MODMOD: ERA and Better AI

[Sephi]

ERA and Better AI MODMOD

Won't work with 051 or later versions of FF - the AI changes are now Part of the Wild Mana Mod

Goals:

1. Make the AI much much better
2. Change the pace of the game to make it less of a rush a tech or die game
3. Make Civs less dependent on specific Techs
4. minor: make Specialist Economy possible (like in BTS)

Recent Changes

1. Era techs are now optional (or requirements)
2. Era techs will give a significant bonus to research techs of later eras

Work in Progress:
This Modmod is a Work in Progress and a lot still needs to be done. Any Feedback is always welcome. Whoever wants some real opponents rather then some easy victims hopefully enjoys this modmod. I find FFH on immortal difficulty often rather boring and now even when I play on monarch there are 1 or 2 civs that outtech me

Install Instructions

1. If you don't already have, install Fall Further 050
2. Install patch N
3. Unzip ERA and Better AI MODMOD and Install (will install into a different folder so you keep FF 050)

AI

1. AI chooses what to build a lot more logical now (Clan of Embers builds warrens for example)
2. AI has new arcane UNITAIs
   
   Spoiler :

   1. AI will guard its bigger cities with arcane units now
   2. AI will terraform its land and upgrade mana nodes based on its needs
   3. AI will send out arcane units to sanctify hell terrain
   4. AI will add Warwizards to its Stacks of Doom
3. AI chooses it's research less randomly (first tier2 military tech or early religion, then early economy techs, then civ specific techs (masonry as clan of embers for example)
4. AI values for civics changed (they still prefere civ/religion specific civics like lost lands or hidden path, but they also love civics they understand (no more 20 city empires without city states!)
5. AI will build a decent number of workers
6. AI has three new UNITAIs to use magic better
7. handicap XP System changed
   
   Spoiler :

   
   

   1. reduced AIFreeXP from 1/2/4/6/8 to 0/1/2/2/3 (prince/monarch/emporer/immortal/deity)
   2. AI units have decent chance to start with a free counter promotion (shock/cover/formation/Scourge)
   3. on emporer and higher AI has small chance to get heroic units

   [*]100 first turns AI uses different handicap for food/production/research to make sure they develop a decent economy
   

ERA Concept

1. There are 4 Eras in the game and you start in the Era of Survival. The later ones are Era of Growth, Era of Conquest and Era of Domination
2. Advancing to a later Era is 100% optional and requires to improve all aspects of a civilization
3. Improvements are better in later Eras
4. Eras are great to teach the AI how to tech
5. Most Civs will need some rework to make sure they are fun in all Eras.

Changelog:

1. added Eras to Techtree and costs of techs adjusted
2. Improvements
   
   Spoiler :

   
   

   1. Basic improvements can be build at reasonable build speed from turn one (for example if a farm takes 7 turns to finish with agriculture, you need 10 before the tech rather than 28 turns)
   2. workshops, windmills, lumbermills, watermills, quarry, roads/trails have tech requirements (same as FFH) This can be disabled by setting IMPROVEMENTS_NEED_TECHS to 0 in ASSETS/XML/GlobalDefinesAlt.xml
   3. improvements are better in later eras
   4. small balance changes:
      mine -1 and +1
      workshop +1
      watermill +1
3. Buildings
   
   Spoiler :

   
   

   1. markets give +2 and another merchant slot, cost 60 more
   2. elder councils give +2 and another sage slot, cost 60 more
   3. carnivals give +2 gold and two bard slots
   4. herbalist needs alteration, +2 and +1 happy with nature mana
   5. well gives 1 Great Person point engineer
   6. artisans workshop, artisans enclave, atelier give 1 more engineer slots
   7. catacomb wonder gives sorcerer Great Person points and slot instead of sage
   8. new building: port. Only coastal cities. gives +1food,+1production,+1gold from water tiles and +1 trade routes, requires growth of Economy tech
   9. new building: Wizardacademy needs 5 mage guilds and arcanemastery tech, gives +30% research, passive mage training and 1 sorcerer slot
4. civ-specific techs
   only two of them are done so far, every civ will get access to one technology from a list of six
   
   Spoiler :

   1. Arcane Mastery
      1. arcane affinity: small chance for units to gain additional channeling promotions
      2. lowers cost of Sorcery tech
      3. Wizardacademy building
      4. only Amurites/Kahdi/Sheiam/Luchuirp may research arcanemastery
   2. Defense Mastery
      1. Gives units a small chance to learn heroic defense everytime they gain a level
      2. units that defend successful have a small chance to learn heroic defense
      3. units with heroic defense have a decent chance to trigger stand your ground ability: gives stand your ground Promotion to all units in stack
         stand your ground: +1defense,+2 first strikes, 50% to wear off
      4. lowers cost of Bowyers tech
5. new specialists: Sorcerer and Great Sorcerer
   
   Spoiler :

   
   Sorcerer
   

   1. 2
   2. small chance to teach units built in city random tier1 spells
   3. 3 GPP Great sorcerer

