Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic From: an123889@anon.penet.fi Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 00:55:04 UTC Subject: *** Civ II: Suggestion for Version 2 *** As a Civ II fan (not a real fanatic yet), here I have some suggestions on how to improve its gameplay/realisticity: 1. What can be done now (modifying the file rule.txt). a. Change the Firepower of Destroyer to 2, which will give it an EAV/EDV (see my previous post "Civ II: Actual Mechanics of Combat" for their definitions) of 360. This change will put the capacity of Destroyer (Shield: 60) between Ironclad (EAV/EDV: 180, Shield: 60) and Cruiser (EAV/EDV: 540, Shield: 80), assuming they are all Veteran. This should get rid of complaints that Ironclad would kill Destroyer and is more realistic. Currently (as of v1.11), Destroyer (EAV/EDV: 180) might not be able to kill Submarine (EDV: 180) b. Adjust AI values for certain Technologies/Civilization Advances. For example, dramatically increase the AI value of Sanitation to 8 (currently, Computer Players/CP's Cities usually stop growing at the size of 12 because CP won't develop the Sanitation and thus not be able to build the Sewer System). c. Modify values of AI-Irrigate/AI-Mine for Terrain Improvement. Desert, 1,2, 0,1,0, yes,1, 5,2, yes,1, 5,0, Pln, ; Drt - - Swamp, 2,3, 1,0,0, Grs,1,15,2, yes,0,15,0, Pln, ; Swa - - Jungle, 2,3, 1,0,0, Grs,1,15,2, yes,0,15,0, Pln, ; Jun - - As in the original Civ, terra-transforming Swamp/Jungle to Grassland will yield great benefit (+2 Food +0/1 Shield +2 Trade) in spite of the cost (for Settler, 23 turns = 1/Move + 15 + 5/Irrigate + 2/Road). Doing the same on Desert/Plain/Grassland needs 8 turns (=1+5+2) but gaining +1 Food +2 Trade. Mining Desert (+1 Shield) won't pay as much as Irrigating it (+1 Food) since the later equals to adding a half Specialist. 2. What needs the effort of Microprose, i.e., modifying the source code. By now, many of us Civ fans/fanatics have known that Brian Reynolds has left Microprose (what's the cause?). We had been very happy with his eagerness to help and professional standard that Brian had shown us in those patches and discussion for the post-sale support (that was quite unprecendent and gave a VERY good reputation to Microprose). Even though we don't know under what circumstance Brian Reynolds left Microprose, we still hope Microprose will spends at least certain manpower (a few programmer-weeks < $10,000) to modify certain parts of Civ II source code to improve the playability of the game and release the Version 2 of Civ II. Easy-to-implement parts: a. Tell AI Settler/Engineer to build Road after it finishes Irrigation of Desert/Plain/Grassland. Currently, you can see the Computer Settler/Engineers Irrigate squares around a City but never build any Road on them (I saw the process). b. Tell AI not to terra-transform squares with special resources. Once I saw a Computer Settler transform a Pheasant (3F/2S) square to Buffalo (1F/3S) but then left without doing anything else. (Observations were in the normal playing mode, not the cheat mode). c. Make the technoloy catch-up easier for AI. For example, once a Technology/Advance has been discovered by a Civilization, it should take only 3/4 (75%) of original research effort for other Civilizations to acquire it; and if a Civilization has contact with another Civilization having the Advance, it will take only 1/2 (50%) of research effort to discover it. This is both realistic in the real world and good for AI. It can be easily implemented by modifying total number of research beakers/bulbs needed for a technology at the time of selection. d. Add interest payment to the current fund available, for example, 10% per turn. This is realistic and good for AI since they always maintain a large balance in their treasuries. Also let AI use the money to buy Wonders during the Wonder-building race. e. Add the cost of bribing units in/around the City when inciting a Revolt on a City. This is both realistic and easy to implement. It will also avoid the absurd case when a very small city near the frontline can be easily bought with a lot of units in it being turned over to enemy. f. Add an option on Emperor/Deity level that Computer Players will NOT attack each other. This should get rid of complaints that Civ II is too easy (at least for a while). Not-too-hard-to-implement part: g. Make Nuclear/Cruising Missiles behave like Paratroop, i.e., move like a land unit (3 movement points?) before launch. The difference from Paratroop would be that they can be landed anywhere after the launch and then explode on impact. This is realistic and should eliminate the abuse of using them as the scouting units. h. When a Nuclear Missile hits a City, in addition to eliminating half of population, let it destroy Temple/Cathedral/Colosseum plus half of remaining City Improvements. This is more realistic and should get rid of the absurd case that the City would celebrate "We Love the King Day" (for what???) after being hit by Nuclear Missiles. i. Let Helicopter