Looking at the Gamespot review (which at least in the print version didn't mention vassals at all), and based on some experience with testing Warlords, I would just like folks at Poly to know that the vassal mechanism seems highly influenced by your map setup and other settings (this makes sense when you think about it...if there aren't enough civs going at each other, you can't really expect too many vassal agreements to form).
Therefore, I would like to share the settings that I have been playing with, and virtually *every* game across a few dozen games I have seen world wars and generally speaking just a far, far more interesting diplomatic game due to vassals forming all over the place. For me, this has entirely rejuvenated my Civ experience, as I've put all other games aside and find myself hooked again in ways I haven't been for years. Here are the settings, though perhaps there are even better ones:
Balanced map, standard size, 10 (yes, 10, 9 works well, too!) players, agressive AI, Prince.
It's a blood bath from the very early going, as you might imagine. Just surviving the early game is a great challenge, and as a result of packing so many aggressive AIs on one big landmass, the vassal agreements start to form relatively early and have a HUGE impact on the rest of the game.
I've only managed to win three games with this setup. One by diplo and two by space race. But even the games I lost were really engaging. Often it seems to come down to whether or not I was placed in the center of the viper pit (that is, center of the map) or on the fringes somewhere, allowing me a better chance to choose my battles.
So if you really want to see vassals in their full glory, you might try these or similar settings. Good luck.
Therefore, I would like to share the settings that I have been playing with, and virtually *every* game across a few dozen games I have seen world wars and generally speaking just a far, far more interesting diplomatic game due to vassals forming all over the place. For me, this has entirely rejuvenated my Civ experience, as I've put all other games aside and find myself hooked again in ways I haven't been for years. Here are the settings, though perhaps there are even better ones:
Balanced map, standard size, 10 (yes, 10, 9 works well, too!) players, agressive AI, Prince.
It's a blood bath from the very early going, as you might imagine. Just surviving the early game is a great challenge, and as a result of packing so many aggressive AIs on one big landmass, the vassal agreements start to form relatively early and have a HUGE impact on the rest of the game.
I've only managed to win three games with this setup. One by diplo and two by space race. But even the games I lost were really engaging. Often it seems to come down to whether or not I was placed in the center of the viper pit (that is, center of the map) or on the fringes somewhere, allowing me a better chance to choose my battles.
So if you really want to see vassals in their full glory, you might try these or similar settings. Good luck.
Comment