Echoes of Earth: A total conversion for BERT

[Machiavelli24]

I think what is happening in your screenshot 1915 is that the Trade Route yield is not subject to multipliers. So the math looks like:

9 Food from Terrain + 2 Food from Colonist => 11
11 * 50% multiplier from Weather Controller => 16.5
16.5 + 2 from Trade Route => 18.5 (UI that says "6 base (18 - 12 eaten)" doesn't show decimals)
18.5 - 12 => 6.5

 

[1915]

Trade Route yield is not subject to multipliers.

Thanks for the explanation. The layout of the tooltip for city growth is fairly confusing. Terrain and other food productions that are subject to multipliers should be listed with the orbital units modifier instead of the way it is. Currently it looks (to me at least) like the +50% is to applied to growth rather than base food. I guess the description of the orbital should have been enough for me to figure it out though.

 

[Machiavelli24]

The next update for Echoes of Earth will be releasing soon! Potentially later today (but it may end up needed another day if there are issues).

The "Save Earth" update focuses on new early and mid game quests. These quests provide alternative sources of Affinity points and will replace the original game's Affinity quests. Since the AI can make use of these new Affinity sources (unlike the original game's Affinity quests which the AI did not get) the game is harder than it was before, as AI players won't fall woefully behind on Affinity.

The early game quests help tell the story of how the colony dealt with the harsh conditions of life in the early years. Other quests involve the Signal and help tell the story of Earth's trials after the seedships launched.

In the mid game, after the Signal ends, a new web of quests revolve around different factions on the new world trying to find a way to contact Earth to see if anyone is still alive. After contact is made the factions disagree on what to do about Earth (the so called "Earth question"). This leads to tensions between the factions as each Affinity pursues a distinct and mutually exclusive way of dealing with the "Earth question".

This update will also include more late game building quests and rewritten Signal messages and early game building quests.

 

[Machiavelli24]

The "Save Earth" update is now live!

The biggest change in this update is the new Affinity point economy. Gone are the base game's Affinity quests. Instead how you interact with the Signal from Earth and other quests will shape your Affinity progress in the early game.

When the Signal suddenly ends the colony is thrown into crisis. What will be done about Earth? Can they be saved? How you and the other factions deal with the fate of Earth will shape your Affinity in the mid game. There are multiple courses of action but each are mutually exclusive and will increase tensions with factions that disagree with your methodology.

The new Affinity system is designed with the AI in mind. Unlike the Affinity quests which only the human player gets, all of the new Affinity sources are available to the AI player as well. You can expect a more challenging experience as you try to survive on a hostile world that does not want you.

Do you have the tenacity and vision to see humanity survive on this new world? When crisis strikes can you save Earth from its fate?

 

[Gothic_Empire]

This really makes me want Rising Tide.

 

[Machiavelli24]

A new post is up describing some of my future plans for Echoes of Earth and the Affinity point economy. The next updates will focus on Virtues followed by Diplomatic Traits. I've already got much of the design and implementation for Virtues complete so the next version may be coming out in two weeks (depending on how much time I get this weekend to work on it).

 

[MasterEcabob]

I was a bit skeptical of this mod at first, but it really is an impressive set of changes. In particular, I really enjoyed the new signal quests, with the wonder building. Going purity, I was working on the New Eden version of this quest, and took the build 5 terrascape path. However, after building a single terrascape, the quest completed, and now that I've built more, there have been no further quest popups. Again, I'm very greatful for how long this chain was at all, but as is I am uncertain of the progression. Am I to take it that I have reached the end of this chain of quests? Thanks!

 

[Machiavelli24]

A new update has been released! Version 22, the "Diplomatic Affinity" update focuses on new Diplomatic Traits.

A new core mechanic for the Diplomatic Traits is that every 2nd level of a Trait provides a source of Affinity points! Diplomatic Capital now provides a unique way to progress your colony down its future path. Do you rush as many level 2 traits as possible to maximize your Affinity or do you grab the powerful level 3 capstone traits?

Your chosen Affinity will also shape what traits you want to pick. Grabbing a level 2 trait you don't care about just to get a level 3 trait is often inefficient. What Affinity you are going for will influence what trait capstones are easily accessible to you.
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I was a bit skeptical of this mod at first, but it really is an impressive set of changes. In particular, I really enjoyed the new signal quests, with the wonder building. Going purity, I was working on the New Eden version of this quest, and took the build 5 terrascape path. However, after building a single terrascape, the quest completed, and now that I've built more, there have been no further quest popups. Again, I'm very greatful for how long this chain was at all, but as is I am uncertain of the progression. Am I to take it that I have reached the end of this chain of quests? Thanks!

