Recommendations for settings for new game?

[onomastikon]

So I just finished my first game (planet), the last 9 turns I didn't actually play because I simply hit "end turn", only checking if any enemies were near my doomsday factories (but they weren't, I fact I didn't really have enemies). So no surprise I won by doomsday, without really wanting to.

My first planet and playthrough was playing assembly / fire tech on a medium Pangaea world with no teleporters and everything else set to default I think, total of 6 players set to "hard AI".

I would like more challenge in the mid- late game without having to minmax everything in the early game - that is, I don't want to have to crank the difficulty so high that the early game is rotten. I am looking for settings that give me more challenge at the end. I wouldn't mind a particularly aggressive ai I guess. I'd like to keep all victory conditions enabled but maybe disable allied victories? Any other settings recommended? I do NOT wish to play with mods that specifically give the ai more cheats / resources, but wouldn't mind a mod that makes the ai smarter (if there exists one). Any tips? Thanks!

[Reality]

If you pre-set teams and then put all players on their own team, everyone will start at auto-war with no diplomacy option.

This sounds extreme, but getting pure good super early and auto-alliancing people is a bit much

[onomastikon]

So you're saying if there are teams then all Diplo is disabled (except for npc I hope)?
And I make 6 teams and each player to 1 Team?
Edit: Also, does playing "Empire" mode make the game generally easier, or does it add a challenge?
I haven't played many "scenarios" yet aside from the tutorial and half of the next Vanguard one, since they seemed really easy, but can one crank up the difficulty at start and have a challenge with them too?
thanks much in advance

[sandman25dcsss]

Originally posted by onomastikon:

I would like more challenge in the mid- late game without having to minmax everything in the early game - that is, I don't want to have to crank the difficulty so high that the early game is rotten.

I don't think it is possible. The longer the game lasts the easier it is for human player for multiple reasons, humans are better at using high level heroes, high level units, high level mods, high level colonies.
I usually play with 12 teams, all victory conditions are disabled, mainland map without volcano/water/teleporters, war never ends.
Empire mode makes a few maps (about from 4th to 7th) harder, but soon you start with OP research/mods/units/heroes so it is too easy.

[onomastikon]

I figured as much. Thanks. So you play with teams and you make the teams all different and that disables alliances? All victory conditions disabled means you can still win by domination however right?

Also, I see in game setup there is this thing called "invasions". I've not seen that yet (since my only game ended fairly soon with doomsday), but is that like the chaos invasion Event in tww2, where neutral marauders come at turn x and try to ... kill everyone? Could I use that and turn it to early or something?

I like the "idea" of doomsday VC but I guess it's too easy, but theoretically I could leave it on and just not research it but let the ai try?

I was thinking maybe continents or islands could be good because that would keep us separated longer?

[sandman25dcsss]

It is not required to have 1 member in each team, you can split players as you want.
Domination can be disabled too, the only way to win for me is by killing all players (usually I stop the game earlier when it is obvious who the winner is).
Invasion splits players in 2 teams even if you have 12 teams in setup.
AI does not cross oceans well and builds too many ships, this is why I recommend removing water completely.

[onomastikon]

Thanks for those tips. Too bad, I find water interesting strategically, but I get the idea. Maybe ensuring that at least one enemy is that expansion race that is amphibious? (Forget the name, didn't see them yet.)
Not entirely sure I understand 2 points:
- is setting " teams" just to ensure that no one can ally? (Using teams disables Diplo by default as long as every player is in a team?)
- I'm not sure I understand what invasions do

[sandman25dcsss]

Yes, team game means you cannot interact with other players, every team is at war with all other teams (except after invasion).
Devs have diary about invasion:
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/age-of-wonders-planetfall-dev-diary-63-the-voidbringer-invasion.1395541/

[Konec]

There is no such settings. Ai is dead.

[Konec]

Also devs closed ai feedback thread calling the game "finished" and deleting negative comments that shed light on the Truth.

[TriumphJordi]

Originally posted by Konec:

Also devs closed ai feedback thread calling the game "finished" and deleting negative comments that shed light on the Truth.

Development of the game has ended. We're not working on Planetfall anymore and that thread has resulted in increased, less than civil, arguments between community members so I made the call to Lock it. As far as deleting comments/threads is concerned, I've only taken action against posts that we've received reports about.

There's nothing wrong with constructive criticism or feeling disappointed/frustrated, but we do not approve of blatant trolling, ad-hominem attacks or other toxic attitudes targeted at our community. Consider this a warning, if you stick to your current behaviour measures will be taken.