FairStart modification of SevoMod

I decided to open a new thread because there are too many changes in my modification. The first version of this mod you can find in the SevoMod thread:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=151611

--------------------------------------
Mod FairStart

Add-on to SevoMod by Fujisan
v. 1.3
Release date: 3/28/2006

Compatible with SevoMod Version 2.3

--------------------------------------
Changes in v. 1.3
--------------------------------------

- Fixed bug of the game crashing when you Explore a Temple or Plant a Forest.

- Fabric Plantation added. Provides Silk or Cotton. Available with Paper. (Too many resources come with Calendar, so I moved two in Paper).

- Hammer yields of Mine on Aluminium, Copper, Iron and Pasture on Horse decreased a little bit.

- More detailed Readme file.


--------------------------------------
What is it?
--------------------------------------

SevoMod is good enough as it is! However I hope the following modifications make is even better. Mod FairStart is SevoMod plus:

- seven new resources (from GreenMod by Master Lexx);

- SEVENTEEN (!) new improvements (including absolutely new ones (Jungle Camp, Lodge, Hut), and changed ones (like Wheat Farm, Cow Pasture, Gold Mine etc.));

- unit stack aid promotions from Perks and Promotions by Zuul (simplified);

- hero promotions from Perks and Promotions by Zuul and Wadash (fixed and improved!);

- increased yields of all improvements, great peoples and some buildings;

- two new techs;

- no free starting techs and techs from Goody Huts for both AI and human;

- one new SS component;

- one new unit;

- additional military cost for gunpowder based and modern units;

...and many other changes (see the attachment for details).


In addition, I changed some conceptions of the game:

- Fair Start means that both AI and human at ANY handicap level start game with the same number of units. Moreover the number of starting units is increased (two settlers, two warriors, worker and scout). It is supposed that you will be playing at a higher handycap level than you usually do.

- I don't like the idea that you get a lot of resources at a time just with Agriculture, Mining or Calendar. Also I wanted to slow down the research and cities growth at the early stages of the game. That's why I added improvements for almost each resource! Each improvement becomes available with different techs and its yield changes during the game its own way. The latest improvement comes with Astronomy.

- I've made some changes to help to the Civilizations started in difficult terrain (Jungle or Tundra). If you start near Jungles, you are able to build very strong improvement Jungle Camp (+2/+1/+1). However it becomes useless very fast (-1 food with Agriculture, -1 food with Food Processing, -1 hammer with Iron Working). Also Tropical Plantation is available earlier than any other types of Plantations. If you start in Tundra, you are able to build a Lodge in Forests (+1/0/+1). This improvement is not very strong, but instead you have early access to the three "cold" resources (Fur, Deer and Sheep).

- It is natural that some resources are stronger than others. In this mod ALL resources give more yield, but some of them are made exclusive. The two champions are Oil (0/+4/+12) and Aluminium (0/+8/+2). (Don't forget that in case of Aluminium there is additional +2 hammers from Mine and +1 hammer from natural yield change and may be +1~2 from Hill.) Don't ask me to lower down these values, just play the game to the end and you'll see that this is not "too much". Another strong resources are Iron (0/+4/0), Copper (0/+3/+1), Gold (0/0/+10) and some others. The difference in yields of food resources is not big, but the strongest are Wheat and Fish. Also remember that most improvements give a little yield first, but give more and more with corresponding techs (typical example is Fish: it gives only +1 food at the beginning, but finaly reaches +4/0/+1 not counting Lighthouse effect).

And finally some general notes:

- in this mod you have more units;

- in this mod you have more experienced units;

- in this mod you have more populated cities;

and consequently
- you have more specialists and (if you play at ExpTech speed) Great Peoples.


---------------------------------------
Installation
---------------------------------------

You have to install SevoMod Version 2.3 first. Then copy this archive to Sevomod folder overwriting existing files.

Download link for FairStart v.1.3:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads11/FairStart_byFujisan_v1.3.zip

Link for SevoMod:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=151611

Ah I liked the idea of the resources appering after a time (though maybe some too late).
Have you still changed some resources like 12 hammers for aluminium?
They should be a bit more balanced.

Does this work in Multiplayer now? I remember we kept getting OOS every time we tried to play this--did you use the random function maybe?

[edit] An earlier version of fairstart had caused OOS; the current version (1.3) works smoothly in MP.

Zuul said:

Ah I liked the idea of the resources appering after a time (though maybe some too late).

Click to expand...

Yes, you can see the resources, but cannot use them right away. For example, you get Gold with Currency, Gems with Monarchy, and Potato only with Astronomy!

Zuul said:

Have you still changed some resources like 12 hammers for aluminium?
They should be a bit more balanced.

Click to expand...

Copper, Iron and Aluminium still give a lot of hammer, as well as Gold, Silver, Gems and Oil give a lot of gold, as well as Wheat and Fish give a lot of food...

Do you think it is unbalanced?

Aluminium is the most hammer-producing, but it appears late in the game, when extra 12 hammers are not very much (remember that in this mod you have more hammers, gold and food from almost everything). Moreover I wanted Aluminium-like resource owners to be stronger.

Yes I think it's unballanced. Why should only fish give extra food and no other water resource? Same with wheat. Maybe add some to the others too later on but not as much.

So now you can use winary on monarchy? Because before you could build it but not see the resource.

Fujisan said:

Potato only with Astronomy!

Copper, Iron and Aluminium still give a lot of hammer, as well as Gold, Silver, Gems and Oil give a lot of gold, as well as Wheat and Fish give a lot of food...

Do you think it is unbalanced?

Aluminium is the most hammer-producing, but it appears late in the game, when extra 12 hammers are not very much (remember that in this mod you have more hammers, gold and food from almost everything). Moreover I wanted Aluminium-like resource owners to be stronger.

Click to expand...

This sounds like a really good expansion of sevomod, can you explain to me though the reasoning behind Potato with Astronomy. Do they give you extra food, or happiness(mmmmm.....booooze).

Also, 12 hammers for aluminum seems excessive, especially later on once you have buildings giving % bonuses to hammers, maybe 8, still quite a bit but not as high. Also, ho do the %'s work. Like forge, factory, electricity and iron forge, do they each add the percentage of the base production or would each building add after the previous one has been built. Lets say 10 base, with forge extra 2.5, then say factory, does it give extra 6.25 or an extra 5? And so on for each additional production bonus? I hope I explained myself cleary, just got off a really long shift and I am somewhat tired. Cheers!

I updated the mod and added a lot of explanations in the first post (and in Readme file). I hope I cleared the questions of "very late" and "very strong" resources? If not please ask me.

2 Zuul: I decreased yeald on Aluminium and some others, but only a little bit. Just play the game to the end and you'll see that this is not "too much".

2 Bringa: Unfortunately, the game crashes when you try to play MP. I have no idea why...

Going to start a new game with this modification of the excellent Sevomod
Keep up the good work

This works very well in multiplayer so far. Played two very long games, gonna play another tomorrow. Cheers!

Hi!

I have noticed a slight increase in the barbarian xp cap! Where can I change that myself and is there a limit?

Aragorn7

Aragorn7 said:

Hi!

I have noticed a slight increase in the barbarian xp cap! Where can I change that myself and is there a limit?

Click to expand...

Do you mean max XP from barbarians? It is increased to 30 (8 for animals).
You can change these parameters in Assets\XML\GlobalDefinesAlt.xml

Do you think it is to much? In GreenMod, for example, it was 50.

Hi

Thanks for the info. No I think it is cool with all the xtra xp, and I also want to increase it to 50.

Aragorn7