PROJECT: Playest II

[Ekmek]

I tried to start an Alex Scenario game with the new playtest build and it CtD saying powerpoints manager missing. I then started ctp2 again but this time tried a new game and it works fine. Whats witht he powerpoints manager?

[rsewar2]

Hi, I've just started my first AE (latest playtest) game. Up to about 500BC. Here are my first impressions:

1) Civ colours: not sure about my starting colour being red by default. Don't wanna look like barbarians!
I started with 8 civs, however 2 of these had very very similar colours (blue and a slightly darker blue), so much so that I find i have to hover over a unit to find which it belongs to! Is there a file listing the order in which the colours are used? Could one of the blues be swapped for something more distinctive?

2) I still find it easy to conquer other civs (about to conquer my 3rd civ, without even 1 of my cities being attacked). However maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe 'hard' isn't difficult enough. How challenging are other playtesters finding the game compared to the original?

These are really my only criticisms. Apart from that it's very impressive. Really like the 'new game' interface. Diplomacy now works(!). And all the civs are exploring a lot by sea.

[Tamerlin]

Welcome rsewar2...

Originally posted by rsewar2
Hi, I've just started my first AE (latest playtest) game. Up to about 500BC. Here are my first impressions:

1) Civ colours: not sure about my starting colour being red by default. Don't wanna look like barbarians!
I started with 8 civs, however 2 of these had very very similar colours (blue and a slightly darker blue), so much so that I find i have to hover over a unit to find which it belongs to! Is there a file listing the order in which the colours are used? Could one of the blues be swapped for something more distinctive?

Unfortunately you can only choose the color of the human civ, before starting a new game click on the "Number of empires" button, the last setting allows you to change your color.

2) I still find it easy to conquer other civs (about to conquer my 3rd civ, without even 1 of my cities being attacked). However maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe 'hard' isn't difficult enough. How challenging are other playtesters finding the game compared to the original?

Now that the CtP2 AE is almost on par with the CtP2 patch 1.11 the major work that is awaiting the coders is related to the AI and the way to improve it. Calvitix, among others, is already working on the subject but as far as I know his additions have not yet been incorporated into the AE as they need to be tested. This is certainly the most difficult task as changing the AI parameters can have some unpredictable effect on the game and the behavior of the AI civs.

These are really my only criticisms. Apart from that it's very impressive. Really like the 'new game' interface. Diplomacy now works(!). And all the civs are exploring a lot by sea.

Thanks to all the coders!

As you can see the AI has already been improved as far as movement paths, tile improvements and exploration are concerned. The military part of the AI still need much work (amphibious assault for example).

[Flinx]

Originally posted by rsewar2
1) Civ colours: not sure about my starting colour being red by default. Don't wanna look like barbarians!
I started with 8 civs, however 2 of these had very very similar colours (blue and a slightly darker blue), so much so that I find i have to hover over a unit to find which it belongs to! Is there a file listing the order in which the colours are used? Could one of the blues be swapped for something more distinctive?

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Unfortunately you can only choose the color of the human civ, before starting a new game click on the "Number of empires" button, the last setting allows you to change your color.

There are 3 or 4 colour palettes with the AE which were developed back in March. You can switch between the palettes by changing the corresponding value (ColorSet from 00 to 01, 02 or 03) in userprofile.txt (near the bottom). Once you have a palette you can live with, you can select your own player colour from the options in the new game setup.

[Tamerlin]

Thanks Flinx, I didn't remember where were the files and how I could change the default color set.

[Ekmek]

Flinx or anyone, how applicable is SLIC code to the source code. I see that SLIC uses a lot of the same functions and accesses the same data. But is it possible to make a SLIC file into a cpp and h file in order to make its functions part of the actual code.

I'm thinking that the unit updater should be a default feature of CTP2 but with a minor addition like creating an update button for the unit and an update/upgrade flag and a calculation of cost to update by subtracting the shield costs and multiplying it by 10 gold (?). I don't think a unit upgrade chain is needed....

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by E
I'm thinking that the unit updater should be a default feature of CTP2 but with a minor addition like creating an update button for the unit and an update/upgrade flag and a calculation of cost to update by subtracting the shield costs and multiplying it by 10 gold (?). I don't think a unit upgrade chain is needed....

Beware, the cost of the upgrade should be high enough so that the player have an interesting (if not strategical) choice to do but this cost should not be so high that the player would be better advised to produce a new unit and disband the older one.

[Martin Gühmann]

By the way Tamerlin if we add the unit updater to the game, then we should give the player the option not to use it, shouldn't we.

-Martin

[Ekmek]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann
By the way Tamerlin if we add the unit updater to the game, then we should give the player not to use it, shouldn't we.

-Martin

is that:
we should give the player the optionnot to use it, shouldn't we.

[The Big Mc]

go for it add it to the code. but i think the current model could do with upgrading.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Martin Gühmann
By the way Tamerlin if we add the unit updater to the game, then we should give the player the option not to use it, shouldn't we.

-Martin

If we can create such an option (say in the Rules window of the New Game screen) then it would be marvellous.

[Maquiladora]

How about we balance the units first? There you go theres my usual rant aswell

I don't mind having it optional but it needs some ironing out first. Will units be upgradable at all times and anywhere? only in cities? only when you get the tech? will the cost to upgrade be cumulative or will it cost the same to upgrade a hoplite to a machine gunner as an infantryman to a machine gunner?

[Ekmek]

I'd say only in cities. And available at any time you got the money. The cost should based on the differnce in shield multiplied a set value of gold per shield. I cant recall how much gold you get per shield for capitalization but I think that would be a good number.

I think this would be great optional. However as it stands it will close an advantage a player has where the human will disband old units and create new ones where the AI tends not to. If the AI is "taught" to upgrade when it has enough money and tries to keep its military modern itd be better.

[calvitix]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Calvitix, among others, is already working on the subject but as far as I know his additions have not yet been incorporated into the AE as they need to be tested. This is certainly the most difficult task as changing the AI parameters can have some unpredictable effect on the game and the behavior of the AI civs.

here is the ctp2.exe with my last update (1.3).

Edit: Removed link, the latest version of the Apolyton Edition can be found here.

It works quite well on maps with large continent (I'm working on transport problems right now).

[Maquiladora]

Calvitix, that exe doesn't require the CD so it's probably illegal to destribute here.