Running out of ideas on how to make gameplay fun

[planetfall]

I"m about ready to give up. I just can't think of any new ideas to try to tweak the gameplay to make the game more fun.

I've tried changing in game mechanics:
-- the cost/power/movement of different units
-- the cost of a few key buildings
-- the abilty of culture flipping a city, in civ6 terms, loyalty pressure.

in game config:
-- sea height
-- world size
-- world temperature

in gameplay
-- the number of builders I will engage
-- going early warmonger
-- going builder as long as possible
-- changing the number of AI civs for each world size
-- going nuclear and blowing up everything
-- going robot mad
-- going domination win
-- going scientific win
-- going either domination or science win (others are boring...)


Annoyances I can't change which slow slow down game time between turns
-- can't put builders on auto improve
-- can't put cities queue on wealth
-- can't see full city details

So can you think of any
a-- configuration option to change, or
b-- any new ideas for gameplay?

Thank you for your suggestions.......

 

[vorlon_mi]

I share two of your annoyances: builders and queuing wealth. I certainly did the latter (build "wealth" a lot in Civ3 and Civ4. The only parallel in Civ6 is to fill the queue with 5 copies of "Commercial Hub Investments" or "Harbor Shipping" projects, or some of each.
Since builders have finite charges, setting them to auto-improve doesn't make sense to me.

To keep the game interesting, I still have different leaders to try. I made it through all 31 leaders in Civ3 once, so I'm cycling through again. It's interesting to try a new leader, or try to win a different victory than I did last time.

I agree that the science and domination victories are the most straightforward and the most interesting. Culture/tourism feels complex and less fun to me. Diplomatic feels too easy sometimes; if I time my build of the Statue of Liberty right, after winning several scored competitions or aid requests, I can achieve it. The AI don't substially compete in the aid requests. If I'm building towards the later ages, I am usually prepared for the scored compeitions.

I find the religious victory somewhat interesting. Build a super-strong faith economy (vs. a gold economy); send squads of apostles to do battle (distinct from military battle); use inquisitors to clean up my citites; use declaration of war to enable "Denounce Heretic" and squish enemy apostles.

That's what makes it fun for me; playing as a leader I haven't played yet, or playing that leader a different way.

 

[planetfall]

I guess I could try cycling thru the different leaders. I've tried different world configs and always revert back to continents as the discovery aspect in middle game keeps some interest. I always play high water as it adds a naval element to game. I wish I could find a unit that would explore thru ROC. Missionaries are supposed to do that, but fail to pass boundaries in my games.

 

[Naokaukodem]

Civ6 is not particularly thought out for custom settings alas... put barbs on but no c-S and you are overwhemed by barbs and have few trade opportunities (if not none), put barbs off and the AI expands incontrollably, etc., put barbs on again and they spawn overpowered units... there's no end to the pros and cons of each world generator choice. I.e. there's no good choices, only bad ones.

 

[GIO888]

Quite a lot of what OP said!

I've deliberately scrolled through every Civ - quite fun actually - tried all sorts of permutations, but basically,

Where the dickens is Civ VII!!!

 

[Disgustipated]

I'm kind of in the same boat. I had taken to modifying some of the text files myself even. But often I find myself of either one of two playstyles. Early warfare and expansion, or peaceful expansion with possibly some conquering in the middle of the game. I've played every single leader at least once, some of them like 5 or 6 times like the ones I enjoy such as Germany, Japan, and England. I usually go with random maps, but for a change up a few weeks ago I went with the Firaxis Earth map. But that map isn't great since global warming doesn't affect it. Random maps are still the best since the exploration is one of the things I enjoy best at this point. I satisfy myself with mini games for myself like growing cities as large as I can, or getting as many goodie huts as I can. By the same token, I try to get those goodie huts with my initial scout unit. I always have a goal every game of at least getting my scout unit up to the ambush promotion, but ideally I like to get my scout unit up to all 7 promotions. Things like that keep me interested in a game. But even that is wearing thin, so I'm all ears for new ideas myself.

I'd recommend the "gimmicky" civs if you haven't done them recently. Like Eleanor (France or England). I once had the goal of flipping every city on my continent, and I believe I was able to do it. But that one takes a bit of luck. I've played her a few times between France and England, and you have to get just the right conditions. Only been able to do it once.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

Where the dickens is Civ VII!!!

