quote: And along this broad spectrum of play-styles, the AI is strongest in the middle. The two ends of the spectrum can be exploited strategically for easier victory. ICS occupies one end of the strategic spectrum and OCC the other. ICS expands more rapidly than the AI, builds bigger armies, becomes Supreme, demands tribute and goes for early conquest. OCC forms peaceful alliances, builds caravans, becomes Pathetic, requests gifts, and goes for early AC Landings. Most people who have difficulty at Deity, I think, play a style that is in the middle of the strategic spectrum where the AI is toughest. samson

A very succinct and well written analysis. It's funny how we players gravitate towards one or both extremes in attempts to excel at the game. Perhaps the better challenge would be to purposely avoid either extreme and find the best way to beat the AI where it is strongest, in the middle.

quote: The two ends of the spectrum can be exploited strategically for easier victory.

samson,

Well said. In any game that allows a lot of flexibility in building your persona (e.g. role-playing and empire building games) you can almost always become very powerful (albeit lopsided) by throwing all your resources into one area. As Rufus T. Firefly pointed out, once you play a game for a while it becomes more interesting to use sub-optimal strategies and see what happens.

I'm with Kitana and Mixam. I most enjoy the beginning when everything is undiscovered and new. Dealing with a lot of cities and units in the late game can get to be a drag. Also the ancient units, like the past, hold some romantic sway over my mind that machine guns and nukes just don't have.

VetLegion,