The game is too fast and too easy

[Arithmion]

Sounds like you need to kill more barb scouts. As for Ghenghis, sometimes you just have to declare war on him first, before he can send you a trade route. I know, it sucks.

I was trying. Turn 25 ish I finally found my first barb camp (weird I know, but whatever.) My warrior was just a few tiles away, so I sent him over from the south. The camp was just a few tiles away from my border. The scout spawned, beelined my city, and by the time my warrior got there on turn 30 ish, the siege had started, and from then on I could never break through to kill any other scouts.
Anyhoo, looking back I actually find that game funny, and really how the game should be. (I was frustrated yesterday having literally just retired from the game 10 minutes earlier, sorry .) I should be scared having Genghis as a neighbor. And I should be scared of barbarians. It was just the perfect storm I suppose.

EDIT: Started a new game, and got wasted again, this time by Amanitore who spammed me with pitati archers, keeping me from even leaving my own borders lest my units get annihilated. She had 400 combat score in the late Ancient era, which I managed to whittle down to roughly 50 by the Medieval era. Then I saw her first knight the turn before I got my first government. I retired at that point.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Interesting, any mod in particular you recommend for this change? I will try this for my next game I think.

I would also really like to see a corruption style mechanic, where cities more distant from the capital and/or government plaza would suffer yield losses (more heavily penalised on gold) due to corruption and poor management. Governors could exert a small radius to counteract this penalty as well, and later techs/civics like radio and internet could help counteract corruption as well.

This would help balance going too wide, although densely packed cities are maybe less affected. Likewise, a health mechanic that increases chances of epidemic outbreaks in tall cities would help keep tall cities from dominating, and diseases spread more easily to nearby cities to penalise too densely packed cities. Basically any city development should carry with it a number of benefits and disadvantages/risks, so there is no easy 'optimal' city layout.

I agree this kind of advanced management is probably better fit for optional game modes.

The only mod doing it I'm aware of it (though the author did an additional change to the palace - it yields 3 free amenities and 2 free housing) is this:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1858001648&searchtext=amenities

When I played with this change a while ago, I "hacked" it into the main files by editing the GlobalParameters.xml. Everything needed is changing

<Replace Name="CITY_AMENITIES_FOR_FREE" Value="1" />

to

<Replace Name="CITY_AMENITIES_FOR_FREE" Value="0" />

I'm aware that such changes to base game files aren't recommended, but I haven't found my way into modding Civ6 (yet), so I used that method. Another advantage is that this way you can (de)activate it for an ongoing game, so you are on the safe side, if you e.g. start a game with it, but decide it is not your cup of tea later.

 

[Pietato]

So I am thinking of the hardest legitimate combination. No mods, all within the game, no self-restrictions:

- Huge
- Deity
- Continents with islands
- Secret Societies enabled
- Apoc mode disabled
- You pick Hermetic Society

Huge continents means you cannot cheese a culture victory, makes military victories harder, and can create AI runaways easier. Abundant resources should probably be off, but I not sure about legendary/balanced start or game speed.

 

[Lord Lakely]

Balanced is probably fine. It guarantees everyone a source of horses or iron near the capital. Legendary start + abundant results in a plethora of resources for everyone, which is definitely abusable.

 

[CultureManiac]

If Deity is not enough of a challenge, try playing Georgia.

 

[The Civs 6]

I think my issue with 6, and maybe this isn't bad design, is these two scenarios:

1) I can have a game that is sort of mediocre, like I don't really like my cities or where my economy is at, but if I really put my mind to it I can get one of the victory conditions. Like I won because 6 gave me these victory conditions, but I didn't really win a game of Civ.
2) I'm playing any Civ. One of my neighbors doesn't rush an army/launches an idiotic war against a city state/is just generally weak. I am able to swallow that guy up. Unless this is a domination victory game (which I just have never really enjoyed), I just feel like I have already won the game and the rest of the 4 hours are just going to be a victory lap.

In both these situations I say to myself "I can finish this game out and technically win", but is this going to be better than another game of Age of Empires III/Rise of Nations/Civ 4/Civ 6?

The sweet spot between those experiences, and either the AI or barbarians coming at me on turn 20 with like 6-7 units, feels pretty small, and I think there are deeper issues than just the AI for that. But ultimately I choose to look at Civ 6, as my username would suggest, as a simulation or roleplaying game first and foremost.

 

[Wielki Hegemon]

The game is too fast and too easy, and each new update is only making it even quicker due to some insane power creep. Deity should be a setting where you have to put full effort into winning, but instead you can still do whatever the hell you want and cruise to an easy victory.

The ease will also stop people from experiencing the full Secret Societies due to them being linked to World Age, instead of your civilisation's Age. The World Age is always far, far behind where it should be due to all the power creep and lack of proper speed balance; I have not even seen the later ages since the original diplomatic victory...

I really hope there is something in the next patch to address this, or that they know it is an issue and are working on it.

The fact it is easy for you doesn't mean it is easy for the majority of players
I will keep propounding Deity + Game Mode, where you get a few additional levels making the game harder.
Deity +1 only 50% from choping
Deity +2 AI will pay 75% less for Diplo Favor
Deity +3 friendship doesn't stop AI from declaring war on you
Deity +4 improved and smarter AI
etc.
rules from each Deity + level stacks
This game mode would keed the game competitive for a small group of players and will not make it harder for casuals.

 

[8housesofelixir]

Deity +1 only 50% from choping

IMHO chopping to gain big one-time production (and food) is surely overpowered, in terms of speeding up the game and offsetting the value of normal production output. It is also very unrealistic. One can use woods to build Pyramids or Libraries, sure, but use woods to build Factories and fuel Rockets are just off. The Great Leap Forward Movement - when woods and charcoals were burned for modern steel-making - failed for a reason.

If there is a huge chopping penalty for buildings and projects after Renaissance Era, that would be interesting.