[NFP] Civilization 6 February Update

[UWHabs]

Actually, I usually find Theocracy a better government than Merchant Republic. Even if not playing for RV, I like to buy units with faith.

Bermuda Triangle - when I've seen it, it's been too far offshore to be useful, and invariably send you to a hex surrounded by ice.

Music - with almost any game, the first thing I do is disable the music. If I'm playing a game, I don't want to be distracted, and if I'm listening to music I don't want to be distracted.

Most games for me, I find there's enough that I want to do with faith (be it religious units, military units, great people, etc..) that the buying bonus on Theocracy is definitely better than the limited gold bonus from Merchant Republic. I never quite know how to value MR's district bonus, but also since some of the expansions a year or two ago, it's really not a problem to run a couple military slots either, so I find the card breakdown between those two to really not be a problem.

I certainly expect that Monarchy will be the biggest winner in the re-work. Even simply moving one of their military slots to a diplo slot would synergize better with the envoy bonus they get, and I could see them arguably gaining another bonus - maybe something like +1 amenity in cities with a governor? I would also really like to see them boost the legacy options for all 3 of those governments. I guess Theocracy's legacy is fine if you're going religion, but honestly I'm not sure if I would ever bother running the Merchant Republic Legacy card. It's weird that the T1 legacy cards are basically miles better than the T2 legacy options.

 

[Pietato]

So what's with the government policy cards? I don't really have a conve ient time to watch the video...what type of changes are they saying?

Hopefully something like Monarchy losing a military slot and gaining a wildcard one. Random wildcard represents Monarchy best.

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

Random wildcard represents Monarchy best.

"All hail the new king, and he's dead from dysentery... Let's grab his second cousin, three times inbred, who also just so happens to have misplaced his brain. What could possibly go wrong?!?!"

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

"All hail the new king, and he's dead from dysentery... Let's grab his second cousin, three times inbred, who also just so happens to have misplaced his brain. What could possibly go wrong?!?!"

Monarchy has been described as Government By Genetic Chance.

 

[Disgustipated]

I definitely welcome the changes to Monarchy. I run it perhaps more than I should. Mainly because it's the first government you get usually, and I have trouble getting the Inspiration for Exploration (Merchant Republic). It sometimes takes me a while to change over to Merchant Republic. I get sidetracked with other things and pursuing wonders.

My only gripe about this update is it isn't out yet. I really want to play today. I just finished Wasteland 3 (excellent game), and now find myself itching to play the barbarian mode.

 

[Abaxial]

I wonder, if you bribe some barbarians to attack another civ, how long they will go at it, and how effectively? I have found in the past that if you get another civ to join in a war that you are waging, often they actually do practically nothing.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

I wonder, if you bribe some barbarians to attack another civ, how long they will go at it, and how effectively? I have found in the past that if you get another civ to join in a war that you are waging, often they actually do practically nothing.

The good news is barbarians constantly spawn units and don't have to build other things so I would hope it will be more effective.

 

[Jeppetto]

I'd wish much larger rework to Governments. To more directly represent Military (Honor) / Economic (Liberty) / Diplomatic (Tradition) playstyle. To instead have Bonus and Penalty stressing the playstyle and rather than unlocking the Legacy via building in GovPlaza, tie it to some quest where you must reach the pinnacle of that Regime. Then the benefit of the Legacy would be mostly maintaining it without the Penalty for perfecting the Government before moving to another one.

 

[KayAU]

I'd wish much larger rework to Governments. To more directly represent Military (Honor) / Economic (Liberty) / Diplomatic (Tradition) playstyle. To instead have Bonus and Penalty stressing the playstyle and rather than unlocking the Legacy via building in GovPlaza, tie it to some quest where you must reach the pinnacle of that Regime. Then the benefit of the Legacy would be mostly maintaining it without the Penalty for perfecting the Government before moving to another one.

I would have liked a rework of many systems, and the Government system is no exception. While on one hand I commend them for doing something completely new, the whole business of swapping out a million different bonus cards just doesn't feel immersive or satisfying to me. The best government system I ever saw in a Civ game was Social Engineering in Alpha Centauri, and I would have loved to see something along those lines again.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

I would have liked a rework of many systems, and the Government system is no exception. While on one hand I commend them for doing something completely new, the whole business of swapping out a million different bonus cards just doesn't feel immersive or satisfying to me. The best government system I ever saw in a Civ game was Social Engineering in Alpha Centauri, and I would have loved to see something along those lines again.

