Which FFH2 settings to choose?

[ichbinsehselber]

Which game settings influence the difficulty level of the game?

Which game settings should you choose, when you like builder style play?

Which game settings should you choose, if you like to play the good folks trying to stop Armageddon (and you want a fair challenge)?

I personally like to play the Ljosafar Elfes of Arendel Phaedra. You can build up very well using the forest cities and you get tons of happy faces with guardian of nature, of course using Fellowship of Leafes.

Spoiler :

Also I like to build my early cities culture conquesting 1 or 2 initial barabarian cities.

Last game I played (still do) emperor, which seems about the right difficulty.
Usually I disallow tech brokering.
The option to allow the AI to build without building requirements is new to me. Is this a workaround to the difficulties/challenges the AI programming to specialize cities?

This shall be an invitation to other players to tell their own experience and preferences with game settings. In that context it would also be interesting for others to know your experience level with CIV and FFH. My own experience with CIV is relatively big, I have played almost all versions of it (not only CIV1, CIV2, CIV3 and CIV4 but also some spinoffs). My experience with CIV4 and BTS is rather less than average. But I know FFH already from CIV3 and I like it still and again.

Of course it would be very welcome, if some people from the FFH team add a comment.

 

[woodelf]

I normally play Noble to playtest and the next one up for "fun". Normally a balanced map or random custom continents. I always add one or two AIs to the default large map size to encourage a struggle for space. For a challenge I disable the tech trading, go with aggressive AI, start with barb cities, and go with the AI unit without buildings option (which does help). For my personal enjoyment I double the resources and events.

I'd rather be a turtle and build, but if I start with a nearby barb city I only build warriors and try to grab it instead of building a settler.

I think that the AI unit without building option is worth at least one difficulty level. Much more challenging in every respect.

 

[kenken244]

I had a very interesting game as the Amurites recently. I had blessing of amathon, no tech trading, and no vassal states. I was playing on a huge map and every civ was neutral except:
calabim, who started next to barbatos
dovello, who always lag in the tech race
clan of embers, who got converted to runes just a few turns after it was founded
and bannor who had a start in the ice

I also got extremely lucky with mines, and the only two hills I had in my capitals radius had gold pop on it before turn 100 - without earth mana. (maybe I should sell some of my luck) Because of this, I managed to found every religion except for FoL and RoK. After completing the Rites of Oghma and using the vast quanities of mana I had from bolth that and the blessing of amathon setting, I raised an army of level 5 wizards each were able to get death1, fire 2, combat 5 and spell extension 1 on the turn they were created. After I had a sutable size army of wizards, and 3 archmages with meteors and spell extension 2 ( along with twincasting spell extension 2 govonnon) I cast my world spell, and each of my arcane units got Forty-Eight experience points. I then gave all of my wizards spell extension 2 and death 2 and sent them out to rebuild my mana nodes so I only have one of each type and began to build the tower of mastery. I switched to guilds and god king, and made my capital pump out great engineers while building the tower of mastery. I won 17 turns later

Maybe they should add an unlucky setting so I dont end up with all my games being like this

 

[vorshlumpf]

Longtime preferences:
- random civ
- huge maps
- marathon speed
- max civs (19+)
- raging barbs
- aggressive AI
- no tech brokering

New favourites:
- end of winter
- extra animals (forget the name)
- barb cities (again, forget the name)
- Living World

My difficulty ranges from Prince to Emperor, depending on my mood. However, I am never satisfied with the results, so I try tinkering with the XML settings. My ultimate goal is to have a game that is challenging from start to finish (and that 'finish' can be my defeat). If I go with a low difficulty level, then I dominate from the beginning. If I go high, then I either have no hope at all, or I suck for a long time to eventually dominate.

One of my main problems is my speed preference and the general lack of time I have for playing. I get in two games a month at most (my last 0.25 game lasted two months). This doesn't allow for a lot of trial and error.

 

[TravellingHat]

Large map with 9 civs (1 extra), for performance reasons
Usually Hemisphere (2-3 normal continents, low sea level, not tiny islands), but sometimes fractal
Aggresive AI
No brokering
Random seed
Living World
End of Winter
Noble (Hey, I never said I was that good!), although I should probably move up a notch now
Normal speed

By the way, is there any way of saving these options as standard?

