Highest "enjoyable" level?

[morchuflex]

Hello.

In your opinion, which is the highest really enjoyable difficulty level?

By "really enjoyable", I mean a level giving you a good but not insurmountable challenge, while requiring very little MM, no exploits whatsoever (tech jumping, pre-chopping...), no twisted strategies (gambits, slingshots) and of course no restarting-until-I-get-stone-and-marble.

Personnally, I think that would be Prince until you grab the game mechanics, and Monarch later. Then, when I'm getting tired of winning all the time, maybe I'll try Emperor...

What do you think?

 

[Samson]

Immortal, or Emperor if on slightly harder settings.

 

[Zombie69]

Hello.

In your opinion, which is the highest really enjoyable difficulty level?

By "really enjoyable", I mean a level giving you a good but not insurmountable challenge, while requiring very little MM, no exploits whatsoever (tech jumping, pre-chopping...), no twisted strategies (gambits, slingshots) and of course no restarting-until-I-get-stone-and-marble.

I would not enjoy the game without micromanagement. I would not enjoy a level that wouldn't require me to use every advantage i can get in order to have a chance of winning. I don't restart to get a better starting position, i play with what i'm given.

Right now, the enjoyable level for me is immortal. It will probably soon be deity, and after that i hope that the SDK will have allowed people to come up with a better AI.

 

[Orion071]

I've found that I can enjoy the games that I play on Emperor. I have to regenerate the map a few times sometimes to find a more favorable starting position (but not as extreme as your example), but I find the games aren't too tough. I just finished a game on a large/continents map, epic speed as Ghandi where I founded 3 religions and built most of the game's wonders and won with a cultural victory without declaring war on anyone. That was my favorite game I've played so far. I did use the CoL Oracle slingshot, but since my strategy going in was wonders/religions, it kinda fit.

 

[vinstafresh]

So far I haven't tried higher difficulties than Prince. On Prince I can win with a little amount of effort, Noble is a breeze. It seems I have the early game down, but I always let the AI come back somehow during the medieval era. Perhaps I should wage war more often.

 

[Raisin Bran]

for my part Ithe level I enjoy the most is noble. Tried to go up in levels but I did not like it !

 

[5cats]

Somewhere between Noble and Prince
I beat Noble often, but Prince always turns into a drag-out, catch-up game, which I find less than fun. I win sometimes, but mostly I just languish in 2nd or 3rd place...

 

[Pantastic]

Emperor is that level for me at the moment, I tend to play the game more to build my empire than to hit winning conditions. From what I've seen, Immortal/Diety require you to play in a very 'gamey' fashion and do lots of micromanagement, not really my cup of tea.

Everyone is going to have a different sweet spot, of course, you already see a variety of preferred level.

 

[Armorydave]

I have settled in at Monarch. Perfect for the mildly obsessive player.

 

[pholkhero]

no exploits whatsoever (tech jumping, pre-chopping...), no twisted strategies (gambits, slingshots)

what makes tech jumping an exploit, and gambits & (especially) slingshots twisted strategies??

 

[GrandMatt]

Prince is tad bit easy for me, 98% of the time an easy win. Monarch is a decent challenge, where if i dont play my best my civ will fail. Monarch is a nice stepping stone up the difficulty ladder. I am not ready for higher difficulties yet, but mayb in a month

Lower than Prince i really dont like! I need a challenge!

 

[senwiz]

I think this is a personal choice thing, honestly. I have enjoyed games at various levels.

Right now, I'm working on the Noble level to learn some new skills. I've never been much of a warmonger, but I find myself able to do make a few mistakes on Noble and still keep at it.

I think any level you want to play at, regularly, is a fun level. When I find myself winning every time, I bump the level up one. I figure, eventally, I'll get to the highest level, until then...I'll play as long as the game is interesting. LOL

 

[777]

At c3c it was Monarch for me It was quite a fun difficult level, but I think it was easier than in cIV. I jumped from Warlord straight to Monarch and could beat computer with a more challenge. But in cIV so far it's been Prince what seems to be funny ATM, but I imagine that soon I climb up to Monarch and stay there.

 

[maltz]

I like to play the game in Emperor with default settings. I can't always win as in Monarch, so I am constantly on the edge of my seat.

I also like to play Deity but with the world builder. I won't modify the map, but I like to have a "Deity eye" on the AIs. I will know their every move, watch barb. cities prosper, plan cities and war ahead, way ahead. Sometimes I have to reload the game 500 years earlier to make a better outcome. This involves a lot of brain power, and it is also very challenging and fun.

 

[Stylesjl]

Warlord, i played Noble and won but i didn't really like it that much

 

[The 777 Hoax]

Settler.

Haha, just kidding, probably Noble... I've only played this game a few times after switching from Civ3

 

[Sisiutil]

I think any level you want to play at, regularly, is a fun level. When I find myself winning every time, I bump the level up one. I figure, eventally, I'll get to the highest level, until then...I'll play as long as the game is interesting. LOL

We are of the same mind on this. I just moved up to Prince after winning regularly on Noble. It is challenging--first two games were washouts by medieval era. The most recent one, I was 2nd/3rd most of the game and lost a diplomatic victory. But I was close, so I'll keep refining my game and trying. These forums are tremendously helpful.

 

[Moonsinger]

In your opinion, which is the highest really enjoyable difficulty level?

By "really enjoyable", I mean a level giving you a good but not insurmountable challenge, while requiring very little MM, no exploits whatsoever (tech jumping, pre-chopping...), no twisted strategies (gambits, slingshots) and of course no restarting-until-I-get-stone-and-marble.

That would be the Settler level!

Seriously, the settler level is probably the toughest and most enjoyable level for me. The real challenge is not about winning but about building a civilization that can withstand the test of time.

 

[Agarwaen]

Prince, the level where I learned how to have a conquest win! I like to be the only civilization in the world
I'm trying monarch now, level up!

 

[Lord Gideon]

That would be the Settler level!

Seriously, the settler level is probably the toughest and most enjoyable level for me. The real challenge is not about winning but about building a civilization that can withstand the test of time.

I usually don't play settler, but one night I was bored and tried it again after a few months. Good Civ players, consider playing a settler game once in a while. I mean, I got Genetics off of Liberalism at about 1450 AD, with only 3 other civs left. It's hilarious. I won a space race around the 1800s, lol.