Feedback: Traits

[Little Faith]

A couple of ideas:

Adventurous: An explorers/expanders trait, especially on water maps.
Free Sentry for all scout units.
Free Navigation for all water units.
Free Morale on all settler units.
Hammer discounts on all transport-capable ships.
Reduction of distance-from-palace based upkeep.

Remade Spiritual: The present Spiritual trait is still primarily a civics abuse trait. Let's make it more religion-themed.
Access to all religious civics from the start of the game. (This does mean the 'Paya will need another effect).
Hammer discounts on Great Temples and Cemetries.
All religious buildings generate gold.
A free priest slot in all cities.

Political: The new civics abuse trait. A trait for shrewd political operators.
No anarchy.
Extra happy from News Press and Civic Square.

 

[ales_]

Some suggestions from platyping for new traits and new effects for old: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=482337

 

[Xyth]

Tinkering with traits at the moment while I explore ideas for the two new ones. So while I'm at it, I thought it would be good to get some feedback on the current array. So:

1) What do you consider to be the 3 strongest traits in HR?

2) What do you consider to be the 3 weakest traits in HR?​

Subjective questions of course and answers will vary by playstyle and preference, but always good to see if there's any consensus. I have my eye on a couple traits that I suspect are a bit weak but I don't want to skew your opinions by saying what they are just yet.

 

[Little Faith]

Strongest 3:

1. Diplomatic. This is by far and wide the strongest trait of them all, except in player vs. player games where it is lackluster. It's that +2 to all relations of course. This is absolutely HUGE.
The trait takes you half the way to friendly, and being friendly with several civs does wonders for your tech trading. And as the wise men (over at Strategies and Tips) say: "Tech trading is the best beaker multiplier in the game".
Being auto-pleased with most of the world means you are unlikely to be an early war-target as well (in case you are trapped on an island with a notorious knucklehead, initiate plan "get him to friendly ASAP" with a gifted (trash) city, which this trait incidentally helps you with as well).
Ideally, in a civ game, you only want to war on your own terms and this trait helps tremendously towards that goal.

2. Aggressive. This is not even remotedly close to being as broken as Diplomatic, but it does help tremendously with fast rushes. Commando is a hard promotion to get in the original game for a reason. Later era warfare benefits as well, perhaps even more as there are more roads about to exploit. Getting to strategic resource squares and pillaging them before defenders arrive is huge as well.

3. Protective. As a single player this trait is merely neat. I mean being able to focus purely on defending your cities and workers is awfully handy. In player vs. player, however, pillaging is a major facet of warfare and being immune is clearly too strong.


Weakest 3:

There's none of the traits that are "too weak" in my humble opinion. They all got something going for them. Even the weird ones like Traditional.

 

[Indexator]

I saw that you added more buttons on GameFonts_75 and used in "Great General" bar. I would like to add a new button in traits. Which files need to modify beyond GameFonts_75 and TraitsUtil.py?

 

[Xyth]

I saw that you added more buttons on GameFonts_75 and used in "Great General" bar. I would like to add a new button in traits. Which files need to modify beyond GameFonts_75 and TraitsUtil.py?

Apart from the new religion, corporation, and resource symbols, all other symbols in the Gamefont files came from BUG. Are you wanting to change a symbol for a trait in the pedia? If so you need to edit TraitsUtil.py, Gamefont.tga and CIV4NewConceptInfos.xml.

If you're wanting to add an entirely new symbol I've actually no idea how BUG defines them. Presumably there's some way to define them as a FontSymbol and I presume FontUtil.py plays a role in that but beyond that I'm not sure. Might be worthwhile asking in the BUG forums.




