Alpha Centauri 2

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri & Alien Crossfire => Modding => Topic started by: MercantileInterest on October 10, 2015, 04:17:25 PM

Title: Revised New Governments
Post by: MercantileInterest on October 10, 2015, 04:17:25 PM

Hello Everybody,
Some time ago, you may have seen my post about revising governments. I belong to a little group of six players which is on our second multiplayer game. We use the Smaniac mod. (If you're curious, our factions are as follows:  ;zak; ;lal; ;morgan; ;ulrik; ;yang; ;aki; The AI is extinct.) You all have a lot of experience. What do you think about this modification to the governments? Bear in mind that the prerequisites for the society category have been moved to earlier techs.



Politics

0. Freehold: +1 Police

1. Democracy: +2 Efficiency, +2 Talent, -2 Support

2. Police State: +2 Probe, +2 Police, +2 Support, -3 Research

3. Feudal State: +1 Morale, +1 Economy, -1 Industry


Economics

0. Subsistence: -1 Planet

1. Free Market: +2 Economy, -3 Planet, -5 Police

2. Planned: +2 Growth, +1 Industry, -2 Efficiency

3. Green: +2 Planet, +2 Efficiency, -2 Growth


Values

0. Undefined:

1. Power: +2 Support, +2 Morale, +1 Probe, -1 Industry

2. Knowledge: +2 Research, -1 Growth

3. Wealth: +1 Economy, +1 Industry,  -2 Morale


Society

0. Conservative: +1 Efficiency

1. Cybernetic: +2 Research, +1 Industry, -2 Probe, -1 Morale

2. Psionic: +2 Planet, +2 Police, +1 Efficiency, -2 Economy

3. Oviparous: +2 Growth, +2 Talent, -2 Research, -1 Planet

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on October 10, 2015, 11:52:29 PM

Interesting. 
Police state seems weak with the research penalty
Democracy is overpowered
Feudal seems weak for an industry penalty
Free market is the same as ever I've never liked the base free market in the game. I usually replace the police penalty with a
+1 effic or something.
Planned is ok i suppose but not realistic.
Green is same as ever its ok its good for mindworms and planet aggro.

The values all seem fairly balanced.


Heres the one i was thinking of trying.
I was thinking of growth for a penalty instead of effic. Something like this.
Police state: +2 support  +2 police -1 growth
Democracy:  not sure about this one
Fundamentalism: +2 growth +1 talent -2 probe or support

Free market: +2 growth +2 effic -3 planet
Planned: +1 industry +1 talent -2 growth   Planned economies really don't grow that fast in fact you see the opposite.
Green: +2 planet +1 effic -1 industry

Power:+2 support +1 morale +1 probe -industry
Knowledge: +1 research +1 effic -2 probe
Wealth: +2 economy -2 police

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: Nexii on October 28, 2015, 12:28:17 AM

The top tier (Politics) actually seems quite balanced to me.  Feudal could perhaps use a little more, +2 MORALE

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on November 05, 2015, 09:38:30 PM

+2 morale is actually very powerful early game. It makes militaries much more dangerous.
I'd get rid of the -1 industry and replace it with something weaker like -2 probe or something.
Heres a question if you were looking for a map for multiplayer what would you be looking for?
I've been wanting to make a multiplayer map for some time now.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: MercantileInterest on December 01, 2015, 07:42:30 PM

A custom multiplayer map? Now that's a happy thought. We're still only 93 turns into our current game. We play on average sized maps. Do you have any old maps you might let us see?

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on December 01, 2015, 10:16:58 PM

I've made some but none of the starting points are precisely equal. They are in the downloads.
Inverted might suit you. Venus and Mars might suit you as well. But I was thinking of making  map specifically for multiplayer
use. It was going to be equal areas of landmass and resources all linked by small land bridges.
I have never played multiplayer at all so some input might be helpful. I typically make huge sized maps at least.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: Mart on December 02, 2015, 12:48:47 AM

Quote from: vonbach on December 01, 2015, 10:16:58 PM

... It was going to be equal areas of landmass and resources all linked by small land bridges.

