F^4: How do you like the GOTM enhancements?

[alamo]

I've seen a few people complain about the extra stuff required to play the GOTM's nowadays.

What do you think of them? Like 'em? Hate 'em?

Things like: Extra units, terrain graphics, civ behavior tweaks, ...

 

[hotrod0823]

Other than not being able to play GOTM17 because of lag I love it.

 

[Capt Buttkick]

Love it, but I'm not sure about the latest addition that forces me to swap graphics files, IF I ever get to play another game than gotm that is...

 

[jeffelammar]

I like some of the features, but others kinda bother me.

Likes:
Maps with thought out features that make you think ahead.
The whole community. (Yes even those who go out of their way to be argumentative)

Dislikes:
Increasing level of mod on GOTM. I would like to see more games with the base rules. I understand why things like Mobilization are turned off, but the GOTM is getting further away from the actual game and becoming more of a mod competition.
I don't like the ghost advantages given to certain civs. It is interesting, but I don't think it adds much to the game.

 

[denyd]

Actually, I'm waiting for the raging dinosaurs (PTW barbarian substitute) to show up in the predator class on a large continent map with only 1 opponent. I tried a game with them late last year and it was brutal. They're like Siphai in the Ancient Age.

I also enjoyed a tournament game recently that started at 4000BC with all techs through the end of the Industrial Age.
We so rarely get to build radar artillery, stealth planes, modern wonders, nukes, etc, it was a treat. The game went too fast, but with different circumstances (only culture victory allowed, etc), it would have been great. (Imagine Zulu or Aztec with nukes!!)

 

[JonathanValjean]

The enhancements have added an appreciable degree of freshness to Civ 3 for me. As long the additions don't cause the game to run unstably, keep them coming!

 

[Qitai]

Don't mind the changes. In fact, just recently tried the test of time world map scenario. Had plains and grassland that produce next to no food and fish that provides 7 food!!A very interesting change to what I am use to. It feels like a different game and it feels good experiencing some exploration fun again - hmm... what's that terrian there? That banana like thing. Gotta see what it does. And hmm... where would this research lead me to. Got to do some planning on what tech is better.

 

[OneFastWarrior]

I like all the add on's, however I voted unsure, just because I hope it does not get to be to much for new people to download. I started playing in gotm 17 and have only had to download a little each month, I can only imagine how long it would take to do it all at once

 

[Dianthus]

GOTM has been really refreshing for me. A big part of that is the map design/choice of civs/civ locations, but the mods are also an essential part of the "Whatever will cracker think of next?" aspect of GOTM that makes it so much fun.

 

[Yog the Sloth]

To be honest, I'm neither here nor there about the mods to the game of the month, as I have been unable to play it, as since installing the patches my Civ has been a gibbering idiot. For a more prolonged version of this complaint see 'Bastard Patches'. It is vaguely operational, but it is also extremely hard to use as none of the menus say what they should. I would like some advise on how I might sort this out, as at present my best guess is that I will have to uninstall Civ3 and PTW and then reinstall them so as to have a funcitonal game again.

 

[CdB]

Love It ! I like the challenge of the game but what I prefer most is the more than helping community sharing tactics , exploits and stories. It just help me building more ideas and approaches to the game.

 

[Luithien]

Keep em comming!

Been playing civ3 for a while when stumbled across the CFC sometime through GOTM 16 and read all the spoiler threads... Seeing all these games progress and the differnt victory conditions everyone achieved, reading about the killer squids, well I had to get involved.

The units such as the FOG and volcanoes with their "slave" populations and the effort to create a environment really adds a fantastic feel and a bit of mystery to the game... Something that was kinda lacking for me since civ2..

 

[jeffelammar]

I have been thinking about this a lot recently, and I would lilke to say a few things about the modifications.

1. The stated purpose of GOTM/QSC is to help people improve their Civ3 abilities. I submit that the increasing number of GOTM mods is counter to this purpose. It causes us to learn skills that are really only appropriate to GOTM. I agree that there is still a lot of value in terms of basic lessons, but there are some things that change.
2. I really do like many of the mods. They make things fun and are quite refreshing at times.
3. The staff spends an incredible amount of time putting together the modded starts.

Given these points. I would like to make a suggestion. I would like to see a GOTM rotation of 4 games or so. Every 4th game is heavily modded (like the Mediteranian Melee). The other 3 are minimally modded. By minimally, I mean that they only have the basic rules changes made to even things out.

