Dale: I've popped you a PM with a list of FF tweaks, below are some more suggestions for other in game features
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Gameplay / Promotion tweaks:
Canister Shot is a seriously pathetic promotion set (by far the worst value, as spending your XP specialising in this promotion tree actually gives less benefit than getting the generalised Veteran I/II/III promotions at present! ....
- Increase the Canister Shot I (+5% vs Gunpowder units), II (+10% vs Gunpowder units), & III (+15% vs Gunpowder units, requires General) promotions to add 5% more benefit to each of the first levels, with another +5% bonus with a general, giving new values of Canister Shot I (+10% vs Gunpowder units), II (+15% vs Gunpowder units), & III (+25% vs Gunpowder units, requires General)
Minuteman III gives a nonsensical +10% bonus vs. Melee units ....
- Change this from vs. Melee to vs. Gunpowder units, as per Grenadier III (I actually believe this was a data inputting error/typo at Firaxis when coding their design - why else would you need a bonus vs. melee units who can't attack, or vs. unarmed indians when your unit is already armed, combat hardened, in a colony, with at least 2 Minuteman defense promotions already earned!?!)
Looting improvements has very little value as a strategy when attacking an enemy, hence the looter promotion has very little value ....
- Firstly, add a small +10% vs. settlement attack to the promotion itself, adding an aggressive 'conquistador' element to potential 'Looters'.
- Secondly, double the base gold recouped from pillaging the farm/lodge/mine improvements (so they yield 10 gold on average, up from 5, so that on average Looting with the Looter promotion will actually recoup the cost of building the improvement itself). This will mean including XML/Terrain/CIV4ImprovementInfos.xml
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Buildings tweaks:
The city defense buildings are now underpriced IMO ....
- Cities can now be held and fortified effectively, Cannons can now fire at passing ships from a Fortress, the structures seem more valueable buildings. I'd start by upping the base hammer costs by a third, from Stockade 30 hammers to 40 hammers, Fort from 90 hammers +50 tools, to 120 hammers +50 tools, and Fortress from 270 hammers +100 tools, to 360 hammers +100 tools. I can also see as the AI and natives become tougher there being a greater need to look at these structures.
Horse 'mass production' is still inefficient ....
- Even with the added 'natural reproduction', this is still not cost effective and works out easier to buy horses in Europe. Whilst stables and Ranches now have value in that they can help to 'pay for themselves', I still find breeding to a large extent is not an option, mainly due to the inherent high strategic cost in breeding (-ve food).
So, on top of the 'natural breeding' now in game, I'd consider adding a +25% horses yield with a Stables, and a +50% horses yield with a Ranch. This would allow a colony (must still have a LOT OF food to use 3 Ranchers!) to specialise and produce horses at a higher rate, with the maximum possible production per turn increased from 39/turn (costing 30 food) to 52/turn (costing 30 food). CALCULATIONS - (from 3 Masters in a Ranch at present producing (8 horses * 3 ranchers + 2 natural breeding) = 26, with +50% sentiment = 39 per turn, total food cost being (24 horses + 3 Ranchers) 30). (With +50% horses from Ranch, from 3 Masters in a Ranch producing (8 horses * 3 ranchers + 2 natural breeding) = 26, with +50% from ranch and +50% sentiment = 52 per turn, total food cost being (24 horses + 3 Ranchers) 30)