C2C : Game Speed

EldrinFal

King
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
926
Brought this to light in the Ideas/Discussion, but it warrants it's own thread. The values in the GameSpeed xml seem very flawed to me and require adjustment. I would, however, like the input from the other modders and fans before making adjustments. For now, I'm just setting the Inflation Rate and Offset in NORMAL to what the default is (yes, no one uses normal, but I think it best to have it at least as reference).

First, here is a link to a Wiki with the description of the variables. I've pasted this into the XML doc also for quick reference for anyone making adjustments.

http://civ4.wikidot.com/xml:civ4gamespeedinfo

Ok, now here is the XML portion for C2C for Epic through Eternity:

Spoiler :
<GameSpeedInfo>
<Type>GAMESPEED_ETERNITY</Type>
<Description>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_ETERNITY</Description>
<Help>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_ETERNITY_HELP</Help>
<iGrowthPercent>900</iGrowthPercent>
<iTrainPercent>275</iTrainPercent>
<iConstructPercent>450</iConstructPercent>
<iCreatePercent>900</iCreatePercent>
<iResearchPercent>800</iResearchPercent>
<iBuildPercent>800</iBuildPercent>
<iImprovementPercent>900</iImprovementPercent>
<iGreatPeoplePercent>900</iGreatPeoplePercent>
<iCulturePercent>900</iCulturePercent>
<iAnarchyPercent>600</iAnarchyPercent>
<iBarbPercent>1200</iBarbPercent>
<iFeatureProductionPercent>900</iFeatureProductionPercent>
<iUnitDiscoverPercent>900</iUnitDiscoverPercent>
<iUnitHurryPercent>900</iUnitHurryPercent>
<iUnitTradePercent>800</iUnitTradePercent>
<iUnitGreatWorkPercent>800</iUnitGreatWorkPercent>
<iGoldenAgePercent>600</iGoldenAgePercent>
<iHurryPercent>11</iHurryPercent>
<iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>900</iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>
<iInflationPercent>4</iInflationPercent>
<iInflationOffset>-780</iInflationOffset>
<iVictoryDelayPercent>900</iVictoryDelayPercent>
<GameTurnInfos>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>168</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>500</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>84</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>714</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>36</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>334</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>24</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>300</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>12</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>300</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>3</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>300</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>2</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>300</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>1</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>11700</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
</GameTurnInfos>
</GameSpeedInfo>
<GameSpeedInfo>
<Type>GAMESPEED_SNAIL</Type>
<Description>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_SNAIL2</Description>
<Help>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_SNAIL_HELP</Help>
<iGrowthPercent>600</iGrowthPercent>
<iTrainPercent>250</iTrainPercent>
<iConstructPercent>300</iConstructPercent>
<iCreatePercent>600</iCreatePercent>
<iResearchPercent>700</iResearchPercent>
<iBuildPercent>500</iBuildPercent>
<iImprovementPercent>600</iImprovementPercent>
<iGreatPeoplePercent>600</iGreatPeoplePercent>
<iCulturePercent>600</iCulturePercent>
<iAnarchyPercent>400</iAnarchyPercent>
<iBarbPercent>800</iBarbPercent>
<iFeatureProductionPercent>600</iFeatureProductionPercent>
<iUnitDiscoverPercent>600</iUnitDiscoverPercent>
<iUnitHurryPercent>600</iUnitHurryPercent>
<iUnitTradePercent>500</iUnitTradePercent>
<iUnitGreatWorkPercent>500</iUnitGreatWorkPercent>
<iGoldenAgePercent>400</iGoldenAgePercent>
<iHurryPercent>15</iHurryPercent>
<iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>600</iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>
<iInflationPercent>5</iInflationPercent>
<iInflationOffset>-540</iInflationOffset>
<iVictoryDelayPercent>600</iVictoryDelayPercent>
<GameTurnInfos>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>240</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>350</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>120</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>450</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>60</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>300</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>30</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>200</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>15</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>200</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>9</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>200</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>6</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>200</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>3</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>2000</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>1</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>6000</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
