I play on regent mostly because it suits my playing style the best. I also like the fact that the AI doesn't get a bonus to production. On regent I don't need to go to the extra steps of pre-building wonders or micromanaging cities. I also tend to get distracted and forget about what I was doing the previous turn, so sometimes I end up sending workers in circles or something else dumb like that. I have never played on empereror or diety, and the only monarch games I have played have been the past few GOTMs with the Zulu, Aztecs, and the current one with Russia (I sat out of the Babylon diety game). I can win on monarch but it requires a little more concentration.
What level are people playing???
- Thread starter Oakes
- Start date
New to the forum, but not to the world of Civs/SMAC.
Monarchs most of the time, it need me to stay awake but I tend to win by alot unless the map is just horrible, in which case it's going to be a struggle to stay up front.
Time to time I try Emperor, and get smashed about 80% of the time. Got something to do with my playing style I guess. Cultural route just won't do on half the maps (mainly due to the lack of luxury source) and the computers just won't sign the peace treaty. (and I must say I'm not the best general)
Never tried Deity.
Monarchs most of the time, it need me to stay awake but I tend to win by alot unless the map is just horrible, in which case it's going to be a struggle to stay up front.
Time to time I try Emperor, and get smashed about 80% of the time. Got something to do with my playing style I guess. Cultural route just won't do on half the maps (mainly due to the lack of luxury source) and the computers just won't sign the peace treaty. (and I must say I'm not the best general)
Never tried Deity.
Aristonico
Chieftain
Ummmm.... may be is me, or not
1) I would divide the levels in 3 "styles" of game (from the AI point of view) Chieftain/Warlord - Regent/Monarch - Emperor/Diety.
2)I personally find the 2nd style (Regent/Monarch) easier
or at least easier to predict the AI than the first style (Chieftain/Warlord)
1) I would divide the levels in 3 "styles" of game (from the AI point of view) Chieftain/Warlord - Regent/Monarch - Emperor/Diety.
2)I personally find the 2nd style (Regent/Monarch) easier
or at least easier to predict the AI than the first style (Chieftain/Warlord) 
Grille
panel insect
On emperor or deity level the number of grey hairs on my head dramatically increases... I prefer regent or monarch level.
Jamesds
Great Scientist
I like to play for 'fun' and don't like losing, so that puts me on warlord. Regent keeps beating me! As someone back in the thread said, "I don't like losing"!!!!
I usually play on regent for a lot of the same reasons people have already listed, i.e. its a completely level playing field. But I cant remember the last time I actually lost on regent, so I think its finally time to move up to Monarch soon. I ALWAYS play on huge maps, with 7-8 other civs usually.
A year ago, started out on Prince / Regent (3rd easiest!) and tried to win by all victory means, and with all Civ's. Since stepped up to Monarch and trying that with all victory types, much more of a challenge. I often 'lurk' at the succession game commentaries and find the deity and emperor reads fascinating I must say!! I'll get there one day....and by then, hopefully Civ 4 will be out so it'll be back to AI parity and start again!!!
Rheinmetall
Interplanetary Assassin
Regent. I probably could beat Monarch maybe even emperor if I'd really put my mind on it. I find regent enjoyable because I can play it a carelessly without the need to tinker with every little detail.
Globetrotter
...wherever i may roam...
First game i played on Chieftain, i easily won. After a couple of games on Chieftain, i thought i'd play one game with Deity (straight from Chieftain) just to check the difference, and it caught me. Even though i lost, i found it very interesting and challenging, especially that i lost on score in 2050AD and by peanuts...
So now, i only play Deity ever since.
So now, i only play Deity ever since.
Phantom Lord
live by the sword
I started with regent and recently played more and more games on monarch. The difference between the two is not as big as I thought first. A little more unhappiness and an AI that gets techs slightly faster are the only important things I noticed, but these can be dealt with easily.
Concerning scores there's no big difference between my regent and monarch scores. My average is 2,500-3,500 on both levels and I stopped playing with the score in mind when I realized that 10,000 is probably my personal limit and reaching it is just a matter of work. So I've decided that I want to play and not to work most of the time. At the moment I try to play each game with a certain concept I outline for myself at the beginning (like peaceful, aggressive, diplomatical, cultural) and try to stick to it as a personal challenge. I'll probably try cultural victory with vikings next.
I agree to the people who don't play emperor or deity to avoid frustration. Maybe I'll do it a few times for the challenge and for understanding deity player discussions but in general I prefer to play slightly difficult games over playing basically impossible games.
Concerning scores there's no big difference between my regent and monarch scores. My average is 2,500-3,500 on both levels and I stopped playing with the score in mind when I realized that 10,000 is probably my personal limit and reaching it is just a matter of work. So I've decided that I want to play and not to work most of the time. At the moment I try to play each game with a certain concept I outline for myself at the beginning (like peaceful, aggressive, diplomatical, cultural) and try to stick to it as a personal challenge. I'll probably try cultural victory with vikings next.