The fact that the quest succeeded with only 1 Terrascape instead of 5 is likely a bug. I'll take a look. As for progression through the quest chain, you have reached the end of it -- congratulations! You've helped set the new world on the path to supporting refugees from Old Earth!

The only remaining step would be the victory sprint where you ramp up the settling of Earthlings.

 

[Pheylan]

I'm reinstalling BE when I get home from work just for this mod. Some of it is that I'm getting twitchy waiting for CivVI, and the other part is that I have always loved your mods Machiavelli. Thanks for all the work you put into these games.

 

[MasterEcabob]

All right, I figured that was the end of the quest. Any chance you could have the reward be a free Earth Settler? The Purity Victory Quest is notoriously more difficult than the others, so just one free settler before getting the gate operational wouldn't be too broken.

I don't know if you could do something similar with the supremacy/harmony versions of the quest, but maybe the Harmony one gave a free mind stem? Just an idea.

 

[Machiavelli24]

A new post is up on the blog that goes into the design ramifications of Virtues and Diplomatic Traits. These elements are more entwined than first blush so folks interested in seeing how different pieces fit together may find it interesting.
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Pheylan, glad to hear you're enjoying the mod. Are you interested in being a play tester for my Civ6 projects? I have an internal group of folks who I send early versions of my mods to so they can start putting it through its strategic paces. Attrition hit the group hard during the Beyond Earth years so I'm looking for folks to refill it. It isn't a commitment that will require anything specific for at least a month. If you're interested send me a PM and I can go over the details. This offer is also open to others.
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MasterEcabob, I had some outlines for changes to Victory conditions that involved a couple elements like that. Unfortunately it looks like there may not be enough time to develop that aspect.

 

[Machiavelli24]

A new update has been released! This update includes a wide range of changes but focuses on Artifacts and Expeditions. The guide contains details but the short version is that when you complete an Expedition you will either get an Artifact or a free unit/yield reward. You won't get both.

Artifact rewards for Alien Rewards, Progenitor Rewards and Mixed Rewards have changed. Alien and Progenitor Rewards provide Affinity points when acquired. Progenitor Rewards all provide a Free LaserComm Satellite. Mixed Rewards provide Strategic Resources and a free population in every city.

There are also two new economic satellites, the Crop Observer and the Power Optimizer. The Satellites don't provide multipliers like most other economic satellites but instead provide +1 Food or Energy per covered tile. Taking full advantage of the orbital economy will now require fitting a multiplier satellite over a city with Crop Observers or Paean on the outskirts adding yield to specific tiles.

 

[Machiavelli24]

An update has been released. This version fixes a bug that caused unit maintenance to be higher than intended. Some early game units also had their maintenance cost reduced.

 

[SatsukiShizuka]

Machiavelli24, I left the same message on the Steam page.

For a while now I'm having problems regarding virtue perks bugging my game - or specifically, tield yield icons.
When any virtue granting resources to generate diplomatic points ("tourism"), the game will have a warning saying that the icon .dds file is missing. Do you have a fix for it?

 

[Machiavelli24]

Where does the warning show up? Is it just in the logs or is it a pop up message in game?

 

[SatsukiShizuka]

It is a pop-up message indeed, and as the game stops its processes, it's quite a nuisance.
The file in question, of course, is YieldAtlas_128_Tourism.dds.

 

[Machiavelli24]

Satsuki, as part of my effort to reproduce the issue I created a game where I had the Signal Virtue that gives +1 Diplo Capital to Titanium, Oil and Geothermal. I acquired a plot that had Titanium and was able to work it for Diplo Capital without error.

Were you using any other mods in your games? Was this an accurate test of your experience? (You don't have to send it yet) but I may need a copy of a saved game from you that produces this issue.

 

[SatsukiShizuka]

Machiavelli;

Indeed I use other mods, namely the IGE and several Awesome mods: Stations, and Pods+Ruins. I intentionally disabled Affinities.
I don't think Immersive Armies (not pictured) which adds unit models would also be the one affecting...but I'll try to start a new game and see if I can solve the problem by simply not using other mods (But IGE must stay)

 

[SatsukiShizuka]

And here you go, as soon as I got it:
(EDIT: I think I might have solved the issue by updating IGE to v.4 instead of v.2 from a few years back, still testing, but I might have solved it - thanks anyway for the trouble)
(EDIT2: It just happened again)

 

[SatsukiShizuka]

The obvious culprit, when the texture is missing.