Game Settings

[Ming]

Nah... this isn't your typical thread about "What game settings do you use?"

I'm more interested in the amount of variety people play.

Are you a person who has a specific type of game they like to play and do nothing else?

Are you the type of person that keeps switching the settings to keep things fresh?

Or are you somewhere in between.

I've tried most of the different maps...
I think I've played all of the civs...
I do prefer to play at normal speed, but mostly because I've tried the others and didn't like them...
I've played with all the victory conditions, and I've played games where I've removed some...
I now play with the agressive AI always on...
I've played with and without raging barbarians.
I mostly play with tech trading turned off...

In other words, I like to explore all the different options the game has to offer.
However, I do find my self playing more games with a single type of setting that I've become comfortable with.

Do you have preferences, or do you mix it up?

[Garth Vader]

Not a lot of variety. I don't have a huge amount of time to play, so I have just been working through the different Civs and leaders.

I have tried a few different game settings and map types, but I usually stick with the same. For a map type it's fractal, which does produce quite a variety though.

[Supr49er]

I play something different every time.

I like different maps/sizes, leaders/civs etc.

But I almost always play marathon speed.

[Willem]

I'm pretty much set on how I play, Huge map with 12 civs, Marathon, random civ. I've tried a few map scripts and have finally settled on Hemispheres with two continents. I don't change any other settings. I really wish that the game had a quick start button in the main menu so I didn't have to go through all thos screens evry time I play.

[Ming]

If you use the custom game start, it remembers all your settings (except for what civ you took) so it's really easy to start a new game with the same settings. Do it just once, and you are all set for the future.

[Theben]

Re: Game Settings

Originally posted by Ming
I've tried most of the different maps...
I think I've played all of the civs...
I do prefer to play at normal speed, but mostly because I've tried the others and didn't like them...
I've played with all the victory conditions, and I've played games where I've removed some...
I now play with the agressive AI always on...
I've played with and without raging barbarians.
I mostly play with tech trading turned off...

I tried a lot of maps, but I don't like flat maps. Has to be wrap around. Originally I liked continents, then Big n Small, Tectonics, and now I think I've settled on Fractal.

I haven't played many civs TBH. Probably about a 3rd of them... every time I try a different one I get bored and switch back to Native American, who I am most successful with. Having strong archers and Axeman without needing copper is huge benefit to an early start.

Tried all speeds, but prefer epic. Not to fast, not too slow. In MP we play normal just to get somewhere.

Same as Ming wrt Victory conditions. I removed a few for awhile, but then figured it hampered the AI, so now I play with all. Same with AGG AI and barbs. In MP sometimes we turn off AGG AI if we have less skilled players, but I forced raging barbs on 'em and at 1st they all freaked, but then got used to it. I've never played with barbs turned completely off.

Tech trading I've never modified. Seems to me if you have the tech, you should be able to teach someone else how to learn it.



These days I'm pretty set with what I play.

[Jaybe]

(except for what civ you took)

And forgetting to set that one has me instantly starting over in about 1/10 of my games. Also, I keep getting TINY Islands as the default in my hemispheres maps, and have to reset that every time.

Otherwise, I'm with Willem in game settings, ...
other than No Tech Brokering & Aggressive AI,
playing the friggin' awesome Hephmod Beyond mod, several xml changes to units, HandicapInfo and the GlobalDefines files.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Ming
If you use the custom game start, it remembers all your settings (except for what civ you took) so it's really easy to start a new game with the same settings. Do it just once, and you are all set for the future.

Well that's the same with the way I do it as well but I have to click on OK several times before I can begin. It would be nice if there was a button on the main menu I could press that just takes me into a game with all my current settings.

[Blaupanzer]

Willem, if you open up "custom game" settings on the SP menu and then pick everything at once on the next screen, you only need to hit launch once. The next time, make any changes, pick the civ and update personal info, hit launch off you go -- no "OK" click opportunities either time.