 

[vorshlumpf]

By the way, is there any way of saving these options as standard?

Yup. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=255783

 

[Grey Fox]

My usual settings:

Speed: Normal
Map size: Standard with 2 or 3 extra civs. Or Large map with added civs for a longer game
Options: Double resources, Double events, sometimes Wild Lands, and often the Barbarian city thing.
I usually don't play with Raging barbs anymore since I find that makes the game easier.
Difficulty: Emperor if I'm trying something new, Immortal for challenge. Deity in Team MP or Survival.

 

[Moon Hunter]

My usual settings:

Emperor or Immortal (going down since shadow )
Speed: normal to marathon, i like long games
No tech brokering
Raging barbs, sometimes aggressive AI
Living world, wild lands
Permanent alliances
Random seed
sometimes Labrascum, double bonuses

New favourite:
I just looooooooove End of winter

 

[GeeJo]

Emperor difficulty
Normal/Quick speed
Living World
End of Winter
Permanent Alliances
AI No Building Requirements
New Seed on Reload
Aggressive AI

I vary my map types and sizes, but I've been having a lot of fun recently on Donut maps.

 

[Rod]

My settings are :

Emperor
8 civs, Pangaea Large

quick (sometimes normal)

Agg. AI
Raging Barbs
extra Animals
Living World

AI No Building Requirements

and of cource .... End of Winter

I normally play Svartalfar (before I had no choice but to take Ljolsalfar)
Amurites, Doviello or Bannor

 

[DharmaMcLaren]

I'm playing an Arboria map with unrestricted leaders and Thingimy's Blessing, playing as Cardith Lorda at the head of the Ljosfalar. I also added a second Ljosfalar AI player and formed a permanent alliance with them, their leader being Arendel Phaedra. It's going pretty great; although I can only have four cities, they're really massive, in the high thirties of population already (quite early in the game). And Arendel Phaedra's elves are to the north and east, with me controlling the southwest of the map, so they form a kind of defensive barrier. It's very enjoyable.

 

[TheJopa]

Concerning map, I love highlands. It gives a nice fantasy feel, even 'no wrap', meaning you play a flat world, feels right. I just like playing on it. Con is that there is no sea. Normally I like that, as sea just takes space and processing power without adding much (stupid AI's fault, multiplayer is completely another story...) But it sucks if you are Lanun.
And for number of players, it depends. Add more if you want struggle for space and lots of wars, reduce for more barbs, more animals and more exploration. But on highlands, since there is no sea, there is more land, so always add at least 1 AI. Add 1 if you want exploration, add 4-5 if you want struggle.

 

[Caradoc]

I like Prince or Monarch for difficulty. Then I turn on Raging Barbs, Aggressive AI, and No Buildings required. I also use the options for more barbarians, animals, resources, and events. The Sto mapscript has options for more hills, no snow, more rivers, more huts, and still more animals and barbarians. I have edited the handicaps file to replace the entries for maps and healing with additional techs, making exploration a bit more rewarding. And I have edited the leader file to provide an additional trait for each leader.

I figure if I add some challenges, I'm entitled to a few bonuses. I get a game where early on its a fight for survival but still time to build before setting out to conquer the world. I play pretty much all of the Good and Neutral civs, with the Amurites as my current favorite.

On turn one, I use the Worldbuilder to make sure I have a viable starting position and to locate a Hill/Plain for my first city.

 

[brainpan]

brainpan happy funtime game settings:

Speed: Normal
Size: Standard
Difficulty: Emperor (for peaceful games) Immortal (for warmongering)
Map: Pangea, sometimes with extra civs (more potential for international intrigue and skullduggery when civs are kept close)
Fave Civs: (.25 and earlier) Elohim and Ljosalfar for builder games, Khazad, Grigori, and Hyborem for warmongering. Can't wait to try out the Dark Elves.

 

[tharg]

Always-
16 opponents
Aggressive AI
No goody huts

Usually
Raging Barbarians
Wildlands

Often
Last Days
Barbarin world.
Blessing
Living world

Sometimes
End of winter
No technology trading

I usually play Emperor at vanilla, but in FFH if you match the game conditions to the race even deity can feel easy. I usually choose the map and game speed to favour the race I am playing.

