MOD: Moraelin's Cheat Mod

[Moraelin]

New version: 1.04

--------------------

This is a cheat mod, based largely on the Exponential Mod, so I won't repeat
the list of changes that one already has. Read that file for that list.

Why should you use this cheat? Well, frankly, you shouldn't. But if you really
must pound defenseless people into the ground, I think this one is more honest
than a straight infinite money cheat. It also ruins the game less, IMHO. (You
can't just keep rush-building every single turn, in every single of your 50
cities.)

Or, of course, if you want a challenge, you can play AGAINST the favoured
civilization. That way you'll have the odds stacked AGAINST you, so it becomes
not a cheat, but a real challenge.

So how does it cheat:

- Renamed the French to the Borg, and Joan d'Arc to Seven of Nine. (No offense
to the French. Nor to the Borg. I just had to change one civilization, and
France pulled the short straw merely because it was the least aggressive. I
wanted that those who cheat, get keep their aggressive neighbours.) Also gave
them all six advantages: Scientific, Industrious, Commercial, Militaristic,
Religious, and Expansionistic. This is the civ you should play, if you want
to cheat.

- Added new Government: the Hive. Basically this is where the cheat is. It has
no upkeep costs for buildings, so you'll always have an income. The Hive is
based on Integrated Defence, and the Borg start with that technology. (But be
warned, there's nothing to keep your opponents from researching that, too,
eventually, and making the playing field even again.) You should switch to
this government immediately. (It does have a max 60% research, though, so
you'll need to expand to stay ahead. Just like the Borg, eh?)

- Removed all advantages and starting techs from all other civilizations.

- The Borg build Scouts instead of Workers. (I really wanted them to be called
"Drones", but the game crashes if I rename them.) These don't cost population,
have 2 moves, can build improvements AND create new cities. They can also be
automated, like workers can. They also have 1 attack and defense, so they
can't be captured, and stand a chance against Barbarians. (But a tank will
still roll over them with no problems.) You can and should build LOTS of
cities early with those. (Hint: the 1 attack and defense, means one of those
drones can also somewhat defend a city against Warriors, until you can build
a proper Hoplite. Then you can move the drone to do something else.)

- The Borg can also build Explorers from the start. These also have 1 attack
and defense, so not only they're good at exploring, they're a very good and
quick starting offensive unit. You can capture (erm, I mean "assimilate")
workers and settlers all over the continent with those. However, you MUST
really make 1 or 2 immediately and set them on automatic Explore (hit the 'E'
key), so they'll raid all the goody huts before your opponents can. That will
give you a massive tech advantage.

- The Borg get the best National Units. They can build Hoplites, Panzers,
Cossacs, Musketeers, Riders and a few others. (Stealing technology from
assimilated cultures seemed quite apropriate for the Borg.) However, I didn't
remove them from the original civs that get them. So the Germans will still
get Panzers, even if so do you.

Changes in 1.04
---------------

- Incorporated the changes from the Exponential Mod 1.04. (Basically the cost
of some early units is slightly increased, to reflect their improved abilities
compared to each other. Also fixed the wrong costs of some UU's.)

- Gave the Borg Men-O-War too. (Just in case someone actually wants to rule
the seas in the middle ages.)

Changes in 1.03
---------------

- Increased the probability of luxuries appearing on the map, inversely
proportional to their value. I.e., wine and furs will be almost all over the
place, while gems stay fairly rare. This should not only help YOU to keep your
people happy, but should also help the AI countries keep THEIR people happy.
Which means slightly less chance of being attacked early, because you have
a luxury and they don't. (Then again, it also means less chances to trade.)
All things considered, it should be even easier for the non-expansionist
casual gamer.

- Increased the strategic resources by 50%. This should mean less situations
where you don't even have iron or coal, some of the most common resources on
Earth. On the other hand, it also reduces the chance that the AI countries
are deprived of these resources. It should mean somewhat less reasons for
war, BUT it will also mean they can build better units.

