How about trying a game, on whatever level you like, without any terrain improvements by settlers or engineers?
This would, of course, put you at a disadvantage against the computer unless you knew how to keep the comp. from improving.
But, in a multiplay game where everyone agrees, it could be an interesting twist.
And agaist a computer opponent or opponents that DO improve, it represents a great challenge indeed.
And it could be real fun to see different countries start to go to all out war over a prized area because of it's natural resources so they could get ahead...
anyway, just thought i'd throw it out there.(if it hasn't been thrown out already)
many times in MP, terrain improvements take a back seat to expansion and only special squares and the odd other square will be improved until later in the game.... once engineers are in place though, it goes hog wild
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Improvements and wonders are just big bullseyes for the conqueror.... and i like to think of myself as Robin Hood
Also, with challenges like Nomads (you can never build a city), OCC (only one city), and conquer-world-before-3950 BC out there, this seems a bit easy...
Besides, why not just use Sun Tzu's and knights to slaughter everything? We don't need no ----------- irrigations!