Pro2A
Chieftain
I picked up Civ 5 a month ago. I've played enough now to critique it a bit. These are my thoughts on what is needed and what I feel is lacking. I've played 2, 3 and 4. I've been a fan as long as I've had a PC.
Some ideas for a better AI:
Diplomatic Pacts - (i.e. NATO & the EU) Civ 5 almost had this with “I notice you are friends with XYZ”… Maybe if you are allies with 2 or more people and they are allies with one another, form a defensive and economic pact that can not be broken, at least not easily. Just because you don’t want to declare war with them should not be reason to be denounced and hated by an ally. Maybe put it up for a vote with your allies before you do it. If you prefer to go it alone and your allies don’t want to help, it should have no impact on past relations.
Trade sanctions – War shouldn’t be the one all solve all solution in this game, although it's fun, I think it is defeating the point of the game. Nations (or pacts) could impose trade sanctions where a player can not receive resources (from other agreeing players) for so many turns.
Cold wars - War should be for violating space, declaring war on an ally, attacking one of your cities or units etc... Not for massing troops at the border. Reaction to that should be the same from the AI (Cold war status). If I feel like massing troops in my space on the border, it shouldn’t start a war. Just a counter reaction from the AI (Like massing troops at their border with you)
Apologies – If you screw up (and bite off more than you can chew) you should be able to apologize and vice versa and given the opportunity to offer a gift or something. This could be used to soften up an enemy to make it easier for peace. Especially if you are loosing a war.
If you reach friendly status, it should stay that way unless you provoke a war. This loosing credibility over time is BS. If I make the effort in the beginning then loose track of it for 10 turns, I should not be penalized. There should also be actual signed alliances between nations. Once it is signed, relations don’t slip, even if you make no contact with them after that. Also we need neutral, guarded and hate status. Again, just because you hate someone doesn’t mean war. You just don’t help them in any way.
Nukes are used way too much. I think they need to be used in extreme circumstances. Something like nuclear winter needs to take place so AI's don't lob them around like baseballs.
Other thoughts:
Natural disasters – You can discover fault lines when the technology is invented (Geology, weather or something). There should be random earthquakes that ruin so many buildings or improvements in a certain radius. Floods, tsunamis, mud slides, volcanoes etc… Obviously you won’t know they are there in ancient times, but they will still happen.
Bring religion and governments back. Also keep the policy system, but change it to laws instead and only certain laws can be picked based on your government type. I.e Freedom of speech for Republics and Democracies or state religion for Monarchies or Communist nations. Also pick more types of government rather then 8. Each would have positives and negatives. Link
More nations. Canada, Australia, Brazil and Korea come to mind.
City states should be dealt with like any other nation.
I like the concept of not being able to stack on the battlefield, but I think we need Army, Navy and Air Force bases with the ability to stack (with a cap) much like the carrier with jets and a sub with missiles. It would be a nice way of consolidating troops inside your borders, I know I for one hate clutter and troops scattered everywhere. When it’s time for battle I have to remember where they all are. If they are consolidated in bases, I can move them to battle more efficiently.
Forward operating bases - Basically military bases to deploy troops in allied nations for say 10 or 20 gold per turn which goes to that nation. This would make it easier to help allies in a war on the other side of the map or make it easier for you to move troops in a war. That nation would have to agree to it obviously.
Better military logistics – When I have carriers and F-22’s it should not be difficult to wage war on the other side of the globe. By the time I get my troops massed up, it’s over and I have to take them all back. It’s annoying and unrealistic. New units should be created like C-5’s and non-magical transports to move military units to combat outside of your neighbors. Carriers should be able to transport equipment and ground troops (with a cap) as well. They should be able to cross an ocean in like 2 turns. Forward operating bases should help this too.
Bombers need a larger radius. A modern jumbo jet can fly across the globe... why not a bomber. A B-2 could bomb anywhere, while a B-17 or B-52 could bomb within your continent or from a forward operating base.
If you make a trade deal it should not end after so many turns, but instead if one side breaks it, there is a war or there is a sanction on either nation. Otherwise it should be indefinite. Maybe add something to change the terms instead of cancelling it and starting another one.
The ability to attack improvements (or bases). Say I want to strike a gold mine with a jet or missile, I should be able too. Keep the pillage, but offer this solution as well.
Lastly maybe some more future tech. Not a lot, but some more then now. Once we hit the future we should have another tech tree instead of one or two then future tech for an infinite amount of turns. Things like mech's, cloaking ability, cyborg infantry, anti-matter and plasma weapons etc... Maybe extend it to 2100 or 2150. Also satellites should be able to spy say in a 4x4 square section for 2 turns.
