The Emperor Masters' Challenge 4 (Warlords v.208)

[aelf]

One suggestion for your offline games to kick some interest back into civ4: try moving down a level but playing variants. I started playing a Monarch game with Qin (industrious/protective) where I was only allowed to build archery units before granadiers/rifles (cats are allowed for city wall bombard only). I did a Feudalism slignshot for 5xp protective longbows before AD1000 and decalred war on my neighbour. Capturing cities with a LB assult force gives the kind of novelty that is sometimes needed to sustain interest. It will be great when I add some Chokunus in the mix.

That is true. However, my concern is I would lose touch with the current level I'm playing at. Each of my games lasts over quite a long period because I'm busy. That period is enough to make me forget some skills needed to survive on, say, Emperor if I'm playing a Monarch game

 

[cabert]

^^that is so true!
For people like you (or me) that cannot play hours and hours straight, it's hard to simply keep the skills!
I played (and still play) SGs with funny variants (be it SGotM3, or the P666 serie) and i love it, how you need to find ways out of the trash. But it requires a low enough level to play (at emperor+ level, the challenge would be a bit too much).
This prevented me (exception being WotM 4) to play enough emperor level games in a row to be comfortable there. So I'm still a monarch level player.
But I have more fun with those variants than any other game, including scenarios.
The P666 serie saw a domination win with freddy (prince), a space race win with montezuma (monarch), a cultural win (not a trash game, just a SG) with Louis XIV (warlords 2.08 monarch) and is currently going for a conquest game with Korea (warlords 2.08 prince).
Those + SGotM 3 gives me a lot of variety, without which I simply wouldn't play anymore.

 

[napoleonbee]

I have to say this is the most interesting game I've ever followed. The intricate and delicate politics made for a game far more entertaining than a game won with axemen in 1 AD. I also must say I appreciate and admire that you are the only one saying anything interesting about the problems with the Better AI. Great job.

 

[aelf]

Thanks again! Hope to see you guys in the Immortal Challenge

 

[Syndrome Zed]

^^that is so true!
For people like you (or me) that cannot play hours and hours straight, it's hard to simply keep the skills!

I third this "motion"

Congratulations aelf, nicely played throughout IMO. Good luck as an Immortal, I'll be looking forward to the next game!

 

[Godel]

That is true. However, my concern is I would lose touch with the current level I'm playing at. Each of my games lasts over quite a long period because I'm busy. That period is enough to make me forget some skills needed to survive on, say, Emperor if I'm playing a Monarch game

Fair enough. I guess the thing about high levels is they stretch you in every area of the game.