Rebalance Mod for MP

[Mart]

After it turns out, that we can easily play MP games with altered alphax.txt file, thus having changed ruleset, I think having some rebalancing mod for better (as much as one can say that, it depends on what a person likes) gameplay.

For now, this would be in testing, but some of these things come from "Unity Mod" that I already tried long ago, though they were different, but many changes are similar.

Changes already in testing:
1) Colony module cost increased. The basic one costs 15 rows. It is 5 times more. This will make bases more important, and possibly players will care for their safety more.
2) Supply crawlers changed in a lot of small ways:
-- more expensive, the basic one is now for 12 rows. This will decrease their "avalanche" impact.
-- the package is now from Industrial Robotics, though:
-- from Industrial automation pre-defined unit is possible. There are also 2 more land designs with armor at MindMachine and Silksteel, and a trawler at Doc Initiative.
3) Cloudbase Academy moved to Graviton Theory, cost doubled.
4) Research rate slowed to 50%
5) Each faction gets 2 research points per base
6) Vanila factions get 2 more colony pods at start
7) Expansion factions get 1 more colony pod and 300 EC (to compensate)

Changes in consideration:
x1) Increased movement along roads to 5.

Any thoughts/comments?

[MercantileInterest]

Could you clarify why you slowed the research rate? Why did you choose it over the tech stagnation option?

[Mart]

Could you clarify why you slowed the research rate? Why did you choose it over the tech stagnation option?

It's different, as I recall. Tech stagnation does not make things exactly twice more expensive. Rate 50% of normal is like that.
And this is to really do that: to slow research. Rarely players choose tech stagnation option. Now if the want, they can even choose more slower rate. Both 50% and tech stag.

Research rate in late game is too fast, so this will make things last longer in late game.
Giving bases 2 lab points each base helps in early turns. It has less meaning later.

[Eadee]

I like the idea of more expensive colony pods and 2 additional pods at start to make people care more about their cities instead of just spamming colonypods all the time. However if you start with 3 colonypods and one single scout patrol you have a pretty hard time using those pods early. I'd add the same number of scout patrols to speed up the start a bit.

[Nexii]

I found that expensive pods kind of only add to RNG.  Having a base or a pod killed by a roaming MW would be devastating.

I more favor nerfing down sea terraforming make land more valuable.  A good way to slow down the later game is ecodamage IMO

[Mart]

I like the idea of more expensive colony pods and 2 additional pods at start to make people care more about their cities instead of just spamming colonypods all the time. However if you start with 3 colonypods and one single scout patrol you have a pretty hard time using those pods early. I'd add the same number of scout patrols to speed up the start a bit.

The UNIT bonus is limited (only 8 allowed per faction). So 2 cp in original 7 factions is possible. And no more units. Geo knows a way, but it will be with his next mod.
For now, a player can make several scouts in game, it is somewhat easier when you get 10 mins instantly.

Also, mw are not very often met in the first 20 turns, and they are weaker.

I found that expensive pods kind of only add to RNG.  Having a base or a pod killed by a roaming MW would be devastating.

I more favor nerfing down sea terraforming make land more valuable.  A good way to slow down the later game is ecodamage IMO

It is true, that loosing a cp from that starting pool is devastating, but the point is, that player is supposed to guard them well. Even when they cost 3 rows, such a loss is significant too, it is a matter of time also, in turns number, that you have to loose for getting another one.

[Mart]

But also, notice one thing about ecodamge - planetpearls provide huge amounts of energy. So someone can have a strategy to harvest multiple mw for large energy incomes. With decent former army, removing fungus would be not that difficult. I have seen it in game, someone did it in multiplayer.

[Nexii]

Yea planetpearls are not really good to have on either.  They make ecodamage a good thing when it shouldn't be.
It's not just the removing fungus, it's the lost formers/military/terraformed improvements.  It adds up a lot if you make ecodamage relevant.  As well lost bases but thats rarer.

