difficulty :)

[Shogun Gunner]

Originally posted by georges bonbon
I have an average of 8-10 minutes between turns.

So I am always reading the newspaper between turns.

Once the newspaper is finished, I start a reading a book.

then writing a book....

then transcribing the scrolls at the Great Library...

[TheArsenal]

Nothing new here, just reporting.

Based upon this thread, I decided to give a standard size map a spin, and started a game last night. Playing a single game through to 1100 AD (or so) is by no means a way to get a true feel as to how the game really plays, but I have to say so far it is significantly easier for me. True, I found some early elements incredibly disconcerting, like bumping up against neighbors so quickly and having the map fill with AI REXers so fast (and I, in turn, produced Settlers at a too slow clip). But I was also pleased at how few units, and little effort it took to remove a civ (Korea) completely from the map (and put a serious hurting on Persia) with nothing more than Swordsmen, Spearmen and Archers.

I'm finding the game quicker over all. Less time is spent setting up your empire because the REX phase ends so quickly. It feels less "epic" but there are fewer turns where little happens. And the Chinese Rider, a good unit on a huge map, is a pretty powerful UU with such constricted land mass - again, making conquest easier, and the game that much easier over all.

Therefore, I am sticking with my opinion that larger maps are far harder.

[David Murray]

Originally posted by TheArsenal

I'm finding the game quicker over all. Less time is spent setting up your empire because the REX phase ends so quickly. It feels less "epic" but there are fewer turns where little happens ....

Therefore, I am sticking with my opinion that larger maps are far harder.

I completely agree. Standard maps are in my opinion the best overall, but I would recommend you try a small map. They are my personal favourite, and as a huge map player you will initially find it quite a shock. However, you will get a *really* early victory even on Emperor or Deity. Especially if you get cavalry by 400 AD.

[zorbop]

i play on emperor, huge map. never really played standard map or smaller...

[The Mad Monk]

I like a nice, relaxing game, so I play at Regent so I don't have to be at everyone's throat all the time.

[johncmcleod]

I have had civ for a long time but I don't play it that much (though it's my favorite game) and I'm not too good. I play on regent difficulty. I'm playing my second Regent game and I'm whooping the computer. I have always been a builder but I've found that when you are warlike it is easier. I have never been this agressive before and it is working. I can't wait for the strategy intro thing. I think I have some problems with the fundamentals of the early game. For example, I can't do the oscillating war strategy. I have never been into those quick frequent wars in any strategy game. For some reason I am bent on having not many wars but having them big and destroying the civ every time I go to war. Maybe it's because when I am set to a task there's no stopping me from completing it.

I also have a major problem with getting myself to go to war. It is the major reason that I can't do the oscillating war. I feel I'm never ready to actually fight a civ. I have a habit of saying, "I gotta go to war with these guys and wipe them out." but then not actually doing it for a while. I'll always be saying to myself I need a bigger military so I'll build up my forces and then I'll discover a tech that allows you to build an important improvement and many of my cities will start producing that improvement, and the buildup is greatly slowed. This might happen several times. And sometimes by the time I am finally 'ready' for war the situation has changed and my attack force is outdated or I don't need to attack the neighbor or the strategy has changed or anything like that.

These things may seem to you easy to change, but I am set in my mind to play this way and I can't change it. I think the problem roots in my early strategy days. My first strategy game was Age of Empires. I was in like 4th grade when I got it. I really sucked at it (like all other RTS games of that style, but I have gotten good at starcraft and okay at Age of Mythology). I couldn't get the rushing strategy. I wouldn't ever build a ton of workers to get a strong economy. I'd just build military units and I'd get squashed because I couldn't build up my forces. I finally realized that I had to build more workers, but even then I couldn't really rush. I didn't like those games where you are always fighting and someone is always at your neck. I liked to relax when I played. The only battles I liked fighting in any strategy game (even the ones I got good at) were big epic ones that were late in the game where you had a ton of different types of units, maybe because they seemed more realistic, had much more personality to them, and they were cooler to watch.

Those battles just don't happen in competitive RTS games. So when I got civ3, the cycle continued. My first couple of games I didn't understand about REXing. I built about 3 cities and the computer would just expand and trap me with little territory. When I started out I just built military units and cultural improvements, etc. I didn't build many workers or settlers. Of course I learned to build lots of cities, but I am still stuck in the mode of not rushing and fighting those big epic battles.

Does anyone have advice for me?

[johncmcleod]

And because of my style, I have never played on anything smaller then standard. Probably because smaller maps means more rushing and less of those cool, big epic wars.

