Extreme2

[tchristensen]

Great!

Now I expect a 20 page research paper on the tactics in the game -- just joking!

Good luck and I think you will enjoy!

 

[HannibalBarka]

Is the version in the OP the latest one ie the one to be tested?

 

[tchristensen]

I have a version that is later than that the one you can get your hands on, but the problem with Extreme2 is that there is just so much offered I can't ever play all the cultures, all the techs, all the units! There are so many things in older versions that have never been tried -- sad

So even playing an older version you can still experience things I have never tested. For example, I know I have tried Napoleon but not De Gaul.

For me a single run through the game takes at least a week, and then I only see maybe 1 to 4 civs -- so I would have to run through it (how many times?) lets say 15 times -- which would be like 4 months of constant playing.

So the releases are a jerking process of adding tons of stuff, playing for several weeks, releasing a version and start all over again.

I will also let you in on a little secret -- I stink at Civ IV (LOL). I have friends that help me test that consistently triple my score or win. I love to creating stuff for it more than playing -- I love to play, don't get me wrong, but the inventing of stuff is really fun (for me).

 

[HannibalBarka]

Extreme2 Officially Went Into Testing Tonight.

I plan on doing no more additions until the testing is done (3-6 weeks). Then will make minor changes and upload for everyone to try.

In the mean time I will start work on ExtremMod -- adding magic and steampunk stuff.

Will keep everyone posted on developments.

When you say it went into Testing, where is Testing?

 

[tchristensen]

When you say it went into Testing, where is Testing?

Just between my friends and I, so it is very informal. I have four other friends who take the mod and we play once or twice a week via the web, and then they also play single games. We all banter and talk about it, saying what is good, bad, or otherwise.

It is horribly informal and we often forget to take notes, leading to us scratching our heads weeks later trying to remember if Cochise's battle with Alexander, or Washington battling with Wu!

 

[HannibalBarka]

Just between my friends and I, so it is very informal. I have four other friends who take the mod and we play once or twice a week via the web, and then they also play single games. We all banter and talk about it, saying what is good, bad, or otherwise.

It is horribly informal and we often forget to take notes, leading to us scratching our heads weeks later trying to remember if Cochise's battle with Alexander, or Washington battling with Wu!

Ok, I see. But why don't you want more people to test the latest version? I'd like to actually.

 

[tchristensen]

Ok, I see. But why don't you want more people to test the latest version? I'd like to actually.

I want more people to playtest the game, but realize that it is 1 gig in size! So how many versions do I push out -- Alpha, Beta, version X? Get the idea, I mean at some point there is going to be too many versions of 1 gigabyte files laying around.

Another problem I have with releasing beta files is that I am often asked to have multiple sites to download from, so that is a multiplication of the number of gigabyte files out in the cloud.

I am more than happy to put something up more frequently, if players are eager to test the nuances of each version upgrade.

How about I plan on something in the next week or so, so you can see where I am going with the new version.

 

[JosEPh_II]

We wait patiently.

JosEPh

 

[HannibalBarka]

I want more people to playtest the game, but realize that it is 1 gig in size! So how many versions do I push out -- Alpha, Beta, version X? Get the idea, I mean at some point there is going to be too many versions of 1 gigabyte files laying around.

Another problem I have with releasing beta files is that I am often asked to have multiple sites to download from, so that is a multiplication of the number of gigabyte files out in the cloud.

I am more than happy to put something up more frequently, if players are eager to test the nuances of each version upgrade.

How about I plan on something in the next week or so, so you can see where I am going with the new version.

Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

 

[fieldman]

I also look forward to upgrades. Having started a game with the latest version, I am very impressed with the mechanics of the mod.

 

[tchristensen]

Another concern I have with upgradeas/revisions is that each new version will break the old saves; that is new versions are not compatible with older saves.

But next version will hopefully have a greater number of mapscripts to choose from, and if I can get my lazy butt to do it -- some real world maps with appropriately placed empires.

 

[tchristensen]

Additions for Today: 04-30-11

Added a progression growth of the lumbermill. After roughly 50 turns it turns into a Logging Camp, then after another 80 turns it turns into a sawmill. Each upgrade generates more hammers and wealth.

For fun I changed the field graphics for farms -- the new graphics adds a little glitz to improvements.

Added a dozen mapscripts to the mod -- have not tested them all (hmm sounds like a project for someone....)

Added the parapet -- a +15% bonus to walls. Very cool!

Adjusted all Techs to be more AI friendly -- balanced some costs and tried to steer the AI into better choices of tech selection.

 

[tchristensen]

Today's Changes & Modifications (05/01/2011)

Added three new Technologies: Firearms, Ballistics, and Matchlock. Corresponding units adjusted to use the new techs.

Modified almost all of the cultural Traits; mostly adding Happiness but also adjusting the length of anarchy.

Modified the graphics of Canoe a bit

Toyed around with creating buildings the create unique resources. These resource, which can only be gained through a cultural building (unique), can be used to offset the cost of military supplies or create unique units that are outside of cultural boundaries. First one I created was a Bronze Forge, taking Copper and Tin to create Bronze. Bronze can be used in various builds, but it is the cannons that saw the most benefit from this material.