behave like Fighter, i.e., capable of moving after attack. It will be more realistic and human player will build it. j. Make Marine the only unit which can walk directly into an empty enemy City from ships. This will add some reality and incentive for human player to build it. k. Let Diplomat/Spy conduct more effective counter-espionage, i.e., prevent Cities from being bribed/inspected, water-source being poisoned, and especially, being planted with a Nuclear device. Maybe not 100% but to certain degree and cumulative with number of Diplomats/Spies in the City. l. If a Spy wants to plant a Nuclear device in a City, it MUST have a Nuclear Missile with it!!! Otherwise, you could have a 30-Shield Spy to do the job of 160-Shield Nuclear Missile. m. Make certain Wonders less powerful. For example, make Hoover-Dam/J.S.Bach's-Cathedral function only for Cities on the same continent (as in the original Civilization). Do the same to Adam-Smith's-Trading-Co./Michelangelo's-Chapel plus maybe Pyramids. This is more realistic for these not-so-modern Wonders. Let Leonardo's-Workshop expires earlier (e.g. at Conscription?) and Marco Polo's Embassy expires on Steam-Engine(?). Reveal the world map only to the civilization which builds Apollo-Program, or those who build SS-Module later. This is more realistic. n. As many people complained the Fundamentalist government being too powerful/unrealistically rich, make all its Trading Routes null, and the 'tithes' from Temple/Cathedral/Colosseum effects be only half as much as currently calculated. As the compensation and being realistic, make units/cities under the Fundamentalist government immune to bribery, and Fanatics unit harder to destroy (how about increasing its Defense Factor from 4 to 6?). 3. How to make AI less absurd/stupid. Not-too-hard-to-implement part: a. Tell AI not to build so many Fortresses! If it really has to build them on some choke points, at least put some troops in them! (It's just wasting AI's Settler/Engineer time and give Human Players a lot of easy shelters). b. When AI stations troops to defend a City, make the first 2 units with the highest defense factor (as it's doing now), BUT the 3rd one being the siege attack unit (such as Catapult, Cannon, etc), the 4th one being the normal defense unit, then 5th one being the mobile attack unit (such as Chariot, Elephant etc), and so on. This will give AI some abilities to counter-attack human invasion. Currently, AI/CP(Computer Players) would fortify five or six defense units in a City, but without any counter-attack ability, only being slaughted by human player one-by-one. I think this can be implemented easily, since in v1.11 there is an AutoBuild option, which should be the way AI is doing now. The only modification needed is redefine the AI-role value as 0 = Defense, 1 = Mobile Attack, 2 = Siege Attack, and so on. c. When AI moves a Siege Attack unit to frontline, let it be escorted with a Defense unit, which will be needed anyway when attacking or after taking a City. Make AI to form combat groups of units before attack a City (at least after certain turns, say, after 1 A.D.). For example, a basic group of 4 (2 Mobile Attack Units, 1 Siege Attack Unit and 1 Defense Unit) must be formed before being sent out for an aggressive mission carried on a Galleon; or two such groups on a Transport; in the earlier era, have 2 Mobile Attack units plus 1 Defense unit on a Caravel; or just 2 Mobile Attack units on a Trireme. In one word, don't let AI conduct piecewise attacks. Waite and concentrate forces as Human Players have been doing. d. Don't let AI initiate losing battles. Once, when I was conducting a war but forced into ceasefire due to the Democracy, the Computer Player/AI sneak-attacked my Armor units safely sheltered in a Fortress built by AI with (you guess) a lone Musketteer, gave my Armor units excuse to take their cities! I think AI should calculate the respective EAVs of their units and EDVs of their enemies before engage an attack. Also AI should prepare for the follow-up attacks with more units. e. Make AI's massive naval fleet do SOMETHING. Usually, my Battleships would be surrounded by dozens(!) AI Destroyers/Cruisers plus maybe a few AI Battleships but AI wouldn't attack my Battleships. I just ignore their massive naval fleet but directly take their Cities, then their fleet would just disappear. Teach AI to use a cheap Destroyer (60 Shields) to inflict some damage to an enemy Battleship, and then send in a Battleship to finish the enemy Battleship (160 Shields). In one word, give AI some Intelligence! Sorry for using anon-service. But I don't want my boss to know I'm wasting his time. Thanks for your understanding. MA Tuowen, a.k.a. "Samuel Clemens" --****ATTENTION****--****ATTENTION****--****ATTENTION****--***ATTENTION*** Your e-mail reply to this message WILL be *automatically* ANONYMIZED. Please, report inappropriate use to abuse@anon.penet.fi For information (incl. non-anon reply) write to help@anon.penet.fi If you have any problems, address them to admin@anon.penet.fi