Can someone tell me what has changed during the last few patches?

[hardcore_gamer]

I remembered that its been a long while since I last played the game. Has anything big been changed via patches since I last played it?

For example, does the AI now:

-build a proper number of air units.
-build a proper number of navies.
-nukes that it actually uses.
-use units more intelligently.

Also, have any new features been added and have any mechanics been changed? I have already noticed that hotseat is here now but is there anything else?

 

[Louis XXIV]

They completely changed what each social policy did a few patches ago. Now it's more balanced. There's less reliance on one and done options. The bottom three left branches are the only ones mutually exclusive (kind of a Communism, Fascism, Democracy type thing). The top three branches can all give you culture in one way or another. Piety is a bit different. I think Patronage and Commerce are about the same.

The biggest thing is there are now finisher bonuses you get for completing the entire tree.

 

[ErrantSettler]

Were there any changes to the tech tree and happiness bonuses? From watching old videos it seems a lot of this information is out of date.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Yeah, luxuries are less effective, buildings alone can't remove all happiness (can only remove up to the population limit, the base unhappiness stays). More (and different) wonders allow happiness. If you go under a certain unhappiness, Barbarians appear and pillage your territory.

There might be more, but that's what I remember. Some honor policy lets you get happiness for garrisoned units (goes well with Oligarchy, which gives free support for garrisoned units). A Liberty policy is close to original, although it gives a mix of plus happy and minus unhappy depending on connected cities.

 

[joncnunn]

What's not on the offical notes is that two major patches ago, the AI became much more agressive. The next major patch toned that back somewhat, but still it amounts to if the player that starts next to you is showing "friendly", they are probably doing the "pretend friendship" thing and you shouldn't sign RAs with them.