Event Balancing

[rsc2a]

As I mentioned here, I am slowly going through the events in the Community Patch Events Development and making sure the events are balanced, text is correct, etc. My long term goal is to address some of the complaints I (and others) have had regarding variety and balance. Eventually, I'd like to have (redo actually) the Hokath event categories (Civs, Advisors, Corporations, Ideologies, Natural Wonders, and Religion) as well as have enough general events to keep things interesting. For balance, I'm hoping to have an equal weighting of good, neutral and bad events in the general events.

I'm looking at balancing criteria. What I have developed is a sort of scoring criteria to give a weighted value for each event group. I'm looking for general equivalencies for respective yields (knowing that these could change based on play-style and/or Civ). Here's what I've come up with so far:

Yield Points
Food, Production, Faith and Tourism - 1 point
Science and Culture - 2 points
Gold and GAP - 0.5 point

New luxuries are valued at 5 points if single item. 2.5 points for each additional one. Strategics are valued at 3 points. If permanent, they are scaled (see below). If temporary, they are not scaled.
Population is valued at 5 points.
Free buildings are valued at 3 points plus bonus yields unless special (e.g. religious buildings). Special buildings are valued at 5.
Bonuses to improvements/resources are valued based on their yields and generally assume 3 local improvements/resources in a city.
Extra GP slots are worth 5 points.
Promotions, GP points, free units, etc. are kind of a subjective gut feel.

I take these points and multiple them by a "flipped" scaling multiple with faith being slightly weighted more towards pre-reniassance times.

Spoiler Scaling Factor for non-Faith :

Scaling Factor (non-Faith)
Ancient - 7
Classical - 6
Medieval - 5
Renaissance - 4
Industrial - 3
Modern - 2
Atomic - 1

Spoiler Scaling Factor for Faith :

Scaling Factor (Faith)
Ancient - 8
Classical - 7
Medieval - 6
Renaissance - 4
Industrial - 3
Modern - 2
Atomic - 1

For example, here is "my" Barringer Crater event:

Spoiler Barringer Crater Event Values :

------ BARRINGER CRATER ------
Base Yields: 2 Production, 4 Science
Scaler: +2 Science

Event 1
Requires: None
Costs: None
Good: +1 Science, +1 Tourism
Bad: None

Event 2
Requires: Iron Working (classical)
Costs: 100 Gold (scaling)
Good: +2 Iron, + 1 Copper
Bad: -2 Science to NW


Event 3
Requires: Astronomy (renaissance)
Costs: None
Good: Towns and Villages produce +1 Culture and +2 Gold
Bad: None

Event 4
Requires: Rocketry (atomic)
Costs: 1500 Science (scaling)
Good: Free Spaceship Factory, +100 GS points (scaling)
Bad: None

I ended up with a scoring matrix like this:

Base Yield (no Faith)

Base Yield (Faith)

Scaler (no Faith)

Scaler (Faith)

Event 1

Event 2

Event 2

Event 2

Event 2

Event 3

Event 3

Event 3

Event 3

Event 4

Event 4

Event 4

Event 4

Era Scaling

Costs

Good

Bad

Era Scaling

Costs

Good

Bad

Era Scaling

Costs

Good

Bad

10

4

2

6

9

4

4

9

1

10

So 10 (base yield) x 7 (ancient modifer) + 4 (scaler) x (various modifers) + 2 (event 1 score) x 6 (classical modifer) + 5 (event 2 net score) x 6 (classical modifer) + 9 (event 3 score) x 4 (reniassance modifer) + 10 (event 4 score) x 1 (atomic modifer) = a balancing value of 210

Now the goal is going to be to get all natural wonder events (with their base yields) to be somewhat close to 200 (say 180-220) so this would work. It would also curb back some of the lopsidedness of certain natural wonders. (I'm looking at you Great Barrier Reef.)

Thoughts on methodology? Relative weights of yields? Etc?

---

Once I have a category (e.g. Natural Wonders) in close form, I figured I'd post the overall event notes and matrix so that category can be looked at holistically.

 

[BornDownUnder]

I really like the sound of your approach.

Not sure if the faith, science and culture along with the scalar for the early eras would increase the potential for runaway civs that are tailored towards the aforementioned yields.

On a side note, I would very much like to see a randomized event system (If even possible) Along with era specific events.

Kudos to you for taking on such a task.

 

[Enginseer]

To be honest I rather rework all Natural Wonder Event into a simpler..

