Civilization 6 offers a range of difficulty levels that can dramatically change the player experience. The easiest and lowest setting is “Settler,” while the hardest is “Deity.” As the difficulty increases, the computer player doesn’t necessarily get smarter; instead, it gains significant starting advantages and becomes more aggressive to make the game more challenging for human players. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what each level entails and how these settings impact gameplay.
The Easiest Levels: Settler, Chieftain, and Warlord
At the easiest difficulty level, Settler, Civilization 6 is designed to give the player every possible advantage. The computer-controlled civilizations are heavily penalized in combat, with a -1 combat strength handicap. This means that any unit you send into battle will have an easier time defeating enemy units, as they will be weaker in comparison. Additionally, the human player receives combat strength bonuses and experience point boosts for their units, allowing them to become stronger more quickly.
Moreover, barbarian camps will yield extra gold when defeated, providing the player with an easy and early source of wealth to jumpstart their civilization. The game is intended to give new players an easy path to victory and an introduction to the game’s mechanics without overwhelming difficulty.
The next two levels, Chieftain and Warlord, follow a similar structure to Settler, though the AI becomes slightly less penalized in these modes. The AI continues to suffer from the -1 combat strength penalty, but the bonuses the human player receives are gradually reduced as they move up the difficulty scale. These levels still offer a forgiving experience, giving players time to experiment and learn how the game’s systems interact with one another.
The Default: Prince Level
Prince difficulty is the default setting in Civilization 6, often considered the “normal” level. Here, both the human player and the computer-controlled civilizations are placed on equal footing. The AI no longer suffers combat penalties, and the player loses the bonuses they enjoyed at the lower difficulty levels. There are no experience boosts, extra gold from barb camps, or combat bonuses for the human player.
While the AI is still not particularly “intelligent” at this level, the playing field is balanced. Both the player and the computer start with the same number of units and resources, making the outcome of the game reliant more on strategy and decision-making rather than any artificial advantages. This level is often used by players who want a fair challenge without the AI having significant early-game advantages.
Advanced Difficulty Levels: King, Emperor, and Immortal
Beginning with King, the AI starts to receive bonuses that tip the balance in its favor. As the difficulty increases, these bonuses grow in scope and scale, making the game more challenging:
- King level introduces small bonuses for the AI in terms of science, culture, faith, production, gold, technology, and civics. These bonuses allow the AI to progress slightly faster than the player, though the differences are still manageable with good strategy.
- At Emperor, these bonuses become more pronounced. The AI begins to get extra units at the start of the game, including one additional settler, one builder, and one warrior. This head start allows them to settle cities, build infrastructure, and develop their military more quickly than the human player. In response, the player must be more aggressive in their early-game decisions to avoid falling behind.
- Immortal is a significant jump in difficulty. The AI now receives two settlers, two builders, and three warriors at the beginning of the game. This head start makes the AI expand rapidly, often securing key resources and strategic locations before the player can. To succeed at this level, the human player must carefully plan their every move, focusing on rapid city growth, effective military strategy, and diplomatic maneuvering to stay competitive.
The Ultimate Challenge: Deity Difficulty
The highest and most punishing level is Deity. At this setting, the AI receives massive advantages right from the start. It begins the game with:
- Two settlers (allowing them to found two cities immediately)
- Two builders (to quickly develop tiles and infrastructure)
- Four warriors (providing a strong military presence from the outset)
These starting units give the AI an incredible head start, allowing them to grow exponentially in the early game while the human player is still trying to get their first city established. On top of the extra units, the AI also enjoys major bonuses to its yields across the board: science, culture, production, faith, and more.
At this level, success requires expert knowledge of the game’s mechanics, optimal play, and often a bit of luck. The AI’s advantages can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t manage your early game effectively.
AI Mechanics in Civilization 6
It’s important to note that the AI in Civilization 6 does not become smarter as you increase the difficulty level. Instead, the AI remains at a relatively fixed level of intelligence, following scripted behaviors and making predictable decisions. What changes at higher difficulties is that the AI is given more tools, bonuses, and head starts that allow it to simulate being more challenging. This results in a more competitive game experience, but not necessarily one where the AI behaves more strategically or tactically sound.
In essence, the AI’s strength comes from its early-game advantages, not its decision-making prowess. The human player must use superior strategy and adaptability to overcome these inherent boosts, particularly at Deity difficulty.
Conclusion
The difficulty settings in Civilization 6 range from forgiving (Settler) to punishingly difficult (Deity), and each level in between introduces different degrees of AI advantages. While the AI does not become more intelligent at higher levels, its significant bonuses in the form of extra units, resources, and yields can create a challenging experience for the human player. To succeed at the higher levels, players must refine their strategies, optimize their gameplay, and take advantage of every opportunity to overcome the AI’s head start.