The difficulty level is a game setting in Civilization IV that allows players to compete against AI opponents matched to their skills and desire for challenge. In order from lowest to highest, the difficulty levels are as follows:
- Settler
- Chieftain
- Warlord
- Noble
- Prince
- Monarch
- Emperor
- Immortal
- Deity
Since the computer players are not controlled by advanced AI (i.e., cannot learn from and react to the player's strategies by changing their own accordingly), but instead behave based on a very long list of if-then statements, the game makes the AI leaders more challenging opponents by giving them advantages on higher difficulty levels. The bonuses conferred to both human and AI players on each difficulty level are listed in the table below.
All of the information presented here comes from a forum post on CivFanatics and the game's XML files.[1]
| Element | Settler | Chieftain | Warlord | Noble | Prince | Monarch | Emperor | Immortal | Deity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iFreeWinsVsBarbs | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| iAnimalAttackProb | 0 | 25 | 50 | 75 | 90 | 95 | 98 | 99 | 100 |
| iStartingLocPercent | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 |
| iGold | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| iFreeUnits | 24 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| iUnitCostPercent | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 |
| iResearchPercent | 60 | 75 | 90 | 100 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 125 | 130 |
| iDistanceMaintenancePercent | 45 | 55 | 65 | 75 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 100 |
| iNumCitiesMaintenancePercent | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 |
| iMaxNumCitiesMaintenance | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| iCivicUpkeepPercent | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| iInflationPercent | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| iHealthBonus | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| iHappyBonus | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| iAttitudeChange | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| iNoTechTradeModifier | 100 | 90 | 80 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 20 |
| iTechTradeKnownModifier | -100 | -50 | -25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| iUnownedTilesPerGameAnimal | 100 | 80 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 35 | 30 | 25 | 20 |
| iUnownedTilesPerBarbarianUnit | 150 | 100 | 80 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 35 | 30 | 25 |
| iUnownedWaterTilesPerBarbarianUnit | 3000 | 2400 | 2200 | 2000 | 1800 | 1600 | 1400 | 1200 | 1000 |
| iUnownedTilesPerBarbarianCity | 160 | 150 | 140 | 130 | 120 | 110 | 100 | 90 | 80 |
| iBarbarianCreationTurnsElapsed | 50 | 45 | 40 | 35 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| iBarbarianCityCreationTurnsElapsed | 55 | 50 | 45 | 40 | 35 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 |
| iBarbarianCityCreationProb | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| iAnimalBonus | -70 | -60 | -50 | -40 | -30 | -20 | -10 | -5 | 0 |
| iBarbarianBonus | -40 | -30 | -20 | -10 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| iAIAnimalBonus | -70 | -70 | -70 | -70 | -70 | -70 | -70 | -70 | -70 |
| iAIBarbarianBonus | -40 | -40 | -40 | -40 | -40 | -40 | -40 | -40 | -40 |
| iStartingDefenseUnits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| iStartingWorkerUnits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| iStartingExploreUnits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| iAIStartingUnitMultiplier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| iAIStartingDefenseUnits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| iAIStartingWorkerUnits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| iAIStartingExploreUnits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| iBarbarianDefenders | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| iAIDeclareWarProb | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| iAIWorkRateModifier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 75 | 100 |
| iAIGrowthPercent | 160 | 130 | 110 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 80/60** |
| iAITrainPercent | 160 | 130 | 110 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 60 |
| iAIWorldTrainPercent | 160 | 130 | 110 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| iAIConstructPercent | 160 | 130 | 110 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 60 |
| iAIWorldConstructPercent | 160 | 130 | 110 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| iAICreatePercent | 160 | 130 | 110 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 60 |
| iAIWorldCreatePercent | 160 | 130 | 110 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| iAICivicUpkeepPercent | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 60 |
| iAIUnitCostPercent | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 60 |
| iAIUnitSupplyPercent | 50 | 45 | 40 | 35 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| iAIUnitUpgradePercent | 45 | 40 | 35 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| iAIInflationPercent | 100 | 90 | 80 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 20 |
| iAIWarWearinessPercent | 100 | 90 | 80 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 20 |
| iAIPerEraModifier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -5 |
| High Gold* | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Low Gold* | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Map* | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Settler* | 2 | 2 | 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Warrior* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Scout* | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Worker* | 2 | 2 | 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Experience* | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Healing* | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tech* | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Barbarian Weak* | N/A | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Barbarian Strong* | N/A | N/A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| FreeTechs | The Wheel, Agriculture, Mining | The Wheel, Agriculture | The Wheel | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| AIFreeTechs | None | None | None | None | None | Archery | Archery, Hunting | Archery, Hunting, Agriculture | Archery, Hunting, Agriculture, The Wheel |
* This element is listed under the heading "Goodies (20)" in the XML file. It indicates the chance (x-in-20) of a "goody hut" yielding this result when "popped" by the player.
** 60 on the original CIV4HandicapInfo, but 80 on Beyond the Sword CIV4HandicapInfo.
References[]
See also[]
- Difficulty level in other games