What Difficulty Level do you play on?

[Caldazar]

I played mostly on Monarch in warlords, but after starting bonuses were changed for the AI, Emperor is now possible. However, it certainly isn't a guaranteed victory...

 

[LlamaCat]

with easier BTS I can now safely consider myself a Prince whereas before I was just Noble considering moving up to Monarch very soon

 

[TyranusBonehead]

With BTS, I've gone down to playing on Warlord until I get used to the game changes. With Warlords I'd play on Noble.

 

[Armorydave]

I always play raging barbarians and aggressive AI. Almost always play medium or large sized world and add one or two extra civs, all other settings are generally "normal/default".

After the Blake patch, I was barely holding on playing Warlords at Monarch level. I played a few weaker rulers and actually stepped down to Prince for the first time since my second game played. I would have described myself as a Monarch player leaning towards Prince.

With BtS I am doing very well on Monarch level and considering moving up to Emporer when I play stronger rulers. I cannot see playing at under the Monarch level again unless there are further improvements to the AI. I definitely won't play Darius again on anything less than Emporer. I've played two Monarch games with him under BtS and they were both rollovers with 100K plus score finished before 1600. So now I am a Monarch player leaning towards Emporer. It comes down to which ruler I intend to play.

BTW, none of this is a complaint. The AI is better IMO but the reduced player handicaps had a greater effect than the improved AI. I do hope they sort out some of the unit movement/strategic planning kinks but otherwise am quite happy with the new AI. Far less blatantly idiotic behavior.

 

[Thalassicus]

In Civ:Warlords I'd struggle on emperor to keep the top score and reliably win (normally I played Ragnar or Hannibal), now it seems easier with many of the AI bonuses and human penalties lessened, event though the AI performs better moves overall. I'm going to stay here a while to get comfortable with my favorite leader William of Orange (Yay for Creative and Financial with a coastal city UB!), then possibly try immortal for the first time.

 

[jimbob27]

Emperor if I'm financial, if not Monarch... always on huge maps with 18 civs.

 

[ATopic22]

I could probably go beyond noble but i just play noble since all of my civ 4 games are always multiplayer. ITS FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Via]

Immortal post-BTS. Emperor at Warlords/Vanilla. BTS suits well to my peaceful early game strategy.

 

[PimpyMicPimp]

I'm pretty much at the same level as the OP

I can destroy Warlord without thinking Noble is a bit more of a challenge for me, however, pre-BTS, I could basiaclly always count on a space race win. Military victories were more difficult for me.

 

[Öjevind Lång]

Umm, I play Warlord a lot, and I'm not yet in the scale of advancing up to Noble. I know i'm not too good a player, but I play for fun anyway

The same here. I moved down to Warlord with BtS; I may go up to Noble again later on, but I'm unlikely to ever play much on higher levels than that. I don't have the mountaineering attitude of many who post here.

 

[BlastDuke]

Single player: Monarch, epic
Multi Player (2 player team vs. 16 AIs): Emperor, epic <-- I love team-play

If my play style improves (and the bugs get fixed) I will try to move one level up (Emperor/Immortal)

 

[Tronicoz]

prince ^^

 

[Jabarto]

Noble, though it's about time for me to try Prince.

 

[MGee]

I played noble till Warlords, but now I'm on Warlord difficulty.

BTW, trying to beat noble!

 

[ConanDBarbarian]

I'm stuck where Prince is almost a 100% victory, and Monarch is impossible......actually, the last game I played, I was doing fair and could have won, and I looked to see that the settings were on monarch. That was the only time however, that I had a decent go at a monarch game.

 

[CHEESE!]

lol i go on settler

 

[OKScientist]

I play Noble and win convincingly every time (space race). But I am not moving up, because I like building wonders and stuff. So the challenge for me is to do better than the time before.

 

[RedRalph]

I can always win space race on Noble, and once I won a conquest (Warlords), but I've never won any other victory.

Thinking of going back down a level and trying military victories. Its so far out of my reach now I'm just pissing in the wind

 

[ConanDBarbarian]

Easiest way to win - Pick Romans and a map with a neighbor or two, kill which ever neighbor has the wonders you want with praetorians and cats, then grow once you own your continent. or maybe just share your continent with 1 civ instead of the guy you killed. Makes Domination/Diplomatic/Conquest a piece of cake. You can move to a more difficult level with that strategy really quick.

 

[Nay]

With BTS im back to Emperor, which was impossible on Warlords.
But after i dominated my first 3 Monarch games (score 100k+) i felt it was time to move on.
Actually, back.


EDIT: 98% of all players play 1-2 levels below their skill.
Losing 3 out of 4 times means, you still might be too good for this level.
If you play against 9 rival civs, you win 1 out of 10 if your current difficulty is right.
Winning more means you are a cheating bastard who likes to punch first-graders =)