General A New Dawn discussion

[IPEX-731BA5DD06]

Noble is a easier level, the AI doesn't start with Archery.

If you want a harder game, start a Emperor level game, the AI's start with Archery, Also Monarch I think.

If its too easy, just raise your playing level.

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

Noble is a easier level, the AI doesn't start with Archery.

If you want a harder game, start a Emperor level game, the AI's start with Archery, Also Monarch I think.

If its too easy, just raise your playing level.

Or play with Flexible Difficulty / Flexible AI. RAND is pretty well balanced when using those options IMHO.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

I have a strange bug that I need to know how to avoid.

Twice in a row now I've tried to generate a torrestra map with many continents, 20 players, no player bonus, cilyindrical wrap, temperate and perfect world settings in the two boxes where it's available. And twice now I've gotten the same problem.
Map generation works out fine but when I start I get an error message saying that perfect world's starting spot finder has failed due to a rarely occurring bug (as if! Twice in a bloody row is rare!) and of course a rather crappy start location. Like we are talking one temperate tile in the middle of a desert levels of crappy.

So my question is am I doing something wrong here? WTH? Is it some combination of settings that I should not be using?

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

I have a strange bug that I need to know how to avoid.

Twice in a row now I've tried to generate a torrestra map with many continents, 20 players, no player bonus, cilyindrical wrap, temperate and perfect world settings in the two boxes where it's available. And twice now I've gotten the same problem.
Map generation works out fine but when I start I get an error message saying that perfect world's starting spot finder has failed due to a rarely occurring bug (as if! Twice in a bloody row is rare!) and of course a rather crappy start location. Like we are talking one temperate tile in the middle of a desert levels of crappy.

So my question is am I doing something wrong here? WTH? Is it some combination of settings that I should not be using?

It happens quite often, it depends on the mapscript and I don't know any way to fix it. Also beware Totestra does not work for giant and gigantic mapsize: in those cases you'll get a periodically repeating continents structure.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Does it only happen with that mapscript (so I can just ditch it) or with others as well?

Also, just what is the perfect world location finder thing? Like, I know what it is. It's what picks my start location. But if I used the default-civ one instead would I still get these horrible starting locations or would it pick something sensible instead? So I guess what I am asking is if this error causes it to crap out completely (and thus I could solve it by not using it) or if it causes it to default to the alternate which is civ-4 default in which case no solution is possible.

Also, by periodically repeating continent structure do you mean like just the shape or literally that the map is going to look as if someone took one small map and copy-pasted it tiled like, polar ice mid planet and all?

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

Does it only happen with that mapscript (so I can just ditch it) or with others as well?

Also, just what is the perfect world location finder thing? Like, I know what it is. It's what picks my start location. But if I used the default-civ one instead would I still get these horrible starting locations or would it pick something sensible instead? So I guess what I am asking is if this error causes it to crap out completely (and thus I could solve it by not using it) or if it causes it to default to the alternate which is civ-4 default in which case no solution is possible.

Also, by periodically repeating continent structure do you mean like just the shape or literally that the map is going to look as if someone took one small map and copy-pasted it tiled like, polar ice mid planet and all?

IIRC, it happens mostly with Totestra, maybe sometimes with PerfectWorld and PerfectMongoose as I think they share some common feature. I usually ignore the warning and my starting locations are not that bad. No way to change this thing with different options I think.
Ad for your last question, it's exactly a copy-paste problem, still no way to solve it.

 

[aggri1]

I'd suggest putting in fewer starting Civs. Perhaps the map script can't find decent spots for so many. Then let Barbarians found minor civilizations. I usually find that this approach leads to plenty of Civilizations relatively early on.

 

[jackelgull]

So what kind of gp points do noble specialists generate?

 

[Vokarya]

So what kind of gp points do noble specialists generate?

GPP from Nobles don't have a flavor. They contribute to the overall accumulated points but don't influence the type of Great Person. If you get all the way from 0 GPP to a GP threshold with only points from Nobles and Monuments (which also don't have a flavor), you won't get a Great Person until you generate at least one GPP with a flavor, which can come from any other source.

 

[nionios]

I never play with Flexible difficulty either for me or the AI.I decided to try it only for the AI with mine level on Noble, so I started a new game.
Now on classical era the game is completely ruined as far as the competition is concerned.I've got a 719 score while the 2nd strongest civ after me has got 440 score on Monarch level and the 3rd has got 432 on Noble.Some lower scoring civs are on lower than Noble of course but how the 2nd civ could be competitive against me while on Monarch?It's ridiculous.I excepted it to be flexible but on a level lower enough than Noble.This isn't the way I excpected that to work.I now realize that AI Flexible difficulty is supposed to work only in combibation with human Flexible diff.
The problem now is that I can't reset the level for all civs to Noble.I've unchecked the AI Flex Diff option under BUG-A New Dawn options but the civs are still stuck to their current level.What should I do guys?Maybe starting a new game...

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Do the min and max options not also effect the AI min and max values? Like, maybe you should turn it on again and set both min and max to noble to reset it. Not sure if that would work but posting it here as an idea that others might confirm or deny.


