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From what I have seen so far from the multiplayer Civ3 community, especially for PBEM, it seems that AI civilizations are generally avoided. It also seems that there are a few aspects of Civ3 where strategic depth has been compromised because of the inability of the AI to deal effectively with complex situations. This creates a great opportunity for a mod that is free of the strategic limitations introduced to help the AI.
The main objective of this mod would be to provide a set of rules that challenge the player with a need for deeper strategy, while changing as little as possible to preserve the stock Civ3 flavor. To accomplish this goal, the mod would try to balance the existing elements of the game so that there is no one strategy that always works, nor one that never works. Ideally, the Civ3 multiplayer community would adopt this set of rules as a standard for games without AI-controlled civilizations.
I opened this thread because I would like to see if there is interest in such a mod, and also to solicit your input on what the changes of this mod should be. I already have some ideas of my own. Here are a few:
In addition to the above, I would favor some (but not all) other changes that are already incorporated in the AU mod.
Please post your comments and ideas, but keep in mind that we would probably want to avoid starting with something too radical.
The main objective of this mod would be to provide a set of rules that challenge the player with a need for deeper strategy, while changing as little as possible to preserve the stock Civ3 flavor. To accomplish this goal, the mod would try to balance the existing elements of the game so that there is no one strategy that always works, nor one that never works. Ideally, the Civ3 multiplayer community would adopt this set of rules as a standard for games without AI-controlled civilizations.
I opened this thread because I would like to see if there is interest in such a mod, and also to solicit your input on what the changes of this mod should be. I already have some ideas of my own. Here are a few:
- Double the free unit support for Wartime governments. The lack of war weariness in multiplayer has decreased the value of Monarchy and Communism. On the other hand, players often (but not always) have to build more units than in single-player when facing a human threat. Overall, doubling the free unit support for Communism and Monarchy (4/town, 8/city, 16/metro) should nicely balance the lack of war weariness. Democracy, which in single player mode has the most war weariness, should not be changed in this mod because players choosing to research two optional technologies should be rewarded now that there is no AI to research them.
- Industrious workers cost 20 shields. The Industrious trait is the hands-down-favorite trait in multiplayer. The extra worker cost would reduce the overpowering early-game advantage of Industrious civilizations, thus giving players more choice when choosing their civilizations. The initial worker and the single population cost are still enough to give Industrious civilizations a head-start in terrain improvement.
- Reduce defensive strength of citizens and improvements against bombardment, from 16 to 8. This change would be unfair to the AI in a single-player mod, but would go a long way towards making ground bombard units, ships, air units, coastal fortresses, and walls viable components in a combined-arms strategy in multiplayer Civ3. For example, after they have destroyed any walls (a 33% chance), subsequent Catapult attacks have a 33% chance of success (up from 20%) against citizens and improvements. Cannons have a 50% success rate (up from 33%), and artillery has a 60% chance (up from 42%). This change encourages the use of catapults and cannons against cities, not only against units in the open. Using bombard units, it becomes easier to reduce the size of cities to towns, thus lowering their defensive bonus.
- Coliseums increase the effect of luxury spending by 50%. Coliseums are less cost-effective than temples and Cathedrals, even for non-religious civilizations. Players can afford not to build coliseums, as happiness is rarely a problem that cannot be resolved with luxuries, marketplaces, temples, and Cathedrals. This change would make coliseums more valuable and sometimes worth building even before temples (when a civilization is forced into high luxury spending). This is something that would not be handled well by the AI, since it doesn’t use the luxury slider.
- Mechanized units are “wheeled”. Tanks, Mechanized Infantry, Panzers, Modern Armor, Artillery, and Radar Artillery would not be able to enter mountains and jungles without using roads. This would make Paratroopers more useful as special mountain and jungle troops after Infantry gets replaced by Mechanized Infantry. The AI would not handle these new natural barriers well, as evidenced by its incompetence in intercontinental invasions.
- All Submarines and the AEGIS cruiser can transport and launch one cruise missile. This is a step towards making these three naval units (and the cruise missile) more powerful. It also enhances realism and gives another dimension in the strategy of naval warfare.
- Hwach’a has lethal land bombard. Korea is the only civilization that cannot get a Golden Age militarily under stock rules. The lethal bombard ability would be indeed lethal against the AI, but not against other human players that know what to expect.
- Power Plants replace walls. This would be a temporary fix until Firaxis resolves the “eternal wall” bug. (The defensive bonus of walls does not really expire after the city grows to size 7). Walls would still affect cities and metropolises with this change, but at least they would vanish when you build a Coal, Hydro, or Solar plant.
In addition to the above, I would favor some (but not all) other changes that are already incorporated in the AU mod.
Please post your comments and ideas, but keep in mind that we would probably want to avoid starting with something too radical.
or my mod
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