</GameTurnInfos>
</GameSpeedInfo>
<GameSpeedInfo>
<Type>GAMESPEED_MARATHON</Type>
<Description>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_MARATHON</Description>
<Help>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_MARATHON_HELP</Help>
<iGrowthPercent>300</iGrowthPercent>
<iTrainPercent>200</iTrainPercent>
<iConstructPercent>250</iConstructPercent>
<iCreatePercent>300</iCreatePercent>
<iResearchPercent>200</iResearchPercent>
<iBuildPercent>250</iBuildPercent>
<iImprovementPercent>300</iImprovementPercent>
<iGreatPeoplePercent>300</iGreatPeoplePercent>
<iCulturePercent>300</iCulturePercent>
<iAnarchyPercent>200</iAnarchyPercent>
<iBarbPercent>400</iBarbPercent>
<iFeatureProductionPercent>300</iFeatureProductionPercent>
<iUnitDiscoverPercent>300</iUnitDiscoverPercent>
<iUnitHurryPercent>300</iUnitHurryPercent>
<iUnitTradePercent>300</iUnitTradePercent>
<iUnitGreatWorkPercent>300</iUnitGreatWorkPercent>
<iGoldenAgePercent>200</iGoldenAgePercent>
<iHurryPercent>33</iHurryPercent>
<iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>300</iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>
<iInflationPercent>10</iInflationPercent>
<iInflationOffset>-270</iInflationOffset>
<iVictoryDelayPercent>300</iVictoryDelayPercent>
<GameTurnInfos>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>480</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>150</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>240</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>250</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>120</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>200</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>60</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>100</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>30</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>100</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>18</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>100</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>12</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>100</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>6</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>1000</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>3</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>2000</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
</GameTurnInfos>
</GameSpeedInfo>
<GameSpeedInfo>
<Type>GAMESPEED_EPIC</Type>
<Description>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_EPIC</Description>
<Help>TXT_KEY_GAMESPEED_EPIC_HELP</Help>
<iGrowthPercent>150</iGrowthPercent>
<iTrainPercent>150</iTrainPercent>
<iConstructPercent>150</iConstructPercent>
<iCreatePercent>150</iCreatePercent>
<iResearchPercent>150</iResearchPercent>
<iBuildPercent>150</iBuildPercent>
<iImprovementPercent>150</iImprovementPercent>
<iGreatPeoplePercent>150</iGreatPeoplePercent>
<iCulturePercent>150</iCulturePercent>
<iAnarchyPercent>150</iAnarchyPercent>
<iBarbPercent>150</iBarbPercent>
<iFeatureProductionPercent>150</iFeatureProductionPercent>
<iUnitDiscoverPercent>150</iUnitDiscoverPercent>
<iUnitHurryPercent>150</iUnitHurryPercent>
<iUnitTradePercent>150</iUnitTradePercent>
<iUnitGreatWorkPercent>150</iUnitGreatWorkPercent>
<iGoldenAgePercent>125</iGoldenAgePercent>
<iHurryPercent>66</iHurryPercent>
<iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>150</iHurryConscriptAngerPercent>
<iInflationPercent>20</iInflationPercent>
<iInflationOffset>-135</iInflationOffset>
<iVictoryDelayPercent>150</iVictoryDelayPercent>
<GameTurnInfos>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>960</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>50</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>480</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>150</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>240</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>125</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>120</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>100</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>60</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>50</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>36</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>50</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>24</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>50</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>12</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>500</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
<GameTurnInfo>
<iMonthIncrement>3</iMonthIncrement>
<iTurnsPerIncrement>2000</iTurnsPerIncrement>
</GameTurnInfo>
</GameTurnInfos>
</GameSpeedInfo>


I think the area needing attention first is research and construction. I have been playing on Marathon and it's clear why game experience is different than people on Snail or Eternity. It looks as though for those slower speeds, the research rate is at least twice as slower than construction. I'd like to implement a similar ratio for Marathon and Epic.