There is this map for 4 players, and their starting locations are in the corners, it is flat (no connection east-west).
It is not that equal, as the weather system prefers winds from west to east. So although land is mirrored, winds are not.
I thought about a map with connection, so it would be cylindrical. And the winds would work ok for all players.
However, such maps look awkward. Artificial.

And there is also some issue, once the game starts, some pods may distort it by earthquakes.
Someone with WP SP can early distort it.
And also, one cannot set precise level above sea, so once melting of polar caps start or sun shield to lower oceans level, etc. it is not possible to have these changes the same to everyone.

Quote

I have never played multiplayer at all so some input might be helpful. I typically make huge sized maps at least.

I recommend to start one. Though you know, if the game is fast - early contact, it ends often around Doctrine Air Power.
huge maps,  on the other hand, are quite micromanaging, players do get bored/tired of this.

... And that brings to me an idea about a special MP game.
I will write details tomorrow, I have something important in the morning.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: Mart on December 03, 2015, 05:37:14 PM

I started a thread for a new MP game.
This is though going to be a special one.
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17202.0 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17202.0)

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on December 04, 2015, 01:59:50 AM

Mars in practically a pangea map so that might work for you. I'll make a smaller map and see what I can come up with.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: Mart on December 04, 2015, 03:09:32 AM

How about you join the game as a player?

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on December 04, 2015, 11:49:31 AM

Sorry I think I'll pass. My game is so modded I'm not sure I could really.
I appreciate the offer but multiplayer isn't really my thing. Thanks though.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: MercantileInterest on December 10, 2015, 06:02:07 PM

Vonbach,
We prefer a realistic planet that you'd expect to be produced by geology, something which would allow the possibility of sea power. A spiderwebbing landmass doesn't sound the best for us. (Our current and previous games were both pangeas.) Perhaps you could make the map for Mart's game.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on December 10, 2015, 07:22:40 PM

Ah so you want a realistic map of continents cool. I just need a baseline to work with. Size, type of special terrain whatever.
Do you want jungle in in it? I'd be happy to make a map for you.
By the way my terraformed Venus map has continents and plenty
of ocean. Unfortunately it has more than one volcano on it. If you like I could remove them or add other types
of special terrain to it. That might work for you.
One other thing I found out about renaming the social engineering choices.
The computer goes by the original position not by the name. So if you make a
new economic choice and put it where Green is you'll still be treated like you have a
Green economy.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: MercantileInterest on December 12, 2015, 12:24:48 AM

Excellent terraformed Venus. Very polished. Have you seen the map of the continent from Skyrim? (http://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/101/images/27235-1-1286028715.jpg (http://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/101/images/27235-1-1286028715.jpg)) I like the inlets, peninsulas and large adjacent islands. Two or three continents with similar features and some islands would make for great gameplay. Huge maps give more scope for design but we're sticking with an average size. We've been playing our current game since June and only just reached turn 99.

I'm excited by the possibilities of a designed map. We'd definitely want all the landmarks but, as you suggest, it might not have a single monsoon area. Instead, jungle squares might be spread around areas of intense rainfall, even fairly far to the north or south, considering Planet's marginal tilt and higher temperatures. Uranium and geothermal activity could be spread around too, while barrier deserts present another interesting possibility. We don't mind a few volcanoes. Does tampering with the elevations make them look different?

If you'd name interesting regions that would make a great bonus. I really like mythological names on the map of Planet.

It's your map of course but you know you have a better idea of what sort of terrain we'd like. Sadly, we wouldn't be able to look at the map before playing. Wouldn't wan't to miss the excitement of discovering it all!

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on December 12, 2015, 01:39:35 AM

I'll see what I can do with an average sized map. I'll see if I cant modify Venus to have some real landmarks on it.

Title: Re: Revised New Governments
Post by: vonbach on December 12, 2015, 07:01:23 PM

The modifications to the venus map are done. Working on my next project.