DizzKneeLand33
Fall from Heaven 2 still rocks
You want scaling? How about the Civ 3 corruption mechanic -- omg it was the absolute most awful aspect of the game. Find a new continent no one has seen across the world, settle a city -- and get 1 gold and 1 production from it until you had 1200 years to build the forbidden palace [or a great leader (original) who *poof* builds it in one single turn, even more bizarre]....
The original post is great. The problem is, that's some of the reason why I like Civ. I like the runaway AI giving me a challenge. I mean, if you are beating the game so easily, then ramp up the difficulty level. At Immortal, the bonuses are crazy. The AI starts with 2 settlers, 2 builders, and 4 warriors. On epic, that's hard to match in the early game (it takes longer to build those first units -- but the 4 the AI starts with are immediate). Add to that +24% science, culture, and faith and +60% production and gold (and 3 boosts each for science and culture), and combat bonuses and so forth. If you are still crushing the AI, then scaling isn't the problem.
I hate the idea of punishing civs (AI or human) for doing the right things.
Monopoly might be the way not to design a board game, but, let's see, isn't it one of the most popular games to have ever existed in terms of sales? The problem with Monopoly is that usually people make up their own rules (having a pot at Free Parking, for example, which does nothing but prolong the game) instead of playing the game as it is written. Civ keeps trying to make speedbumps/scaling, which is like making up your own rules. Stick to the rules, and build better AI. Modders have done it, it's time for the company to do the same.
Again, scaling isn't the problem. The snowball effect is what makes Civ, well, Civ!
The original post is great. The problem is, that's some of the reason why I like Civ. I like the runaway AI giving me a challenge. I mean, if you are beating the game so easily, then ramp up the difficulty level. At Immortal, the bonuses are crazy. The AI starts with 2 settlers, 2 builders, and 4 warriors. On epic, that's hard to match in the early game (it takes longer to build those first units -- but the 4 the AI starts with are immediate). Add to that +24% science, culture, and faith and +60% production and gold (and 3 boosts each for science and culture), and combat bonuses and so forth. If you are still crushing the AI, then scaling isn't the problem.
I hate the idea of punishing civs (AI or human) for doing the right things.
Monopoly might be the way not to design a board game, but, let's see, isn't it one of the most popular games to have ever existed in terms of sales? The problem with Monopoly is that usually people make up their own rules (having a pot at Free Parking, for example, which does nothing but prolong the game) instead of playing the game as it is written. Civ keeps trying to make speedbumps/scaling, which is like making up your own rules. Stick to the rules, and build better AI. Modders have done it, it's time for the company to do the same.
Again, scaling isn't the problem. The snowball effect is what makes Civ, well, Civ!