The problem for me is that all the various Government Types are meaningless: they are simply Holding Pens for various Cards, and your choices of Cards are only modified by what's available at that point in the game.

There is absolutely no interaction - no Civics and Social Policy Cards that are incompatible, no governments that simply do not work well, or work very well and enhance, certain policies or Civics or types of Civics. You can change government type at a whim without penalty, and the only difference between a Merchant Republic and a Theocracy is the type of Card you can use, with exactly the same results from each card regardless of the government that has implemented that policy or civic and/or the other policies/civics that the government is pursuing at the same time.

 

[Oswald Bastable]

You can change government type at a whim without penalty, and the only difference between a Merchant Republic and a Theocracy is the type of Card you can use

Well, that’s not entirely true. Each government does have its unique bonuses as well. Perhaps they’re not forward enough, need to be more powerful, or have certain negative traits as well (like dark policies). I don’t really like the over proliferation of policy cards, but maybe each government type could also have its own set of policy cards, in addition to the ones that everyone has access to. Perhaps you could then get to choose one or two of them to keep around as legacy cards.

 

[Shibooyeah]

Based on this thread, the next Picker mode should be "Full Random Music" and "Music from These Civs, Regardless of who is in game."

If it were up to me, the music would permanently be Hungary - Industrial Era across all games and all eras

 

[berlin88]

I have only played a handful of the many civs available in Civ VI, so maybe the February update will entice me to try more civs.

After having played Germany, Russia, Australia, Cree, Gaul and now Babylon, I think Babylon is the most interesting, because Babylon allows you to research technologies out of order, and build armies / navies composed of units from very different eras.

In my latest game as Babylon, I have yet to research iron working, yet I can build modern era Artillery and Battleships. I can also still build crossbowmen and siege forts, even though I have access to spec ops and modern infantry / artillery. Even better, is the fact I am in the modern era, while half the AI civs are still in the renaissance era.

 

[InsidiousMage]

Well, that’s not entirely true. Each government does have its unique bonuses as well. Perhaps they’re not forward enough, need to be more powerful, or have certain negative traits as well (like dark policies).

Outside of the tier 1 governments and Theocracy I never really directly notice the effects from whatever government I'm in at the time. Maybe each type of government could get bonuses to types of policy cards. Like Oligarchy, Monarchy and Fascism get an extra 10% towards unit product when using those policy cards or Merchant Republic and Democracy get extra gold for using Triangular Trade or Free Market.

I don’t really like the over proliferation of policy cards, but maybe each government type could also have its own set of policy cards, in addition to the ones that everyone has access to. Perhaps you could then get to choose one or two of them to keep around as legacy cards.

I would like to see more stuff like this except for the fact that the cards associated the tier 3 governments are only available to those governments really makes me not want to switch away from them because losing New Deal or Collectivism is really noticeable and only serves to highlight the general weakness of the tier 4 governments. I don't mind the friction but there isn't enough incentive to switch so that would have to be something given a lot work to make it feel right if there were more unique policy cards. You lose X but get Y instead but still feel like you come out ahead on the decision.

 

[Abaxial]

I would have liked a rework of many systems, and the Government system is no exception. While on one hand I commend them for doing something completely new, the whole business of swapping out a million different bonus cards just doesn't feel immersive or satisfying to me.

But a rework of many systems at this stage would probably introduce numerous bugs, AI problems, and exploits.

 

[DWilson]

They referred to the Livestream as "Barbarian Scenario" rather than game mode, freaking people out on social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter).

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

They referred to the Livestream as "Barbarian Scenario" rather than game mode, freaking people out on social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter).

They said after the fact it was indeed a game mode, not a separate scenario.

 

[nzcamel]

Bring back legacy bonuses for how long you spend in each government, and have some policies throughout the whole game that can only be used in specific governments.

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

and have some policies throughout the whole game that can only be used in specific governments.

I believe they mentioned that this would happen in the video.

 

[Andrew Johnson [FXS]]

They said after the fact it was indeed a game mode, not a separate scenario.

It is a game mode.