Added the Columbian Exchange Wonder -- +2 happiness civilization wide, -3 Health civilization wide. Merchants earn +1 hammers in all cities.

Also added a Chinese Dragonship

And a Sea merchant, vanilla, ocean going vessel 1 strength, 1 move, 1 cargo.

 

[tchristensen]

Today's Notes (05-02-2011)

Added a new Unique Unit to the Hurrian nation; the Yamhads were a powerful fighting force in this early civilization; not prone to sit idle, they warred constantly. A warrior derivative with 3 strength and 50% vs. animals, but no city defense.

Added an Assassin

 

[HannibalBarka]

Finished a game yesterday, won on domination on 900AD. Played Phoenecian (Hiram), Monarch, Earth2 standard, epic.

Some bugs: 1. roman roads and railroads do not have the benefits of a road or a path (no +f or 1h or 1c). I constructed Via Apia and saw my prod food and commerce plunge
2. you can change a path into a road but not the other way

Remarks:
1. AI do not give any importance to religion, I founded all religion but 2, without beelining at all. I could have founded all of them but did not want to because I preferred to have more religious diversity and feared to run short of Great Prophets ;-).
2. Wonders are too cheap. OK, It helped to be Hiram, but still, some time with the right civic, resource and leader it is faster to build a wonder than a market. Things get even worse towards the end where production is just too cheap.
3. Barbarian are a threat very early (spears and 4 strength archer appear fast) but they do not keep up, you should send horse archers and axes faster. When I discovered the Americas, I haven’t seen any force above 4.
4. Resource less sea tiles are now just too much underpowered (given the prod, food and comm. Bonus via road).
5. Lumber mills are too powerful. You should either delay their availability or lessen their bonuses.

My games was challenging a little bit in the begining (Mongols attacked me very early and well, they almost took one of my cities and I had to build a lot of troops and bring in Brazil to hold them), but was really easy after that.

 

[tchristensen]

Finished a game yesterday, won on domination on 900AD. Played Phoenecian (Hiram), Monarch, Earth2 standard, epic.

Some bugs: 1. roman roads and railroads do not have the benefits of a road or a path (no +f or 1h or 1c). I constructed Via Apia and saw my prod food and commerce plunge
2. you can change a path into a road but not the other way

Remarks:
1. AI do not give any importance to religion, I founded all religion but 2, without beelining at all. I could have founded all of them but did not want to because I preferred to have more religious diversity and feared to run short of Great Prophets ;-).
2. Wonders are too cheap. OK, It helped to be Hiram, but still, some time with the right civic, resource and leader it is faster to build a wonder than a market. Things get even worse towards the end where production is just too cheap.
3. Barbarian are a threat very early (spears and 4 strength archer appear fast) but they do not keep up, you should send horse archers and axes faster. When I discovered the Americas, I haven’t seen any force above 4.
4. Resource less sea tiles are now just too much underpowered (given the prod, food and comm. Bonus via road).
5. Lumber mills are too powerful. You should either delay their availability or lessen their bonuses.

My games was challenging a little bit in the begining (Mongols attacked me very early and well, they almost took one of my cities and I had to build a lot of troops and bring in Brazil to hold them), but was really easy after that.

I will incorporate these into my next build. I was done today with it, but will go back and see if I can incorporate some of your great suggestions.

Expect a new release within the next few days!

Thanks again!

 

[tchristensen]

By the way, are you building any Sea Lanes?

Caravels and Frigates can make them and they are similar to roads.

 

[HannibalBarka]

By the way, are you building any Sea Lanes?

Caravels and Frigates can make them and they are similar to roads.

Oups, did not notice to be honest. Emmm I'll load my game just to see if I can

Oh by the way, the pic for the Golden Gate Bridge is just awsome. I build it in a my capital city and it did accidently have a bay (what a coincidende), and the look of it was just unbelievable, I'll post a pic tonight

I played MoM yesterday to change a little bit, I actually started a game on your other mod (ExtremeMod), but changed my mid to MoM because I wanted a more "magical" mod. I am straggeling though because I do know nada on mana, adept and other weird stuff

 

[tchristensen]

I got to add in a few of your great ideas to the current mod release, but if I added others it would push the release of my next version out a month (play testing and all of that), so going to release what I got now in a version of Extreme2 and will just keep adding your notes to mine.

Thanks.

By the way, we played last night (I was Taizong of China) one friend was Caligula of Rome, and another was Curtin of Australia. We added in 15 other AI civs. Very interesting game with some very strong AI players -- I was fighting Sargon and Tarhaqa early on with point scores +200 of mine.

One friend was on a continent all to his own, but it was all Jungle and he was getting beaten up with huge barbarian waves.

We played on Noble, Epic, Raging Barbs, but NOT Aggressive AI. No tech brokering (they cheat if you do, in my opinion). It will be interesting to see how it plays out -- our games tend to be lengthy since we can only play once a week.

Thanks again

Oh, and I got to build the Bronze Forge -- a Wonder I added that takes copper and tin and makes a unique resource in the game (cannot be gained any other way). I could make Bronze Swordsman (8/1) plus also will reduce my costs on cannons later in the game!!

 

[JosEPh_II]

I'll take whatever you have ready.

JosEPh