1.29 chat : the most interesting info

[Spiffor]

In this chat, Firaxians talked more freely than before, esp. about PtW. We got some interesting info about PtW and the patch, which weren't written in the readme.txt

My favourites are :
- According to Jeff, unit-trading is "medium-high" on the wishlist. However, it has not yet been decided if it will be implemented for sure.
- The military advisor now assess strentgh the same way the AI does - by relative strengths and weaknesses of individual units.
- Medieval infantry's adm are constantly tweaked, but are 4/2/1 for now.
- missed naval bombardments will show in PtW : water spouts
- Added existing deals to the foreign advisor screens, which saves a lot of unnecessary communicating..
- PtW will feature rally points ala Starcraft
- There are no plans to change expansionist traits
- The corruption modofier of commercial trait affects shields as well as commerce
- FP doubles the # of optimal cities under communism

AI tweaks :
- The AI values techs higher, so there would be less trading
- The AI will go build UN and Spaceship more agressively
- The AI is more willing to build factories and alike
- The AI values optional techs more in 1.29 than in 1.21

And the SUPER DUPER thing :

another change I should mention is that tech cost is now constant across difficulty levels, so Deity so no longer be (quite) the tech race it has been [...]let me rephrase. In 1.21 and earlier, a tech cost the AI 6 and the human 10 under Deity. With 1.29, techs cost the AI 10 and the human ~15 under Deity.

This will change the tech race drastically : it will stop being too slow at lower levels and too fast at thigher levels. That combined with the lowered willingness of the AI to trade techs, and research now has a meaning at Emperor / Deity ! However, Soren warns us these changes are theoretical. Some game balancing is likely to be done when PtW is released.

[Theseus]

Yeah, it was great. There was a lot of other good intel... can;t wait to see an edited transcript.

[Jon Shafer]

A couple other things:

Diplomacy is on the PtW wishlist.

The units AI are either set permanently to offensive or defensive status... they can't switch back and forth.

That's about all the other important things I remember.

[zulu9812]

Diplomacy on the wishlist? What sort of dimplomacy? More pact agreements? And what about forced diplomacy for scenarios?

[Spiffor]

No forced diplomacy in the patch. It's on the wishlist for PtW (like scenario events)

However, thewishlist seems to be incredibly long, and its priorities change as the deadline approaches. When something is on the ishlist, it means Firaxians acknowledge it's a good idea, but don't know if they have enough time and money to implement it.

[Kilroy_Alpha]

Which of these relate to PTW, and which to the patch. Does the forbidden palace have that effect right now or in PTW? AI behaviors, etc.

[alva]

IIrc: AI behavior is included in patch.

Don't know about FP for communism

[Jon Shafer]

They're all for this patch.

[Dinner]

Aren't you?

[zulu9812]

Re: 1.29 chat : the most interesting info

Originally posted by Spiffor
- FP doubles the # of optimal cities under communism

So Communism becomes even more of a 'super' government. Honestly, I can't see any reason for sticking with democracy, even with the +1 work bonus.

[wervdon]

Thanks for the info, I can't believe I forgot about the chat cause I was busy playing with the editor :P

[Solver]

Craaaap! I got a new Stephen King book yesterday and forgot there's a chat!

[NeoStar]

Better hope its a good read.

Originally posted by Trip
The units AI are either set permanently to offensive or defensive status... they can't switch back and forth.

That doesn't sound good, don't want to limit the AI even more. Better not touch those.

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by NeoStar
That doesn't sound good, don't want to limit the AI even more. Better not touch those.

Soren said that much of the stuff regarding that was hard-coded, and changing it would take an entire patch... and it will still act the same (after all, you can un-hard-code it, but that doesn't mean it would chnage), so don't plan on that changing. At least that shows why some AI units will be brain-dead, while others will go on suicidal charges.

[player1]

Re: 1.29 chat : the most interesting info

Originally posted by Spiffor
And the SUPER DUPER thing :
This will change the tech race drastically : it will stop being too slow at lower levels and too fast at thigher levels. That combined with the lowered willingness of the AI to trade techs, and research now has a meaning at Emperor / Deity ! However, Soren warns us these changes are theoretical. Some game balancing is likely to be done when PtW is released.

I think I know the REAL reason for this.

In Civ2 & Civ1 different diffculty levels had different number of turns per game. So turn increments were slower at chief. then on deity.

BUT, Civ3 doesn't have that feature.
Which gived riduculus results, like being unable to make Spaceship on easiest level, while on emperor that happens in 1500AD.

So since it looks like turn increment are hardcoded (there is not such feature in new editor to change), they though that this is best way to fix situation in some way.

And I agree with their decision.

It also fixes the way how AI vaules tech too.
And that's good thing too.