Beyond the Sword Review by Solver

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Solver


Of all the things I think about BtS, this is the one area where I really wish I was wrong. The problem is the most visible, IMO, with food corporations. Then if you switch to SP, you just can't compensate for the food loss from corps, and you will starve.

Yes, SP is still great at reducing maintenance. And has some other bonuses. But the problem is, corporations are quite an investment. Take the hammer-giving corps. So you've founded one and spread it, now your cities enjoy higher production. If you switch to SP, your hammer outputs will probably drop, although not catastrophically. However, the hundreds or even thousands of gold you've spent on spreading your corporation are now absolutely wasted. So my problem is switching to SP after you've founded a corporation.

Didn't you run the test trying to show just how overpowered corporations were and after you spread a corp to all your cities and switched to SP found that you actually made a lot more money than you had before?

I don't think it is as out of whack as you say. Personally I choose corporations, but I never really used SP before BtS anyhow, and I never build windmills and watermills. But for someone who does like SP he won't be making a huge sacrifice to stick with SP instead of going for corps.

[couerdelion]

From the snippets I've read so far, this looks like it will be a good review. The corps always looked a little like late game religions but being more generous on the gold. Comparing the production with organised religion, the bonuses don't look that huge though and I have thought it worth looking into how Corps compare to the other big late-game GP use (Great Ages).

It makes me think that the corps are not so skewed towards the warmonger as the review might suggest. Given that the warmonger has probably got a large empire, the Golden Age may still be a better use of the GP and if you add to this the benefits that the warmonger gets from State Property, corps may look more like an alternative use for GPs in smaller civs.

[Robert]

The warmonger (with a big empire) may get totally broken if he spreads a corporation, because of the overkill of resources for his corps.

[player1]

Originally posted by CyberShy
The warmonger (with a big empire) may get totally broken if he spreads a corporation, because of the overkill of resources for his corps.

The warmonger that spreads too much, could see SP as solution.
Sure it could do some pop. hit, but in greater scheme of things it will be beneficial.

[Robert]

Indeed. En thus corporations won't be unballanced in favor of war mongers. War mongers may even 'flee' out of corporation maintenance into the direction of SP.

[MoonWolf]

Great review, Solver, thanks! Lots of interesting reading. It looks like a manual or guide and cause I'm still waiting for my "pre"order, felt like I got a good overview of the game

Question: If you place a spy in your city or on an improvment, will that make it harder for foreign spies to operate on that tile?

[Flhaus]

Great review. I only wish that APOLYTON would put that sort of detail in their manuals. It would help a noob like myself to be more proficient in the game.

I like your comparisons to vanilla, it actually helped me understand some game concepts and strategies that I can use in Vanilla.

I plan on buying BTS after I have more vanilla under my belt and when the first BTS patch comes out.

Thanks again!

[Theseus]

Superb review, Solver.

I've been away for a while, just messing around with the fringe capabilities of Warlords every once in a while... now I can't wait to get my hands on BTS!!!

[Hercules]

Thanks for the excellent review Solver.

Now awaiting my Bts pack.

[SComtesse]

Great work, Solver!

You didn't miss anything.

[sneaky]

Question Solver, there is a lot of talk about Inflation making Corporations almost impossible to sustain. Did you experience anything like that and could you tell us how Corporations can be used without drowning in debt?

[rah]

Good Job Solver.
It detailed a lot of the changes that I was wondering about.
And I don't care that it might be a touch biased.
It still beats the heck out a review by a professional that when you're done reading you wonder if he actually played the game more than once, of at all.

Thanx.

[Slade Wilson]

A fair review.

On the other hand, this is partially counterbalanced by the fact that warmongers may find it harder to pop a Great Person in time, and may thus simply lose the corporation to some smaller builder empire.

No reason a warmongerer cant setup a GP farm

[Robert]

Originally posted by sneaky
Question Solver, there is a lot of talk about Inflation making Corporations almost impossible to sustain. Did you experience anything like that and could you tell us how Corporations can be used without drowning in debt?

Maintaing corporations isn't easy indeed.
I wouldn't say that it's impossible to sustain. One can always sell one of the corp-resources for big money (ie. a coal resource) to both easy the maintenance (at the prize of less corp bonusses) and get some extra income.

But placing corporations without a solid economical background is financial suicide indeed.

[Karol]

Solver, your review is as always great. Unfortunately it came few days too late. Watiggi on CFC posted many screenshots on June, 19th - and took your show.

From PR point of view you would be "God of Civ4" if your review was issued on 19th.



PS. All of this "delay in US" sucks as I live in Poland and pre-ordered from Take2Store. If I ordered from UK I would be already playing it