Colonies IV BetaTesters' Thread

I have opened this thread to act as a resource for the testing of my new scenario: Colonies IV. Already, several people are helping me playtest, and I am just about to release version 0.3 for betatesting.

Those people already involved in the playtesting, please use this thread to feedback your comments to me. Others who have an interest, by all means comment and observe. If you want to be involved in the playtesting, please PM or email me. However, I have several playtesters at the moment, and if I have too many it is likely to get very confusing and slow-moving, so please don't be offended if I say "no".

I am very much on the lookout for people talented with graphics and/or sounds, however.

A few notes on 0.3:

1) The graphics are very much NOT finished, especially icons, Wonders and units.
2) The Pedia is not yet edited for this version of Colonies. I will await the final resolution of some outstanding issues before I spend too much time getting this right.
3) The playtesting of versions 0.1 and 0.2 has covered the period 1630-1660 pretty thoroughly. I want 0.3 to work from 1630-1720, at least. Playbalance or tech issues that occur AFTER 1720, please note them, but I am not too worried yet. (The scenario goes to 1780, if you don't yet know.)
4) I am trying a slightly faster tech-discovery rate this time. How does it feel to you?
5) The sounds are not yet done, although the unit slots have been set up so that the sounds should work well, when I get around to them.
6) I have given the Swwedish the military advantage this time, rather than the Spanish.
7) The techs for the advanced fortress and heavy siege guns now works differently, and should come later.
8) 12pdr cannon come later (after SCA) and are less mobile - but cheaper.
9) I have made some changes to the creation locations of Beaver, Hunters, Slaves and Natives.

That's it for now. I will email you all 0.3 either tonight, or tomorrow night. Those of you whom I asked, but have not gotten involved in the playtesting, I have dropped from the distribution list, as you are probably just getting annoyed with all the spam! Please let me know if you want back in. Thanks for all your help, everybody.

Is Colonies IV an update to Colonies III in the sense that it is an improved version or does it take place after Colonies III ends?

It is an update (1630-1780, so pretty much the same timeframe), but on a gigamap, with different Civs, and a few new concepts.

And probally a lot funner!

If you need units making I'd be glad to help

John DEFINATELY get a new Arquibister (sp?)

I was never fond of the old one.

I love the new Firelocks however they are great!

Arquebusier. Yeah, not my greatest effort. Gazza, what can you do? Do you want the units.gif file so you can see how the other units are looking?

Originally posted by Patient English
Arquebusier. Yeah, not my greatest effort. Gazza, what can you do? Do you want the units.gif file so you can see how the other units are looking?

Click to expand...

Just units I'm afraid - haven't tried any terrain, cities or improvements yet. If the attached random units sample is up to scratch then please post me your units file and let me know what you need.

gareth@wbirch.fsnet.co.uk

Originally posted by Patient English
1) The graphics are very much NOT finished, especially icons, Wonders and units.

Click to expand...

John, you know, I'm willing to help especaly in gfx-works. So let me know what you need (as exact as possible) and I will try my best too.

Yaihi!!!!!

If you need look here...

www.americanconquest.com

Oooops.... forgot this...

Haven't had time to play this yet, but I have followed the playtest with great interest. Actually I think your present graphics looks great, except for just a few units -For some naval and african type units, take a look at the units thread (second-last page or so). You may be able to steal something there. If you're interested, I have several other ship types of the same style on my harddrive.

I played a little as the Dutch from the beginning up to 1645 (version 0.2) and I think you should somewhat lower the strength of the royal canons and ritters. It only takes 1 veteran royal canon to take out an artillery fort at emperor level, and 2 veteran ritters to take out an artillery fort.

Here is a report: I went on a "conquering trip", and managed to capture all independant north-german cities, all of denmark, and the city of Lund. All of this in 15 years.

Also, please relook at the starting treaties. Because the French declared war on me when I attacked Hamburg and then England and Sweden declared war on France, after which Spain declared war on those 2. So since 1632 there is a large European war going on and Spain and France always ask over 1000 gold to make peace.

I haven't tried building colonies in the New world yet, because every juicy spot is occupied by a native village and every time I send an expedition inland, it gets slaughtered by the natives. Also, maybe you could give the Dutch also a hunter, because I couldn't get any furs. And all my colonies in north-america have all 3 been very close to destruction. Those natives are really strong against stockades. (so maybe you could lower the attack of the natives)

In the caribean, the Spanish just control everything. Every time I try to move a ship, or build a town in the Caribean, the Spanish managed to kill/destroy it within 3 turns. But I don't really mind. My objectives lay in Europe. (you could however lower the attack power of the conquistadores and raise the defences of the stockades)

The techs, I kinda neglected. I think I researched about 3 techs, but well, if you wanna go to war, you can't have everything.

And I know I haven't send in anything yet, but I always read the other reports and would like to remain informed. I'll also try to play another game as the Dutch with version 0.3 .