• Disable War Mobilization
• Add turns to build Outpost/Radar Tower...
• Activate upgrade paths
• Other purely version specifics

This would not include things like

• Changing the units available to civs
• Giving certain civs extra advantages

This idea would allow us to have some games that are very close to normal civ games, and a regularly scheduled game that would be a refreshing change. It would also reduce the burden on the GOTM staff.

 

[rabies]

I find them fun and refreshing (as somebody else stated) so I look forward to the heavy modded games, but I thinkjeffelammar's idea is a very sound compromise. I'd be willing to play 3 lightly modded games in anticipation of the 4th.

 

[forged]

I'm not sure I have played enough gotm's yet to know all sides to this debate. I find the amount of time the GOTM staff puts into these games truly amazing and I want to thank them for it.

I have a question for them though ... what purpose do the modifications serve? (Alexman's thread on ways to improve the AI also falls in this category.)

I have some speculation as to why modifications beyond evening the playing field between versions is being done, but it would be nice to hear from the staff that works so hard to provide us these mods.

I don't know what ratio to recommend, btw, but I too think that there should be some minimally modified games as GOTMs.

Thanks,
forged

 

[mudfoot]

As many post before this one, I agree with the freshness of the games.
Although I never tried modding anything myself (seems tedious and boring to me and would take away to much of my civ time ), I like to play the things other people invest so much time in! I don't understand the modmakers, but bless them for putting in the hours to provide the laziest of people (read: ME ) a good time!!!

I will not question the 'heavyness' of the modded GOTM's. I'll just play anything Cracker (and team) comes up with!
For me, the GOTM games are no platform to get better at the game (although they have that effect), but to have fun!!

Mmmmm, getting overly sentimental and preaching again! Ah well, so be it!

 

[Naboo]

I love the mods because they allow Mac users to participate in the wider community

...something that [plasma] Firaxis doesn't seem to care about...

Also, it's fun to have the game tailored to an historical scenario.

p.s. what's the difference between "not sure" and "no opinion"?

 

[Matrix]

Well, after I stopped being admin of this I wanted to do some other things. (I fell upon multiplayer, specifically PBEM's.) But a few months ago I wanted to play the GOTM again, but was actually disappointed because of the add-ons. I like playing normal games. I started a GOTM back then (one with barbarians with weird names which had something to do with a puzzle), but I didn't finish that one because I enjoyed a standard game much more. Since then I'm hoping that one day they'll bring a standard game for the GOTM again, which I can enjoy as much as any other game, but then compare my results to that of others again.

But I see I'm in an impressive minority, so it's a lost cause. The GOTM staff has to serve the majority after all...

 

[Sailorstick]

I didn't like the resource mod to GOTM 20 because they added no value to the game and they were just there to stop people cheating. Also, they were very annoying to have to switch between GOTM resources and Vanilla resources all the time. However, the new GOTM 21 resources are great and the nifty install program takes care of the drudgery of backing up files, renaming etc... good stuff.

 

[rangers85]

Originally posted by Matrix
Well, after I stopped being admin of this I wanted to do some other things. (I fell upon multiplayer, specifically PBEM's.) But a few months ago I wanted to play the GOTM again, but was actually disappointed because of the add-ons. I like playing normal games. I started a GOTM back then (one with barbarians with weird names which had something to do with a puzzle), but I didn't finish that one because I enjoyed a standard game much more. Since then I'm hoping that one day they'll bring a standard game for the GOTM again, which I can enjoy as much as any other game, but then compare my results to that of others again.

But I see I'm in an impressive minority, so it's a lost cause. The GOTM staff has to serve the majority after all...

Matrix, I guess I'm in that minority with you. Personally, I haven't really been able to get into a GOTM game in a while. I think really since before you left (That also includes me taking like a 6-8 month hiatus from Civ3.). So basically, I stopped playing them I guess a bit before you stepped down, and then started trying to get back into it with that first squid addon.

To me though, GOTM has really changed. Personally, I find it almost too restrictive and to the dot. I liked the ease of it back then, where you could basically come in play the game as you could, post about it if you wanted, etc. Now there's so much documentation, it takes forever just to read it all to start up with GOTM anymore compared to back then when you hd a short page to read and you knew everything you needed to know.

Anyways, that's just my 2 cents.