I'm thinking also that maybe Epic, instead of 50% slower than Normal, should be 100% slower (twice as slow). Here are the general speeds currently, as they seem to be reflected in the average values.

Normal x1
Epic x1.5
Marathon x3
Snail x6
Eternity x9

However, as seen above, the multipliers are not the same across the board for each speed. Should they be? (other than where the value works differently like InflationOffset). Even if not, I think the ratios should be the same between values. If Research is double the Construction rate, for example, it should be double for any Speed.
 
I would be happy to supply my own time-turn span concepts, derived from the custom Eternity speed I use to test my private GEM scenario. I personally think that it would be more productive to focus most attention in this field on the highest four speeds, seeing as C2C is designed for play at a much longer and grander scale than vanilla Civ IV was.
 
I would be happy to supply my own time-turn span concepts, derived from the custom Eternity speed I use to test my private GEM scenario. I personally think that it would be more productive to focus most attention in this field on the highest four speeds, seeing as C2C is designed for play at a much longer and grander scale than vanilla Civ IV was.

Ideally it would be great to make a broader range of speeds available. I agree with your assessment about being on a grand scale, but I think some people may not have the time or patience to play out a game over 100 hours.

I don't think Eternity should be the standard we aim for, but any play-testing and experimenting people have done with the speeds would be GREAT to hear about. It all helps. :)
 
I meant more that I'd start from my existing Eternity speed and work backwards. It's 10,000 turns, so Snail could be 5000, Marathon 2500, Epic 1250 and Normal 625. My Eternity has certain numbers of turns allocated to certain eras (obviously more approximate outside of my own scenario, but the principle's the same), which could be correspondingly shortened. For instance, the Prehistoric phase in my own Eternity speed lasts 1000 44-year turns, while the one in an adjusted Snail would last 500 88-year turns, Marathon 250 166-year turns, Epic 125 332-year turns and Normal 63 698-year turns.

It doesn't have to be in strict halves, either. You could have Snail at only 2500 and the same principle applies, you just have to work out the differences.
 
Normally i am playing on snail speed. There the research rate is often too fast - or let me say the later techs are too cheap. Once i have several well built cities i flow through the tech-tree and reach industrial or modern era at 500 or 1000AD.

I would make later techs more expansive and not change researchrate itself.
 
Normally i am playing on snail speed. There the research rate is often too fast - or let me say the later techs are too cheap. Once i have several well built cities i flow through the tech-tree and reach industrial or modern era at 500 or 1000AD.

I would make later techs more expansive and not change research rate itself.

Well i guess it really comes down to what a person likes, "for me", i cant stand anything from the modern era on to take more than 10 turns each, and thats on Epic. Otherwise i get bored and stop playing for awhile (ADHD). But again thats just "me.":rolleyes:
 
One thing you have to be very CAREFUL about is the turn year 0, from then on it changes to months, when it does that, the 0 year MUST have already been gone by.
Looks fixable if the problem is what I think it is.
 
Is that issue still around? I thought GameSpeedInfo was reworked to have enough year+ turns to cover past Year Zero. I know I've played up to 500 AD after 4000 turns and I've never experienced any issues with flashing dates or whatnot.
 
Is that issue still around? I thought GameSpeedInfo was reworked to have enough year+ turns to cover past Year Zero. I know I've played up to 500 AD after 4000 turns and I've never experienced any issues with flashing dates or whatnot.
Well, depends, the fix was merely a workaround (not using months until after year 0).
I fixed that issue now so you CAN have months before year 0.
 
