Self Imposed Difficulty Settings

[Taefin]

Hi all, wanted to hear what others are doing to add enjoyable difficulty to the game after figuring out HW difficulty.

I am trying something out this game, skipping the first 5 turns of the game, to see if it helps my AI neighbor survive ancient era.

I had 4 culture choices in a 10 player game and ended up with Phoenicia on a peninsula start. Haven’t found my first neighbor at T16, but certainly was in no position to gain enough scouts for an early rush.

Also sometimes the beauty of this game catches you off guard!

 

[NombreyApellido]

for me it's no reloading, even from a turn 1 scumsave

currently experimenting with map seed for speedrunning

 

[Elhoim]

Trascended hittites run, for a no-EQ game.

 

[fortydayweekend]

8 players on a Normal size Pangaea

Not picking Khmer

Ironman / no save-scumming

 

[Victoria]

You must transcend the Neolithic when offered makes a huge difference.

 

[Taefin]

That’s a good one, so you can avoid food if you want science but can’t get more that 5-6 scouts.

The 5 turn delay made some difference, but not as much as I’d hoped. At least it meant I couldn’t pose a military threat until getting established. Helped me that my neighbor Egypt lost a war to another AI, which let me take them as a vassal, and then they helped me in my war against the Persians (pretty fun, at least 20 immortals in various battles and a few came down to the wire). I think picking the right delay could maintain some good pressure, felt like the difficulty I remember 5-6 games ago before I got my ancient play more streamlined. But might even go 10 next time. Only problem is it means playing one of 3-4 empires that always get left behind.

 

[Victoria]

The scouts are a big thing, they kill so many mammoths at 20 influence +1 extra scout that it is a Neolithic snowball.
You can then found 2 cities, fill their population and still have scouts for war/scouting. This start puts you far and above anything the AI does by shifting early.
The OP type games I am seeing touted not only all use this strategy but clearly state, they had an optimum run with it, because by T20 you can end up with only 15 scouts and only 100 influence….. only

 

[Aristos]

Always 30% land to create more dirt pressure, plus adding a couple of AIs per size (so, Normal is 8 players, etc).

 

[Taefin]

Okay, this time skipping 5 turns worked. Got very quick science star with 3 scouts and decided to play by Victoria’s “don’t turn down ancient era when offered” idea. Took Babylon and thought things were going swimmingly, getting some EU, closing in on swords, maybe too easy I thought. Then Maya declared when I only had 4 units and hit Babylonia turn 1. I saw all they wanted was one territory, so I tried surrendering. Despite going 1900 gold in debt, this didn’t seem the worst. Got some swords, planning out my revenge, then they hit again. Really scrappy war, retreated from Babylonia, skirmished in the fields between that and my other city, and eventually won when their war support running out, I started most turns 1 turn from running out myself. This got be Babylonia back, as well as my originally ceded territory. I was already close to imperial power so I took Rome (these Mayans are going to be sorry) and started disbanding my swords and training legionaries, 1 turn each, but when I still only had 5 out comes 4 Maya stacks and another war declaration. It’s turn 89! Guess I should have kept the swords

 

[DrCron]

I am trying something out this game, skipping the first 5 turns of the game, to see if it helps my AI neighbor survive ancient era.

Is everyone rushing a neighbor during the ancient era every single time?

 

[Pfeffersack]

I'm still learning the game and paying dearly on Metropolis difficulty so no need for me for that (yet)...but with the current meager bonus for transcending with the same culture. never changing it (or maybe max. 1 time in the entire game, as that would allow you to play with each culture) strikes me as a pretty "organic way" to up difficulty.

 

[Siptah]

I'm still learning the game and paying dearly on Metropolis difficulty so no need for me for that (yet)...but with the current meager bonus for transcending with the same culture. never changing it (or maybe max. 1 time in the entire game, as that would allow you to play with each culture) strikes me as a pretty "organic way" to up difficulty.

Yes and no. The game itself becomes harder without the peaks from EQs and EUs. But the Fame victory is almost guaranteed. I think it‘s more fun if you have to catch up in Fame at some point instead of smooth sailing to victory.

Is everyone rushing a neighbor during the ancient era every single time?

No. Not playing aggressive or not conquering anything is also a way of making the game harder, but also a way of making it less fun imho.

 

[CoconutTank]

Yeah I find that I would also prefer the aggression tbh. I tolerate unit micro much better than folks here do from what I can tell, and I tend to prefer going to war. But furthermore, in the sessions when I imposed low-interaction vertical playing with open trading, that usually leads to me being low on regions, which means low on yields, which means I slowly fall behind anyway while also spending a lot of time hitting end turn after setting up the build queue.

 

[Victoria]

Without aggression and having a lack of identity made it bland, I attacked just to stay engaged.
Just started playing GOTM, Egypt from start to end, it already feels more grounded and the great map tells you it will be an epic game but the snowball will not be so bad.
At least the AI seems honest.
Ping me if they fix these things.

 

[Taefin]

Is everyone rushing a neighbor during the ancient era every single time?

I was finding that if I have the 8+scouts (I’ve only ever gotten 10-15, never tried to maximize Neolithic) that I will naturally skirmish with my neighbors, picking up the 10 war support and a grievance here or there to be ready for an ancient war if one should arise. But in so doing, I kept stumbling upon their capitals cities with 1-3 pop, and it’s not always a sure win, but I tried it a few times and it worked. With Egyptians, Nubians, Mycenaeans, and for whatever reason Phoenicians I have pretty good luck with later ancient aggression. I too find the game pretty boring if I’m not preparing for a war, since it adds the joint urgencies of getting an army ready and tracking with fame, and for me, this added difficulty keeps the AI a worthy opponent longer.

 

[Eyswein]

I am trying something out this game, skipping the first 5 turns of the game, to see if it helps my AI neighbor survive ancient era.

I decided to try something similar. Activate Neanderthal achievement, then play normally (I read you respawn, so hopefully I die about turn 5). Have to see how it goes. Gonna try 6 competitors on a small Pangea.

 

[Taefin]

I decided to try something similar. Activate Neanderthal achievement, then play normally (I read you respawn, so hopefully I die about turn 5). Have to see how it goes. Gonna try 6 competitors on a small Pangea.

Is that really an achievement?! I have half decent luck getting killed by grizzlies, if that’s any help. They really chase you down

 

[fortydayweekend]

In current game I'm trying random cultures, using a random number generator to pick from whatever is available. Not so crazy with Zhou/Carthage so far, but looking forward to some new combos later on and having to adjust gameplay to suit.

 

[Eyswein]

In current game I'm trying random cultures, using a random number generator to pick from whatever is available. Not so crazy with Zhou/Carthage so far, but looking forward to some new combos later on and having to adjust gameplay to suit.

That sounds fun! I tried one where I had to pick a different Affinity every time, but also tried 30% crowded land mass, but the later part worked in my favor.

 

[Krajzen]

Skip builder cultures, they are OP and trivialize the game, especially Egypt, Khmer and Mughals.

Don't attach more than two additional territories per city.