This game is meant to be played on Marathon

[vapechimp]

I always play on standard speed but I tried marathon and I am surprised how much better I play and enjoy the game. There is no feel of rush at all. Slowly, methodically and my pleasure no rush for anywhere and it is much better than the nervous standard speed rush. Wars are so much more interesting, logistics is King in this game. I like to play huge maps and to discover all the terrain so I can plan my victory well in advance. On standard usually the game is over I don't even know my enemies until closing stage of the game when all the fun is over. Too rushed standard speed.

On the other hand yes it is crazy long. Therefore I recommend marathon only on deity difficulty. Anything less, like Emperor difficulty, don't even bother with marathon just do standard speed anyways you will win as always because AI suck so no need to make it long torture we know it is auto win so faster better.

How do you think ?

[Lemurian1972]

Originally posted by vapechimp:

How do you think ?

I think that despite the fact I've devoted thousands of hours to this game, I can't maintain the focus needed to make it through hundreds of hours for a single game. I agree it's nice for decompressing the early game, but when it comes to stretching out the massive dead spaces that make up the late-mid and endgame stages? No thank you.

[Copernicus]

I was not a fan of Marathon at first, but it has grown on me as I use it. It really forces you to save up cash for purchases, to study your strategic goals in advance, to prepare for hardships and warfare rather than just react to them as they arrive.

I kinda like it now. :)

[grazr]

Most of the CIV development is relative because everything costs more, but what Marathon gives you is more turns to do stuff which affects how you can move around on the map with your units.

I like it because it lets you explore "faster" and choose better city sites on larger maps earlier. Plus, as you said, combat becomes slightly more involved too.

I used to play Marathon a lot in CIV5, but as i got more and more busy with work and life and my time to spend on games decreased I unfortunately don't have the time to spend marathoning a single campaign as i likely would never see the end of it.

[vapechimp]

I agree that marathon is very time consuming. Therefore I recommend taking a slow approach.

Listen, nobody will give you a medal for rushing standard. I am tired of winning on standard and feels bad. I start to like this laid back approach to marathon. When my plan executed full and I enjoy the game.

Standard is a rush stuff, it robs you of the fun. Again I played 99% on standard and I know what I am talking about

[vapechimp]

You show them who is the boss. Low and slow. Real Civ 6 id played like that. Everything goes smoothly. No more rush standard games. Low and slow cooking some good game

[Evrach]

Originally posted by vapechimp:

How do you think ?

I think the total opposite.

Marathon speed totaly unbalance a game already unbalanced enough. If you're a beginner, marathon will crush you because you won't be reactive enough to adapt your build order to the pace of the game. Moreover, playing at marathon speed will prevent beginners to make any progress. You can only progress by playing. The more game you play, the better you will. And marathon is so time consuming that their progress will be as slow as the game...

On the opposite, if you're a good player, the slow speed will totaly trivialise an AI that already struggle even on deity difficulty level. Everything will be slow up except unit moving, so you'll just crush the poor bots by making better moves and have better logistics.

I tried once, to see. Will never again. Play dozens of hours in game, knowing by turn 400 that you have won, that nobody will stop you, and still having 600 turn to play... No thanks XD The game was so boring. I just struggle to finish it, and only achieved it because I'm stubborn.

Of course my opinion is biased because I'm mostly a mp player and not a solo player, but even at solo, I mostly play at online speed and advise to play at this speed. If you are a beginner, you'll make more progress because you'll play more games. With timer, you'll make even more progress. If you're a good player, you'll have more tight games. AI won't be better, but it will clearly looks better, because it's incapacity to move and place correctly its units won't matter as much.

Of couse, this is for players that want to make progress and/or have tight games. Some people just want to chill build their civ in their corner, have fun by placing their district as they want to have big bonuses and have absolutly no pressure. And this is perfectly fine ! The game is so rich that both approachs are ok. And marathon speed maybe an be ok for this ? I know I'd be bored, but I can understand that other people can like it.

But even if you enjoy this way of playing, I still think that you'll miss something by playing only marathon speed. There's 75+ leaders in the game. Even at online speed, it would take ~500h to try each of them. By playing marathon, it would take you ~5000h. Not to master them, not to enjoy them. Just to try them once ^^; I just can't imagine that... XD If I don't have my daily game, I'd be very sad XD

In conclusion I'd say the game is meant to be played... at the speed you enjoy it the most. And it will vary a lot depending on the people. And that's OK :)

[vapechimp]

But wait a minute my dude. The Ai is the same no matter the speed. The AI is all the same no matter speed. What it is about is the map size and difficulty. And of course your tolerance for speed.

Do youi play on huge maps with all max civs on deity ?

Try it on standard and let me know

[vapechimp]

I can guarantee you that you will lose on standard huge map deity against all civs. Because the game is made for marathon on the these settings. Yet if you want to play 5 civs on small map, look don't even bother me

[Evrach]

But wait a minute my dude. The Ai is the same no matter the speed. The AI is all the same no matter speed. What it is about is the map size and difficulty. And of course your tolerance for speed.

AI is the same, no matter the speed and difficulty level (it just has bonuses), but the slower the speed, the more the AI will struggle because they have more moves to do, and they suck at it. On the opposite, the human player will have plenty on time to explore and have better cities spots and human errors will be less sanctionned because you'll have more time to "fix them". It makes the game far easier, even with the same AI.

Do youi play on huge maps with all max civs on deity ?
Try it on standard and let me know

Like I said, I rarely play against AIs. When I play against AI, it's mostly on Deity, unless I want a chill game, then I play on Immortal. Map size, depends a lot, mostly Standard size though. But yes I already played huge maps with all civs, not often, but sometimes, what's your point ? What do you want me to let you know ? I don't understand.

[Enigmatic]

he's right though, it makes deity quite enjoyable.
It's a lot easier to plan something with all civs. As era's last longer you get more use out of your unique units. On quick speed you might get out a unique unit that is already obsolete.

I'm not quite at deity on standard speed. I only just can do immortal with a decent start. Depending on how the barbs slow down the Ai a bit. Must use barb clans, or else the Ai just builds too wide and will run away on you.

[Evrach]

Originally posted by εnigmatic:

he's right though, it makes deity quite enjoyable.
It's a lot easier to plan something with all civs. As era's last longer you get more use out of your unique units. On quick speed you might get out a unique unit that is already obsolete.

Sure, it's a lot easier, we all agree on that I guess. But that's the point. The way you enjoy the game depends of you level. If you struggle at standard speed deity, you'll probably have a good game at standard speed Immortal or Marathon Speed deity because the challenge level will match your level. And that's great ! That's why there's so many customisable options in the game. So that your game matches the way you enjoy it.
The point I disagree with is that this point is not the same for everyone because we all have different levels,approachs and options.

[vapechimp]

Of course. The AI is the same no matter the speed. It is just that the game is not too rushed so you can develop you strategy in full. Like I said on standard I often don't even know my enemies (playing huge maps) until end of game which is lame mechanics. Once I know them is different story on marathon

[vapechimp]

And I said it before, if you want to play easy game, hell no don't marathon because you will autowin on standard huge. So who is wasting time ? Me on standard repeating wins after wins or me on marathon deity getting the most out of it against beefed up Civs on unknown land ? Where is the fun of it ? You basically can't do it on standard unless you opt 5 civs on small map which is almost trivial waste of time

[Evrach]

We just don't have fun the same way, that's all. How is that a problem ? :)

And I never play at Standard speed. Only at Online speed. Much worse for you I guess :D

[vapechimp]

Online ? Have you ever won with them cheaters ?