I think to fix the tech speed being so slow the best option is to add in more of those lovely synergy bonuses for related techs. I'm playing on enternity and when I got to the duel techs leading up to mass media they just dragged on forever. I know its a bottleneck thing... but having the two near empty techs needed to advance to the next tech, That as they serve basically no purpose other, but make a third tech when meshed not synergising is just bizzarre.

Animation is laughably inane... to near painful levels for me. It should at least add in a :gold:/:culture: bonus to movie theatres (this tech was a major cultural event)... instead it just barely adds to the art gallery... this seems very badly historically inaccurate. I mean you have video games arcades without being anywhere near animation... which means at most still frames pictures... so your Civ's video arcades are populated entirely by text adventures... granted a penny a life in some of those would earn you crazy cash... but it'd be a niche thing at best. More likely an add-on to the universitisies. No blinking lights and no heart rate controlling music to go with it. Okay, I guess they could be pinball arcades... but that should really be a precursor to the video arcades. Actually that should pop up with electronics and video game arcades need animation and computers. Also 3-D Modeling should be a slog without the concept of animation (tech synergy one way with animation)... or your only getting still frames by default.

Anyway, I know you haven't collectively been doing as much with the later ages as your more about perfecting the early stages and then advancing on. However, this particular tech bugs me no end. Its also a good example of how some of the more optional techs should have more influence on the more core techs. This is a thread about game speed and the tech synergy should be more and more common as things go on.
 
I think to fix the tech speed being so slow the best option is to add in more of those lovely synergy bonuses for related techs. I'm playing on enternity and when I got to the duel techs leading up to mass media they just dragged on forever. I know its a bottleneck thing... but having the two near empty techs needed to advance to the next tech, That as they serve basically no purpose other, but make a third tech when meshed not synergising is just bizzarre.

Animation is laughably inane... to near painful levels for me. It should at least add in a :gold:/:culture: bonus to movie theatres (this tech was a major cultural event)... instead it just barely adds to the art gallery... this seems very badly historically inaccurate. I mean you have video games arcades without being anywhere near animation... which means at most still frames pictures... so your Civ's video arcades are populated entirely by text adventures... granted a penny a life in some of those would earn you crazy cash... but it'd be a niche thing at best. More likely an add-on to the universitisies. No blinking lights and no heart rate controlling music to go with it. Okay, I guess they could be pinball arcades... but that should really be a precursor to the video arcades. Actually that should pop up with electronics and video game arcades need animation and computers. Also 3-D Modeling should be a slog without the concept of animation (tech synergy one way with animation)... or your only getting still frames by default.

Anyway, I know you haven't collectively been doing as much with the later ages as your more about perfecting the early stages and then advancing on. However, this particular tech bugs me no end. Its also a good example of how some of the more optional techs should have more influence on the more core techs. This is a thread about game speed and the tech synergy should be more and more common as things go on.

:agree: Even if it should have been posted in the ideas thread instead.:mischief:
 
I think to fix the tech speed being so slow the best option is to add in more of those lovely synergy bonuses for related techs. I'm playing on enternity and when I got to the duel techs leading up to mass media they just dragged on forever. I know its a bottleneck thing... but having the two near empty techs needed to advance to the next tech, That as they serve basically no purpose other, but make a third tech when meshed not synergising is just bizzarre.

The issue is quite the opposite. More so depending on the game speed you're at. In all my recent Marathon games, I start to average 3 or so turns per Tech discovery. Buildings however can take as much as 6-10 turns when a city is young and with food growth much slower now, cities are in that early mode for more turns now than ever before.

As a city grows, building speeds up of course, but by then the selection of things to build is huge. My feeling is that the strategy of WHAT to build should not merely be "what do I have TIME to build before research obsoletes my buildings."

Besides consistency, the issue that needs hashing out is...

Across slower speeds, which aspects of the game should either NOT slow down, or slow down at a slower pace relative to other aspects?
 