EDIT: Still looking for more feedback on the traits btw (best 3 and worst 3, any other comments on balance)

 

[platyping]

Bug took them from attitude icon mod.
So long as you know their position in the game font file, it is not hard to define them, by adjusting with reference to last known symbol, power

 

[Indexator]

ye, something like this:

Typically you use an existing glyph (symbol) and add an offset. For example, in BUG's font file the first attitude icon is 4 cells past the Power icon (lightning bolt). That entire block of code you posted is replaced with this:

szTempBuffer = u" %c" % (CyGame().getSymbolID(FontSymbols.POWER_CHAR) + 4 + iAtt)
szBuffer += szTempBuffer

getSymbolID() returns an integer representing the Unicode character needed to display that font glyph. To this you add 4 + <attitude> where <attitude> is iAtt which is 0 to 4.

"%c" is similar to unichr() without creating a temporary string first.

+= means to append one string onto the end of another. "x += y" is the same as "x = x + y" but easier to read.

All of the FontSymbols constants such as POWER_CHAR and HAPPY_CHAR are defined in the SDK. You cannot add new ones in Python and have them work with getSymbolID(). If you wanna see some semi-advanced Python tricks related to them, check out BUG's FontUtil.py module.

I try this, and not working... suggestions?

addTrait("INDUSTRIOUS", gc.getYieldInfo(YieldTypes.YIELD_PRODUCTION).getChar(), "Art/Interface/Buttons/TechTree/Industrialism.dds")

addTrait("CREATIVE",gc.getCommerceInfo(CommerceTypes.COMMERCE_CULTURE).getChar(), "Art/Interface/Buttons/TechTree/Music.dds")

addTrait("LEGISLATOR", szTempBuffer = u" %c" % (CyGame().getSymbolID(FontSymbols.POWER_CHAR) + 1 + iAtt)
szBuffer += szTempBuffer), "Art/Interface/Buttons/TechTree/scripture.dds")

 

[platyping]

Can't make head nor tails what you are trying to do

szTempBuffer = u" %c" % (CyGame().getSymbolID(FontSymbols.POWER_CHAR) + 4 + iAtt)
is just a string.

You still need some codes to display the string.

 

[Xyth]

I've decided the new traits will be Martial and Political. I'll also be renaming Protective as 'Defensive' - not because it's necessarily a better name, but because there's just too many traits starting with 'P'. In the process of designing the new traits I've ended up doing quite a few swaps and changes to the existing traits. I'll post a draft before too long.

 

[ales_]

there's just too many traits starting with 'P'..

Does it really matter?

 

[Xyth]

Does it really matter?

Not really, just makes the abbreviations a little more distinguishable.

 

[platyping]

Speaking of that...
You might want to rearrange your Civilization and Leader XML file.
The selection list is a mess when you want to look for particular leaders when starting a game.

 

[Xyth]

Speaking of that...
You might want to rearrange your Civilization and Leader XML file.
The selection list is a mess when you want to look for particular leaders when starting a game.

They're all in geographical order, with each civ's leaders grouped together chronologically. Personally I find that more useful than alphabetical but I guess it takes some getting used to.

 

[Jarlaxe Baenre]

Speaking of that...
You might want to rearrange your Civilization and Leader XML file.
The selection list is a mess when you want to look for particular leaders when starting a game.

Just press the first letter of their name until they come up.

 

[Xyth]

Two new traits added and many tweaked. Aggressive, Financial, and Humane are not listed as they haven't been changed. Spiritual is not listed as I'm still figuring out what I want to do with it (enabling all religion civics won't work, it's too unbalanced). Suggestions welcome.

Besides shuffling bonuses to accommodate the new traits, the goal here is to make the traits a bit more unique, a little less passive, and in some cases, slightly stronger. Changes are in red. Let me know your thoughts.