Changes in 1.02
---------------

- Pikemen now upgrade to Musketeers. Can't believe I missed these holes in
the upgrade chain for the Borg for so long. I need more cheaters... erm...
I mean testers for the mod

- The Hive no longer pays upkeep for units, either. (I mean, WTH, it's a
cheat anyway.)

Changes in 1.01
---------------

- Theocracy no longer has the standard trade bonus. Having both some free
troops AND more money was probably overkill, and made it too powerful. (BTW,
to make it clear, what I have in mind by "Theocracy" is somewhat more like
Vatican than some of the rabid fundamentalist regimes.)

- The Borg Scouts (i.e. workers) and Explorers now cost zero to manufacture.
Which is to say: they always take 1 turn to make, in any size of city.

- Fixed the Hoplite upgrade, so you can turn them into Pikemen before you
get the Musketeers.

- Other civilizations are now against Hive governments.

[Plumbean]

Just downloaded it going to check it out

[Moraelin]

Hmm... Only 3 downloads for the previous version? Kind of makes me wonder whether so few people cheat, or whether there's already some infinite money trainer out for 1.16f

[Plumbean]

I really like Kicking the computers A#@ when its down thanks

[Moraelin]

OK, after seeing some frustration threads over resource placement even on Chieftain, I decided to boost the strategic resources a bit, and the luxuries a lot. However, bear in mind that it also affects the AI.

More importantly: I could use some feedback, people. Am I going overboard? Or is it still not enough to make the game enjoyable for casual gamers? Do my changes screw up the game? Is there more I could do, within the severe limitations of the editor?

(Believe me, there's nothing wrong with cheating in a single player game. I'll freely admit that I cheat in about half the games I play. Noone will lynch you if you give me some feedback here )

[Moraelin]

Well, here's the new version. Basically brought it in sync with the v1.04 Exponential Mod.

[Vlad Antlerkov]

Re replacing the French: The aggressiveness of the AI civs can be altered via the editor. Why not just jack up the aggressiveness of every civ to the max?

[Moraelin]

Well, basicaly the "Borg" stuff is just a silly joke. (And you can always rename them back to French or to something else. E.g., you can just as well call them Canadians, Australians, Ukrainean, Trojans, Scotts, Welsh, Carthage, Atlantis or Cherokee, or whatever keeps you happy. Please don't let that silly Borg joke destroy your suspension of disbelief.)

Basically the whole thing went through my head like this: I have to make ONE civilization have a whole deck of aces up their sleeve. Which one? Americans would argue that their civilization is the best, the French would argue theirs is the best, and the Japanese would take pride in their own culture. So basically I just picked one, more or less at random, and renamed it into something that can't be construed as "my country rules and yours sucks". I didn't want to insult anyone in the process.

The aggression factor was more or less just picking one random criterion out of the hat, so it at least sounds like an impartial decision. (Again, to the end that it doesn't end up insulting to anyone.) That random criterion made the French and Indians be candidates for the short straw. And from there I just went like "hmm... well, Joan looks better than Gandhi, so I'd rather stare at her every time in the diplomacy screen."

Jacking up the aggression for everyone, I'm not sure it's that good an idea, since it would alter the whole game. IMHO Civ 3 can already be too aggressive for someone who'd rather just build a peaceful empire, than fight endless wars. Basically there are more aspects to Civ 3 than just war, and I didn't want to ruin it by taking away the little diversity it has, and turning it into a purely militaristic game.

[Faeelin]

upgrade research. We want to get tanks by 50 AD.

[Plumbean]

Moraelin where is your 1.04 version I cant find it

[Plumbean]

Nevermind i found it I cant believe i didnt see it first sorry.I will try it out

[toolazy2]

I am having trouble downloading. I keep recieving a file called attachment that I can not do anything with. It looks like a zip file judging from the starting charecteras, put it won't unzip.

[Sunni]

I am having the same problem downloading the mod.

[justp370]

What this! borg in this mod for?
its not Star Trek you know !

[The Mad Monk]

Now, now, its just for fun...

I've played my own version of 'rampant cheat' games, but it usually involved taking the special unit, removing all tech and resource requirements, and giving it a combination of worker, explorer, cavalry and cannon atributes...