Confession - I like the easy level.

[BigDaddy]

I love to play on impossible, but unless you pick production scale its hard to "concern" the computer enough to make it not attack (the computer seems to get concerned if you're huge and not attack you agressively).

You will still lose sometimes in the early game. The computer always sucks against Emerald Guards and nasy Ulm units.

[tinkthank]

Maybe my problem is normal research or too high a number of starting provs/nation (between 15-18 or more), but I never lose to Impossible AI.

[BigDaddy]

I play Very Difficult research, Providence str 9, 1 starting province.

This caps your expansion and limits you research advantage (the computer sucks at both).