Why did Firaxis ruin the game for leiserly players?

[watorrey]

In thier effort to please the few players who frequent these forums, who claim that it is too easy on higher levels, Firaxis has ruined the fun for us leiserly players. Where is the fun in playing a game of tech catchup with totally worthless cities????

Perhaps being the biggest civ is the ONLY way to keep ahead. But they screw you on that because being the biggest just means totally worthless cities. Domination shouldn't even be a victory condition with thier ideas of corruption. Maybe it makes more sense on smaller maps.... dunno.

The AI NEVER has any money anymore. Previously, there was always a few civs in each game that didn't have gold. But now it is the rule.

Even if they do have gold, (which just means they are in the tech lead), they won't give you squat for a tech (if you manage to get one first), and charge an arm and a leg to buy one from them, even if all the other civs have that tech (which they will one turn after it is discovered), because they give each other "deals".

I am the only one with Free Artistry. ST hasn't been finished yet. The best i can get is world map and 5GP with 6 other civs in the game???? In the meantime, all my money goes to buying industrial era techs.

Researching techs has become as totally useless as those cities you need to maintain a lead in the histograph. In thier effort to eliminate tech hording, (which i never did anyway) they made tech research a non-strategy.

Come on Firaxis... some of us like to have FUN while playing at say... monarch level.

It also seems the scale of the corruption isn't calculated properly for the larger maps. (i know... old and boring)

How about Firaxis assign someone to go thru the civilipedia and fix it? Seems to me a palace only costs 100 shields even after 2 patches.

As a rule, i don't change things with the editor. I like to play the game as it is intended to be played. I KNOW i am not the only one that thinks that way. But CIV3 is slowly becoming just a game shell that is meant to modified by everyone that plays it just so they can have some FUN.

Thankyou all.... i feel somewhat better now

[yin26]

We asked for a meaningful and fun challenge. So far the focus seems to be on challenge without having much of the meaningful or fun part in it. In other words, I don't think too many players at any level are pleased with the current state of affairs.

At any rate, it's good you are voicing your opinions. Perhaps they will help.

[Dida]

An army costs 400 sheids, which is ridiculously expensive, considering how useless they are.

[H Tower]

you mean the game was enjoyable before firaxis changed something in the patch?

[watorrey]

Originally posted by H Tower
you mean the game was enjoyable before firaxis changed something in the patch?

It could get like a dance. Everything you did felt like it flowed naturally. Now you have to check the diplomacy screen for ALL civs EVERY SINGLE TURN!!!

[watorrey]

Originally posted by Dida
An army costs 400 sheids, which is ridiculously expensive, considering how useless they are.

disbanding it will give you 5/8 of a police station in a city it won't do any good in anyway.

[hoonak]

Thanks and I agree with you. here's my thoughts on your post

In thier effort to please the few players who frequent these forums, who claim that it is too easy on higher levels,

If you read thier posts carefully it is obvious that one of three things is true:[list=1][*]they only play on small or tiny worlds; or[*]they are total eggheads that examine every detail every turn; or[*]they are lying through thier teeth about beating the game.[/list=1]

Firaxis has ruined the fun for us leiserly players. Where is the fun in playing a game of tech catchup with totally worthless cities????

Firaxis is not concerned with fun. They are concerned with SALES.

Perhaps being the biggest civ is the ONLY way to keep ahead. But they screw you on that because being the biggest just means totally worthless cities. Domination shouldn't even be a victory condition with thier ideas of corruption. Maybe it makes more sense on smaller maps.... dunno.

You are probably correct about the smaller maps. the game was playtested (maybe) on smaller maps because they play faster than the big maps.

The AI NEVER has any money anymore. Previously, there was always a few civs in each game that didn't have gold. But now it is the rule.

This is to make the game more challenging. It takes most of the fun out of finding other tribes too...
I generally don't even bother with the diplomacy screen except to see who has treaties with whom.

Researching techs has become as totally useless as those cities you need to maintain a lead in the histograph. In thier effort to eliminate tech hording, (which i never did anyway) they made tech research a non-strategy.

Yep.
thanks for a good thread,
me

[kimmygibler]

I have no patience to play on anything larger than small world. The trading problem is the current biggest problem. This affects all maps.

[notyoueither]

I am not having a problem trading with the AI. I get tech for far less than it would have cost me to research it myself in the early game. I don't think the AI is factoring in whether I'm leisurely or not.

Not having a problem establishing a tech lead in the mid game. I had tanks for 100 years before anyone else had them in my current game. Them and Bombers meant the Chinese (No1 in 1650) are now near the bottom as I admire the wonders they built in my new cities.

I am playing Emperor on Standard size map.

Salve

[Pius Popprasch]

I think you should play a lower level. If you cannot cope with Monarch play Regent. On Regent you can do what the A.I. can do. If the A.I. doesn't trade tech you will do it and milk the profit. If the A.I. hesitates to trade a certain tech you will jump in that place and trade Fission and alikes.

Maybe for better gameplay there there should be a delay when trading. Like a shipping time.

[Jaguar]

Play a lower level if you have trouble keeping up. I personally love Monarch level, trying to catchup as best I can. Its a whole lot more fun than starting out twice as good as the AIs, and finishing 5 times as good.

[Willem]

If you're playing Monarch, then you're no longer a leisurely player. Anything above Regent was meant for people who want more of a challenge.

[watorrey]

I was given civ3 as a gift because i like the civ series so much. I started out at chieftain and worked my way up learning it as a new game requiring new stratagies.

Now i find with a .01 increment patch, i have a totally different game than the one i learned to play and have been playing for 2.5 months. 24-7 for part of that time. Frustrating to say the least.

Yes, i will probably drop back to regent level while i get used to this supposed 'fix'. Or maybe i had a bad start this game and just don't realize it.

Civ is suppose to be about building a civilization. One with usefull buildings in its' cities. All of a sudden, i find that libraries and universities are useless except as cultural improvements. They were the most important.

Much more important are the overpriced marketplaces and banks. At least that is one thing fixed w/ the patch. They are now needed more than ever.

Now, instead of checking in on the other civs once every 3 or 4 turns, it is required to do so every single turn. If you wait 4 turns, they will have 4 or 5 techs that you don't have!!!

Diplomacy is a very nice feature of civ3. But the necessity of having to do it every turn is rediculous.

[Alex]

At first, I also didn't like the new tech trading system. The AI could get a tech lead so easily and my libraries and universities just seemed to be useless.

Then I got used to this system and I noticed that I could get faster to the modern era than before the 1.17 patch.

But I agree that, somehow, this new tech trading system just doesn't feel "natural". Since we can change and tweak it in the editor, I don't think it is too bad. Of course I understand your frustration and I know why you like to play the game as it is intended to be played, because I also liked to play that way. But with Civ3 you just have to change things in the editor, unfortunately.

[Mizaq]

what do you mean you can tweak tech trading in the editor? And what do you guys mean this new tech trading doesn't feel natural? I like it that the enemy can't trade during your turn. You can get a lot of money for a tech that a civ wants, sometimes it doesn't even have any wonders with it, the civ just wants it to be advanced. I have noticed that everyone hates me just about all of the time, I can't figure out why they get so pissed that I traded a tech to them that they wanted and for a price they wanted.