Level of Play vs Posts on the Forum

[PhilBowles]

How often do you manage to build Stonehenge (or any early wonder) on Deity?

I very rarely go for Stonehenge because I tend not to go for religion early (and even then won't always have stone) or indeed at all, but I've got it at least a couple of times. It's actually easier post-GS since it's less in favour with the AI than it was (and I play on Huge maps by default). Honestly it's just not very useful since it's pretty reliable to get religion through holy sites if you want to go for it.

How often do you start with a Holy Site on deity? Or with an early worker?

I don't go for Astrology early unless I find a Natural Wonder or otherwise get the eureka. I practically always build a Builder second or third (after a slinger), but it depends what the specific tiles I have available are - i's not generally that useful to have a builder too early since you can't work three improved tiles straight away and usually need at least two improvement techs to make them useful.

Deity forces players into strict choices and playstyles in the early game. The extra settler means often you'll end up with sub-par locations for your first cities. This is fine for the challenge but not if you're going for immersion imo.

I don't go with early settlers unless I have a very good spot already explored - I usually expect to have a second city by turn 30 but it's certainly in no way necessary.

This is what I meant with my earlier comments: you see people latching on to heuristic goals like Victoria's '10 cities by turn 100' and assume that's either the optimal or the only way to play successfully, without simply trying to play as you otherwise would. I'll roughly aim to have 6+ cities by turn 100, but there are certainly cases when I don't do so.

I've come to dislike the initial challenge in Deity. It makes every early game the same. It's like its own minigame, but repetitive and eventually unrewarding.

If that's how you're playing it, that's what you'll get, but that's more a case of you focusing on what you believe is a demanded playstyle than anything the system or difficulty level requires.

There's no such thing as AI personality at this stage either.

I think you mean "There's no such thing as AI personality in Civ VI". That is sadly true.

They'll spam warriors and attack you.

I haven't seen this behaviour for a few patches now. I've only once had a concerted AI attack in the early game recently, and it was both later (I had three cities already) and more dedicated than the previous 'send 4 warriors your way'. I used to aim to go for two slingers early, but now I rarely build/buy a second quickly unless I encounter a nearby barbarian camp.

 

[Tech Osen]

Of course, there was that one game where Stonehenge was not gone by turn 74, but I guess that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I haven't played a lot of games since the release of the Maya and Grand Columbia but I've noticed quite a few occasions where ancient and classical wonders were still available in the Renaissance or even later. In particular the Masoleum, Lighthouse and Colossus.

 

[Tech Osen]

We're talking standard maps with standard amount of Civs?

Yes. I'm sure it would have been possible now and then but each time I try I get beaten to it. It's too much of a risk.

 

[Leucarum]

The wonder which bugs me for being tough to get is Macchu Picchu. Given the right terrain it can upend completely the way you play and that is a lot of fun. So it gets quite annoying that you rarely get to claim it on any high difficulties. And now I feel like doing a China macchu picchu game....

 

[Futumch]

I play to relax and just fool around with various civ combinations and map types. I won a couple of times at Deity not long after Civ came out, so I don't really feel the need to hamstring myself at that level any more. I'll most often play either Prince or King now. Anything lower than Prince just seems too easy.

My game vs 4 Kupes was fun at King level. 2 Kupes were challenging, the other two were doofus..es? Doofii? Whatever. You get the idea.

 

[DemonMaster]

I play mostly in either King or Emperor. I have played on higher but I like King/Emperor more. I can play a more relaxed game without having to micromanage to much and I can vary my strategy a lot more than if I played on higher difficulty.

 

[agonistes]

I play prince. Is that the default? Whatever the default is. Think its prince.

 

[PhilBowles]

I just took up the 'build Stonehenge on Deity' challenge since I rolled a start with stone and a suitable site. I got it on turn 37, having already established my second city - and without getting the Astrology eureka (though I did get two early first contacts with science CSes). No wars yet, but the Australians are looking very aggressive on my borders.

The map is Huge. The only concession I made to rush the Wonder was to take a pantheon that will otherwise probably be useless for me, and which is definitely not optimal play for Deity in general: Monument to the Gods.

 

[Pietato]

Yeah, the Great Bath is impossible to get on deity, and Machu Pichu is beelined by the AI, who often will build it before you even have the tech.