CDG Series Discussion Thread

[consentient]

WONDERFUL! I shall post as a one off, separate from the CDG. That way people will feel free to complete either or both.

I'm gonna get right on it!

 

[consentient]

Can anyone tell me which Civs are left in this series?

 

[Grendeldef]

There was a list with provisional takers tagged along new posts a while ago and that practise should continue when relevant posts are made. The latest I quickly found was in post #528 so you can use that and put the edited version in the next post. Sure, I could do part of that as well now but the c/p process by phone isn't that tempting.

 

[beetle]

Can anyone tell me which Civs are left in this series?

Carthage . . Grendeldef, will be friendly towards the UA
Dutch
Egypt
India . . . . . . Beetle, CV friendly (but not having much luck rolling a map)
Japan . . . . . Beetle, easy sea-oriented DOM, ready to go
Morocco
Siam

 

[Grendeldef]

I think I was about to do the Mongols, too but it's missing from that list.
Also, since Japan its due to next and Carthage after that you may include the numbers of those as well though if Consentient has something in the works I don't mind moving Dido from #37 to #38 and as always thanks to Beetle for the effort.

 

[beetle]

I think I was about to do the Mongols, too but it's missing from that list.

LOL, I mixed them up with the Huns! So I thought you had (relatively) recently shared that map.

 

[consentient]

Ok I'm gonna make a Dutch map that can go once you've all taken your turns and are ready for another

 

[Grendeldef]

Btw Beetle, do you have hand-picked opponents for the Japan game?

I just noticed the 'sea oriented' part and if you picked up the sea based AIs as I did for the Dido map I'll switch my selection or go random as my game isn't really about the seas but more about exploration, naval stuff operates more as a side kick.

The other alternative is that I'll do Genghis next instead of Dido but I don't think it's the best option to have the same AI set in two consecutive games if it can be easily avoided.

_______

I just noticed the Consentient's post and hence think that I'll do Genghis next as otherwise we'll have 3 naval AIs in a row.
Peeps ok with the change and/or other thoughts about this?

--------------------------------

Based on the latest contributions the list looks something like this


#36 Japan . . . . . Beetle, easy sea-oriented DOM, ready to go
#37 The Mongols ...... Gren, pure Domination
#38 The Dutch .......... Consentient

and the rest with few not yet called for

Carthage . . Grendeldef, will be friendly towards the UA
Egypt
India . . . . . . Beetle, CV friendly (but not having much luck rolling a map)
Morocco
Siam

 

[beetle]

Btw Beetle, do you have hand-picked opponents for the Japan game?

Yes. I pretty much aways do.

I just noticed the 'sea oriented' part and if you picked up the sea based AIs as I did for the Dido map I'll switch my selection or go random…

Please do not go random, unless you double check that none of the AI are really nerfed by the map setting. There are enough water-based UA/UU that I bet we hardly overlap. Or I can PM you the AIs I picked.

The other alternative is that I'll do Genghis next instead of Dido … I just noticed the Consentient's post and hence think that I'll do Genghis next as otherwise we'll have 3 naval AIs in a row. Peeps ok with the change and/or other thoughts about this?

I am happy to wait longer on Dido. Or if anyone has a more interesting idea for Japan, I can pass on that one.

Ok I'm gonna make a Dutch map that can go once you've all taken your turns and are ready for another

Awesome! Please ensure Marsh and/or Flood Plains in the starting screen.

 

[Grendeldef]

Yes. I pretty much aways do.

Please do not go random, unless you double check that none of the AI are really nerfed by the map setting. There are enough water-based UA/UU that I bet we hardly overlap. Or I can PM you the AIs I picked.

I am happy to wait longer on Dido. Or if anyone has a more interesting idea for Japan, I can pass on that one.

Ok then - I'll do Genghis before Dido and after seeing what you & Consentient have used as opponents I'll just adjust the 'vs Dido' pack if needed to avoid severe overlaps - as I said my Dido map concept won't suffer much (if at all) even if all the naval AIs are absent.

I also think that you can launch the Japan map at will, I'll post the Genghis map 2-3 weeks after that which leaves Consentient at least a month to cook up whatever he's planning. I can make a Genghis map within that time frame as it'll be much easier to do than the Dido map.

 

[beetle]

Since I could not get a Dom VC from @consentient’s The Alexandrian Conquests, I thought I would just play it for a peaceful SV, which is my usual habit when I get frustrated by a shared map.

I get to the Industrial Age, and there is hardly any Coal — and I was playing wide! The neighbor had two good Coal plots though, so I ended up being at war for the rest of the game. Which was fun! I just could not stand the idea of not having factories in my cities.

But that gives me idea that I would like to discuss in this thread:

1. You start out in the middle of a large Pangea style map. Everything looks copacetic.
2. When you unlock Animal Husbandry and Bronze Working, you discover that you have neither Horses nor Iron. Your immediate neighbors have the typical amounts of both.
3. As you unlock Industrialization and Biology, you discover that you have neither Coal nor Oil. Also, your immediate neighbors do not have Coal or Oil either! Your neighbors’ neighbors have the typical amounts of both.
4. As you unlock Electricity and Atomic Theory, you discover that only the most distant coastal AI civs have either Aluminum or Uranium.