[Panag]

Originally posted by johncmcleod
And because of my style, I have never played on anything smaller then standard. Probably because smaller maps means more rushing and less of those cool, big epic wars.

hi ,

yes and no , sometimes you are on a 150x150 map and you need 30 or min to move your units on a battlefront , .....

but indeed the bigger the map , the better the war , ....

in the real world armies and tanks need also lots of room to deploy , ....

have a nice day

[georges bonbon]

Originally posted by Shogun Gunner


then writing a book....

then transcribing the scrolls at the Great Library...

and then the Nobel prize for literature...

[madosca]

I am a very bad player (civ3PTW) but enjoy playng at high levels, CHEATING IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
1) I retire at the second turn and restart the game untill I have a favourable starting position (far from the others and good very starting terrain.
2) save and reload for the first 5-8 good huts till I get a Civ Advance.

THIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT AI DOES AT DEITY LEVEL.
ACTUALLY I THINK THIS NAME COMEs FROM THE FACT THA GOD COMES TO HEART AND MAKE GIFTS TO AI.

[Panag]

Originally posted by madosca
I am a very bad player (civ3PTW) but enjoy playng at high levels, CHEATING IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
1) I retire at the second turn and restart the game untill I have a favourable starting position (far from the others and good very starting terrain.
2) save and reload for the first 5-8 good huts till I get a Civ Advance.

THIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT AI DOES AT DEITY LEVEL.
ACTUALLY I THINK THIS NAME COMEs FROM THE FACT THA GOD COMES TO HEART AND MAKE GIFTS TO AI.

hi ,

use the editor and start with what ever tech in what ever era you want then , ......


have a nice day

[madosca]

Thank you Panag,
I didn't think to that.
I have use the editor sometimes but just to give me great terrain.

[Panag]

Originally posted by madosca
Thank you Panag,
I didn't think to that.
I have use the editor sometimes but just to give me great terrain.

hi ,

go to www.apolyton.net/directory/ , download a map you want , use the editor on it and turn it in a scen or mod the way you please , .....

have a nice day

[madosca]

Panag,

where precisely do I find maps that I can directly use or edit for Civ3 PTW?

thank you.

[Panag]

Originally posted by madosca
Panag,

where precisely do I find maps that I can directly use or edit for Civ3 PTW?

thank you.

hi ,

just move your mouse cursor over this >>> http://apolyton.net/dir/index.php?si...=5&t=sub_pages and click it , .....

and over this >>> www.aplotyon.net/directory/


enjoy


have a nice day

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by madosca
ITHIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT AI DOES AT DEITY LEVEL.
ACTUALLY I THINK THIS NAME COMEs FROM THE FACT THA GOD COMES TO HEART AND MAKE GIFTS TO AI.

The ai is not cheating at deity level. It has one cheat, it knows the map. This exist at all levels.
It has one handicap, it starts with extra units. It get varing amounts of units as you go up above Regent.
It can not reload.

[David Murray]

Originally posted by vmxa1


The ai is not cheating at deity level. It has one cheat, it knows the map. This exist at all levels.
It has one handicap, it starts with extra units. It get varing amounts of units as you go up above Regent.
It can not reload.

Okay. It has an additional per city support of 16 units. It starts with two extra workers and an extra settler. It starts with eight (I think) extra defensive units and four extra offensive units. For every ten shields a human has to produce to build something, it need only produce six. Well, if that ain't cheating then I guess you either know something I don't or you're being a bit fussy over madosca's words.

Edit: It has an additional starting unit support bonus of 16, and an extra 4 units on top of government type! So I don't think that Deity AI is in any way particularly 'handicapped'. It also only suffers a maximum of two turns of anarchy regardless of civ type. Phew ... what a cheat!

[Panag]

Originally posted by David Murray


Okay. It has an additional per city support of 16 units. It starts with two extra workers and an extra settler. It starts with eight (I think) extra defensive units and four extra offensive units. For every ten shields a human has to produce to build something, it need only produce six. Well, if that ain't cheating then I guess you either know something I don't or you're being a bit fussy over madosca's words.

Edit: It has an additional starting unit support bonus of 16, and an extra 4 units on top of government type! So I don't think that Deity AI is in any way particularly 'handicapped'. It also only suffers a maximum of two turns of anarchy regardless of civ type. Phew ... what a cheat!

hi ,

and still humans can win and destroy everyone of those civs , ......

one can wonder how the new level " SID " is goind to be , .....

have a nice day

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by David Murray

Well, if that ain't cheating then I guess you either know something I don't or you're being a bit fussy over madosca's words.

Edit: It has an additional starting unit support bonus of 16, and an extra 4 units on top of government type! So I don't think that Deity AI is in any way particularly 'handicapped'. It also only suffers a maximum of two turns of anarchy regardless of civ type. Phew ... what a cheat!

