Random or pre-select?

[RockTheCazbah87]

I usually leave the number of opponents the default number for the map size, but I sometimes increase the number of city states from the default.

You've inspired me for my next game. It's barely 100 turns into my current Gandhi run and the AI have collectively taken out 8-10 city states...

 

[iammaxhailme]

I usually play on huge maps (12 size) but lower the number of civs to 8 or 10.

 

[WillowBrook]

You've inspired me for my next game. It's barely 100 turns into my current Gandhi run and the AI have collectively taken out 8-10 city states...

I also often use a mod that gives city states early walls, which helps a lot.

 

[pietro1990]

If there was a hall of fame i would make sure that i played with each leader now i don't care

 

[Alexis Layton]

I’ve always wanted a mode where you could pick your leader (and thus Civ) after you see the immediate surroundings. It probably wouldn’t work well in multiplayer. Perhaps have units at the start of the game which represent an undifferentiated Civ. In effect you could become your Civ when you settle the first city.

 

[LMT]

I always pick my leader, but usually alternate among all of them. There's no leader that I feel compelled to pick more often and none that I intentionally ignore.

I usually play on fractal maps because I find them the most unique out of all the types.

 

[Forster]

I always pick the leader, use continents, standard speed at King. I usually leave the number of civs alone, but will increase the number of city states by one or two.

 

[Klinn]

Always select a leader. First time though so that I can see what they're like, a second round while trying to play to their civ's strengths.

Almost always leave the AI opponents as random, but there are times when I wish we had the option to exclude a specific civ. For example I get really tired of Harald instantly hating me when we meet because I haven't bothered building a navy for my one little coastal city with 2 water tiles.

 

[Disgustipated]

I only hand pick for Earth TSL maps. I always hand pick my leader choice though. Otherwise too many times the game loads up a civ that I'm not really in the mood to play. I base my pick on what mood I'm in to do for a victory type. Continents maps always get random AI civs.

 

[Depravo]

Because I play on a toaster, I don't like to have to regen. So developed a really stupid quasi-random method where I close my eyes and hum while scrolling up and down the leader list. Reselect if it's one of the leaders I'm not interested in playing or have played too recently.

Before going through this farce, map settings are always Epic, Large, Emperor and either Fractal, Small Continents or Island Plates with no other changes.

 

[Lily_Lancer]

I always start with everything random, except for map size (standard since I don't want to break my computer on some x-large maps), difficulty( deity since it is the most uneasy, although still a too easy difficulty), and speed (standard since I don't want to conquer everything on classical era in marathon)

All others are all random.

 

[JosephC]

Blue text is what I've changed from default. Love the option to save presets.

Ruleset: Rise & Fall
Game Difficulty: Varies

Player Civ: Always Select, Choice Varies
# Civilizations: 15-20

Map Settings
Starting Era: Ancient
Game Speed: Marathon
City-States: 18-22
Map: Continents (still waiting for Terra option)
Map Size: Huge
Resources: Sparse
World Age: Standard
Start Position: Standard
Temperature: Standard
Rain Fall: (Been experimenting with, Currently Wet)
Sea Level: (Been experimenting with, Currently High)

Victory Conditions
[x] Cultural Victory
[x] Domination Victory
[x] Religious Victory
[x] Science Victory
[ ] Score Victory
No Turn Limit

Options
[x] No Duplicate Leaders
[ ] No Barbarians
[ ] No Teams
[ ] No Tribal Villages
[x] Teams Share Visibility
Why no Raging Barbarians option ?

 

[Victoria]

Why no Raging Barbarians option ?

Have you played on Immortal yet? If you want raging, they rage there and deity.

 

[Mr. Shadows]

I always start with everything random, except for map size (standard since I don't want to break my computer on some x-large maps), difficulty( deity since it is the most uneasy, although still a too easy difficulty), and speed (standard since I don't want to conquer everything on classical era in marathon)

All others are all random.

I know you specialize in finish times, and of course Deity is Deity. Do you know if anyone deliberately does speed runs at the easiest difficulties? It isn't necessarily easier because it would mean that you have to finish that much faster. In some games it works out that it's just as (or more) challenging than Deity, it's just a different race. I'm just curious because I've seen it done with other games, although I'm not sure how it would play in VI.

 

[Draco84]

I chose random leader, strandard or large size and correspondingly standard or epic speed.

Seems more often then not this results in being Rome with Sumaria as my nearest neighbor for some reason.

Usually I'll reroll when that happens

 

[agonistes]

Create game - England continent standard standard. I could not even tell you what advanced settings there are.

I used to play civ V with epic start but realized it really did not make that much difference and also felt wrong to me. Its juts a game though.... its more than the start... its the advanced tricks/exploits/meticulous play that give more benefit IMO

I don't care for epic start either. But mostly its because it gives you too many resources - less room for districts/lumbermills. And so often I get resources I despise... mercury, jade, and so forth.

I love a younger planet though. I love having mountains. A map with few mountains can cause me to quit a game. Not for the science. For the majesty.

 

[Lily_Lancer]

I know you specialize in finish times, and of course Deity is Deity. Do you know if anyone deliberately does speed runs at the easiest difficulties? It isn't necessarily easier because it would mean that you have to finish that much faster. In some games it works out that it's just as (or more) challenging than Deity, it's just a different race. I'm just curious because I've seen it done with other games, although I'm not sure how it would play in VI.

No, I don't specialize in "achieving the lowest possible finishing time", instead I mainly focus on "achieving the lowest expected finishing time according to the current situation"

The difference between these two is that type I people select the best possible map and replay it multiple times to achieve "the lowest possible finishing time" across all maps, while type II people just focus on the current situation and try to make a best strategy that can solve the current situation.

 

[Mr. Shadows]

No, I don't specialize in "achieving the lowest possible finishing time", instead I mainly focus on "achieving the lowest expected finishing time according to the current situation"

The difference between these two is that type I people select the best possible map and replay it multiple times to achieve "the lowest possible finishing time" across all maps, while type II people just focus on the current situation and try to make a best strategy that can solve the current situation.

Understood, sorry for the confusion I simply meant speed runs in general. I'm still curious whether some people take the challenge just as seriously at lower difficulty levels because it changes the challenge? Does that not happen (yet?) in VI or do think it just wouldn't work? You have different tools to work with at Chieftain so it might actually be more difficult to come up with the best strategy for the best time.