How to play against a less experienced player

[Fried Egg]

I have been playing a few LAN games with a collegue of mine who is less experienced at Civ than I am. He is just getting to grips with Warlard level and I am an accomplished Regent level player...probably should be playing at Monarch by now.

When we've played games, we've played at warlard level otherwise he gets overwhelmed by the AI. However, I find it too easy and I end up racing ahead.

Is there a way we can balance the game in anyway? We need to play at warlard level but make it hard for me.

I suppose I could make a modded civ with no traits...but I don't know if that would be enough. Is there a way to make the production and research penalties that apply to the AI (at warlard level) apply to me also (but not my collegue)?

 

[Sybot]

Theres no way to make pentalties apply to you that I know of, but you could mod your civ to have no traits, no UU, no starting techs etc, and his to have several starting techs, improved UU and all traits. That might be able to make it fairer.

 

[warpstorm]

You could give him a headstart of say 20-30 free turns where you passively sit at homebase doing nothing.

 

[Fried Egg]

I modded a Civ with no free techs or traits and we started a game. However I got lucky with a few huts giving me techs which enabled me to quickly catch up in technologies. I got to Philosophy first and got another free tech, and a scientific leader which I used to rush the pyramids...

Normally I would start running away with it after a start like that but given that he's the greeks (scienfiic and commercial), it shall be interesting to see if he can regain the lead...

 

[rysingsun]

depending on how much he trusts you ...

you could play with a self-imposed handicap that you must at all times automate all your workers ...

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Give him an additional settlers, workers, and/or scouts/warriors to start with at the beginning of the game. You could also give him some additional techs to start with (all of the starting techs?).

 

[LeonMcS]

Mercy is for the weak...

 

[Nobody]

you play a 5CC

 

[thetrooper]

I got to Philosophy first and got another free tech, and a scientific leader which I used to rush the pyramids...

You should've disbanded the SGL...

 

[Fried Egg]

You should've disbanded the SGL...

Maybe....but I couldn't bring myself to do it!

We've knocked the game on the head. I've built 18 cities and he's only just built his 6th. I'm racing ahead in technology and wealth.

We'll try again...

 

[Tomoyo]

Play the squeeze. It will be interesting. The squeeze is when you can't build any cities outside of your cultural border. I think it would be a good handicap.

 

[mastertyguy]

Good idea!
You can give yourself prod penalties on units by modding more expansive units only available to you, while you can't build the normal price units.

 

[Aegis]

Try teaching him better techiniques for playing the game. Get him to build cities in the CxxC format. He'll be able to found cities more quickly that way. Explain to him that he needs 1.5 workers per city, to build roads, mine grass and irrigate plains.

Perhaps focus on establishing the steps necessary to create a settler factory.

 

[Fried Egg]

I am teaching him how to play the game...but it takes time.

 

[Fried Egg]

Play the squeeze. It will be interesting. The squeeze is when you can't build any cities outside of your cultural border. I think it would be a good handicap.

Interesting...I imagine that such a limitation encourages one to play with a big emphasis on culture...Probably leading to a cultural victory no doubt...

 

[LoopyLewis]

Just put workers on auto, cities on mayor and don't concentrate at all

 

[Conroe]

I am teaching him how to play the game...but it takes time.

Instead of playing against him, why not play in succession? You do 10 turns, he does 10 turns. Swap turn logs with the save, but explain to him why you did the things you did, not just what you did.

Once he is up to speed, then you can go back to pointing your archers at each other.

 

[Fried Egg]

Well, he's getting better now. He's keeping pace with me using my disabled Civ (no free techs, no traits). Soon time to take off the gloves...