   Great Sorcerer
   

   1. can start a golden age
   2. can discover a raw mana source (kills the caster)
   3. can become a battlemage
   4. can settle as great sorcerer (+4 research, small chance to teach tier1 and tier2 random spells to units built in city)

   Battlesorcerer
   

   1. must be upgraded from a Great sorcerer
   2. 5
   3. starts with channeling 1+2
   4. with arcane mastery tech has a decent chance to learn channeling 3 whenever he gains a level
6. Civ specific changes see next post

Suggested Options
Turn Tech Brokering off and use the same difficulty as you would in BTS.
Known Bugs
None so far

many many thanks to the FFH and FF team for all their awesome work.
​

 

[Sephi]

Only 2 Civs are fully adjusted to the ERA Concept so far, but all are playable.

Amurites

Spoiler :

Palace gives 2 additional mana (creation, mind)

1. Era of Survival
   1. UB Wall of force: replaces walls, adds blur promotion to units in the city
   2. national wonder: Tower of Sorcery, +5exp to arcane units built in city, +2sorcerer slots, +2 GPP sorcerer
   3. national wonder: Hall of magic weapons, adds magic weapon promotion to units built in city, +2 GPP great general
   4. national wonder: Harbor of far travels, adds waterwalk to recon units built in city, +2 GPP great merchant
   one possible strategy: get lots of great sorcerers and either turn them into battle sorcerers or settle them in cities. Use the random tier1/tier2 spells to your advantage
2. Era of Growth
   1. UB Arcane Forge: replaces Forge, adds enchanted blade promotion to units in the city,+1happy with enchantment mana instead of gold,1 sorcerer slot
   2. UB Cave of ancestors: free xp for arcane units and 1 sorcery slot, needs arcanemastery instead of sorcery
   3. UB Transmutation Lab: replaces alchemy lab, adds regeneration promotion to units in the city, 1 sorcerer slot
   4. national wonder: Guard Tower, adds guardsman promotion to units built in city, +2 GPP great general
   5. can research Arcanemastery
   6. can research sorcery tech in this Era
   one possible strategy: UBs help to get more great sorcerers. Adepts have a decent chance to learn channeling2 everytime they gain a level so use them before you have sorcery!
3. Era of Conquest
   1. UU Firebows: can cast fireball, stoneskin, Flaming Arrows, Regeneration
   2. Govannon starts with free metamagic 1-3
   one possible strategy: add firebows to your army. They are good both on defense and offense and have access to useful support spells
4. Era of Domination
   1. 
      archwizard UU: +3 strength, no national limit (might reduce that if it causes problems)
   strategy: It's time to bring the game to an end and archwizards are key to victory

Kuriotates

Spoiler :

Palace gives 2 additional mana (sun, enchantment)
Settlements have Unique Buildings

1. Monument to Cardith: gives 2 , 2 and a free bard, replaced by Greater Monument to Cardith when Settlement has culture lvl 3
2. Greater Monument to Cardith: gives 3 , 3 and two free bards, replaced by Legendary Monument to Cardith when Settlement has culture lvl 4
3. Legendary Monument to Cardith: gives 4 , 4 and three free bards
4. Settlement has a decent chance to get a Monument of Protection with nationhood civic.
   Monument of Protection gives city defense equal to walls and has a small chance to spawn an archer with nationhood (later longbowman)
5. Settlements have a small chance to get a free specialist (depends on civic) religion->priest, consumption->merchant, Scholarship->sage, Liberty,pacifism->bard
6. free bard specialists in Settlements have a small chance to produce a great bard
7. If you turn a Settlement into a City, it will keep its Buidlings

1. Era of Survival
   1. National Wonder: Dedication to Defense Places pallisades in all cities/settlements
   2. National Wonder: Central Market Places a market in all cities/settlements
   3. National Wonder: Cardith Council Places an elder council in all cities/settlements
   4. UB Tailor
   5. UB Artisans enclave
   6. UU Centaur
   on possible strategy: use settlement to push enemy culture back and archers as defense. Nationhood is a good civic on higher difficulties
2. Era of Growth
   1. can research Defensemastery
   2. UB Jeweler
   3. UU Centaur Charger
   4. national Wonder: City of Centaurs strong promotion to units built in the City
      one possible strategy: try to increase the number of settlements and use the free great bards they sometimes produce to work on a culture victory.
3. Era of Conquest
   no changes yet
4. Era of Domination
   no changes yet

 

[Sephi]

Screenshots for new arcane UNITAIs
Malakim terraforming their land

Spoiler :

The Illians don't like that. Not a little bit

Spoiler :

A group of Amurite Warwizards

Spoiler :

An Amurite City is not an easy target

Spoiler :

 

[Breez]

I don't know how I feel about your Modmodmod in general...

But I love many of your ideas for UU buildings and National Wonders

 

[WarKirby]

this looks complex.

I love the idea of more UU's/ UB's in general.

