What type of 4x game do you most like to play?

[thecommandtent]

I also should have noted and that within a 4x game my favorite parts are the early exploration phase and development up to through the gunpowder age.  I'm curious what others favorite parts within a game are.

[bayonetbrant]

I also should have noted and that within a 4x game my favorite parts are the early exploration phase and development up to through the gunpowder age.  I'm curious what others favorite parts within a game are.

I'm right there with you. Once things get too much past the development of electricity and flight, a lot of those Civ games tend to bog down for me. Part of that is because if you've done things right before then, you're far enough ahead that it's just trying to see out the game

[Martok]

I think you two have just highlighted another reason why I typically favor space and fantasy settings over historical ones... 

In space 4x games, it's all "future" technology anyway, so it's not nearly so obvious when you've way outpaced everyone else.  Fantasy is (ironically) similar, in that all technology is generally "medieval", and so again you don't feel like you're radically outpacing your rivals (even if in reality, you are).  In other words, it's an extra bit of immersion that historical 4x games inherently lack. 


(I'm not saying that there isn't still a certain sadistic joy in throwing tanks against hoplites, of course... )