- +2 Golden Age Point (+1 GAP for the Great Barrier Reef) as its permanent repeatable choice.
- 1 One-time Event where it enhances the base effect of the Natural Wonder itself (or provides a luxury/strategic resource)
- 1 One-time Trade Event where you spend gold/faith/science/population for something unique (or early, if the event grants a free building; attempt to grant it earlier than its prerequisite technology)
- 4th one is a final event offering one last set of bonus. You can choose this or you can choose to keep +2 Golden Age Pointing.

 

[Tekamthi]

Been playing with community patch events for first time in a while, really enjoy em, though I find there are a number of events that don't really achieve a meaningful choice. Game was around 0ad, I had the required building to mitigate the consequences and that was it, just hit okay and moved on. (Sorry I can't recall specifically which one but I think there are a few like this)

Until very late game infrastructure is available, I'd expect to have some kind of consequence from these events, for negative events they should only be partially mitigatable with the ancient/classical buildings.. for positive the top rewards should only be accessible later on etc. would give a sense of human progress at managing crisis or optimizing opportunities.

I have a thematic bias for these things so perfect balance not a huge concern to me, though I don't dislike it when both can be achieved. Subtle effects are fine, but the events that commonly result in nothing happening because I already built x building a thousand years earlier seem kinda underwhelming

 

[rsc2a]

I rather like the idea of events being consistent as Enginseer described, even across categories. Would make consistency a bit easier although I think I'd need to play with yields to balance things. It might also help with yield bloat.

It might make things a bit tougher thematically. For example, I still had the free Synagogue, Church, and Mosque for Mt Sinai but amped up the costs significantly (nothing then -2 pop and -10 GPT then 5 permanent unhappiness do to religious unrest).

I also am leaning a lot more towards temporary bonuses as a general rule (e.g. promotions and luxuries) over permanent ones but am still thinking it through.

 

[rsc2a]

Big question for now though is on how I'm valuing yields and scaling them.

2 Gold / GAP = 1 Food / Production / Tourism = 0.5 Culture / Science

5 Food = 1 Population / permanent luxury

...and such as I described. Another advantage to coming up with a valuing and scaling system would be events could be more consistent among molders, especially if they tried to balance good and bad events as well.

 

[rsc2a]

I've got a draft put together for NW events. I went with a modified version of the idea described above:

Event 1 - Generic. Flat +2 GAP and +1 Tourism. Can always be selected.
Event 2 - Bonuses to resources and/or improvements. May get bonus luxury item. Occasionally a free building.
Event 3 - Various types of benefits but countered with even higher costs.
- For example, gain 2 Sugar resources and Plantations gain +1 Gold but city loses 2 Citizens.

Event 4 - Linked to Event 3. No big Event 4 bonuses without paying for Event 3. High value bonuses.
- In this example, you get the "Everlasting Youth" promotion, but 7 HP instead of five. I removed it from the base FoY and you can get it back with this event in a later era.

I was trying to think if the natural wonders I always try to grab and the one's I'm like 'meh' about and nerf or buff them, respectively. No more mad dash for the Great Barrier Reef while ignoring Lake Victoria.

I've attached the file where I've compiled the events and scored them.

 

[ScarletArkyning]

I've got a draft put together for NW events. I went with a modified version of the idea described above:

Event 1 - Generic. Flat +2 GAP and +1 Tourism. Can always be selected.
Event 2 - Bonuses to resources and/or improvements. May get bonus luxury item. Occasionally a free building.
Event 3 - Various types of benefits but countered with even higher costs.
- For example, gain 2 Sugar resources and Plantations gain +1 Gold but city loses 2 Citizens.

Event 4 - Linked to Event 3. No big Event 4 bonuses without paying for Event 3. High value bonuses.
- In this example, you get the "Everlasting Youth" promotion, but 7 HP instead of five. I removed it from the base FoY and you can get it back with this event in a later era.

I was trying to think if the natural wonders I always try to grab and the one's I'm like 'meh' about and nerf or buff them, respectively. No more mad dash for the Great Barrier Reef while ignoring Lake Victoria.

I've attached the file where I've compiled the events and scored them.

This sort of stuff I’ve always liked, ie the terra mirabillis for Civ 6. Making the NWS more than just a bunch of high yield tiles. Making it so they can actively contribute to the player’s strategy and actually more thematically appropriate from a historical aspect (like Uluṟu giving bonuses to desert and hill travel, something linked to indigenous traditions of “walkabouts”)

 

[rsc2a]

How do you guys think this looks for the NW events? With these values, I'm cutting the scalers in half; NW tiles won't be as strong but I figure the extra perks from events already makes them a bit lopsided. Based on my balancing criteria above, the overall event system for each NW is within about 5% from worst scored to greatest scored.