Spain should hate you, you know, and at the start of this scenario there WAS a big pan european war going on (granted the English where neutral)

Thanks for the graphics, guys. I will get back to each of you tonight separately, and send you the units.gif I am working from.

I also want to do a totally separate units file with multi-units, like Bonaparte II, as an option.

Henrik, in 1630 July 1630, the European situation was as I show it in the game.

Morten, I love the ship graphics you have done. For myself, I think I prefer them to other styles, but I know with Colonies III I had huge negative feedback about "flat-on style" units, as if seen from a boat floating at their waterline level. Most people seem to prefer 3/4 view shots, taken from above. Do you have any in that style?

Gazza, can you send me your email, please? I would rather email you my units file rather than post it in open forum. I think you units are very nice, with great uniform detail. However, for Colonies IV, I would like units with a more "rounded" feel, and perhaps with dirtier uniforms! Anyway, a bit less clean an "posed" looking... If you are still interested, and think you could do that, contact me by email (netdesign@zoom.co.uk)

Originally posted by Patient English
Henrik, in 1630 July 1630, the European situation was as I show it in the game.

Click to expand...

I never intended to argue otherwise
What I am saying is that if Yop, playing the dutch, find himself involved in a big war engulfing all of europe, it's not ahistorical at all, but very probable and at many times very true...

Yop, I think you answer most of your own questions! (Thanks for the feedback BTW).

If you are a warmonger, don't expect the price of peace to be cheap. Playing as the Swedish, your list of conquests are fine. As the Dutch, it certainly was more than they achieved in reality, but as they were basically funding the Swedes after about 1640, it's not so weird.

In 1632, the 30 years war was full-on. Almost everybody was at war with somebody. My starting time of July 1630 was chosen because there was at least some peace around. If you go on "conquering trips" expect a general war! I take your comments on the strength of Royal Cannon on board. I will try adjusting them slightly, but if the Artillery Fort is on a hill and/or a river, it becomes just about impossible to take. Maybe a high(er) attack value and lower hit points might do it....

The Dutch have no Hunter, because they can build their own caravans (and hardly need to with their economy anyway).

You CAN survive against raiding natives you know. Just takes careful planning and choice of site. As the Dutch, I have only once lost a city to the natives, through over-ambition.

1630-1650, the Spanish DID control the Caribbean. Again with planning, if you lay off European wars and ship some forces overseas, you CAN take them on. As you neglacted techs, you might have found your new conquests starting to slip away before too long, as well....

Thanks again for the report.

John

Im having a problem with the natives. THERE ARE NONE.

Im playing ver 3, and I built a city at 316,136 in Africa. Your events text shows the possibility of natives showing up at 318,136. The problem is I haven't seen any african natives and Im at year 1668! Is anyone else having this problem? I bult a city ni approximately the same location in version 2 and had so many slaves in Port Etienne I thought the Island was going to sink! I always had at least 8 slaves waiting for transport and as soon as I moved some I would get another native attack leading to slaves.

Any ideas? Game seems to move quicker this time. Dutch and English have been picking fights with me. I again took Plymouth and this time Den Haag and Amsterdam. Although I lost Den Haag after about 10 - 15 turns.

It seems that thje Spanish are very powerful. Every turn it seems like 12 to 15 units move around Perpigan, and Im nervous about the defenses arounf Narbonne.

Techs go faster, but Im wondering if they will run out quicker? We should get Henrik to make one of those tech trees like he has in d' Historius Europae. That would make it easier to figure out if the techs are comming to fast.

I had more time this week and Im enjoying the playtest immensly.
The European wars slowed down Colonial expansion but Im starting that up in a few turns.

And Im in Const Monarchy and have NOT extorted my neighbors for gold. I have been trading techs freely. It seems the Spanish are researching military techs and Im focasing on Economic techs so we have traded back and forth quite a bit. You have changed around the tech tree as well I see.

Keep up the good work!

SKI, thanks. Playtesting as the Swedish in 0.3, I am up to 1696, and there are a FEW African natives, but not as many as there were in 0.2. I know the Africans are quickly disbanded by the AI, so I create them VERY frequently, and you need to kill them quick!

However, 0.3 has seen one change here. I create the Africans further away from the coast than in 0.2. You will see fewer of them hurl themselves to destruction on your coastal cities, and therefore your islands should stay afloat! You need to go into the interior after them.

Slaves are therefore a more precious resource, unless you are the Spanish, with Central America providing huge numbers. I am contemplating reducing those in favour of more Africans.

Regarding techs: I agree they are perhaps too quick now. I think I shall revert to the original rate. Also, I have now changed the route to SCA slightly, to make it more relevant, and to make it more attractive to the AI. Bayonet WAS rated at an AI value of 1 (out of 10) and thus the AI was not going for SCA soon enough.

I suggest you all change Bayonet to 7+ and SCA to 9 in your rules.txt, or wait for 0.4.