The Altera Centauri collection has been brought up to date by Darsnan. It comprises every decent scenario he's been able to find anywhere on the web, going back over 20 years.
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Call To Power 2 Cradle 3+ mod in progress: https://apolyton.net/forum/other-games/call-to-power-2/ctp2-creation/9437883-making-cradle-3-fully-compatible-with-the-apolyton-edition
To me, the idea of sorting and labeling people and then handicapping the supposedly lesser players is a bit bordering with offensive too. If I lose to a superior player than me, this will not bring me depression and self-pitying and I will need no soothing. Absolutly the opposite - It will act for me as a reason and a stimule to learn from my mistakes, learn the game better and try to become a better player and I will be even eager to clash with this player again and eventually prove myself better this time. But I guess its up to a person and the degree of their competitive nature.
I still believe the strong players must be given a challenge. And the less experienced must be pushed a bit to have better odds.
Such better odds of survival and actually winning against more experienced players can be given simply by the knowledge who is Tier1 and who is not, given only to the non-Tier1 players from the start of the game, while still keeping the anonimity who is who exactly. Then the non-tier1 players can ally against the possible treat of having a Tier1 neighbor or been at least better prepared when they know who is most likely to become a uber-power in their region being an experienced player, and act accordingly.
I think this will make for a better ballanced game than anything else.
But if you still prefer instead of this to give the not-so-experienced players a hard-coded and material bonus, I think they can have the same like the Deity AI's - 2 settlers, 2 workers, 4 archers and 2 explorers at the start.
To me, the idea of sorting and labeling people and then handicapping the supposedly lesser players is a bit bordering with offensive too. If I lose to a superior player than me, this will not bring me depression and self-pitying and I will need no soothing. Absolutly the opposite - It will act for me as a reason and a stimule to learn from my mistakes, learn the game better and try to become a better player and I will be even eager to clash with this player again and eventually prove myself better this time. But I guess its up to a person and the degree of their competitive nature.
I still believe the strong players must be given a challenge. And the less experienced must be pushed a bit to have better odds.
Such better odds of survival and actually winning against more experienced players can be given simply by the knowledge who is Tier1 and who is not, given only to the non-Tier1 players from the start of the game, while still keeping the anonimity who is who exactly. Then the non-tier1 players can ally against the possible treat of having a Tier1 neighbor or been at least better prepared when they know who is most likely to become a uber-power in their region being an experienced player, and act accordingly.
I think this will make for a better ballanced game than anything else.
But if you still prefer instead of this to give the not-so-experienced players a hard-coded and material bonus, I think they can have the same like the Deity AI's - 2 settlers, 2 workers, 4 archers and 2 explorers at the start.
You can't really make these artificial tiers anyway... I might be a good player but this is not the only reason I usually do well in these games, I think it's even more important that i care about these games (maybe too much ). I rarely miss turns, later in the game a single turn could take up 30+ mins when needed to optimize my cities, I do research about game mechanics, I try out scenarios-especially important in the beginning, planning the fisrt turns, replaying them on a world builder created map etc...
This is what really separates the players, but you can't predict how involved a player will be during the game. Giving somone 2 settlers+ more military units in the beginning could lead to the tier1 player will be "choked" by tier 2s without giving him a chance to do anything with his "better" skills.
If we really wanted to balance things out then the best way would be to do it on the fly (like free tech trades for those who got left behind, maybe a rule that no one could build more cities if he already has 3 more than the one with the least amount... or every civ can have only 1 wonders/era, only 1 religion (can't reseach religion giving tech if no one else have it already), 1 corporation.. etc something like this to prevent certain players getting too big advantage, these things could be implemented into one's strategy and less risky than dividing the players into 2 tiers and handicapping half of them.
I might be a good player but this is not the only reason I usually do well in these games, I think it's even more important that i care about these games (maybe too much ). I rarely miss turns, later in the game a single turn could take up 30+ mins when needed to optimize my cities, I do research about game mechanics, I try out scenarios-especially important in the beginning, planning the fisrt turns, replaying them on a world builder created map etc...
Any and all of those things makes you a good player. It is not only knowing the dry mechanics of the game itself. It is a complex of factors. But still the people who have played with you know you are a good player so, you can be putted in the appropriate tier
And I am all against giving pittance to anyone in the form of material things - technologies, units, etc. I just mentioned those 2 settlers etc, etc because it is the standart advantage Sid decided to give to the AI to make the most chalenging game for a good player.
As I said, I prefer a bit more elegant approach - this with the knowledge.
Correct me if I am wrong but I do not recall DoD being seeded in any way. I ended up getting Sumeria despite the fact that they seem to be regarded as the worst possible Civ in BtS.
I may be a far poorer player than most of you and would certainly be classed as Tier 2. I dislike like that stigma and want nobody's pity. I will win or lose on an even playing field and expect everyone else to be adult enough to accept victory or defeat and, as 2metraninja said, learn from my mistakes.
It is also easy to forget that in MP sheer military brilliance is not the passport to success that it appears to be. Good diplomacy can be worth a dozen Tanks, good economic management a dozen more and timing is worth everything.
If you want to handicap top players than just abandon Anonymous play so we all know where our biggest threats sit. I would hate that but it would be easiest. Otherwise let us just cut out all the nonsense and get what we are given and make the most of it.
It may take a few days or weeks for this game to get started. Anyone want to join a diplogame right now? The Aztec civ in Destiny of Empires is available, I am not sure whether it is available temporarily or permanently. So if you'd like to sink your teeth into an existing civ, please let me know and I'll get you the password and login details (or talk to Robert).
After reading the full topic couldnt take any conclusions
Who will set the rules?
This will be my first diplo game.
I Play civ since the game series started.
Not even one complete game with the BTS update. (Game2 here in Apolyton and i dont have time to play alone)
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