One note on this is that the FoY loses the initial "everlasting youth" promotion because it becomes the Event 4 reward for this NW. The 'altitude training" has also been removed from Kilimanjaro and added to Mt Kailash as an Event 4 reward.

....more thematically appropriate from a historical aspect (like Uluṟu giving bonuses to desert and hill travel, something linked to indigenous traditions of “walkabouts”)

Interestingly, that's what I had in mind when I planned Event 4 for Uluru. Same with having early mine effects for Gibraltar, the Sinai rewards, etc. In fact, I did a bit of light research to make sure all the events could be explained in the text based their respective NW histories.

 

[azum4roll]

Free luxury is always a bad choice balancewise.

If it counts towards monopoly, you may get a free monopoly out of nowhere if the luxury doesn't exist on the map (all RNG).
If it doesn't count towards monopoly, it can't trigger WLTKD and nobody will pay anything for it. You might as well change it to +2 Happiness.

 

[rsc2a]

Free luxury is always a bad choice balancewise.

If it counts towards monopoly, you may get a free monopoly out of nowhere if the luxury doesn't exist on the map (all RNG).
If it doesn't count towards monopoly, it can't trigger WLTKD and nobody will pay anything for it. You might as well change it to +2 Happiness.

I thought imported luxuries only counted as monopolies if either a) you are the Dutch or b) they come from city states and you have the appropriate statecraft policy.

 

[azum4roll]

If no monopoly, it's the same as 2 Happiness, or even 0 if you already have the luxury.

 

[rsc2a]

I could give a flat 2 Happiness but figured the extra luxury would be more thematic.

 

[epicivfreak]

How do you guys think this looks for the NW events?

It looks pretty good, but play-testing will obviously get more specific feedback.

 

[rsc2a]

It looks pretty good, but play-testing will obviously get more specific feedback.

I had it pretty much ready to go but something is broken. As soon as I figure out what it is, I'll be ready to upload.

Spoiler Pic of what's coming :

 

[epicivfreak]

Great news...
Just wondering, city fires, do these events exist in Natural Disasters?

 

[rsc2a]

Great news...
Just wondering, city fires, do these events exist in Natural Disasters?

Yes, but being adjacent to rivers and coasts will block city fires sorta. And, once you hit a certain point, you might be given the option to update building codes in the other cities to eliminate the chance of fire....for a cost.

By sorta, I have added a "flavor event" that tells you the city would have burned down if not for being on a river. There are no impacts on the city though.

And one of the tutorial events lets folks know that building cities away from rivers and coasts make them susceptible to burning down.

 

[epicivfreak]

Yes...

Gotcha. I was just curious if there would be any value to having two separate expansion packs for disasters - one for Natural Disasters & one for City Disasters, since Natural doesn't necessarily have to affect cities specifically. For example, Great Fires and Plagues would obviously be city-specific, while things like Floods, Hurricanes, and Landslides, could do either/or (possibly both) city-effects & terrain-effects.

It's conceptually different, though idk if it makes any difference implementation-wise.

 

[rsc2a]

For the religion events, I modified them so they aren't so synergestic (to prevent snowballing), balanced them, and broke the dependencies so you don't have Event 1 >> Event 2 >> Event 3.....

Here is what the new religions events would look like compared to the old:

Spoiler Original Religious Events :

Spoiler New Religious Events :

How does it look, and particularly, do Events Choices 3 and 6 look balanced across religions?

 

[rsc2a]

I'm thinking for empire-wide events and trying to come up with balancing numbers. I've got baseline assumptions as follows:

8 non-puppet cities as the standard
3 non-guild specialists per city (industrial and later), 2 non-guild specialists per city (pre-industrial)
12 corporation monopoly resources per empire (for player events) or 2 per city
2 resource-dependent improvements per city (since some will not have any)
3 non-resource dependent improvements per city

Thinking of the direction for the corporation events and I'm thinking of starting off with an empire-wide option either boosts specialists, franchises, improvements or gives more lucrative (and riskier) city-level events. These city events could provide bigger boosts, give GP bonuses, etc. I also am trying to decide whether to synergize with the corporation flavors or separate them. I went the route of offering light synergies with religion for weaker choices or greater yields for non-synergy options. Main thing I'm trying to do is keep things from getting too lopsided. Thoughts?