Also, I just discovered that your starting location can screw you over in more ways than what you'd expect. Basically, I started a game and ended up with my capital in the corner of a continent. No big deal right? Well actually huge deal. Because I could only expand away in one direction the distance to capital maintenance and happiness penalties stacked up something nasty. And I literally could not afford to have enough cities to be competitive with the AI.

 

[<Nexus>]

Also, I just discovered that your starting location can screw you over in more ways than what you'd expect. Basically, I started a game and ended up with my capital in the corner of a continent. No big deal right? Well actually huge deal. Because I could only expand away in one direction the distance to capital maintenance and happiness penalties stacked up something nasty. And I literally could not afford to have enough cities to be competitive with the AI.

You know you can move your capital to new city any time by building there a new Palace, right?
Of course that is not appealing to everyone (including me) who likes a little role-playing in their games.

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

Do the min and max options not also effect the AI min and max values? Like, maybe you should turn it on again and set both min and max to noble to reset it. Not sure if that would work but posting it here as an idea that others might confirm or deny.


Also, I just discovered that your starting location can screw you over in more ways than what you'd expect. Basically, I started a game and ended up with my capital in the corner of a continent. No big deal right? Well actually huge deal. Because I could only expand away in one direction the distance to capital maintenance and happiness penalties stacked up something nasty. And I literally could not afford to have enough cities to be competitive with the AI.

But you can move your capital, for example. Later on, you can build Summer Palace.

 

[nionios]

Do the min and max options not also effect the AI min and max values? Like, maybe you should turn it on again and set both min and max to noble to reset it. Not sure if that would work but posting it here as an idea that others might confirm or deny.

I don't think that min/max affect the AI,it's only for human.

I've tried to use Flex difficulty for me and AI and also min and max difficulty setting for my civ on Noble in order to avoid changes on my difficulty level.What I want to achieve is the AI difficulty to fluctuate but don't go higher than Noble as long as I'm the strongest civ.So far I've noticed that the level of the 2nd civ has begun to drop from Monarch gradually(one level at a time) and now is on Prince.But I'm not sure it will work as I expect.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

You know you can move your capital to new city any time by building there a new Palace, right?
Of course that is not appealing to everyone (including me) who likes a little role-playing in their games.

We are talking about the very early game here. Literally before I even got into the classical age. Even if I could do it than the investment in turns would be... interesting shall we say.

I don't think that min/max affect the AI,it's only for human.

I've tried to use Flex difficulty for me and AI and also min and max difficulty setting for my civ on Noble in order to avoid changes on my difficulty level.What I want to achieve is the AI difficulty to fluctuate but don't go higher than Noble as long as I'm the strongest civ.So far I've noticed that the level of the 2nd civ has begun to drop from Monarch gradually(one level at a time) and now is on Prince.But I'm not sure it will work as I expect.

That sucks than. I too would very much like to set the game up so that the AI goes from noble and down and I don't move at all.

 

[nionios]

We are talking about the very early game here. Literally before I even got into the classical age. Even if I could do it than the investment in turns would be... interesting shall we say.


That sucks than. I too would very much like to set the game up so that the AI goes from noble and down and I don't move at all.

It now seems to me that works as we expect both, PPQ_Purple.I'm all the time on Noble while all the AI civs are Noble and down.
Set your level min/max on Noble and enable Flexible Difficulty for both human and AI.You can try it!

I've also a minor question for all you guys:
why civ color selection option is in Flexible Difficulty part of ANewDawn options?

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

It now seems to me that works as we expect both, PPQ_Purple.I'm all the time on Noble while all the AI civs are Noble and down.
Set your level min/max on Noble and enable Flexible Difficulty for both human and AI.You can try it!

I've also a minor question for all you guys:
why civ color selection option is in Flexible Difficulty part of ANewDawn options?

IIRC simply because it was coded at the same time.
AI handicap can vary from Settler to Deity and there's no way to limit it at the moment. I recall having some troubles with that part of the code, but I might try again when I have time. If you are having troubles with how AI perform with Flexible AI, try changing the number of turns for human handicap check. AI handicap check is fixed every X turns (I don't remember how many, but it's scaled by gamespeed and it's possible to set it via XML IIRC). I suggest handicap check every 10 turns on Normal gamespeed and scaled accordingly for other gamespeeds.

 

[IPEX-731BA5DD06]

you all do realize that the LOWER the setting for the AI the HARDER it is for the AI.

If you want a competitive AI, you have to let it INCREASE its level of difficulty, then it get cheaper techs, upgrades etc.

For the HUMAN it works in reverse, the higher the level, the lessor are the benefits, with NOBLE being the great equalizer, in that all have the same benefits/penalties.

I may have misread what your all saying, but that is how I view the discussion.

 

[<Nexus>]

you all do realize that the LOWER the setting for the AI the HARDER it is for the AI.

If you want a competitive AI, you have to let it INCREASE its level of difficulty, then it get cheaper techs, upgrades etc.

Wasn't that fixed long ago?

 

[45°38'N-13°47'E]

Wasn't that fixed long ago?

Yes, I explained it long ago. Handicap works the same way for everyone. Harder level means more turns for techs, buildings, units, etc. Easier level means less turns. In addition, when HUMAN level gets higher, all other AI players get a discount on their costs for building, units, etc. Originally, this is how it was coded in BTS: harder level means some penalty for humans AND some bonus for AI players at the same time.