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Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2016
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- 116
I have been a keen contributing fan of DoC since the beginning (I remember when China's UB was Confucian Academy, a University that gave +20% Research). More recently I have run dozens of hours of autoplay on, and flipped through the code of the big map version. I am (yet again) inspired by Leoreth's (ever improving) masterpiece and have some new ideas to share regarding balance and realism.
I see the challenges against balance (in gameplay) and realism (of historicity) in DoC to have two main separate branches:
Most history-related strategy game has only one of these two kinds of spawns. Vanilla CIV only has Absolute Spawns. Paradox games, like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, only have Relative Spawns. DoC, with its rather unique mixture of Absolute and Relative Spawns, is essentially two genres of historical strategy games rolled into one - this is part of its unique charm, and presents unique challenges, challenges which I will explore in more detail later in this thread.
I see the challenges against balance (in gameplay) and realism (of historicity) in DoC to have two main separate branches:
- One, Anti-Blobbing: How to simulate the increasing costs and drawbacks of bigger civilizations.
- This is an challenge faced by all history-related strategy games, not just DoC.
- I am NOT discussing this topic in this thread - though I have ideas that I can discuss elsewhere.
- Two, Absolute vs Relative Spawns: How DoC civ spawns are in fact two very different types of spawns, and how to both integrate and distinguish between them in a single game.
- This is a challenge faced by very few other history-related strategy games. It was originally introduced to RFC by Rhye, but the challenge has been amplified in DoC due to the rich content Leoreth added over the years.
- I am discussing this topic in this thread.
- An Absolute Spawn is a civ spawning in game representing that a civilization IRL history has achieved a level of INTERNAL economic, cultural, and social COHESION to be regarded as a significant civilization.
- In DoC, most early (Ancient, Classical, Medieval Eras) spawns are Absolute Spawns.
- Notable later Absolute Spawns are (I'd argue): Turks, Portugal, Thailand, Congo.
- Turks and Portugal I will use as archetypical examples.
- Absolute Spawns in DoC typically start with a single tile, minimal flips, and small unit stack.
- Absolute Spawns are expected (from gameplay strategy and historical realism) to build up slowly.
- Therefore, Absolute Spawns tend to currently have slower modifiers in Consts.py.
- Absolute Spawns are favored by players with a more building playstyle.
- A Relative Spawn is a a civ spawning in game representing that a civilization IRL history has achieved a level of EXTERNAL political, diplomatic, and military INDEPENDENCE to be regarded as a significant civilization.
- In DoC, all late (Modern+ Era) spawns are Relative Spawns, including all post-colonial civilizations.
- Notable non-colonial Relative Spawns are (I'd argue): Iran, Netherlands, Byzantium, Prussia, Sweden.
- Iran and Netherlands I will use as particular examples.
- Mongolia is a special case - it is a Relative Spawn taken to the extremes, especially for AIs.
- America is another special case - it is a Relative Spawn taken to another extreme.
- Relative Spawns in DoC typically start by flipping at least one foreign city, and larger unit stacks.
- Relative Spawns are expected (from gameplay strategy and historical realism) to expand quickly.
- Therefore, Absolute Spawns tend to have superior modifiers in Consts.py, relative to its initial neighbors/rivals.
- Absolute Spawns are favored by players with a more conquering/rapid expanding playstyle.
Most history-related strategy game has only one of these two kinds of spawns. Vanilla CIV only has Absolute Spawns. Paradox games, like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, only have Relative Spawns. DoC, with its rather unique mixture of Absolute and Relative Spawns, is essentially two genres of historical strategy games rolled into one - this is part of its unique charm, and presents unique challenges, challenges which I will explore in more detail later in this thread.
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