture a few enemy capital cities, you quickly have a few super cities in your civ that 90% of the time will be far more productive than your own capital city.

Changing the in-game settings also unbalances the game, and makes it easier for the human, (i.e. turning on raging barbs, etc). The human adapts to the change he/she has made, (i.e. in the case of raging barbs they build the Great Wall or lots of early military), but the AI doesn't compensate for the change. Net result is an easier game for the human.

Civ is all about production, (regardless of what victory condition you pursue), so if you want an easy game, do the following:

1) Turn on raging barbs, but ensure you build the Great Wall. All barbs will now attack the AI and some civs may even be destroyed.

2) Make the map small, but ensure you capture as many enemy capital cities as you can early in the game, (rush the closest enemy AI with a few warriors which you camp outside the enemy capital on forest/ hill tiles so that they flank both sides of the city. This stops the AI from moving their first settler, and allows you time to tech to and then link up with copper / horses so that you can then rush / attack with chariot or axe to capture the enemy capital).

The easiest win is Domination, as it takes the least skill. It's also the most boring, as once you reach a critical mass of production, the victory is in the bag, but you still have hundreds of turns left of grind to complete the game.

The second easiest win is Cultural, as it requires a bit more skill in terms of choosing tech paths, and wonder building, whilst keeping a strong enough military to keep the aggressive AI at bay.

The third easiest is diplomatic, as you need to be in strong tech and economic position to bribe enemy AI or win their favour, and have a strong military to deter then from attacking you, and you need good culture . Religious control of the AP helps or control of the UN if in the late game period.

The hardest is a Space Race victory, as you need to use a combination of culture / diplomacy and military to win it. You can make it easier by playing a 50% Dom game in the first half, and then switch to a defence game in the last half. All the extra land and resources you have captured during the Dom phase make the Space Race victory easier, as again it's all about production.

Regards - Mr P

 

[Commodore Nate]

@Rvil Plum: wow I've never heard anyone say that a space race is difficult

The hardest map type that I've played is probably continents. Mostly for the reasons King Jason pointed out.
I find archipelago to be the easiest, since the AI doesn't really react to it very well.

 

[PutCashIn]

I'm a fan of 'Global Highlands,'

I find it's hard to keep a traditional 'cottage economy' (<---definatly too much time on CFF's with that sort of jargon) going, as there are so many hills.

Also have you tried Earth18Civs or one of the third party earth maps?

 

[dubrown]

I would say the hardest maptype is any maptype if you end up with an isolated start. Beelining Optics is seldom an optimal researchpath and the chances are pretty big that you will be behind in tech when you meet the AIs.

 

[CliftonBazaar]

Highlands I find the hardest because each city is built on a hill and that adds a defensive bonus Makes it a lot harder to take over.

Another hard one is ice age - resources are rare and cities cannot be built very big. Boreal comes under the same category.

 

[Symbol]

Space Race is such an easy route to victory it sometimes feels like cheating. If you can't at least maintain close to tech parity towards the modern era and outproduce any individual AI (who are extremely fond of wind milling every hill for example and who remain average/poor at city placement) then you aren't going to win by any other method.

 

["<-_Danny_->"]

I like play earth map. I not like extra-terrestrial map ecc.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

Continents can be a very hard setting because you could be isolated or be stuck with a group of warmongers while the other continent has a group of tech whores with the same religion.

The hardest is crazy resources setting. When you scout or think, you're used to Earth-like features on the maps. Having terrain and resource types that defy all logic is not only an extreme eyesore, but you'd be forced to do exact math on every tile. I have NEVER won on crazy resource setting before. You'd be surprised how used to Earth-like planets you are.

 

[Mik1984]

It depends on the civ and leader you chose and your game style. Like financial is extremely powerful on water maps, since you get 3 instead of 2 from coast, which can be a great kick-off advantage.

 

[Rvil Plum]

Space Race may be unbalanced at lower difficulty levels, but it is the hardest victory to achieve at Emperor and beyond. All the previous games in the Civ series had the Space Race as the most difficult victory to achieve, and I'm sure the designers intended the same for BTS, but like I said the game is unbalanced at easier difficulty levels and on certain map types and when you use certain settings.

There are lots of different difficulty levels, each of which can have different settings, and be played on a variety of different maps, of different size, with different AI and different resources, etc. I have no idea of just how many combinations there are, but there must be a few thousand of them.

There are doubtless combinations where a Diplomatic victory is the easiest to achieve, and others where it is the hardest to achieve, (Shaka + Monty + all the other aggressive / nut case AI's on one map, and not a friendly in sight = try and get a Diplo win out of that).

I think the designers intended the Space Race to be the hardest victory to achieve, and it is when you play on the civ default map, (i.e. continents, normal settings), at the highest difficulty levels, (Emperor + Immortal + Deity).

Regards - Mr P

 

[Jazzmail]

Hardest is all the AIs on one continent, except for one warmonger, who shares a smaller continent with the player.
So while the rest of the civilized world is tech trading like mad, you're stuck with a clown who won't trade anything and who you have to defeat in a costly war.

With tech trading disabled it don't have to be so bad though.

 

[bardolph]

Hardest is all the AIs on one continent, except for one warmonger, who shares a smaller continent with the player.
So while the rest of the civilized world is tech trading like mad, you're stuck with a clown who won't trade anything and who you have to defeat in a costly war.

With tech trading disabled it don't have to be so bad though.

In this position you generally want to avoid founding religions, so that the other continent will stay in perpetual holy war.