Oh and bring map trading back. That is just annoying.
Just some thoughts. Feel free to tell me how you feel.
Some ideas for a better AI:
Diplomatic Pacts - (i.e. NATO & the EU) Civ 5 almost had this with “I notice you are friends with XYZ”… Maybe if you are allies with 2 or more people and they are allies with one another, form a defensive and economic pact that can not be broken, at least not easily. Just because you don’t want to declare war with them should not be reason to be denounced and hated by an ally. Maybe put it up for a vote with your allies before you do it. If you prefer to go it alone and your allies don’t want to help, it should have no impact on past relations.
Trade sanctions – War shouldn’t be the one all solve all solution in this game, although it's fun, I think it is defeating the point of the game. Nations (or pacts) could impose trade sanctions where a player can not receive resources (from other agreeing players) for so many turns.
Cold wars - War should be for violating space, declaring war on an ally, attacking one of your cities or units etc... Not for massing troops at the border. Reaction to that should be the same from the AI (Cold war status). If I feel like massing troops in my space on the border, it shouldn’t start a war. Just a counter reaction from the AI (Like massing troops at their border with you)
Apologies – If you screw up (and bite off more than you can chew) you should be able to apologize and vice versa and given the opportunity to offer a gift or something. This could be used to soften up an enemy to make it easier for peace. Especially if you are loosing a war.
If you reach friendly status, it should stay that way unless you provoke a war. This loosing credibility over time is BS. If I make the effort in the beginning then loose track of it for 10 turns, I should not be penalized. There should also be actual signed alliances between nations. Once it is signed, relations don’t slip, even if you make no contact with them after that. Also we need neutral, guarded and hate status. Again, just because you hate someone doesn’t mean war. You just don’t help them in any way.
Nukes are used way too much. I think they need to be used in extreme circumstances. Something like nuclear winter needs to take place so AI's don't lob them around like baseballs.
Other thoughts:
Natural disasters – You can discover fault lines when the technology is invented (Geology, weather or something). There should be random earthquakes that ruin so many buildings or improvements in a certain radius. Floods, tsunamis, mud slides, volcanoes etc… Obviously you won’t know they are there in ancient times, but they will still happen.
Bring religion and governments back. Also keep the policy system, but change it to laws instead and only certain laws can be picked based on your government type. I.e Freedom of speech for Republics and Democracies or state religion for Monarchies or Communist nations. Also pick more types of government rather then 8. Each would have positives and negatives. Link
More nations. Canada, Australia, Brazil and Korea come to mind.
City states should be dealt with like any other nation.
I like the concept of not being able to stack on the battlefield, but I think we need Army, Navy and Air Force bases with the ability to stack (with a cap) much like the carrier with jets and a sub with missiles. It would be a nice way of consolidating troops inside your borders, I know I for one hate clutter and troops scattered everywhere. When it’s time for battle I have to remember where they all are. If they are consolidated in bases, I can move them to battle more efficiently.
Forward operating bases - Basically military bases to deploy troops in allied nations for say 10 or 20 gold per turn which goes to that nation. This would make it easier to help allies in a war on the other side of the map or make it easier for you to move troops in a war. That nation would have to agree to it obviously.
Better military logistics – When I have carriers and F-22’s it should not be difficult to wage war on the other side of the globe. By the time I get my troops massed up, it’s over and I have to take them all back. It’s annoying and unrealistic. New units should be created like C-5’s and non-magical transports to move military units to combat outside of your neighbors. Carriers should be able to transport equipment and ground troops (with a cap) as well. They should be able to cross an ocean in like 2 turns. Forward operating bases should help this too.
Bombers need a larger radius. A modern jumbo jet can fly across the globe... why not a bomber. A B-2 could bomb anywhere, while a B-17 or B-52 could bomb within your continent or from a forward operating base.
If you make a trade deal it should not end after so many turns, but instead if one side breaks it, there is a war or there is a sanction on either nation. Otherwise it should be indefinite. Maybe add something to change the terms instead of cancelling it and starting another one.
The ability to attack improvements (or bases). Say I want to strike a gold mine with a jet or missile, I should be able too. Keep the pillage, but offer this solution as well.
Lastly maybe some more future tech. Not a lot, but some more then now. Once we hit the future we should have another tech tree instead of one or two then future tech for an infinite amount of turns. Things like mech's, cloaking ability, cyborg infantry, anti-matter and plasma weapons etc... Maybe extend it to 2100 or 2150. Also satellites should be able to spy say in a 4x4 square section for 2 turns.
Oh and bring map trading back. That is just annoying.
Just some thoughts. Feel free to tell me how you feel.
