New to AoD2 - Such a different feel! Money grows on trees?

[ModernKnight]

Hi folks,

I only had C4C for two weeks when I was driven to the forum and found the AoD2 mod... this mod feels much better tuned than the vanilla.

But I have to say, it seems surprisingly easy to be self-sufficient. Even to the point where money (and taxes) is pretty irrelevant. As in, eh, I could train or make that unit myself, but what the heck, I've got to buy something with all my Rum.

I'm only on Pioneer difficulty (2/7) on a tiny map with 1 native opponent, so ok, I guess I've got it easy.

But it's just surprising to realize "who needs the Homeland anyway", and it's only 1600.

Comments?

MK​

 

[Aerion]

Try it on a huge map with the full complement of opponents. I think you'll find a far different experience.

 

[ModernKnight]

I see where you're going with this.

 

[Dale]

And come up a few levels from pioneer, to at least conquistador.

 

[ModernKnight]

Cool. I just don't want to be bowled over on my first foray into C4C after playing vanilla Civ4 forever. It's an entirely different feel... not up up up, but instead, planning planning planning for a (probable) final encounter.

FWIW the alternate AoD2 goals (economic and trade) seem unrealistic to me - but it's my first game (besides a few C4C and AoD2 misstarts). It's 1639 (612 turns left) on a Pioneer tiny marathon map but the Econ VP is 23k vs. 300k to win, Industrial is 700 vs. 30k to win. For the Econ, I'm at 21% tax (Peter the Dutch) and feeling the pinch over going deep into Rum (sells at 8 now; Caribbean map), although technically "Total goods traded" could include goods given away for no profit. And for the Industrial, if this is 700 production per turn (6 cities whose evolvement has focussed on Carpentry; roughly less than 100 production per town), a simple extrapolation means I'd need over 30 towns, which seems ridiculous.

Anyway. It's a whole different way to approach Civ. Much more thought needs to go into each turn... or maybe it's just that I'm having to rethink my approach.

I'm not complaining! It's a game that's challenging me, and for that I thank you. C4C felt poorly tuned; yours feels much more balanced. But the whole difference from Civ4 is a lot to walk through.

Thanks for spending so much time on the mod!

MK​