What settings do you normally play?

[nbarclay]

One of the big differences between Civ 3 and Civ IV is how many more set-up options Civ IV offers. I suspect that the huge range of options may have something to do with the fact that there hasn't been more interest in AU since Civ IV was released. So I'm curious as to what all settings we play on.

My own most common settings are:

• Huge map
• 18 civs
• Epic speed
• Hotseat mode, with me controlling two civilizations that never fight each other but don't make a special effort to cooperate either
• Monarch or Emperor difficulty (restarting a lot to get good starting positions, especially if I try Emperor)
• Low-water Archipelago map, or more recently Custom Continents specifying six continents
• A modded file to make barbarians weaker
• An expectation that I'll take some fairly significant risks early on to offset the AI starting bonuses, and will restart if the risks backfire too badly.

[ZargonX]

I play a pretty standard game:

-Standard Map
-Continents, temperate, medium water
-7 Civs
-Prince difficulty
-Normal speed
-Random civ. I feel this helps me develop different tactics depending on who I start with and in what situation. Prevents me from getting to into a "groove"

[Randolph]

My current game is an exception, but for the 10 or so game before this one I was working of something like:

large map (One of the “standard” land types: archipelago, contents, Pangaea, fractal, and [most commonly] shuffle)
13-18 civs
Aggressive AI (about ¾ of the time)
Monarch if I’m going to play aggressively, or prince if I’m going to go builder style.
Cronic map-regeneration (Glad I wasn’t the first to have to admit to this).

I’ve been focusing on two game styles, one is a pretty straight-forward aggressive style, the other is a cottage based vertical growth strategy.

It’s definitely true that with so many option I like to play games in series, using similar map set ups, leaders, and general strategies.

[Blake]

Most often I play extremely standard settings Fractal/Terra/Pangea with 1 or 2 extra civs.

I usually play Emperor altough I'll play on lower difficulties to try weird stuff.

I might regen, especially to escape a nasty floodplains w/ gold on river start - I find the challenge absolutely minimal with floodplain starts.

[Randolph]

Originally posted by Blake
I might regen, especially to escape a nasty floodplains w/ gold on river start - I find the challenge absolutely minimal with floodplain starts.

yeah, that's why I regen too

[UnOrthOdOx]

Standard settings I play with:

Standard Size
Shuffle map (so it's random)
Random water
Random Climate
7 Civs
Monarch
Aggressive AI
Raging Barbs
Normal Speed

Rarely reload unless my start is some dream location that guarantees victory.

[Krill]

I play pretty much any type of MP that is available in the lobby, except 1v1 or Pitboss.

Ladder, 6v6, Future, Teambattlegrounds (TBG), Left versus Right, Quick Game Speed, 2 City Elimination, Medium Turn Timer, Always War, No Tech Trading, No Barbs, Medium Water Level, 70 turn limit. I like to play that as either Mansa or Monty.

Now that is a fun game, and even though I have never seen a game last more than 50 turns, it still takes up to an hour and a half.

Not that most people here will play those settings

[Dominae]

Pretty much what Blake said, except I play Emperor/Immortal exclusively.

[wertyu70]

-Standard or Large Map
-Continents, Sometimes Pangea.
- Random settings for water and climate (but I prefer temperate and wet)
- Currently moving form Noble (where I dominate) to Prince (still no win...)
-Epic speed

By the way, how can you set the number of civs?

[wertyu70]

-Standard or Large Map
-Continents, Sometimes Pangea.
- Random settings for water and climate (but I prefer temperate and wet)
- Currently moving form Noble (where I dominate) to Prince (still no win...)
-Epic speed

By the way, how can you set the number of civs?

[Dominae]

Single Player > Custom Game

[Stuie]

I've been playing the Tectonics map script almost exclusively. Much better maps IMO. Other than that, everything pretty much standard with a couple extra civs to tighten things up. Prince difficulty which I am winning about 50/50 at this point (mostly because my micromanagement patience is very thin).

[Hobie819]

to change the number of civs, on the startup screen there's the selections like name, civilization, leader, team and a box that lets you pick "AI, Closed, Open, PLayer" or something like that (I'm at work right now)

just scroll down to the bottom and keep clicking on boxes and make them AI's. With the vanilla civ you can have a maximum of 18 civ's. I'm not sure with warlords because I'm overseas and haven't gotten it in the mail yet.

[Arrian]

Standard Map
Continents
Medium settings (temp/sea level/etc)
Prince
Raging Barbs
Normal Speed

-Arrian

[monkspider]

-Standard Map
-Continents/Fractal
-7 Civs
-Monarch
-Normal speed
-Default barb level