SP and MP custom options

[Felch]

No tech brokering
No Diplo Victory
No Cultural Victory (I won it once, and hated how it just ruined an awesome game)
Whatever the option is to separate civs from their leaders, I sometimes do that

Personally I love vassals. They eliminate the tedium of mopping up a defeated enemy. The only time they suck is when the AI capitulates to someone else

[brandonjm8]

GA = Golden Age.

me too, my preferred method is using artists and prophets for GA, scientists build there academy's, engineers for building wonders extremely fast, and who doesnt like a good merchant in foreign lands getting you around 6,000 gold and helping modernize your army . if you ask me the best to settle within a city are prophets, the +5 gold and +2 hammers really is the best combo, especially with rep the +3 science makes them very nice especially if you plant three or more in your city thats gonna or does have WALL STREET, then if you want to settle scientists (i wouldnt) in your city with OXFORD in it, as always just my opinion. any others?

[Ming]

For both MP and SP games...

Normal speed
Normal barbs
Villages on
No tech trading/brokering
No Diplo/vassals
Agressive AI
Usually random civ unless i want to test something


World shape and size varies... but usually single land mass for MP.

As far as great people:
Great Scientists: Academy's until there are no more cities that would gain more than placing them in my Capital/science city.
Great Prophets: Use for Shrines or place as needed in money city
Great spies: might use them if a neighbor is far ahead of me in techs and worth stealing from, but otherwise, those I use for GA's.
Great Engineers: Mostly use for wonders. If I don't see any good wonders in the near future (that's rare) I might burn one for a GA or settle it in a city for production reasons.
Great Merchants: Early in the game, I will probably place it in a city to a games worth of extra cash. Later in the game, I will look for a trade route if a big chunk of money will REALLY help. I'm also tempted to use it for a "KEY" golden age, but that's rare.
Great artists: Mostly use for GA's. But I might either place it or culture bomb a city if I'm having a serious culture issue somewhere.
Great Generals: A few healers, but mostly place in cities


However, early in the game, I might use one to lightbulb a key science... but rarely later in the game where my science rate makes it only a few turn savings.

[rah]

Reasonably close to ming except I'll probably light bulb a touch more.

[Garth Vader]

Aggressive AI
No tech brokering
No Vassals. The AI surrenders way too easily for my taste.

Map and leader depend on my mood and what sort of game I feel like playing. Lately, I've been playing on Tectonics Randomized actual Earth maps. This map script often produces interesting geography and lots of land per player.

Ditto.