How legit are huge map settings and marathon mode?

[austincm]

Is it considered a "real" game if you play a huge map or marathon mode or is it a lesser accomplishment to play one of these maps? are they noobier and not taken seriously?

Reason I ask is because I feel like starting a Huge Marathon game with 3 or 4 continents and just enjoying a nice long game of civ haha

 

[Pangaea]

The main thing is that you enjoy it. So if you like to play on those settings, then do

I've never tried it myself (the game is sluggish as hell as it is in the mid-to-end game), but I've heard people refer to it as mara-noob. Apparently it's easier to crush people with a tech lead, because it will last longer than on normal settings.

 

[tranx]

I usually play huge maps on marathon because I can really enjoy the different eras and units that way. I prefer the earlier eras and I think they go too fast on normal speed. I also like long games.

I don't have an aggressive style of playing though. Typically I will wage a few "necessary" wars, but never really go for a conquest victory unless the events concur to put me on that path.

 

[austincm]

I usually play huge maps on marathon because I can really enjoy the different eras and units that way. I prefer the earlier eras and I think they go too fast on normal speed. I also like long games.

I don't have an aggressive style of playing though. Typically I will wage a few "necessary" wars, but never really go for a conquest victory unless the events concur to put me on that path.

what difficulty do you play on if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Rusty Edge]

The greater the map size the greater the difficulty.

I like marathon because I think the movement scales better with the huge maps. Otherwise the A.I. can declare war against me and it's army is obsolete upon arrival at my city gates.


But you should find your own favorite settings. It's a game. It's meant to be fun.

 

[mynystry]

Marathon and Huge maps used to make my favorite Civ games, Normal speed just goes too fast and it's difficult to enjoy each era's units and buildings since you are always rushing to get the next upgrade.

I don't think Marathon+Huge Map is "easy" by default.

Huge Map doesn't mean easier at all, the bigger the map is, the more room for AI expansion, and since AI has bonuses they will expand quicker than you, much quicker if you play higher difficulty level. I usually put more AIs in the map than recommended, Huge Maps give easily enough room for 18 Civs, and there are Mods to put even more (up to 40 I think).

Marathon gives a little advantage to the Human player, since it seems most Humans know how to make better use of all those extra turns than the AI. But this is not a very big advantage in HIgher difficulty. If you find the AI to be too backwards, then just level up: if you play prince then jump to monarch; if you play monarch then hit emperor.

I also like HUGE worlds because Barbs have more room and time to roam around, making them more dangerous and making early expansion more challenging. If you still find the game easy then check Raging Barbs and Aggressive AI and we speak later!

Sadly now I am running out of free time and I find myself playing Standard maps at Normal speed, but I surely miss those endless gigantic games.

 

[tranx]

what difficulty do you play on if you don't mind me asking?

I usually play on Monarch. I sometimes try an Emperor game but I get my ass kicked way too easily.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

They get increasingly more legit as the quality of your computer improves.

 

[SyntaxError]

As long as you don't cheat, anything is legit. Have fun!

 

[digitalcraft]

I have to agree that marathon is more fun simply because unit moves don't happen over the course of several centuries. You play on normal or quick and by the time you produce your army and get it to your border it's obsolete, and a war you start with axemen you're probably finishing with infantry.

 

[Quintillus]

They get increasingly more legit as the quality of your computer improves.

But this is true. Unless you're trying to prove how l337 you are, it doesn't really matter how "legit" a type of game you like is from a difficulty standpoint. But TMIT is right here, in that if you have a weak computer, a huge marathon game really isn't going to be feasible. But the more powerful your computer is, the more this type of game will be legitimately playable.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with nice long games of Civ. As a CivFanatic who came to the game in the Civ3 days, with bigger maps and more cities, nice long games of Civ is how I'm used to them, so I'm certainly an approver of Huge Marathon maps in Civ4, even if I do tend to play Epic speed most often.

 

[damerell]

Is it considered a "real" game if you play a huge map or marathon mode or is it a lesser accomplishment to play one of these maps? are they noobier and not taken seriously?

People often seem to feel Marathon is easier. As for huge... do it if you want to, but honestly I feel you are making a rod for your own back.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Marathon has been demonstrated to be easier across tons of submissions. Of course, unless you're already a super deity player you could always just raise the level to compensate...

 

[MilesBeyond]

My preference is playing Huge and cramming in 18 civs. I love how intense the politics and diplomacy get, though it can get annoying when you've got people pestering you almost every turn

 

[tijup]

I tend to prefer Huge/Marathon maps, with lots of AIs.
As said TMIT, it's a pain with a slow machine, I used to wait around 4 to 5 mins between each turn
since my comp was freaking old (P4 3ghz single-core, first gen). I upgraded last december, and
It's now even more enjoyable.
I got games with World Wars lasting for centuries, with most of the AIs involved, it could be an
incredible mess.
Once, one of the AI run rampage, and crank up to 10 nukes per turns. I had to stop that game,
I was fighting to control 4-5 towns, and we (me and the AI (chinese)) kept nuking those 4-5
cities every few turn to take control of them, only to got them nuke by the other side in the next turn.

 

[rfcfanatic]

Marathon is great for ancient/classical warfare. You don't have to worry about the AI getting Longbows before you get your Catapults ready for attack. The relation between game speed and the eras suitable for warfare as I see it:

Marathon: Ancient/Classical warfare
Epic: Medieval warfare
Normal: Renaissance/Industrial warfare
Quick: Modern/Future warfare

Marathon also scales very well with Huge maps.

 

[need my speed]

Marathon, Huge, a lot of civilizations (18+ anyway - or very little, so that they can all become huge and collapse into smaller civilizations (RevDCM)), and a much slower tech speed. Well, and making wealth buildable with no tech at all, otherwise cities wouldn't have anything to make.

I never finish my games.

 

[AncientPlayer]

Agree with many others. Marathon + huge at Prince or Monarch is my usual game, especially if I'm playing something close to a standard (no-mod) game. My 'standard' version has research after the ancient slowed about 20-30% to slow advances a bit because I really like the game better before modern era units.

More than the pace of the game or the size of the map I've found the game more influenced by how many civs to start with (or end up with using any of the revolution mods or ones that settle barbs to new civs).

Easier? harder? I'd rather just say different--but it's always interesting to try lots of variations.

 

[Quibblesome]

It's perfectly legit and massively interesting because it changes your strategy. I often find myself accidentally playing a "normal" strategy on marathon and ending up with idle workers (as I don't have BW or Wheel yet). It is easier IMO though to win.

It's also easier if you choose a ton of civs and don't ensure there aren't a decent amount of warmongers too (as its easy to beat a bunch of peaceful civs who have been unable to REX).

 

[Kallikrates]

I now tried the Earth 18 huge map on Monarch (Warlords expansion) and epic speed. I will probably not keep playing this game. It takes to long and I get bored, although it was fun taking out Egypt and most of India quite quickly with Immortals.For some reason Egypt had not hooked up their horses, so only archers and India was even weaker.
For warmongers it is probably better, but I am too slow at every turn, so it just takes to much time and I will probably stick to normal size/standard speed for the future. And I will upgrade at some stage to BtS, but not before I have more spare time for learning espionage and all this new stuff.