Question about difficulty

[Phoenix Master]

I can't wait to play this game! I am just a slightly above average player when it comes to civ games, but still enjoy the series a lot. Which difficulty level in Civ 7 is the balanced one where the AI or I get no bonuses.

 

[Leyrann]

If previous instalments in the series are any indication, the difficulty that is selected by default is the most 'neutral' difficulty.

Note that this does not necessarily align perfectly to neither the player nor the AI getting any bonuses, as in Civ VI there was no such difficulty. It's likely to be the closest though.

 

[Evolena]

The second one, after Settler (Governor I think is its name?)

 

[queenpea]

Multiple reviewers have said that the game is “easier” (or that the AI is worse) than Civ VI, so I would recommend challenging yourself with a higher difficulty level to start!

 

[Leyrann]

Multiple reviewers have said that the game is “easier” (or that the AI is worse) than Civ VI, so I would recommend challenging yourself with a higher difficulty level to start!

I find this questionable. Based on the gameplay I've seen, I actually suspect it's the reverse - release Civ VI AI was physically incapable of taking a walled city, and even modern Civ VI AI struggles with that. Meanwhile, the Civ VII AI seems to have little trouble conquering cities and even, from time to time, eliminating other players entirely - at the very least when fighting itself.

 

[pokiehl]

Multiple reviewers have said that the game is “easier” (or that the AI is worse) than Civ VI, so I would recommend challenging yourself with a higher difficulty level to start!

I find this questionable. Based on the gameplay I've seen, I actually suspect it's the reverse - release Civ VI AI was physically incapable of taking a walled city, and even modern Civ VI AI struggles with that. Meanwhile, the Civ VII AI seems to have little trouble conquering cities and even, from time to time, eliminating other players entirely - at the very least when fighting itself.

I find that claim questionable as well. I just finished reading a review where they said the AI presented a good challenge, and there have been positive observations about it throughout the livestream previews. Even the harshly negative Eurogamer review didn't criticize the AI.

 

[ggmoyang]

View attachment 717827

 

[Evolena]

I've seen someone on Governor who was about to lose their only city to an IP raid.
And several content creators saying the AI is harder than in Civ 6.

 

[stealth_nsk]

Multiple reviewers have said that the game is “easier” (or that the AI is worse) than Civ VI, so I would recommend challenging yourself with a higher difficulty level to start!

I think there are some usual release issues, like AI giving out cities or some exploits. Most of those problems will be fixed quite quickly (some of them probably in day 1 patch), so I expect the game difficulty to come in line with previous games pretty quickly.

 

[queenpea]

I find this questionable. Based on the gameplay I've seen, I actually suspect it's the reverse - release Civ VI AI was physically incapable of taking a walled city, and even modern Civ VI AI struggles with that. Meanwhile, the Civ VII AI seems to have little trouble conquering cities and even, from time to time, eliminating other players entirely - at the very least when fighting itself.

I’m not referring to “release” level Civ VI by any means. I think that ship sailed a long time ago.

Don’t shoot the messenger! Just sharing what I am absorbing.

It seems that the AI is decent at war but remains less adept at the other victory paths.

 

[Ornen]

I would also guess the difference in opinion on Civ 7 difficulty comes down to how quickly the player in question picked up the game mechanics. any game is hard when you don’t know what you’re doing

 

[Acken]

Game looks easier the further you get because it seems the player is much more capable to exploit stacking bonuses than the AI.

 

[stealth_nsk]

Game looks easier the further you get because it seems the player is much more capable to exploit stacking bonuses than the AI.

Game looks easier the further you get, because player learns to play, while the game (including AI) doesn't change.

Exploiting stacking bonuses is just one aspect of learning to play the game.

 

[Kev1916]

Game looks easier the further you get because it seems the player is much more capable to exploit stacking bonuses than the AI.

Is not with the meta the more you level up your toon the easier the game will become? also re some Youtubers the Commander exploit will mean once your Commanders are a certain level you will steam roll the AI.

I recon this version will be a lot easier than before

 

[uppi]

Multiple reviewers have said that the game is “easier” (or that the AI is worse) than Civ VI, so I would recommend challenging yourself with a higher difficulty level to start!

I suspect that the game is easier at higher difficulties, because the ages mechanic helps the player to catch up to an AI with deity bonuses. Also, a good player can min-max the age transition by focusing on one yield and neglecting the other, which is then equalized by the age transition. This does not necessarily translate to lower difficulties, though.

 

[Acken]

Game looks easier the further you get, because player learns to play, while the game (including AI) doesn't change.

Exploiting stacking bonuses is just one aspect of learning to play the game.

Is not with the meta the more you level up your toon the easier the game will become? also re some Youtubers the Commander exploit will mean once your Commanders are a certain level you will steam roll the AI.

I recon this version will be a lot easier than before

I meant "getting further" as in further in the same campaign. As the game move forwards you have accumulated more and more bonuses from previous civs and legacy trees allowing you to have much better min-max capabilities than the AI resulting in a much more optimized empire at modern (and therefore an easy end game).
And commanders carry over.

 

[stealth_nsk]

I meant "getting further" as in further in the same campaign. As the game move forwards you have accumulated more and more bonuses from previous civs and legacy trees allowing you to have much better min-max capabilities than the AI resulting in a much more optimized empire at modern (and therefore an easy end game).
And commanders carry over.

Yes, but it's actually much weaker effect than in previous civs, because in them everything was accumulating throughout the game, while in Civ7 we have 2 soft resets.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Multiple reviewers have said that the game is “easier” (or that the AI is worse) than Civ VI, so I would recommend challenging yourself with a higher difficulty level to start!

Civ7 has many new game mechanics that might take some time for the OP to learn. I think it is best to start at a lower difficulty level for the first game to learn how things work and then work up to higher levels if the game is too easy. It might turn out that deity is still too easy but starting at deity right off the bat when you have never played the game before and many game mechanics are new, is not wise imo.