What about starting with an early "palace" building instead, one that can be auto-upgraded to a regular palace at some point, or go through a series of upgrades, so that an early reduction in Maintenance would be removed after set points.
DH after all does not need the Palace any more for the Myth buildings.
Though that does not address the problem of a second (or even third) city early on for AI or good conquerors.
So adding to the initial Pre-Palace building, have unlimited amounts and tweak the -CityMaint% so that more than 3 cities that early on before placing a Palace would still (due to iMaxNumCity and high base maintenance) cost more than would be gained.
For instance (numbers might change)
Meeting Hearth, giving -80% Maintenance and +2, +1, +1.
Upgrades at Barter to
Leader's Hearth, giving -50% Maintenance and +3, +1, +1, +1.
Upgrades at Tribalism to
Tribal Meet, -25% Maintenance and +4, +2, +1, +1, -95% hammers needed for Palace.
Upgrades at Chiefdom to
Palace. National building. Might want to hold off with building it if at 3 cities. Maybe as an incentive a nation only gets it's culture once the Palace is built? Or some other incentive like adding slightly to it, like 10:commerce + 1 free Specialist, to make it worth building it even with 3 cities, and a no-brainer at 2 or 1 cities.
I suppose the "reduced maintenance in nearby cities" might help make up for some of the loss from losing from losing the other buildings. Oh, and once a Palace is built the early version, in all cities, should be obsolete, removed, gone.
(could be done by the Palace built giving a hidden tech that obsoletes them?)
Good, bad, workable?
Cheers
DH after all does not need the Palace any more for the Myth buildings.
Though that does not address the problem of a second (or even third) city early on for AI or good conquerors.
So adding to the initial Pre-Palace building, have unlimited amounts and tweak the -CityMaint% so that more than 3 cities that early on before placing a Palace would still (due to iMaxNumCity and high base maintenance) cost more than would be gained.
For instance (numbers might change)
Meeting Hearth, giving -80% Maintenance and +2, +1, +1.
Upgrades at Barter to
Leader's Hearth, giving -50% Maintenance and +3, +1, +1, +1.
Upgrades at Tribalism to
Tribal Meet, -25% Maintenance and +4, +2, +1, +1, -95% hammers needed for Palace.
Upgrades at Chiefdom to
Palace. National building. Might want to hold off with building it if at 3 cities. Maybe as an incentive a nation only gets it's culture once the Palace is built? Or some other incentive like adding slightly to it, like 10:commerce + 1 free Specialist, to make it worth building it even with 3 cities, and a no-brainer at 2 or 1 cities.
I suppose the "reduced maintenance in nearby cities" might help make up for some of the loss from losing from losing the other buildings. Oh, and once a Palace is built the early version, in all cities, should be obsolete, removed, gone.
(could be done by the Palace built giving a hidden tech that obsoletes them?)
Good, bad, workable?
Cheers