Firaxis: BETA Patch Info

[Tavis]

Final Version of the Patch Release Date: Q2, 2004

I'm going to work on releasing an updated EXE with 'Reduce Corruption' flagged buildings having their own cityranking and MP Random fixed by the 10th of January. A separate English only installer will be provided as well as a method for easily switching between 1.00 and the latest BETA Patch version.


Currently Targeted Items:
Planting Forests not returning shields, AI Pathfinding War Declarations w/ Invisible Units, infinite bombard, Anarchy Limited to 8 turns (weighting the roll for 3-5 turns), Religious requiring only 1 End Turn for gov't switch, Stealth Attack hitpoints listed & canceling possible, Tile Info displaying Terrain Defensive Bonus & ManMade Defensive Bonuses, Bombard Collateral Damage, load popup showing remaining movement points, worker gangs, conquest updates, civilopedia updates

Editor: setting max length of anarchy, setting combat rolls, enslaving to same unit, Debug Command for in-game reloading of Civilopedia/Scripts/Labels.txt, missing assets allowing continue into game, government-specific units, obsolete flag fixes, toggling palace popup, allowing civs existence without cities

Art: I am not going to be able to get an artist assigned. If any of the creators are interested in submitting City View artwork for the new Epic Game Wonders or packaging a Conquests City View Artwork, please help! That goes for these assets too: 2/3/4/5 unit Worker Gangs (full anim set)

MP: PBEM Reveal Map/Cheat, MP Specific Map Generation for more competitive maps (including tiny/small maps w/8 players), MPTournament Update, Aircraft Bombardment Messages displaying, Balance Adjustments (??? necessary - Enkidu 15??)

Translations: Full localizations for all of the Holiday Beta Patch text and as much of the new text as possible.


Thanks for your patience!!

 

[Masquerouge]

Wow... Thanks !
I did not know there were two Christmases at Firaxis

Edit : I don't believe it. Every issue that people complained about is going to be adressed. Again, wow...
Oh, no, wait there's one... just to be sure... You won't fix the Hotseat Player1-not-getting-any-information problem, will you ?
Alas, alas, there is no roses without thorns

 

[Civrules]

Thanks for the info Tavis! This patch sounds great. And I do hope you can get some artists!!!

EDIT: Worker Gangs?

 

[Padma]

Wow! Thanks, Tavis!

Originally posted by Tavis
Art: I am not going to be able to get an artist assigned. If any of the creators are interested in submitting City View artwork for the new Epic Game Wonders or packaging a Conquests City View Artwork, please help! That goes for these assets too: 2/3/4/5 unit Worker Gangs (full anim set)

Okay, all you complainers! Now is your chance to put up or shut up! You won't get paid in cash, but I am sure they will happily list your names as contributing artists! If you have artistic ability, especially if you have been doing these kinds of things for your own (or other people's) mods, help Firaxis get those City View Screens looking good!



Edit:

Originally posted by Civrules
EDIT: Worker Gangs?

I am sure he is talking about "grouping" workers to more easily handle them, rather than assigning each individual worker to a task, make a "worker gang" of say, three workers, to do your roading, etc.

 

[Masquerouge]

Originally posted by Civrules
EDIT: Worker Gangs?

Well, you know, those bands of young people that roam the streets at night, replacing broken glass and fixing holes in the sidewalks.

 

[Civrules]

Ahh, thanks Padma! This will make putting slave workers in groups much easier! (to make them work faster)

 

[Fanny Brice]

Worker Gangs! That sounds like a fantastic idea! A true blessing.

 

[Civrules]

Maybe someone should create a thread in the forum so people that want to work on the City view wonder graphics can sign up.

It would be easier anyway, IMHO.

 

[Gogf]

What's wrong with enslaving to same unit now?

 

[kring]

Thank you Jesse.

Several posts from the top is Jesse's comment on Worker Gangs

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=105283

Originally posted by JesseSmith
Warpstorm: Worker Gangs will allow you to combine workers into teams that perform worker actions at the combined worker speed. This is intended as a late-game I'm tired of managing 80 workers solution.

Good Point Arrian - I was hoping that by Feb the MP community would have agreed (hehe) on some adjustments.

----

On the enslave to same unit, it may mean that if you enslave a Carrier with your Privateer, it stays a Carrier instead of turning into a Privateer.

 

[Gogf]

Worker Gang question: What exactly will they be? You load your workers into an army-like unit, and it works faster? Better than just having a stack, because you can use one command?

 

[Civrules]

I doubt that there will be a spceial unit. What I think will happen is that if you have a few workers in a square, you just hit a button and they become "one".

 

[kring]

Originally posted by Civrules
I doubt that there will be a spceial unit. What I think will happen is that if you have a few workers in a square, you just hit a button and they become "one".

From Tavis, in the first post above:

That goes for these assets too: 2/3/4/5 unit Worker Gangs (full anim set)

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
can disband these gangs into single workers again

Originally posted by JesseSmith
That's the plan! I forgot to mention a couple of other items for the editor, Leader toggles On/Off, Leader Effect Options (ie: rush wonders, rush swonders, create armies - you decide!)

 

[Padma]

Off Topic: Thanks, Kring, for keeping us up to speed with the *other* discussion.

(The firewall where I work simply refuses to let me even see Apolyton, let alone read/post there! )

 

[Justus II]

I also want to add my thanks to the list. This is great, and I certainly appreciate the interaction and willingness to wade through the crossfire and pick out the key elements that are affecting gameplay. I also think your City View solution (you want it, do it and we'll support it!!) was brilliant! Thanks!

 

[CanuckSoldier]

Gee, and some of us actually have to work at work

CS

 

[Padma]

Originally posted by CanuckSoldier
Gee, and some of us actually have to work at work

CS

Like Dilbert once said, "I do my email while my program is compiling."

 

[Tavis]

Worker Gangs (post it if you have a better idea!)

Loadable Land Unit (similar to armies except you can unload). Maximum of 5 workers. Fully Loaded 5 unit Worker Gang performs worker actions at 5X the speed. Not sure which tech it will become available from or if the # of workers you can have in a game will scale through multiple techs. Ideas?

What is the Worker Gang fixing?

Managing 50+ workers is a little much! You could always Automate, but where's the fun in that?

 

[Tavis]

Originally posted by kring
On the enslave to same unit, it may mean that if you enslave a Carrier with your Privateer, it stays a Carrier instead of turning into a Privateer.

Exactly. Or maybe add an Iron Privateer? =)


The help on keeping the communication flowing is greatly appreciated kring. I hate feeling like I have to send out announcements for everything =)

 

[Padma]

Originally posted by Tavis
Worker Gangs (post it if you have a better idea!)

Loadable Land Unit (similar to armies except you can unload). Maximum of 5 workers. Fully Loaded 5 unit Worker Gang performs worker actions at 5X the speed. Not sure which tech it will become available from or if the # of workers you can have in a game will scale through multiple techs. Ideas?

What is the Worker Gang fixing?

Managing 50+ workers is a little much! You could always Automate, but where's the fun in that?

I'm not sure what techs to use as the *upgrade* prerequisites, but I do like the idea of having the max number scaled through the game.