 

[ichbinsehselber]

Difficulty: Emperor (for peaceful games) Immortal (for warmongering)

Does the AI attack so much more frequently on Immortal than on Emperor?

 

[ichbinsehselber]

I usually play Emperor at vanilla, but in FFH if you match the game conditions to the race even deity can feel easy. I usually choose the map and game speed to favour the race I am playing.

A certain game speed favours a certain race? Can you explain this a bit more? Are the long game speeds better for the barbarian races, as they have more time with old units making them veterans?
And is the Quick gamespeed better for the builder races, because they get faster to high tech?

Match the map to a race... - what comes to my mind is
the lanun and archipelago
Small maps for aggressive and barbarian traits

Is this what you are saying?

 

[brainpan]

Does the AI attack so much more frequently on Immortal than on Emperor?

Possibly. The potential for attack is definitely higher on Immortal, but the actual frequency of attacks depends on how well you maintain your defense and on how well you can manipulate the AI against itself. I've completed games on Immortal without suffering any attacks.

The reason I play an easier level in peaceful games is to give myself a better chance at snatching up wonders and at competing with the AI technologically. In warmongering games, I simply smash and grab what I want (which is usually a lot easier than building it myself) so I compensate for the easier play style with a more difficult setting. Also, I have difficulty competing at Immortal level without attacking frequently.

 

[reverend oats]

Agg AI is a must for FFH. Its adds flavor and helps otherwise weak AI's like Clan and Doveillo, who need to war anyway.

 

[tharg]

Match the map to a race... - what comes to my mind is
the lanun and archipelago
Small maps for aggressive and barbarian traits

Is this what you are saying?

This is the kind of way I think about it. Remember I always play with 16 opponents, so small crowded means very crowded but still fine to play.

Spoiler :

Bannor – Single landmass. I haven’t played, but guess marathon is best; you want the game pace to stall when you hit Fanaticism.

Malakim Looks too boring to play. I guess lots of desert.

Elohim Big land masses – hit Priesthood and roll.

Luchuirp Unit based suggest slower games, but work well most maps. Last days if you are going the evil root.

Kuriotate Quick or normal. Small map works well (duel’s probably best, not tiny or standard). I like 6 continents or islands, isolate yourself quickly and dig in for a cultural victory.

Mercurians haven’t worked out a convenient way of naturally setting up a game with them.

Khazad Lots of Hills, Highlands. Marathon to maximise the advantage of the Dwarven vault (This really should scale to game speed).

Lanun High sea level islands = broken.

Ljosalfar Boreal = broken.

Sidar Marathon, ranging barbarians, huge as much landmass as possible (I am playing on fantasy relm at the moment) = broken or close to. One GP every four or five turns. I also like blessing of Amathaon.

Grigori Marathon – to maximise the advantage of heroes (EP gain for heroes and arcane units should really scale to game speed). Small crowded, take out three or four cives before they know what hit them. Ideally No Barbarians, but on small crowded there wont be many anyway (That’s so there are not any AI city defenders around that can stand up to adventurers).

Hippus I guess marathon and big land masses to get as much action out of the horses.

Amurites Huge, as much land as possible to get as many manna nodes as possible. Game speed maks a big difference to feel but unclear what’s better.

Doviello Marathron – I haven’t tried these. Marathon obviously, but do you want small crowded for the quick kill, or huge raging for Charadon?

Balseraphs Lots of delicate work with Loki, so marathon. I guess small crowded as well, I tried a tiny one maze width game which worked well.

Clan of Embers huge marathon and raging with lots of land looks broken, particularly terra with the world spell.

Svartalfar Boreal = broken. (Well it’s a two horse race)

Calabim Works well on most maps, probably prefer quicker games.

Sheaim Last days, probably want huge ranging to help Hyborem.

Infernals Huge, ranging, lots of land game speed not so important. Much easier to set up decent Infernal games than Mercurians game. Last days of course. The AI Hyborem is hopeless.

Does the AI attack so much more frequently on Immortal than on Emperor?

Probably, but not that I would notice. Turn 446 so far and no one attacked me.