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Now that Sid level has been added, Emperor level could use some tweaking. I prefer a builder game, and it's not easy.
I always play Emperor because Monarch is no challenge and I'll always win. However, I find that Monarch gives a much more enjoyable game overall.
The AI just gets too many bonuses at Emperor. I can live with the build bonus, but the combat bonuses are really annoying. Flipping cities is a pipe dream - the only good culture will do you is stopping your own cities from flipping and conquered cities from flipping back almost immediately. Considering how difficult a cultural victory is at Monarch level, I reckon it's near impossible at Emperor.
The tech trading issue at this level seems to have been addressed slightly, but that's only because I'll tend to haul myself back into the tech race by going for Philosophy (instead of Polytheism which did the same thing in PTW). It's not really adding to the game enjoyment in any way. If I get to Philosophy first, I'll generally lead the tech race after a few swaps. If not, I'll generally be miles behind. The AI seems to ignore Literature altogether now also, making the GL too easy. I've had it every game so far, sometimes building it when I'm in the Medieaval era!
On the flip side, the AI military seems to have got much more intense. I'm playing a game where the Carthaginians just are not stopping (see save game), even though I've bribed the Hittites (twice) and Mongols to join me. They just keep throwing out NM's and Swordsmen and I'm struggling to hold them back.
Why? Because the NM is a very powerful unit normally - but with it costing less to build and the AI bonus to combat, I'm being slaughtered everywhere. Ditto the Hittites. I dunno how many 3-man chariots they've lost against NM's. NM's seem a bit broken at this level. Consider that unit vs a Jaggy Warrior now - 2-3-1 vs 1-1-2, at only double the cost? How many Jaggies would you need to take one of those out (considering experience gains)? 6-7? That does not compute Firaxis.
Another beef is with culture. City flipping is no more than a pipe dream at this level. I've done it twice in about 200 games, and only because I had completely surrounded the enemy city with my own. Culture is useless as an offensive weapon - it's hard enough to win through culture at Monarch level but at Emperor it's practically impossible.
For all that, I'll still probably win my current game. I'll somehow hold them off until I get Gunpowder and then I'll be unstoppable. The problem is, it's just not enjoyable. The pressure is too intense in the early game from all sides. Culture, military and science are all a major struggle.
Now that Sid level has been added, I think that Emperor could be a little kinder to culture/builder type players. The AI doesn't need the combat or culture bonuses at this level - leave them to Deity and Sid. Emperor level should be fun to builder types as well as military types - but it's not.
I always play Emperor because Monarch is no challenge and I'll always win. However, I find that Monarch gives a much more enjoyable game overall.
The AI just gets too many bonuses at Emperor. I can live with the build bonus, but the combat bonuses are really annoying. Flipping cities is a pipe dream - the only good culture will do you is stopping your own cities from flipping and conquered cities from flipping back almost immediately. Considering how difficult a cultural victory is at Monarch level, I reckon it's near impossible at Emperor.
The tech trading issue at this level seems to have been addressed slightly, but that's only because I'll tend to haul myself back into the tech race by going for Philosophy (instead of Polytheism which did the same thing in PTW). It's not really adding to the game enjoyment in any way. If I get to Philosophy first, I'll generally lead the tech race after a few swaps. If not, I'll generally be miles behind. The AI seems to ignore Literature altogether now also, making the GL too easy. I've had it every game so far, sometimes building it when I'm in the Medieaval era!
On the flip side, the AI military seems to have got much more intense. I'm playing a game where the Carthaginians just are not stopping (see save game), even though I've bribed the Hittites (twice) and Mongols to join me. They just keep throwing out NM's and Swordsmen and I'm struggling to hold them back.
Why? Because the NM is a very powerful unit normally - but with it costing less to build and the AI bonus to combat, I'm being slaughtered everywhere. Ditto the Hittites. I dunno how many 3-man chariots they've lost against NM's. NM's seem a bit broken at this level. Consider that unit vs a Jaggy Warrior now - 2-3-1 vs 1-1-2, at only double the cost? How many Jaggies would you need to take one of those out (considering experience gains)? 6-7? That does not compute Firaxis.
Another beef is with culture. City flipping is no more than a pipe dream at this level. I've done it twice in about 200 games, and only because I had completely surrounded the enemy city with my own. Culture is useless as an offensive weapon - it's hard enough to win through culture at Monarch level but at Emperor it's practically impossible.
For all that, I'll still probably win my current game. I'll somehow hold them off until I get Gunpowder and then I'll be unstoppable. The problem is, it's just not enjoyable. The pressure is too intense in the early game from all sides. Culture, military and science are all a major struggle.
Now that Sid level has been added, I think that Emperor could be a little kinder to culture/builder type players. The AI doesn't need the combat or culture bonuses at this level - leave them to Deity and Sid. Emperor level should be fun to builder types as well as military types - but it's not.
Maybe it's just this game.
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