Setting up a challanging game...

[Willgar]

Really enjoying FfH / BTS but cant claim to be a great player. I can routinely beat the AI on monarch so i am now trying emperor level. The issue i have is trying to create a challanging but not impossible game. The AI only seems to be able to handle single continent maps and at higher levels it (seems) to trade technologies in an almost unfair way. In recent games, races with no allies, underdeveloped cities and research penalties are magically racing up the tech ladder while i am struggling to stay even one unit tier behind.

So i tried turning off technology trading but that made the game too easy - getting to the point - I am interested to know what game settings you folks use to generate and interesting and challanging game?

 

[Marksman77]

Consider trying "no tech brokering" option.
This still allows for trading techs researched by the player and prevents from trading techs that he bought from another civ.

 

[onedreamer]

In regular Civ turning off tech trading is a penalty for me because at the higher levels trading techs is the only way to keep up with the AI. But the particular set up of FFH's tech tree/buildings makes so that the AI is slower to research even at higher levels so turning off trade penalizes it. Leave it on with aggressive leaders and raging barbarians for a higher challenge. Also, a single land map is a must, I suggest highlands or the new BtS highlands map (forgot the precise name).

 

[GEFORCED]

play multiplayer.

 

[Willgar]

Not tried Civ multiplayer since the bug fest that was PTW - is there an active FfH multiplayer community?

 

[xienwolf]

My advice is to get in on the tech trading game yourself. If you watch the other civs closely you can figure out what tech each is working on and by trading yours out at opportune moments you can basically research every branch of the tech tree at once.

Generally, you will still wind up with 1 or 2 AI ahead of you unless you can manage to get amazing religious influence to boost relations, but you will not fall behind nearly so bad.

 

[Willgar]

My advice is to get in on the tech trading game yourself. If you watch the other civs closely you can figure out what tech each is working on and by trading yours out at opportune moments you can basically research every branch of the tech tree at once.

Generally, you will still wind up with 1 or 2 AI ahead of you unless you can manage to get amazing religious influence to boost relations, but you will not fall behind nearly so bad.

Will try - it seems that AI wont to straight trades even if the values of the techs are even (well they wont with me as a human player)

 

[xienwolf]

Yes, many times you have to trade a more expensive tech, or 2 at once. But that is why you Tech broker and turn around trading the newly acquired tech to all the other civilizations for some of theirs. End result typically is fairly balanced if not in your favor (assuming nobody flat out hates you).

Also, be careful how much farther you get ahead in one tech line if you do manage to pull ahead. You will start getting the "We fear you are becoming too advanced" block from trading for the low level techs you do not have yet.