So you can play entirely peaceful, but probably be more than a little frustrated. Or maybe play peaceful, and trade for the resources you need? (That is probably not very hard, really.) Or maybe you burn a path to the coast, Manifest Destiny style!

What do folks think?

 

[Grendeldef]

Not totally to the point but the forthcoming Dido map is supposed to be TI where everyone starts on the same continent with limited iron & horses, more of those will be on islands accessible with sailing but everything from coal & beyond will only be available in the new world so exploration is if not mandatory highly recommended.
I haven't given much thought of the achis yet so there surely is room for something related to this and I'd welcome suggestions as always.

 

[beetle]

…forthcoming Dido map is supposed to be TI where everyone starts on the same continent with limited iron & horses, more of those will be on islands accessible with sailing but everything from coal & beyond will only be available in the new world…

Sorry that I seemed to have tricked you into giving the game away a bit! That scenario sounds great actually!

The TI script is my personal favorite, but I have never noticed that it puts the late era resources in the “New World”. On the other hand, it may well be the case that I have always used the “Players start: Anywhere” option.

You might try experimenting with the default shipping Terra script. My experience with that map type is very limited, but my understanding is that it does tend to bias resources in the New World. If memory serves, the DCL Polynesia game used the Terra script, but I do not recall comments/complaints that Coal/Oil/Aluminum/Uranium where only available in the New World.

 

[Grendeldef]

No worries, it's such a fundamental change that it has to be announced in advance anyway so it doesn't matter whether it's now or 48 hrs before the actual release with achi approvement process.

TI nor any other script itself does nothing like that to resource distribution so it has to be done manually hence the map needs some works. Currently I'm still debating myself if CSs (on the 2nd continent) should have the post renaissance resources or not. I like the idea of not more but I think at least some might be a better option.

I had in practical terms forgotten the Terra script but I'm pretty sure that there isn't such option so it is/might be random.

 

[beetle]

@Grendeldef, I acknowledge that an option something like stack-resources-in-the-new-world is not explicit. But that does not seem like the sort of thing that would have occurred to me, so I am pretty sure I read that somewhere on these forums at some point.

Here are my ideas for Carthage achievements:

1. Given your description of the map configuration: One point for each different post-Renaissance resource inside your territory.
2. Spam the UU. As the player, the elephants are terrifying to face, so the opportunity to return the favor is great fun! Likewise, I hardly every build more than two triremes, so encourging a different play style is welcomed.
3. Exploiting the free Harbors (and City Connection). One point each for:
   • Messenger of the Gods (Pantheon)
   • Meritocracy (Liberty)
   • Naval Tradition (Exploration)
   • building Machu Picchu
   Is there any thing else in this category?

I call dibs on Siam. I will be experimenting with them for my resource-starved-start-in-the-center idea. Really a left-to-right map (like what @consentient gave us for Alex) would be better. Anyone know of maps scripts that have that sort of bias?

EDIT: Japan game is up.

 

[Grendeldef]

Btw, does anyone know when the cost of a tech is calculated at start of a game? For example is tech cost the same if a) std size map, 8 civs and b) std size, 10 civs but 1 or 2 of those removed on t0 before any cities are settled? I think the cost is higher on larger maps ie if c) large map but only 8 civs from get go then techs would be more expensive than in case a.
A formula for counting the actual cost would be handy as I'm thinking of ways to slightly diminish the teching speed especially for the Dido game.

 

[Browd]

Just map size, not number of civs on a map (or number of civs that actually settle, or that exist at any point in the game).

Take a look at the ResearchPercent settings in the CivWorlds.xml file for Expansion2 (BNW) -- 110% for Standard maps and 120% for Large. So a Large map has effectively about 9% greater tech cost than Standard.

 

[Grendeldef]

Exellent and thx and yet I'm slightly disappointed as I was in hope of being able to fiddle with numbers without doing anything drastic.

And yups, I think I need to (re)-check this and few other settings again as I'm getting intrigued by the game again.

Based on this I can also even more confidently say that the Dido map will be large TI, one or 2 civs removed & high sea lvl

 

[beetle]

Another achievement point for Carthage, just for the lultz, is to build a useful road through a mountain.

From my initial tinkering with Siam resource-starved-start-in-the-center, it’s probably too ambitious to use a large map, to do very much editing of the map, and to worry about neighbors-of-neighbors. So I have already given up some ambitions. Please don’t expect anything more than a standard sized Oval pangea!

I like the basic idea though, so I plan to keep working with that. I will probably give the player a scout and a worker, just to make things up a bit.

Siam-specific achievement points would be much appreciated — as nothing comes to my mind!

 

[Grendeldef]

Another achievement point for Carthage, just for the lultz, is to build a useful road through a mountain.

By now I also think that you're an established mind-reader