I meant more that I'd start from my existing Eternity speed and work backwards. It's 10,000 turns, so Snail could be 5000, Marathon 2500, Epic 1250 and Normal 625. My Eternity has certain numbers of turns allocated to certain eras (obviously more approximate outside of my own scenario, but the principle's the same), which could be correspondingly shortened. For instance, the Prehistoric phase in my own Eternity speed lasts 1000 44-year turns, while the one in an adjusted Snail would last 500 88-year turns, Marathon 250 166-year turns, Epic 125 332-year turns and Normal 63 698-year turns.

It doesn't have to be in strict halves, either. You could have Snail at only 2500 and the same principle applies, you just have to work out the differences.

The number of turns per era depend on research speed though right? So you would need to find an average # of research generated per turn and compare that to the total research required along a straight/average line of techs leading up to the next era.
 
Just as an idea (not sure if it is worth the effort to implement):
What about adding a year to each tech info which is the supposed year of development of the tech.
Then add two game options:
1) Adaptive time: During play accelerate the time passed if techs ahead of the current time are researched and vice versa.
2) Time governed research: Slow down research rate if techs too far ahead are invented and vice versa.
 
I think to fix the tech speed being so slow the best option is to add in more of those lovely synergy bonuses for related techs. I'm playing on enternity and when I got to the duel techs leading up to mass media they just dragged on forever. I know its a bottleneck thing... but having the two near empty techs needed to advance to the next tech, That as they serve basically no purpose other, but make a third tech when meshed not synergising is just bizzarre.

Animation is laughably inane... to near painful levels for me. It should at least add in a :gold:/:culture: bonus to movie theatres (this tech was a major cultural event)... instead it just barely adds to the art gallery... this seems very badly historically inaccurate. I mean you have video games arcades without being anywhere near animation... which means at most still frames pictures... so your Civ's video arcades are populated entirely by text adventures... granted a penny a life in some of those would earn you crazy cash... but it'd be a niche thing at best. More likely an add-on to the universitisies. No blinking lights and no heart rate controlling music to go with it. Okay, I guess they could be pinball arcades... but that should really be a precursor to the video arcades. Actually that should pop up with electronics and video game arcades need animation and computers. Also 3-D Modeling should be a slog without the concept of animation (tech synergy one way with animation)... or your only getting still frames by default.

Anyway, I know you haven't collectively been doing as much with the later ages as your more about perfecting the early stages and then advancing on. However, this particular tech bugs me no end. Its also a good example of how some of the more optional techs should have more influence on the more core techs. This is a thread about game speed and the tech synergy should be more and more common as things go on.

Most of this has been pushed to the FPK. Thanks for the feedback. :goodjob:
 
Just as an idea (not sure if it is worth the effort to implement):
What about adding a year to each tech info which is the supposed year of development of the tech.
Then add two game options:
1) Adaptive time: During play accelerate the time passed if techs ahead of the current time are researched and vice versa.
2) Time governed research: Slow down research rate if techs too far ahead are invented and vice versa.

That's an interesting idea, but the danger is that it forces everyone into something fairly close to a pre-determined research path. I think I'd prefer if we calculated a few target dates (era boundaries maybe?) and had the game work out the total tech amount to each point, then adjust based on whether your total tech score is ahead/behind that rather than on an individual tech basis.
 
That's an interesting idea, but the danger is that it forces everyone into something fairly close to a pre-determined research path. I think I'd prefer if we calculated a few target dates (era boundaries maybe?) and had the game work out the total tech amount to each point, then adjust based on whether your total tech score is ahead/behind that rather than on an individual tech basis.

I suppose if people are concerned with matching their research to the RL equivalent, date-wise, that could be an interesting option. Sounds like it would be self adjusting for added/removed techs as well.
 
I suppose if people are concerned with matching their research to the RL equivalent, date-wise, that could be an interesting option. Sounds like it would be self adjusting for added/removed techs as well.

It would also provide same negative feedback on run-away teching relative to the other players.
 
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