Charismatic
&#8226; -50% war weariness
&#8226; +1 experience from combat victory
&#8226; +2 happiness in every city

Creative
&#8226; Free Great Artist when entering a new era
&#8226; +50% World Wonder production
&#8226; +1 happiness from Theatre, Tavern

Defensive
&#8226; Improvements are protected from Pillaging
&#8226; Medic I promotion for Melee, Archery, Gunpowder Units
&#8226; +1 happiness from Walls, Castle

Diplomatic
&#8226; +1 relations with other civilizations
&#8226; +1 espionage per trade route
&#8226; +50% commerce from trade routes

Enterprising
&#8226; Allows 1 Merchant in every city
&#8226; +1 trade route in every city
&#8226; +1 commerce on river tiles

Expansive
&#8226; +1 food in every city
&#8226; 50% faster production of Settler, Colonist
&#8226; Sentry promotion for Recon, Naval units

Imperialist
&#8226; No resistance in captured cities
&#8226; Acquire rival technology when capturing cities
&#8226; -33% hurry production cost

Industrious
&#8226; +1 production in every city
&#8226; Free Great Engineer when entering a new era
&#8226; 50% faster production of Worker, Labourer, Workboat

Judicial
&#8226; No anarchy
&#8226; +100% defense against espionage and spies
&#8226; +1 happiness from Jail, Courthouse

Martial
&#8226; All Military civics available
&#8226; No unhappiness from Drafting
&#8226; Enemies suffer +25% war weariness

Organized
&#8226; -50% civic upkeep
&#8226; Improvements built 50% faster
&#8226; 100% faster production of Library

Philosophical
&#8226; +100% Great Person birth rate
&#8226; +1 commerce per settled great person
&#8226; 100% faster production of School

Political
&#8226; All Government civics available
&#8226; Allows 1 Spy in every city
&#8226; +50% National Wonder production

Progressive
&#8226; Free Great Scientist when entering a new era
&#8226; +100% growth for Cottage, Hamlet, Village
&#8226; +1 happiness from Observatory, Hospital

Tactical
&#8226; +100% Great General emergence
&#8226; -50% cost to upgrade military units
&#8226; Combat I promotion for Melee, Mounted, Gunpowder units

Traditional
&#8226; 25% faster production for buildings already in capital
&#8226; Always build culture at a rate of 100%
&#8226; +5 happiness from Palace​

 

[platyping]

1) Don't use too much of Free XX when New Era
Because these benefits are useless at late Era Starts

2) Don't use Team Benefits for Player Traits
Eg Techs and War Weariness

 

[Jarlaxe Baenre]

1: Creative seems a bit powerful.
2: Political seems a bit weak.

 

[platyping]

3) same thing for civics allowed.
These are useless in late era starts since everyone has access anyway.

4) no point giving happiness to buildings that go obsolete.
Walls

 

[Xyth]

1) Don't use too much of Free XX when New Era
Because these benefits are useless at late Era Starts

I wouldn't say these are useless. When starting in, say, the Renaissance, you still get 3 free great people as the game progresses. You don't get the bonuses of other traits are calculated and applied retroactively either. Might be worth giving one free great person at game start if beginning in a later era though.

2) Don't use Team Benefits for Player Traits
Eg Techs and War Weariness

I'm using fake buildings for both Charismatic and Martial's war weariness effects. My understanding is that these won't affect the team unless bTeamShare = 1. Is this correct?

For Imperialist I'm planning to use your Tech Conquest component so that description should probably say 'research' rather than 'technology'. It will apply to the team but I don't think that's really a bad thing in this case. Fits the theme.

3) same thing for civics allowed.
These are useless in late era starts since everyone has access anyway.

This is a valid concern, yes. I'm not too worried about it as I'm not really trying to balance around advanced starts or scenarios, but I've no issue replacing these bonuses (Martial and Political) should better ideas be found. Suggestions welcome.

4) no point giving happiness to buildings that go obsolete.
Walls

Some traits don't get their happiness bonuses till later in the game, some get them early but lose them later. Not really a problem in my opinion.

1: Creative seems a bit powerful.
2: Political seems a bit weak.

I may drop one of Creative's happiness buildings, or change them to a production discount. Political is a bit deceptive as that spy slot gives a significant headstart on espionage.

Thanks for the feedback! Nothing set in stone yet so keep it coming