Difficulty level (Civ5)

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The difficulty level is a game setting in Civilization V 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
• Prince
• King
• Emperor
• Immortal
• Deity

Since the human brain has far greater information processing and problem-solving capabilities than even the most advanced AI currently in existence, 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 tables below.

All of the information presented here comes from an info page on CivFanatics and the game's XML files.^[1]

In Vanilla and Gods & KingsEdit

Player BonusesEdit

Players receive gameplay bonuses that diminish as the chosen difficulty level increases. The AI plays on Chieftain difficulty and receives all of the appropriate bonuses.

^* This element is either a holdover from Civilization IV or is never used in the code, so it has no effect on gameplay.

AI BonusesEdit

The player's chosen difficulty level also affects the AI leaders. The gameplay bonuses they receive from Chieftain difficulty are cumulative with the bonuses below, so if the player chooses Deity difficulty, the AI will receive 60% of 60% (or 36%) of the normal Unhappiness from its cities and population.

¹ This element applies to the amount of Food that cities must store to increase their Population.
² This element applies to the Production and Faith costs of units.
³ This element applies to the Production costs of buildings.
⁴ This element applies to the Production costs of wonders.
⁵ This element applies to the Production costs of national projects, such as the Manhattan Project.
⁶ This element applies to the amount of Production that must be contributed to complete international projects, such as the World's Fair.
⁷ This element applies to the Gold maintenance costs of buildings.
⁸ This element applies to the Gold maintenance costs of units.
^* This element is either a holdover from Civilization IV or is never used in the code, so it has no effect on gameplay.

In Brave New WorldEdit

Player BonusesEdit

Players receive gameplay bonuses that diminish as the chosen difficulty level increases. The AI plays on a special difficulty level (as detailed under "AI" in the table below) and receives all of the appropriate bonuses.

^* This element is either a holdover from Civilization IV or is never used in the code, so it has no effect on gameplay.

AI BonusesEdit

The player's chosen difficulty level also affects the AI leaders. The gameplay bonuses they receive from their special difficulty level are cumulative with the bonuses below, so if the player chooses Deity difficulty, the AI will receive 90% of 75% (or 67.5%) of the normal Unhappiness from its cities and population.

¹ This element applies to the amount of Food that cities must store to increase their Population.
² This element applies to the Production and Faith costs of units.
³ This element applies to the Production costs of buildings.
⁴ This element applies to the Production costs of wonders.
⁵ This element applies to the Production costs of national projects, such as the Manhattan Project.
⁶ This element applies to the amount of Production that must be contributed to complete international projects, such as the World's Fair.
⁷ This element applies to the Gold maintenance costs of buildings.
⁸ This element applies to the Gold maintenance costs of units.
⁹ This element applies to the starting XP of military units.
¹⁰ This element applies to the number of XP that military units earn from combat.
^* This element is either a holdover from Civilization IV or is never used in the code, so it has no effect on gameplay.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ http://www.civfanatics.com/civ5/difficulties