AU mod: Longevity

[alexman]

The problem

A Wonder of the World should provide the builder with a noticeable advantage. Longevity does not have that effect in the game because it comes at a time when most cities have already reached their maximum size, so they do not benefit from double population growth. In fact, a city near its maximum size not only doesn’t benefit from Longevity, but it often enters starvation if the 2-population point jump is more than it can support. Starvation can hurt productivity, if the city was in a WLTKD celebration.

But even in the rare case when an empire is not fully developed and can make good use of Longevity, Genetics come near the end of the game where the population boost will come too late to make a difference in production. Better to spend those 1000 shields to complete 3-4 spaceship parts or to build some extra Modern Armor units.

Possible Solution

Move Longevity to Sanitation. Reduce its cost to 800 shields, which is more appropriate for an Industrial Age Wonder.

This change worked well in the PTW version of the AU mod. Longevity becomes a worthwhile Wonder which can be built as soon as hospitals are available to support the extra growth. Players now have a good Wonder alternative to the Theory of Evolution in the Industrial Age. As a side effect, the AI values Sanitation more, which is good since it needs the hospitals to make use of its loose build pattern.

What do you think of Longevity?

[donZappo]

This sounds like a good solution to me and seemed to work well when I played the PTW AU Mod. Just out of curiousity, were there any other alternatives that were suggested to improve Longetivity prior to its move to sanitation?

[ZargonX]

I can honestly say in the few games where Genetics even came into play, I built Longevity only if I was cruising along as the top dog in the world with plenty of productivity to spare. It is definately a Wonder that needs to be made "great." Moving it to sanitation is a good solution, as the benefit it provides at that point in the game would actually make it a consideration.

[Nor Me]

While I'd agree with this change, with the earlier versions of the AU mod, I would almost always built Longevity.

Recently, I was playing an OCC game with conquests and I noticed that the AI researched all the optional techs except sanitation by the mid-industrial age and I was in the modern age before they did. After Nationalism, Sanitation is the only optional tech that gives a real advantage to the AI.

Giving Longevity at sanitation would give a human player a reason to research it first as well as getting the AI to want it. This should help.

[vmxa1]

This is one of the few times where I like changes. It makes so much sense, you wonder why it was not adopted in some form for C3C.

[Tall Stranger]

Agreed. In the past, I would never even consider Longevity. Now, it's a good competitor to ToE.

[Aeson]

It sounds like a decent change, but I think Longevity's real problem is that it's basically the Pyramids thousands of years later, with a side effect of 'over pop limit' starvations, and costing much more.

If you bring it to Sanitation, that certainly helps it's value, but how about adding a JS Bach's type happiness to it as well? I would make the same suggestion for Suffrage.

[Mad Bomber]

I think moving it to sanitation woud be a good boost for this wonder and adding happiness faces is a great idea. (and needed after all the hospitals are built) Adding happiness faces to Suffarage is not needed as it already reduces war weariness (thus increasing happiness for republican governments).

To me TOE would still be the priority (I'm a tech hog ) but it would give me a viable reason to research sanitation rather than just buying it from the AI while I research another tech (most likely Steel or Combustion) to further my lead.

[Fosse]

I liked moving it to Sanitation in PtW AU, and support the same approach in the new AU.

[asleepathewheel]

Sounds like a great idea. And I like how the AI will give sanitation, and thus hospitals greater priority, I've found them to be lacking in that area.

[Aeson]

My thoughts on Suffrage are biased by playstyle no doubt. I never actually experience war weariness in a Republic, and almost never change to a Democracy.

[ZargonX]

I could see adding a happiness modifier to Longevity. I mean, you'd think people would be happier they are living longer It could be a very small increase, but just enough to make it a little more attractive for building.

[Mazarin]

I like the canges proposed in the initial post: faster growth is even more important in c3c due to its better specialists (especially the policemen).

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by ZargonX
I could see adding a happiness modifier to Longevity. I mean, you'd think people would be happier they are living longer It could be a very small increase, but just enough to make it a little more attractive for building.

Us old farts aren't necessarily happier for being crotchety old farts. Well, I'm not that old, but I'm certainly doing well on the crotchety front.

[Fosse]

I'm not a fan of adding happy faces to Longevity. It seems to flagrantly violate the conservative approach of AU, and it doesn't automatically follow that old age equals happy people.

In the PtW AU the movement of the wonder to Sanitation seemed to do the trick just fine.