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Well guys, I've been fiddling with all the files in the default game, as well as all the different mods I grabbed from this site, and I've come to a few realizations.
In playing the game in it's unedited form, as well as playing with each of the different mods I downloaded, I realized that the makers of the game either didn't know what they wanted, didn't know what they were doing, or else just didn't playtest the dammed thing.
I just quit playing a game I was running because even though I was using the in-game cheat/editor, the computer was still kicking my ass.
Some of this could be explained off as inexperiance, but when *each* of the computer players manages to upgrade most if not all of his existing units from Mounted Archers to Musketeers in 2-4 turns, right after I've given myself a tech edge with the editor...I'd call that interesting.
Honestly, I don't care if the computer AI cheats, it makes things more interesting even when I myself cheat. What I do however mind is that there is a lot of reality loss in the game when a stack of four Ancient Age archers can completely destroy two Ship of the Line units and three Cannon.
Am I the only one who thinks that four 'units' (Squads or whatever a single unit represents) should not be able to outgun and destroy two cannon-bearing ships, as well as three artillery cannons?
What's my point you might ask? I am now intending to set out on a similar path to Celestial Dawn did. I want to make my own balancer mod.
I want to address a few of these points:
1. Unit strengths are not very realisticly modeled. As in the above example units from a drasticly lower tech level can still fight on even ground with equal numbers, and sometimes even defeat superior numbers and firepower.
2. As CD pointed out in his own mod, there is a distinct feeling of being 'rushed' towards an inevitable goal the further along in time you go. You barely get to play with any of the coll future toys before you're practicly forced to scramble and finish the Alien Life goal before the computer does. Unlike all the other Civ games, you have no option of playing untill you feel like quitting. No matter what, the game ends at year 3000. Period.
3. There is an inordinate emphisis on land units. With ground units having a drastic edge, both in base stats, and more importantly in terrain bonuses, over those of naval, air, and space units. I have a feeling that those Mounted Archers were able to kill my Ships of the Line because of the fact that all water tiles seem to give a serious combat penalty. Even aircraft suffer this penalty when flying over water...
4. The governments in the game seem to rather arbitrarily planned and placed. As far as I can tell, there is no real correlation between the technological 'Age' of a governments discovery and it's obsolescence. I've counted three governments in Ancient, two in Rennasaince, two in Modern, one in Genetic, and two in Diamond. If I've miscounted, please correct me. I'd like to know if there is an even number of government types in each age.
5. Unit diversity seems to shrink as you move forward in tech and time. Each age has fewer new units in it than the previous age, and some units that would logically and/or realisticly become obsolete and replaced with newer versions are still around through half the game. Hell, you're still using the same aircraft carriers at the end of the Diamond age as when they were developed!
There are a few other points I feel the default game is lacking in. I'd like to try and correct this. To this end I am learning everything I can about how the game can be altered, and how to actually do it. I'd like to see if there's anyone who would be interested in helping me sand down a few rough edges on this game?
I would like to do alot with this mod project, but there are some talents I simply do not have, namely art and programming expertise. I can in time figure out the text files, and perhaps even some of the simpler scripting tasks, but it would be much easier if I had someone allready experianced for these aspects. Here's some of the things I would like to implement:
Adjust *all* the stats on units, terrain, and combat so things are more realisticly modeled.
Ensure unit diversity and tactics diversity through all the Ages.
Potentially add more diversity to the Ages themselves, by breaking time into more and smaller Ages.
Potentially extending the game's timeline to include more technologies, Improvements, Wonders, and even governments.
Add more diversity to the existing Timeline by introducing new units, techs, and governments.
Add more diversity to the Trade Goods. 17 goods just isn't enough fun. Heh.
And here's the things I don't know how to do myself:
Graphics & sound for any new units added.
Great Library entries for new aspects added. I could likely write the texts, but the graphics are beyond me.
Any scripting required to implement the above changes.
As you can see, I'm willing to learn how to add new units (fairly easy with text-file databases), techs, etc. I can adjust stats. What I can't do is any graphics, sound, and scripting/programming that might be required.