I'm not really certain about this era concept. Perhaps.

 

[acantoni]

Love the idea behind this, downloading and will be starting a game as we speak.. i'll tackle Emperor level difficulty.

I have a question/request:
I dont really like the concept of building all improvements (es. lumbermill) from turn 1 and i'd prefer it to be unlockable by certain techs like in original civ4/ffh2
Also Fall Flat remove this "feature" so i'd like you to consider adding a checkbox in starting game option that will allow both options to be available

I'll report back as my game progress

 

[Sephi]

I have a question/request:
I dont really like the concept of building all improvements (es. lumbermill) from turn 1 and i'd prefer it to be unlockable by certain techs like in original civ4/ffh2

Good Point. Next Version will include these changes
roads, trails need exploration tech
lumbermills need archery
workshops, Fort, watermills, windmills need construction
quarry needs masonry
workshops will get another discount at engineering

 

[acantoni]

Excellent Sephi i'm glad you found my suggestion useful


I've played around 50 turns (quick speed) with Lanum ( a civ i never really played with) and so far the start was uneventful, i do have some more remarks

# markets give +2 and another merchant slot, cost 60 more
# elder councils give +2 and another sage slot, cost 60 more

May i ask why the change?
Not that i cant accept it and adapt but it has quite a huge impact on early game (ie. build this means cutting off a lot on warriors )

new building: port. Only coastal cities. gives +1food,+1production,+1gold from water tiles and +1 trade routes, requires growth of Economy tech

No idea how much it will cost but if it adds 1 of each for all water tiles it does seem incredibly powerful, especially for a financial civ

Will be reporting back later!

 

[zup]

*cough* Hannah *cough* will love the port.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

this looks very interesting. better AI is always very welcome

 

[Deon]

No limit on archmages sounds too imba .

Also 1 port = 3 heron thrones. It looks a bit broken .

 

[ICanHasName?]

Heron throne + Hannah + golden age + that port thing + lighthouse + fishing boat == 8 3 6 (not quite sure about the exact numbers, but basically its going to be alot).

Even disregarding the Heron Throne and golden age the entire ocean is still made of Ygdrassil and Dragon Bones.

 

[WarKirby]

Good Point. Next Version will include these changes
roads, trails need exploration tech
lumbermills need archery
workshops, Fort, watermills, windmills need construction
quarry needs masonry
workshops will get another discount at engineering

noooooooooooo

This is a controversial feature, please don't remove it just on one person's feedback. I for one, love the slow build, and I'm quite hesitant to use any modmods which remove it.

Can't you make it an option on startup?

 

[Sephi]

noooooooooooo

This is a controversial feature, please don't remove it just on one person's feedback. I for one, love the slow build, and I'm quite hesitant to use any modmods which remove it.

Can't you make it an option on startup?

I included a way to disable tech requirements via XML.
The Version for Patch N will break save games.

@acantoni
The new markets/elder councils should help starts with low food high production (khazad on Erebus etc.)

@ICanHasName
The way you count the whole world is made full of yggdrasil. Ocean gives +1 +1, so Hannah would get in a fully developed city +4 +1 +3

 

[Mylon]

I'd suggest you be careful with giving workshops +1 hammer. There are some civs that can spam them already to amazing effect, such as the Scions, Sheiam (once they have Sacrifice the Weak), infernals, and even the Jotnar (once they have the food guilds and enough grains/cow).

I do like how the more advanced improvements still require tech, though.

I would like to remark that coastal cities, pre-port, are already very powerful. They get additional trade routes (+1 from lighthouse, +1 from free trade, +50% value with harbor, +2 more if great lighthouse is built) and each point of population working an ocean tile is essentially free commerce, with the happy and health caps being the only barrier. Even more, these are tiles that if it wasn't a coastal city would be unworkable. The downside to this is that they do have poorer production than an inland city with more land to work. If anything the stonesmith hammer guild does rather well to offset the penalty of coastal cities already and give them decent production.

 

[Sephi]

A new version is up. Changes are mostly new UNITAIs. Screenshots for the new stuff are in the third post. Any feedback is welcome.

 

[AlexandrJJ]

Great news, as I was just about to start a new game! But, uh, where's the download link? The only link in the OP is kinda broken now.

 

[Sephi]

should work now

 

[AlexandrJJ]

And it certainly does! Thank you!

edit: Oh, hey, a quick idea/thought: I've noticed the AI constantly runs their scouts up to goblin forts and they get stuck in an endless cycle of being damaged, staying in place to heal, and being damaged again. They never, ever move away from said forts and just feed them experience endlessly. Any chance you can work that into the AI scout subroutines so that they don't stay in a dangerous spot? It'd be really helpful for me, especially, since I have to go through the game world each new game and delete the goblin forts+archers, when they're USUALLY a great idea! It's just the little big that makes the archers endlessly fed experience from ranged fire, and the scouts that take up a unit slot for the AI that they never care for.

 

[Sephi]

I removed the ranged combat from goblin fort archers.