Civ 5: Quick, Standard, Epic or Marathon?

[IcyDeadPeople]

Which setting do you prefer for singleplayer?

So far I've only played Quick, Tiny Map for MP and Marathon, Huge, Random Map for SP; interested to know your opinions on which settings are the most fun.

Also, do you use any mods? Recently installed Civilization Nights and I highly recommend this one.

[TrippleD]

Standard.

But when I played World maps I set it to quick.

Originally Posted by IcyDeadPeople

Also, do you use any mods? Recently installed Civilization Nights and I highly recommend this one.

Thanks. I will take a look.

[flex12]

I actually prefer epic. that way it doesnt take ages like on marathon but on the other hand it takes just long enough to fight long battles in every age without the units getting outdated the whole time.

[IcyDeadPeople]

I tried playing a single player game on Quick/Huge Map and Epic/Huge Map. (Previously had only played Marathon / Huge Map for single player.)

I have to agree with flex - I think Epic is the way to go for Single Player. Marathon can also be fun, but a single game can last a really long time, a month or more, depending on how much time you have to play.

Quick Pace was simply too fast, with the A.I. civs already completing the Manhattan project while I was still in the Dark Ages, even playing on Settler was too challenging for me with a huge map and 12 AI opponents with "Quick" pace.

The perfect singleplayer settings, at least for my limited skills, seem to be (using Civilization NiGHTS mod):

• Huge Map
• Epic Pace
• Continents
• 4-5 City States
• 5 or 6 A.I. Opponents (significantly reduces late game wait time at the end of each turn)
• No Barbarians
• Settler or Chieftain Difficulty

For multiplayer matches with one or two other players, the following settings seem to work well:

• Tiny or Duel Map
• 2-3 City States
• Quick Pace
• Quick Combat (no animations)
• No Barbarians
• Turn Timer enabled

[TheRealKelor]

I prefer to play
map= x-tra large
city states = 24
civ´s (ai)= 12
speed = standard

It takes 1 o 2 days for a single player match.


greetz
TheRealKelor

[IcyDeadPeople]

Originally Posted by TheRealKelor

I prefer to play
map= x-tra large
city states = 24
civ´s (ai)= 12
speed = standard

It takes 1 o 2 days for a single player match.


greetz
TheRealKelor

Wow, 24 city states?

That seems like a really unique experience. Do you have a strategy of becoming allies with them?

I've noticed most city states seem to be rather fickle, quickly turning on you even if you do a favor, so I usually either attack them or ignore them.

Also, if you are going for a large territory, I've noticed the more city-states in the mix, the harder it is to settle a large area in the early game to block off opponents from expanding into your territory later.

I suspect my CPU is not powerful enough to handle 12 civs and 24 city states - I guess I would be waiting a long time at the end of each turn.

[TrippleD]

Originally Posted by TheRealKelor

I prefer to play
map= x-tra large
city states = 24
civ´s (ai)= 12
speed = standard

It takes 1 o 2 days for a single player match.


greetz
TheRealKelor

I do

City States 12
Civ's 6

[samtheauburnfan]

Originally Posted by IcyDeadPeople

Wow, 24 city states?

That seems like a really unique experience. Do you have a strategy of becoming allies with them?

Currently, city-states are rather predictable and don't help out much in combat. I usually ally (pay copious amounts of money to) with ones that are in possession of strategic resources, or pay one to start a war that shares a border with a common enemy.

[buchengshi]

I usually play small (6/12) or standard maps (with 6/12 or 6/14). Always on marathon. I'd like to play huge maps, but get impatient when the turn times go over ten seconds. I really liked playing the 18 Civ Earth map in Civ4 on marathon. Epically long games, especially since Civ4 had more turns before it ended. (I think it was 2500 on marathon.)

[TomKQT]

I play only the standard speed. I take it as the way how the game was supposed to be played and the other speeds are just "modifications" (although of course official).

[IcyDeadPeople]

Originally Posted by TomKQT

I play only the standard speed. I take it as the way how the game was supposed to be played and the other speeds are just "modifications" (although of course official).

For multiplayer, it seems quick pace and quick combat is the only way to complete a match in a reasonable period of time.

[buchengshi]

Originally Posted by TomKQT

I play only the standard speed. I take it as the way how the game was supposed to be played and the other speeds are just "modifications" (although of course official).

Do you also only play on Standard size maps, at Prince difficulty?

Larger map sizes reduce unhappiness, and increase tech research costs (smaller maps reduce tech costs). Changing the difficulty level can give you adavantages (at low levels), or give them to the AI. (And high level immortal/deity strategies often aren't applicable at low difficulty levels). The game itself lists Prince as 'normal' difficulty. (Which I guess makes anything else 'abnormal' .)

Anything besides Standard map, Standard speed, Prince difficulty, is a modification.

[flex12]

Originally Posted by buchengshi

Do you also only play on Standard size maps, at Prince difficulty?

Larger map sizes reduce unhappiness, and increase tech research costs (smaller maps reduce tech costs). Changing the difficulty level can give you adavantages (at low levels), or give them to the AI. (And high level immortal/deity strategies often aren't applicable at low difficulty levels). The game itself lists Prince as 'normal' difficulty. (Which I guess makes anything else 'abnormal' .)

Anything besides Standard map, Standard speed, Prince difficulty, is a modification.

Where did you get that from with the tech duration depending on map size?

[buchengshi]

Originally Posted by flex12

Where did you get that from with the tech duration depending on map size?

From playing a ton of games. I had noticed a while back playing huge maps that pottery & writing took longer (when selecting tech after first city is built). I checked different map sizes and found that the map size affected the research required for each tech.

[TomKQT]

Originally Posted by buchengshi

Do you also only play on Standard size maps, at Prince difficulty?

No, why do you ask? This thread is about speed.
For me the map size and difficutly setting are much more natural for a Civ game than game speed. That's just my feeling, I've got no serious arguments. Playing different map sizes seems absolutely normal for me, I choose smaller when I want a quicker game and larger when I want longer game. I don't need to play a quick large map or slow small map, that would feel weird for me. Also, I'm used to one speed.
I also don't change difficulty much, I picked one that suits me and I stick to it. I tried other difficulties only for the achievements.

Originally Posted by buchengshi

Larger map sizes reduce unhappiness, and increase tech research costs (smaller maps reduce tech costs).

I didn't know it and I'd bet not many players know it.
But you are right, I checked it quickly and on duel size the unhappiness for 1 city is 3 while on huge it is 1.8 and the cost of the first column of technologies is 35 versus 45 and Future tech costs 9500 versus 12350.