I agree to the people who don't play emperor or deity to avoid frustration. Maybe I'll do it a few times for the challenge and for understanding deity player discussions but in general I prefer to play slightly difficult games over playing basically impossible games.
corgiman
Chieftain
This is a good thread, but I'd like to add two elements that IMHO dictate your difficulty level: Winning strategies and Map Set ups.
I've won on all difficulty levels but not with every strategy (yet!) or every map setup. I've found that on standard or smaller pangea maps, a warlike strategy can net you a victory in most instances (in my experience the odds of victory go down the closer you are to the middle of the map....being surrounded by aggressive, stronger, faster AI's is a recipe for doom). I set my tech to zero, get as much cash as I can and bring doom on my nearest neighbor until he'll sue for peace and give up all his technology. Rinse and repeat. Makes for a fun game.
Conversely, the same deity level strategy on a larger map doesnt' seem to work (for me at least) because by the time I get to the last couple of opponents, their infrastructure and tech advances put me in a situation where I can't take/defend effectively.
I don't know if the AI gets a culture flipping bonus on deity (of course I don't read the manuals) but it sure seems more difficult to keep your cities loyal on deity...Anyone know for sure?
That said, my personal playing preference is to build a huge civ on a huge map and try to win the cultural battle. Doesn't always happen, and sometimes I have to punt and build that damn spaceship to secure victory, but its still my goal when I set up the game. For that scenario, I prefer Monarch because it seems like the game is fairly balanced and challenging.
I accidentally started a game on reagent once on a huge map(didn't realize it, misclicked I guess) until I got into the late middle ages and discovered how badly I was whippin' every other civ's ass. When I realized my mistake, I quit because there wasn't much of a challenge (to that particular game). I think the AI bonuses (or lack thereof) are very significant.
I'd like to offer some of my own playing advice based on my experiences with different levels. (I apologize if this is outside the spirit of this thread).
If you're playing on Monarch or lower (and have a small or tiny map).
Build out your civs so that your cities overlap more. This will provide you with a more defensible civilization in the early game when you're likely to run up against other civs. When you start conquest on your nearest neighbor (and you should as soon as you have about 5 or 6 cities running, your tightly packed cities will be much easier to defend from counterattacks...
Keep in mind that your probably not going to need the megametropolis to win, regardless of your strategy so crowding the cities won't really ****** you.
If you're playing on Monarch or lower and you've got a standard or larger map, spread your cities out and really, really focus one city on settler production. If the Civ Gods are kind and you can find a cow or wheat square (or more!), found a city and make nothing buy settlers. IF you've played SMAC, think like HIVE. Build, settle, expand, build, settle expand. DO NOT STOP until you're entire continent is settled. If you run up against another civ, pack your cities together more on the border, again, it will make it easier to defend any counterattacks. Plus, if you're using optimal city spread in your heartlands, you'll have enough of the megametropolis late in the game to build wonders/culture points, units, etc.
On Emperor or Deity levels, I suggest starting on a small map. Keep your cities tightly packed, build temples, barracks and units. Move to Monarchy quickly and don't worry about building wonders (most times the AI beats you anyway). Focus on WAR
!!!!
Build up an army of fifeteen to twenty archers, swordsman, horses (whatever resources you can get will influence this) and attack. If the fates are kind, you'll get a GL that you can use to rush build something. When I go to war, I've got a temple and barracks in at least five cities and I've turned over all my production to offensive units (preferably swordsmen and horsemen or UU's depending on the Civ I'm playing). Even if you have a chance to, I wouldn't kill off your first victim....you want him for tribute, technology and (ultimately trading). Just knock 'em down enough that they won't be a threat for a while (20 turns at least) and rebuild your army for the next onslaught.
I haven't really found a strategy on Emp/Deity that enables me to achieve a space build/culture/diplomatic victory. Any suggestions or links to other areas would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry if I've digressed a bit from the main poll "What level do you play on" but I do think it varies based on your goals and the environment in which you find yourself deployed.
Peace.
Corgiman
I've won on all difficulty levels but not with every strategy (yet!) or every map setup. I've found that on standard or smaller pangea maps, a warlike strategy can net you a victory in most instances (in my experience the odds of victory go down the closer you are to the middle of the map....being surrounded by aggressive, stronger, faster AI's is a recipe for doom). I set my tech to zero, get as much cash as I can and bring doom on my nearest neighbor until he'll sue for peace and give up all his technology. Rinse and repeat. Makes for a fun game.
Conversely, the same deity level strategy on a larger map doesnt' seem to work (for me at least) because by the time I get to the last couple of opponents, their infrastructure and tech advances put me in a situation where I can't take/defend effectively.
I don't know if the AI gets a culture flipping bonus on deity (of course I don't read the manuals) but it sure seems more difficult to keep your cities loyal on deity...Anyone know for sure?That said, my personal playing preference is to build a huge civ on a huge map and try to win the cultural battle. Doesn't always happen, and sometimes I have to punt and build that damn spaceship to secure victory, but its still my goal when I set up the game. For that scenario, I prefer Monarch because it seems like the game is fairly balanced and challenging.
