Immortal: Less room at map generation?

[fmlizard2]

I typically play Emperor but have tried a few Immortal games recently. It was my understanding that the only difference between these or any other levels was what the AI gets to start (techs, warriors, workers, etc.) and production/food/gold modifiers.

I typically play Pangaea and I've noticed that in my Immortal games I tend to spawn in some very rough locations. My terrain is just fine, but I tend to meet my first AI at about turn 3-5 and find that they are often only about 10-12 tiles away from me to start (capital, not subsequent cities). This compared with about double that distance on Emperor and below.

Since I like to delay expansion to set an infrastructure, the zealous and boosted Immortal AI can be bordering my capital before I can even run out a settler.

Just imagining things, a run of bad luck, or is this part of the Immortal formula?

 

[The Pilgrim]

Just imagining things, a run of bad luck, or is this part of the Immortal formula?

No scientific proof, but I'll bet on bad luck. I've got maps with more than enough space just for myself. But hey, this is good. You have your puppets close to the capital.

 

[Optional]

The AI will have more starting units, so you have more chance of meeting an AI unit earlier.
They will also settle their first town earlier, so a bigger chance you'll get boxed in.

Since I like to delay expansion to set an infrastructure, the zealous and boosted Immortal AI can be bordering my capital before I can even run out a settler.

That's typical of the choices you face on higher levels. If you see a nice spot on the map where you want a town, then send that settler out, don't first build a granary, a library or whatever, because your chance may be gone.

It still depends per game and per AI civ, though. You'll still see the turtlers, you'll also still see the civs that declare when still only having one town and shooting themselves in the foot.
And you'll also still get starting spots that are semi-insular where you can take your time a bit. Immortal certianly has no effect on your start position.

Normally though, for an average Immortal game you'll see you have to adjust your strategy somewhat compared to what you could do on the levels below that.

 

[Nightshades]

They also start with more techs.
At Immortal, they start out with 4 additional techs: pottery, animal husbandry, mining and I think the fourth one is trapping. At Deity they also get The Wheel.

The AI start getting a handicap at King and above. Bonus production, more starting units, more starting techs, faster tile improvement and so on...

As for your starting position: It's random and has nothing to do with the difficulty level. Try playing with resources: strategic balance, if you think that your position sucks compared to the AI's.

 

[headcase]

They also start with more techs.
At Immortal, they start out with 4 additional techs: pottery, animal husbandry, mining and I think the fourth one is trapping. At Deity they also get The Wheel..

That's true except no Trapping; Immortal gets 3 techs. Specifically:
King - Pottery
Emperor - +Animal Hus
Immortal - +Mining
Deity - +The Wheel

Unless they just changed it.