Hardest victory condition?

[del62]

One option if available prior to going to war with a despotic AI is gift them Monarchy or Republic, then they will go to anarchy and cant pop rush.

On regent to monarch levels and the fast finish dates, lets not forget these games in the top 5 of HOF tables have generally been played by top players, and a weaker player would find regent easier than monarch

 

[Spoonwood]

Not sure if a "scare bug" exists in Conquests.

Thanks for the explanation and analysis Lanzelot. Some of your hypothesis may come as correct Lanzelot. However, some analomies may come as a result of the top players only playing certain levels. For example, if you look at the top space race tables, you'll find a bunch of small Deity games finishing faster than all the top Demigod games. This may have happened, because better AI research may help finish faster over increased tech cost, or it might come as a result of a competitive gauntlet with some good research players playing a small spaceship gauntlet that had a lot of interest a few years ago (and not playing a similar Demi-God gauntlet). I don't mean to say your hypothesis comes as wrong, it's just not a cut-and-dry matter. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Lanzelot]

However, some analomies may come as a result of the top players only playing certain levels.

Yes, that may indeed "distort" the results. And also the number of games is probably still too small to be really "statistically stable". But still it gives us general general ideas/indications.

Regarding the "scare bug": I've never noticed this in my own games, and I still play PTW a lot these days. Lord Emsworth, are you sure it is not a "Vanilla-only" thing?!

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Not sure if a "scare bug" exists in Conquests.

Regarding the "scare bug": I've never noticed this in my own games, and I still play PTW a lot these days. Lord Emsworth, are you sure it is not a "Vanilla-only" thing?!

Frankly I have no idea if that is still in Conquests, but I see no reason why it shouldn't. It is most noticable if, against all reason, a city at size 2 that you have been eyeing autorazes after you declared war and attacked. And from what I remember it should occur in a situation such as described; you gift away a city to a despotic AI, then declare war and take the city.

(OTOH, maybe I misremember something.)

 

[Spoonwood]

I don't remember seeing it in my Warlord domination game with the cities I gifted. But, I kind of do recall it in my "lazy" histographic games. Maybe it only works if they had a city a turn before.

 

[panzerconquest]

I guess space race is the hardest
, domination/conquest can be hard but that all depends on game conditions