I accidentally started a game on reagent once on a huge map(didn't realize it, misclicked I guess) until I got into the late middle ages and discovered how badly I was whippin' every other civ's ass. When I realized my mistake, I quit because there wasn't much of a challenge (to that particular game). I think the AI bonuses (or lack thereof) are very significant.
I'd like to offer some of my own playing advice based on my experiences with different levels. (I apologize if this is outside the spirit of this thread).
If you're playing on Monarch or lower (and have a small or tiny map).
Build out your civs so that your cities overlap more. This will provide you with a more defensible civilization in the early game when you're likely to run up against other civs. When you start conquest on your nearest neighbor (and you should as soon as you have about 5 or 6 cities running, your tightly packed cities will be much easier to defend from counterattacks...
Keep in mind that your probably not going to need the megametropolis to win, regardless of your strategy so crowding the cities won't really ****** you.
If you're playing on Monarch or lower and you've got a standard or larger map, spread your cities out and really, really focus one city on settler production. If the Civ Gods are kind and you can find a cow or wheat square (or more!), found a city and make nothing buy settlers. IF you've played SMAC, think like HIVE. Build, settle, expand, build, settle expand. DO NOT STOP until you're entire continent is settled. If you run up against another civ, pack your cities together more on the border, again, it will make it easier to defend any counterattacks. Plus, if you're using optimal city spread in your heartlands, you'll have enough of the megametropolis late in the game to build wonders/culture points, units, etc.
On Emperor or Deity levels, I suggest starting on a small map. Keep your cities tightly packed, build temples, barracks and units. Move to Monarchy quickly and don't worry about building wonders (most times the AI beats you anyway). Focus on WAR
!!!!Build up an army of fifeteen to twenty archers, swordsman, horses (whatever resources you can get will influence this) and attack. If the fates are kind, you'll get a GL that you can use to rush build something. When I go to war, I've got a temple and barracks in at least five cities and I've turned over all my production to offensive units (preferably swordsmen and horsemen or UU's depending on the Civ I'm playing). Even if you have a chance to, I wouldn't kill off your first victim....you want him for tribute, technology and (ultimately trading). Just knock 'em down enough that they won't be a threat for a while (20 turns at least) and rebuild your army for the next onslaught.
I haven't really found a strategy on Emp/Deity that enables me to achieve a space build/culture/diplomatic victory. Any suggestions or links to other areas would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry if I've digressed a bit from the main poll "What level do you play on" but I do think it varies based on your goals and the environment in which you find yourself deployed.
Peace.
Corgiman
I dont pay attention to my score either. I play Civ3 to just "veg out" and have fun, not to worry if I am gonna get a certain score. I'm only interested in winning, I have never "milked" for score before. I almost always seem to win by spaceship heh.
peace_frog
Chieftain
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2002
- Messages
- 40
Regent. I played one on Chieften, barely managed to win. I then read through this forum and kicked ass on Warlord and moved up to Regent.
I'm on my third game on Regent. I'm still undefeated and I am starting to kick some civ ass in the current game. But I see myself making mistakes that could easily kill me. I had to fall back on the diplomatic victory to win the second regent. I can tell there are crutches like banktrupting the other civs through tech trades that are carrying me now but probably wont on higher levels. I'll probably move to Monarch in a couple of games (which is weeks since I don't get to play much.) Don't know if I'll go higher, I don't have the patience or desire to go in the level of detail it seems to require to excell at Emperor or Diety levels.
Pete
I'm on my third game on Regent. I'm still undefeated and I am starting to kick some civ ass in the current game. But I see myself making mistakes that could easily kill me. I had to fall back on the diplomatic victory to win the second regent. I can tell there are crutches like banktrupting the other civs through tech trades that are carrying me now but probably wont on higher levels. I'll probably move to Monarch in a couple of games (which is weeks since I don't get to play much.) Don't know if I'll go higher, I don't have the patience or desire to go in the level of detail it seems to require to excell at Emperor or Diety levels.
Pete
t0mme
Great Red One
I'm a true armchair-emperor, so I only play at chieftain on a huge world map. I don't really care about my level, I only play for fun for about an hour of three a day.
Monarch seams to be my present level, although I only played and won one game with Ottoman, standard map, Continent, space ship lunched in 1030 that was fast. Regent was much too easy.
Will try a few more game on monarch. Before going to the next level, I usually try to play English and see how bad/good I am doing with them before jumping next step.
Will try a few more game on monarch. Before going to the next level, I usually try to play English and see how bad/good I am doing with them before jumping next step.
TomKatK
Chieftain
Hello ya'll from Ga I play at monarch with the barbs. at restless sometimes random gen. but most times i try different civs on stan. maps but only play with four or five civs sometimes i win sometimes i lose but its the way i like it
:worshp: 
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