Well, I might be vilified by some for this, but I cannot agree with some of the thoughts thrown out here.
Some have suggested that the FP, as used by many to build a 2nd core of productive cities, is a player "cheat" and therefore the FP should be weakened, or changed to not allow this since it "gives the human player a signifgicant advantage" because the "ai cannot effectively plan the location of the FP or do a palace jump".
And the fact that players of all levels have used this tactic for 2+ years is irrivelant, its a "player cheat". Now some even call it an exploit. AHHIIIEEE!
(Those statements in quotes are not meant to be direct quotes or indictments of any poster, they're just summations of what I perceive some players feel. Note the plural.)
Well, if you think its unfair to the ai, DON'T USE THE "TRICK".
BUT don't insist that the programmers take away the use of a tool utilized by many for many years. IT does change the way MANY play and ENJOY the game. For them, this would probably be a NEGATIVE change.
Personally I never liked or used the palace jump in any form. I never used the Massive Pop Rush strat either. The both seemed un-natural. Building an adminstrative center to reduce corruption and govern an area away from the homeland does not. Since we cannot build "provincial capitol" (at a VERY HIGH COST), in any city we choose, or a limited number overall of them, we build the FP.
I DO like having two cores of effective city's because like many players, I LIKE to create big empires. Thats part of the pull that the Civ game series has for me and MANY of the people who shell out $$$ for the game. AND while I have never been a fan of the high corruption rate, I have adapted to it, and am somewhat reconciled to it. One of the things that allowed that adjustment is having essentially a "second palace", as the Civilopedia describes it, that allows an effective core overseas from the main empire- NOTE THIS INCREASES STRATEGIC CHOICES, LIKE *WHICH* CONTINENT FOR ITS LOCATION, OR, KEEP THE FP ON ONES HOME CONTINENT??
IF one feels that it (having a second core) is making the game to easy for them, go up a notch in the level. This isn't a problem unless we are all already playing at Sid level. I don't think that is the case.
Taking away the efficicy of the FP to generate a second core, IF PLACED PROPERLY, REDUCES the intricacies of game play, at least for me, and I would suspect many others that use it in this fashion.
And note that the ai has some advantages over the player, other than the obvious ones of the Difficulty Levels advantages. The ai never gets tired and makes foolish choices, nor makes excessively emotional ones (nor gets harassed to hurry up and get off the computer by their family!). Also, there is MORE OF THEM: keep in mind that often its the player vs. the rest of the world, in the sense that the ai's will all oppose you (if not actually ally with each other). And that by definition is an entire worlds worth of ai's. Finally, if you think the ai is so disacvantaged, play at higher level game levels. And don't build a second core.
Firaxis, here this plea. Let the FP continue to be used as it has over all of Civ3 up to C3C. MANY players like it like this. My impression here on the boards is only a small number want to lose the FP's current ability to BE A SECOND PALACE.
Just my $0.02 worth.
