[Vote] (9-13) Policy Tweaks 0: Tree Descriptions

[hokath]

Motivation:
Some of the policy tree descriptions are quite minimal and don't really provide enough detail to discern functions of their trees. I think a bit of a rewrite could be helpful for new players (while experience players don't need to read them).
This has no gameplay effect.
However, I think this is worth a proposal because the descriptions themselves are a representation of the design goals, and not everyone will agree.
We can workshop a little or you can counterpropose if we reach a point of strong disagreement.

Proposal:
Replace the initial text (before the actual effects) on Policy openers as follows (before and after)

1. Tradition focuses on generating Great People and the construction of an impressive Capital.
   Tradition concentrates in the early game on to grow a core set of Cities with improved yields from Buildings and an impressive Capital. Supports and rewards generating Great People throughout the game.
2. Progress is best for civilizations which desire robust infrastructure and scientific advancement.
   Progress plans in the early game to found a sprawl of self-sufficient Cities with free starting yields and faster rate of tile Improvement. Constructing Buildings and birthing Citizens supports the economy throughout the game.
3. Authority will greatly benefit warlike and expansionist civilizations.
   Authority in the early game supports and weaponizes a standing Military. Gains significant yields throughout the game from expanding Borders and killing Units in War.
4. Fealty enhances your ability to defend and leverage your Majority Religion.
   Fealty enhances the ability to leverage a Majority Religion, benefit from Citizens working a wide expanse of tiles, and bolsters your Cities with Defense and Internal Trade Routes.
5. Statecraft improves your ability to benefit from Trade Routes, City-States, Spies, and the World Congress
   Statecraft funds the increase of Influence with City-States, with a view to take control of the World Congress. Not only are Diplomatic Units and Quests enhanced, but also Trade Routes and Spies.
6. Artistry allows you to maximize the potential of Great Works and Golden Ages.
   Artistry generates extra yields from Great Works, Golden Ages, and Wonders. It accelerates the generation of cultural Great People and unlocks new ways to trigger Historic Events, maximizing the projection of Cultural Influence.
7. Industry provides bonuses to empires focused on Gold and Production.
   Industry augments City yields by boosting common Improvements, Buildings, and Resources. It uniquely increases the value of Investments and Purchases, and offers several benefits to Great Merchants.
8. Imperialism enhances your ability to spread your empire through military power, particularly naval (and later air) supremacy.
   Imperialism extracts additional yields, especially from Puppet Cities. Militarily, it provides
   / discounts for obtaining the newest Units, and enhances Sight, Movement, and Combat Strength, particularly of Admirals and their navies.
9. Rationalism focuses on maximizing Growth and Science output.
   Rationalism turbo charges your Science, adding a number of modifiers, including from owning Great Works and enjoying Golden Ages. Later, it unleashes a wave of new Citizens by providing large Happiness and Food bonuses.

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Here is a visual example of Fealty before and after to get an idea of how it looks in the game. Please excuse change to Fealty opener, that's me forgetting to turn off Religious Victory and not part of this proposal.

Spoiler :

 

[azum4roll]

I don't think we mention meta stuff like "early game" in flavour texts anymore, now that unit help text is gone. Maybe use "short term" and "long term" instead?

Industry also benefits Great Engineers.

Can't not mention all the science and science% in Rationalism.

 

[hokath]

I imagine these a bit more like strategy text. So on those first 3 I thought it was best to be direct for the new player.

Industry does have that minor instant yield boost on GEng but I didn't think it was important enough to mention.

The Rationalism one was not good. It was too descriptive of my proposal and not the base tree. I have changed it to
"Rationalism turbo charges your Science, adding a number of modifiers, including from owning [ICON_GREAT_WORK] Great Works and enjoying [ICON_GOLDEN_AGE] Golden Ages. Later, it unleashes a wave of new [ICON_CITIZEN] Citizens by providing large [ICON_HAPPINESS_1] Happiness and [ICON_FOOD] Food bonuses."
and will include the changed text in the proposal instead.

 

[Recursive]

Would be good to see a side by side comparison visually?

 

[hokath]

Have updated OP with before/after text and an example screenshot

 

[hokath]

I sponsor this

 

[azum4roll]

Why is this a single choice poll?

 

[paul_soryu]

I don't like the language being used (I like a more formal approach to be consistent with most of the other text in the game), I don't like how long it is, and I especially don't like how you can get the same exact info if you just check the individual policies of a tree, but then the short text also doesn't inlcude everything, like the fact that Fealty is great for generating flat Culture.

Not only are Diplomatic Units and Quests enhanced, but also Trade Routes and Spies.

Like, this phrase is so out of place stylistically

It uniquely increases the value of Investments and Purchases, and offers several benefits to Great Merchants.

Remove "uniquely" and replace "offers several benefits to" with "enhances", why this text bloat?

Imperialism extracts additional yields

What does this mean? If it's just that it provides more yields then what does "extract" mean? New player might think that's some new mechanic or something

maximizing the projection of Cultural Influence

How is a new player supposed to know that "Cultural Influence" is just Tourism and has nothing to do with Culture? Just write Tourism

weaponizes a standing Military

Whatever this means in the context of Civ 5... is there some other military besides the standing one? Is your standing military not "weaponized" without Authority?

Statecraft funds the increase of Influence with City-States

What does "funds" mean? Statecraft gives you money which you can spend however you like, not just buying Diplomats or whatever this is supposed to mean

I get that the style is intentional, but all of this combined may result in new players being only more confused. Also consider that not everyone is native English speaker (in fact, one such person may have already been confused by these texts) and some of these phrases can be confusing, like

benefit from Citizens working a wide expanse of tiles

I guess it means just working a lot of tiles as opposed to working Specialists, but you can understand it as working a lot of different types of tiles and that you'd get some benefit out of it. I doubt a new player will be able to read that "working tiles" is opposed to working specialists.

 

[Alpakinator]

I agree with above post. The game is already difficult enough for new players. Adding misleading but flavorful, thematic text brings more harm than good for them.

 

[paul_soryu]

I think new players just take whatever tree feels right to them and don't care that much about what it really does in practice, assuming that the game is balanced and "it'll just work", so no need to double the actual bonuses in description

That said, current tree descriptions aren't ideal, the Progress one in particular, there's no mention of wide gameplay at all

 

[Trumtram]

Since the meta for vanilla is always Tradition, I think it would be really helpful to guide new players at least a bit on what the different trees intend to bolster.

 

[hokath]

@paul_soryu thanks for these editorial comments. I will try to include them in the final text.
A couple responses,
1. The term "standing military" is meant to be about how the early authority player is trying to max out their supply to extract tribute and so forth, with reduced maintenance costs and a higher cap. So not just boost the military with like combat effects, but just have more troops out.
2. "Cultural Influence" is a distinct gameplay term even a new player needs to be introduced to. But maybe Tourism is better (this is why I put the tourism icon there)

 

[Recursive]

Timestamp post to arrange all the threads in a neat order.