I had a thought that pods perhaps should have scaled up in cost the more bases+pods you have.  But that'd require exe modding most likely.  I guess I just think 150 minerals for base #3, #4 is a bit excessive.  For bases #10-12 that might be okay.

[Mart]

Yes, when I play it, it can be noticed, that after first 4 bases (4 cp at start) fifth and several further cp are "hard to get"
But overall, it is not that difficult:
- since cp are expensive, you start them later, when your bases are bigger. So often you have around 10 minerals per turn in a base, what gives you approx. 15 turns to complete a cp. It is not that bad.
- you plan better for a new base, having better scouted terrain, terraformed, maybe a sensor underneath, etc.
- AI gets benefit, as it has lowered cost, it can get some cp more turns before a human player. And aiding AI is a good thing, making them more challenging.

The bigger problem though is crappy map generation and very often placing factions on smaller islands, where there is no room for 4 bases. And this hurts, mostly AI.
And for MP-self-generated, it would make game unplayable.

[Mart]

Ok, for the defensive purposes, and to aid AI, the starting cp would be something like this:

Code: [Select]

Unity Escape Pod,       Infantry, Colony Pod,   Scout,      8, 1, 0, Disable, -1, 00000100001000000000000000000
They get both trance ability and slow to make it unique.
Forced to cost of 1 row, but disabled (cannot be built). It will prevent players to add them to early Secret projects for example.

[Dio]

After it turns out, that we can easily play MP games with altered alphax.txt file, thus having changed ruleset, I think having some rebalancing mod for better (as much as one can say that, it depends on what a person likes) gameplay.

For now, this would be in testing, but some of these things come from "Unity Mod" that I already tried long ago, though they were different, but many changes are similar.

Changes already in testing:
1) Colony module cost increased. The basic one costs 15 rows. It is 5 times more. This will make bases more important, and possibly players will care for their safety more.
2) Supply crawlers changed in a lot of small ways:
-- more expensive, the basic one is now for 12 rows. This will decrease their "avalanche" impact.
-- the package is now from Industrial Robotics, though:
-- from Industrial automation pre-defined unit is possible. There are also 2 more land designs with armor at MindMachine and Silksteel, and a trawler at Doc Initiative.
3) Cloudbase Academy moved to Graviton Theory, cost doubled.
4) Research rate slowed to 50%
5) Each faction gets 2 research points per base
6) Vanila factions get 2 more colony pods at start
7) Expansion factions get 1 more colony pod and 300 EC (to compensate)

Changes in consideration:
x1) Increased movement along roads to 5.

Any thoughts/comments?

How does the increased cost of colony pods impact the expansion of the AI in multiplayer games?

[Mart]

They perform pretty well in SP. No MP games yet.
Costs for AI are lower, so this is where they get even larger benefit. I noticed, they often can have more bases than human player at a given turn in early game. The problem is also that game starts factions on smaller islands, no room for 4 bases.

[Mart]

So playing a testing game, singleplayer, with changed rules. For decent starting positions, I chose huge map of planet.
It is 2130 and I have contact and pact with Gaians (playing as PK).

With 6 techs, I have labs cost 289, 18/turn, 17 turns breakthroughs.
started WP SP, no cp yet. 4 bases.

Gaians meanwhile established all 4 bases, they have already 1 cp more and building 2 more.
However, their cost is 105 and not 150. Having 70% mineral cost helps them 45 minerals on each cp. This helps AI compared to human player. Game is more challenging.

[Mart]

2189, PK (human) is 7 bases at vendetta with Spartans who have 4 original bases and 1 from Gaians.
Gaians are down to 2 bases and just hang there at pact with PK, but Spartans no longer threaten them.
Morgan has 5 bases, more?
Hive and Believers seem to do also very well, but having no infiltration.
But the best is, that Morgan asked 325 EC for Gene Splicing! That is something good, not that 125 EC or usually 100 EC.

[Mart]

2193, elected Planetary Governor.
Gaians 2 bases
Hive 7 bases
Univ 6 bases
Morgan 5
Sparta 5
Believers 7
PK 7 bases (human player)