And before you ask, I plan to start small. Changing only a few things allready in-game, then as start expanding as I gain experiance.
Anyone wanna help out?
Trace Kern
In playing the game in it's unedited form, as well as playing with each of the different mods I downloaded, I realized that the makers of the game either didn't know what they wanted, didn't know what they were doing, or else just didn't playtest the dammed thing.
I just quit playing a game I was running because even though I was using the in-game cheat/editor, the computer was still kicking my ass.
Some of this could be explained off as inexperiance, but when *each* of the computer players manages to upgrade most if not all of his existing units from Mounted Archers to Musketeers in 2-4 turns, right after I've given myself a tech edge with the editor...I'd call that interesting.
Honestly, I don't care if the computer AI cheats, it makes things more interesting even when I myself cheat. What I do however mind is that there is a lot of reality loss in the game when a stack of four Ancient Age archers can completely destroy two Ship of the Line units and three Cannon.
Am I the only one who thinks that four 'units' (Squads or whatever a single unit represents) should not be able to outgun and destroy two cannon-bearing ships, as well as three artillery cannons?
What's my point you might ask? I am now intending to set out on a similar path to Celestial Dawn did. I want to make my own balancer mod.
I want to address a few of these points:
1. Unit strengths are not very realisticly modeled. As in the above example units from a drasticly lower tech level can still fight on even ground with equal numbers, and sometimes even defeat superior numbers and firepower.
2. As CD pointed out in his own mod, there is a distinct feeling of being 'rushed' towards an inevitable goal the further along in time you go. You barely get to play with any of the coll future toys before you're practicly forced to scramble and finish the Alien Life goal before the computer does. Unlike all the other Civ games, you have no option of playing untill you feel like quitting. No matter what, the game ends at year 3000. Period.
3. There is an inordinate emphisis on land units. With ground units having a drastic edge, both in base stats, and more importantly in terrain bonuses, over those of naval, air, and space units. I have a feeling that those Mounted Archers were able to kill my Ships of the Line because of the fact that all water tiles seem to give a serious combat penalty. Even aircraft suffer this penalty when flying over water...
4. The governments in the game seem to rather arbitrarily planned and placed. As far as I can tell, there is no real correlation between the technological 'Age' of a governments discovery and it's obsolescence. I've counted three governments in Ancient, two in Rennasaince
5. Unit diversity seems to shrink as you move forward in tech and time. Each age has fewer new units in it than the previous age, and some units that would logically and/or realisticly become obsolete and replaced with newer versions are still around through half the game. Hell, you're still using the same aircraft carriers at the end of the Diamond age as when they were developed!
There are a few other points I feel the default game is lacking in. I'd like to try and correct this. To this end I am learning everything I can about how the game can be altered, and how to actually do it. I'd like to see if there's anyone who would be interested in helping me sand down a few rough edges on this game?
I would like to do alot with this mod project, but there are some talents I simply do not have, namely art and programming expertise. I can in time figure out the text files, and perhaps even some of the simpler scripting tasks, but it would be much easier if I had someone allready experianced for these aspects. Here's some of the things I would like to implement:
Adjust *all* the stats on units, terrain, and combat so things are more realisticly modeled.
Ensure unit diversity and tactics diversity through all the Ages.
Potentially add more diversity to the Ages themselves, by breaking time into more and smaller Ages.
Potentially extending the game's timeline to include more technologies, Improvements, Wonders, and even governments.
Add more diversity to the existing Timeline by introducing new units, techs, and governments.
Add more diversity to the Trade Goods. 17 goods just isn't enough fun. Heh.
And here's the things I don't know how to do myself:
Graphics & sound for any new units added.
Great Library entries for new aspects added. I could likely write the texts, but the graphics are beyond me.
Any scripting required to implement the above changes.
As you can see, I'm willing to learn how to add new units (fairly easy with text-file databases), techs, etc. I can adjust stats. What I can't do is any graphics, sound, and scripting/programming that might be required.
And before you ask, I plan to start small. Changing only a few things allready in-game, then as start expanding as I gain experiance.
Anyone wanna help out?
Trace Kern
By now almost everyone moved on to CtP2...
)
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