Mostly Prince, with an occasional Monarch difficulty level game. I go with large map, low sea level, temperate, epic speed, raging barbs, aggressive AI, and no tech brokering every time.

I play with a different leader/civ (about 1 in 4 random), leader name, map type, and + 0, 1, or 2 civs (all random) from the standard number. I like fractal the best, but use big and small, medium and small, and tectonics frequently. I NEVER open up the worldbuilder, occasionally abandoning a game where a special-unit-related resource doesn't turn up in the identifiable world in the useful time period. (Sometimes I ignore this and plunge on anyway.)

I often turn off the diplomatic victory condition because of its weirdness in mid and late games and due to the exploit in the Apostolic Palace, which once I know I can't forget -- even if I should.

Tried Highland map-types with the Celts and Jungle with Monty but those maps have so much land that the games are almost unwinnable and the turns become very tedious. Probably better with more civs and smaller map size.

Three favorite civs are Ethiopians, Dutch, and Aztecs; each for a different type of win. The Romans are too easy for playing a domination game, especially Julius. I use the Romans to try out higher levels. When I can win a couple in a row with them, it is time to move up.

[pedrojedi]

I just go for the "Play Now!" button most of the times, Continents or Big And Small with islands in between. I try to play a different civ ev'ry time, since at first I used to play a lot with Egyptians, Indians, Americans and Germans. Since I don't like the AI having an edge, I play noble, marathon, standard maps. I'm thinking about upping the bar, but I'm still on the Contemplation step.

Gotta say that since I'm a builder-type fella, I had once a lot of difficulty with the Japanese, which usually is associated with aggressive gamin'.

[joncnunn]

Well, a few months ago I finally updated my notebook, so I've upgraded the map sizes from normal to huge and the game speed from Normal to Epic to compensate.

I play on the Monarch difficulty level.

I've also been going thru the civs that had a lot of support when my team in the BTS game was deciding which to support. (Skipping the civ I'd already played.) 1 1/2 more games to go; in my current one I recently discovered Caravels and discovered the other landmasses and just bought a map from a player from each so on the next turn I'll be credited with proving the world is round and I also know where to go to find the remaining civs.

The other settings I always use are "Choose Religions" & "No Tech Brokering".

One of my prefered Map Settings is Custom Contients - 3 - random all the sub settings.

I normally play in Builder mode and try to win a peaceful form of victory. But at some point one or two players usually DOW on me and they end up conquered in the process.

[Sir Og]

Now I play about 50% MP and 50% SP.

MP games are with me and my brother playing as a team versus 3 or 4 AI teams of two. Usually on pangea or continents with aggressive AI, no vassals on emperor difficulty, normal speed (we have done a few marathon games too).

SP games are 50/50 monarch/emperor difficulty again with aggressive AI, no vassals. I play a mix of continents, fractal and pangea maps. I play marathon speed until it starts feeling too slow then I play some normal speed games until thay start feeling too fast

Half the games I play as a random leader and the other half I pick either someone that I haven't played with recently or someone that I like.

[snoopy369]

For the MP Team-vs-AI games, consider playing against larger AI teams. That can up the difficulty a bit and lead to a more interesting and diverse game (particularly if you have a map where teams don't start together). 2v4v4 for example. You can add even more to the difficulty level if you set up the AI's as unable to declare war against each other (not actually teamed up, but say forced open borders or something like that) ... don't recall how to do that anymore but I remember doing it in the past.

[HalfLotus]

I generally play random everything that can be. I figure it's the best way to learn without getting stuck in habits that don't always work.

Effective starting builds vary SO much between civ and map. It's great.

[Pluvo241]

I mix it up slowly. I play similar settings for a few games then move on to greener pastures. I've played all map sizes, types, and game speeds. I always pick my civ, but I usually randomize the other civs. I've played with mods and I've played vanilla, random maps and scenarios. I tend to build, but I have let slip the dogs of war. I rarely play games much above Chieftan, so my dogs are normally roughing up AI puppies when I do!