This is not being fussy. Words have a meaning. Cheating is not the same as a handicap.
If I get a head start in a race, I am not cheating, I am getting a handicap. If I jump on a bike during the race and you did not agree to that, then I am cheating.
Cheating implies that I am doing something I was not entitled to do. Getting an increased support or reduced anarchy, is a spot, not a cheat.
That is all I am pointing out. We have the known rules and the AI is not ignoring them.
As panag said, you can still beat it anyway.
Now if you had said "phew what a handicap", I would not say anything.
I only speak, because some will see those types of post and not realize that it is a known handicap that is being derided.
Cheating brings to mind that all of a sudden the AI gets a sort of bonus in the middle of the game, that it should not have gotten. This is not what is occurring.

[Mountain Sage]

vmxa1,

You're right.
And if people still don't like the AI 'cheating', they can stay regent's level. Forever.

[madosca]

David murray said (IN CAPITOL MY QUESTIONS):
It has an additional per city support of 16 units (AT THE BEGINNING IN DISPOTISM?). It starts with two extra workers and an extra settler. It starts with eight (I think) extra defensive units and four extra offensive units. For every ten shields a human has to produce to build something, it need only produce six (THIS RATIO GOES ON FOREVER? IE IN DEMOCRACY WITH RAILROADS THIS RATIO WILL APPLY?).

Edit: It has an additional starting unit support bonus of 16, and an extra 4 units on top of government type! So I don't think that Deity AI is in any way particularly 'handicapped'. It also only suffers a maximum of two turns of anarchy regardless of civ type. Phew ... what a cheat!

IN GENERAL THE INFO ABOVE ARE TESTED (100% POSITIVE), OR THERE IS JUST A CONSENSUS?

GUYS I THOUGHT I WAS THE CRAZY ADDICT BUT IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE THAT I'M IN GREAT COMPANY.

THANK YOU.

[madosca]

Panag refers to 'new SID level'.
Will it be in Civ4?
When is it expected to come out?

Thanks

[Wittlich]

The "Sid" level will be in Civ3 Conquests.

[Gufnork]

I play on emperor, with occasional dips into deity. My problem is that I nearly always win on emperor, but never on deity. The only games I usually win on deity is on huge pangea where I trade my way to victory.

[Traelin]

I always play Emperor and on a huge map w/ 16 Civs. In fact I don't think I've ever tried a smaller map. However, I'm curious to see how big of a "culture shock" it will be for me to try a standard map...

[David Murray]

Originally posted by Gufnork
I play on emperor, with occasional dips into deity. My problem is that I nearly always win on emperor, but never on deity. The only games I usually win on deity is on huge pangea where I trade my way to victory.

Perhaps the other new difficulty level, demigod, will be the one for you. Apparently Firaxis seems to agree that the leap from Emperor to Deity is a big one.

David murray said (IN CAPITOL MY QUESTIONS):
It has an additional per city support of 16 units (AT THE BEGINNING IN DISPOTISM?). It starts with two extra workers and an extra settler. It starts with eight (I think) extra defensive units and four extra offensive units. For every ten shields a human has to produce to build something, it need only produce six (THIS RATIO GOES ON FOREVER? IE IN DEMOCRACY WITH RAILROADS THIS RATIO WILL APPLY?).

It is a permanent 'handicap' on the player, i.e. a permanent 'bonus' for the computer players. The ratio is 10 to 8 on Emperor I think ... anyway, all this info came from the editor, you can look at it under the difficulty level tab.

[jshelr]

"I hate the AI-seabombardements"

If you hit them with arty and they lose a hit point, they go home. Bombers work well due to more range. Have a nice game!

[Panag]

Originally posted by jshelr
"I hate the AI-seabombardements"

If you hit them with arty and they lose a hit point, they go home. Bombers work well due to more range. Have a nice game!

hi ,

yes , its sometimes weird also , they have a carrier sitting in front ofthem thats regular with one hitpoint left , the AI has an alite battleship with four hitpoints left , ....... and guess what , time after time the AI sails away , ......

lets hope this is fixed in C3C

have a nice day

[zorbop]

i've seen the ai do worse!i was just in a major war, conquering the arabians. i had almost no units left. the persians had 15 immortals outside my capital, most of my units died defending my outer cities. a horseman had just retreated to my capital, so it had 1 health left (to fend off 15 immortals). in a last gasp, i send whats left of my army (2 horsemen) to capture a size 1 city. the persians then agreed to pay ME tribute in exchange for peace!

[bernardjan]

If I want to beat deity, I use the Iroquis on a standard
Pangaia map. You can build a granary right away,
a few (<=4) cities, equidistant from the capitol.
Use your scout for early contact, do not bother
about research yourself but trade instead.
Get a nice number of Mounted Warriors and
overrun all your neighbours.
That usually does it.
For an OCC or a 5CC, I prefer to play on emperor.

Bernard