When are you ready?

[llib_rm]

When are you ready to move up the AI level of difficulty?

I did not want to try Monarch until I could earn a Spaceship & Domination victory on Regent. Never having won by Culture or Histograph are making me wonder if I am missing something. Likewise with the territory environment. I always set up with everything random because of the additional challenge of adjusting to unknown conditions. Do you try to win on islands & continents, varying ages, and map sizes before moving up?

There is no right or wrong answer. I just moved from Regent to Monarch and quickly dominated my first and only game. So, either the change from Regent to Monarch is minimal, or Immortals should be declared a cheat because it was one of my easiest wins.

 

[Ginger_Ale]

You said it yourself. There is no right or wrong time to move up. When you feel you can beat a game 66-75% of the time on a difficulty, move up if you wish. However, you don't have to.

A good rule of thumb, like you said, is to try multiple victory conditions. A peaceful one and a militaristic one is a good combination. Also, being able to beat with we a random civ (maybe random conditions too) is a good indicator. Most importantly, it's just when you feel comfortable on that level.

 

[vmxa]

I would think that if the games you won the SS race, that you were very close to a cultural win. If that is the case, you are good to go.

Histograph is just a matter of turning of most of the other forms of winning. So it seems you are more than ready.

As to Immortals, they are only powerful, if you use them early and often. I would not care for them all that much on an island map of any great size. They could be obsolete before you could get proper mileage out of them.

 

[viper275]

It depends on what you're moving up to. You may need to be able to win on Monarch just about all the time to have a chance on Emperor, but something like Regent-Monarch probably is easy even if you couldn't win 100% of the time on Regent.

 

[bingen]

Regent to Monarch is a very small step, just a little bit more planning is needed.

 

[citizen001]

When you can beat the AI 100% of the time, even in the darkest of times when you're behind, then you are ready to move up. otherwise, keep practising.