Civ V exists

 

[UWHabs]

The game's been out for a long time, I don't think it's a knock on it that it gets a little stale. Even playing some of the new leaders, it's hard to get too excited about them all sometimes. Sometimes it can be a change to try a civ you haven't played much recently, especially if they have a different ability than you've done of late (ie. spamming holy sites vs military). Or play a game where you tell yourself you're not going to aggressively chop things out, or just something to shake it up.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

I've been toying with trying the idea of a 'spoilsport' game once I'm bored of Domination victory; instead of going for a victory or building yourself up you just focus on cutting down whoever is on top and preventing them from becoming a hegemon or accelerating towards a victory. Then when someone else replaces them at the top you do the same to them. The hitch is that you're not supposed to try to expand and become a hegemon yourself, the idea is to cut everyone down to the same size, and down to yours at least. Though I don't know how feasible this is in Civ6 as compared to Civ5; in the latter you can play tall but Civ6 emphasises expansion much more

 

[Benevolent Dictator]

Would be interested in recommendations for unique challenges or gameplay setups myself. Have been searching the subreddits lately for suggestions without much luck.

I'm on console so mods or config edits are out.

 

[Nigel_Tufnel2]

Would be interested in recommendations for unique challenges or gameplay setups myself. Have been searching the subreddits lately for suggestions without much luck.

I'm on console so mods or config edits are out.

I have enjoyed many self-imposed challenges with Civs with wacky traits. Like playing Kupe on almost any map, it's always a trip. I have played countless Kupe games on as large of a Seven Seas map as possible. Because there are no oceans, you can either let him roam and settle everywhere with all that empty space, and/or add additional Civs and CS to make the map more "normal". Another Kupe setup I enjoy is Terra with AI on "Old World" - settle the new continent and explore to your hearts content. (Exploration and Barb hunting have always been two of my favorite elements.)

Try Portugal on Archipelago or Island Plates - see how many Trade Routes you can get by turn 100, or 125, etc. Then try again to beat it.

For a long time Indonesia was my favorite Civ. Play as big a map as you can and really expand when Jongs become available. You can link a Settler and Unit to it and get all the movement. You can line up like 6 Jongs in a row and "shuck" units like 30 tiles in one turn if you plan correctly. Easy way to settle the New World on Terra.

The Terra map itself provides a ton of replayability. If you use the default # of Civs you will be super cramped, and lucky to get 3-4 cities up. You will be assured prime expansion spots overseas if you can stay alive long enough.

Harald always adds spice with ocean-going early, and snagging Goody Huts with Longships from the Coast. Again, Terra and Seven Seas are fantastic.

I assume you can mess around with Civs and CS choices (on a PC without extra mods there are ways to eliminate or only add certain of each in the Setup menu)? Do no Science CS to slow the game down a bit, make sure all the Religious CS are in the game, etc. You can customize your playstyle to the setup, and easily move up a difficulty level...

----------

MOD USE:
I would likely have given up on Civ V and VI years early were it not for mods. Gedemon's YnAEMP mod is indispensible for clearing many paths in polar ice, and for allowing much larger maps. Not sure if its currently working, but his Terra map, which can be randomized so all features like Natural Wonders stay put, but coastlines, etc are randomized is super fun. Exploration is so fun on it!

Mods I typically have activated and would hate to be without:
Better City States, B Civilopedia, B Deal Window, B Report Screen, and Better Trade Screen.
Detailed Map Tacks
Gedemo Pantheons
Gossip Trim
More Barbarian XP (makes Barb hunting world-wide fun and doable away from cities)
Nere's Better Congress
p0kiehl's Better Pantheons
Preserve District Rework
Quick Deals
Quick Start
Real Fixes
Real Strategy (AI)
Reduced Mountain Clumping
Religion Expanded
Tactical Camera
TCS Free Walls for City States
Thrones and Palaces (like early Civ games!)
Silk & Spice: Trade Network Rework
Sukritract's Embarkation ++ (Scouts, Settlers, and Builders can hop in water early)

Fun Mods:
Luxury Resource Variety
Resourceful 2
Reveal Random Research (reveals random trees - so you get lots of replayability but are not entirely in the dark)
Truly Abundant Resources (various settings)

Wacky, wacky, wacky mods:

Steam Workshop::DB's Civ VI Gold

steamcommunity.com

DB's Civ VI Multiplayer Gold - (Can be used with Single Player) -- you can make an entirely new game. The possible changes just to Great Prophets can give a week or more of variation to try. It's hard to describe all that can be done... You can have tech and culture leeching. You can try wacky new pantheons. Interesting new Promotions.
It is no longer supported, so beware, but if you are bored with normal civ play around with this. I have no sympathy for those who refuse to try mods but feel bored. Get busy!