How Are You Liking The Barbarians Game Mode?

[Kibikus]

Hello all! Is it a bug that dispersing a clan causes 2 eurekas? Does everyone get this bonus?

I cleared a camp in my game and got 3 eurekas, so there's clearly something going on. Maybe someone can dig around the files and figure it out, but I really think Firaxis should put the info about a new gameplay mechanism in the patch notes.

 

[Melkus]

but there is an undocumented feature where you can "steal" technology

I think that modifier works the other way - for the techs that the barbs steal from civs to get better units. And maybe you get a eureka for techs the barbs have stolen - but would be odd for Firaxis not to mention it.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

I think that modifier works the other way - for the techs that the barbs steal from civs to get better units. And maybe you get a eureka for techs the barbs have stolen - but would be odd for Firaxis not to mention it.

That would be odd if it worked that way as it would be a completely different mechanic with how Barbarians currently work where they "receive" Techs via passive research (i.e. They receive the Techs for upgraded units when Major Civs complete research into them.). In any event, it is something not mentioned in the patch notes or videos.

 

[Deadly Dog]

Definitely got a (single) boost for Irrigation yesterday using a scout to disperse a camp. Playing Basil II. Pretty sure I've had it before too.

 

[Melkus]

where they "receive" Techs via passive research

So the passive research "event" happens every 20 turns (plus/minus 10 random 'variance'), seems plausible. (But a tough one to test, just one line of documentation for those modifiers would help)

 

[jehtro777]

I've been trying it out. It was not fun in my last game (pic). 3 archers +warriors on turn 34 on deity before I even finished researching animal husbandry. I got bent over pretty hard. In that pic I am near a natural wonder, which I have found naturally spawns more barbarian camps, though.

Regardless, I am finding you need to make a little bit more military early than I am used to building on deity.

I find the cost of certain missions from the camps WAY too expensive early in the game. It was like 560 gold on turn 60ish to incite an attack on a neighbor. I think I would far prefer a settler than that.

Also, my final gripe is that you need to use a turn to disperse the camp. You wouldn't believe how many times I take a camp by the skin of my teeth and need to fall back only to realize I won't be able to actually destroy it.

 

[Virdrago]

A couple of things: I can sail my units through the new barb cities. Also, no GA points are given anymore for finding goody huts after conversion starts.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Also, no GA points are given anymore for finding goody huts after conversion starts.

Do you mean Era Score? Are you sure you weren't just past the Ancient Era, after which you don't receive any further points?

 

[Piranga]

The way I've been playing the new Barbarian mode is with the base city states reduced to only 1. I would reduce it to 0 but the game bugs out and completely prevents all barbarian camps from potentially turning into city states. (Even if you pay the camps they still won't gain progress on their bars)

This has a few fun affects.
-There ends up being a normal amount of CS comparable to playing the base game. Not a doubled amount when using barbarians + standard amount of CS
-City states don't turn 1 spawn on top of natural wonders. You can decide to clear a barb camp out if you want that wonder site.
-This is no very early free envoys giving +science/faith/culture..etc
(not sure of this last point but)
-It seems barbarian camps stop spawning after enough turn into CS with this game mode active. Its been my experience with barb mode active so far. Overall I prefer this to the constant spawn bombardment of barbarians in tundra and ice tiles across the map. Random late game barb ships coming from single hex ice tiles late game, no longer happen)

 

[lordhaw]

The barbs were particularly bad last night. Fresh game running the Gauls (I'm using the pool system to try to only have ancient civs in the pool) and also trying the new dark age/golden age mode alongside the barbarian mode. Geez, were the barbs bad early on. Constant raiding. Mind you there were about 5 CS in the vicinity along with a number of barb camps. The Sumerians and Egyptians were taking most of the camps out. I felt I had little choice but to take them out but I had to produce a lot of units early on to do so. Purchased some horsemen and Eagle warriors from camps prior to then taking them out. So far I've only seen one camp turn into a CS as everyone was taking them out due to the abundance of barb units in this game. Did have one camp give me a boost though, can't recall to what though. First time that happened. I'm not complaining though, as I actually like having that sort of early fighting going on but they were more abundant than usual. I heard that having the dark age mode on along with the barb mode made them spawn more and this game certainly made that seem likely. I'd have to try the same seed without that on to see if that was the case or not.

 

[Linklite]

The barbs were particularly bad last night. Fresh game running the Gauls (I'm using the pool system to try to only have ancient civs in the pool) and also trying the new dark age/golden age mode alongside the barbarian mode. Geez, were the barbs bad early on. Constant raiding. Mind you there were about 5 CS in the vicinity along with a number of barb camps. The Sumerians and Egyptians were taking most of the camps out. I felt I had little choice but to take them out but I had to produce a lot of units early on to do so. Purchased some horsemen and Eagle warriors from camps prior to then taking them out. So far I've only seen one camp turn into a CS as everyone was taking them out due to the abundance of barb units in this game. Did have one camp give me a boost though, can't recall to what though. First time that happened. I'm not complaining though, as I actually like having that sort of early fighting going on but they were more abundant than usual. I heard that having the dark age mode on along with the barb mode made them spawn more and this game certainly made that seem likely. I'd have to try the same seed without that on to see if that was the case or not.

Barb mode definitely makes them more aggressive. I got into a war with China, and while the bulk of my army was gone, I had a Fall of Rome momenr where I had a series of three major barbarian invasions. I ended up creating another army to push them back out again and keep them out.

 

[Abaxial]

I'm finding a significant difference between playing on a map that is mostly land and a more conventional land/sea map. Barbarians seem more aggressive if they have plenty of land area to spawn in.

 

[UWHabs]

The way I've been playing the new Barbarian mode is with the base city states reduced to only 1. I would reduce it to 0 but the game bugs out and completely prevents all barbarian camps from potentially turning into city states. (Even if you pay the camps they still won't gain progress on their bars)

This has a few fun affects.
-There ends up being a normal amount of CS comparable to playing the base game. Not a doubled amount when using barbarians + standard amount of CS
-City states don't turn 1 spawn on top of natural wonders. You can decide to clear a barb camp out if you want that wonder site.
-This is no very early free envoys giving +science/faith/culture..etc
(not sure of this last point but)
-It seems barbarian camps stop spawning after enough turn into CS with this game mode active. Its been my experience with barb mode active so far. Overall I prefer this to the constant spawn bombardment of barbarians in tundra and ice tiles across the map. Random late game barb ships coming from single hex ice tiles late game, no longer happen)

I'm not sure I necessarily like putting it to 1 and forcing them to all come naturally. Mostly because I don't think in general you'd have enough convert before Political Philosophy. But I could certainly see going with, say, 6 or 8 CS instead of the base 12 for a specific setup, and knowing that it will catch up. I like the fact that the mode will naturally cause the map to fill out a little better - if you happen to be playing on a map with a lot of land, you'll probably get more CS.

I think my next game will be on a very island-heavy map, since I am curious to see all those islands filled with city-states. Or perhaps trying to play a game completely separate from my normal game, where I play as Germany and basically aggressively force myself to declare on every CS that pops up.

 

[Virdrago]

Do you mean Era Score? Are you sure you weren't just past the Ancient Era, after which you don't receive any further points?

Yes, I meant era score, thanks. If I'm not using Barbarian Clan Mode, I've always received era score after Ancient Era for goody huts. On huge maps, there are still some to be found even in the Industrial Age. While using Barb Clan Mode, you will gain era score the turn before a CS converts, but once one does, no more. Scouts still get xp, but that's it.

Playing Dramatic Ages for instance, that one point can be the difference between being okay for an age or losing three cities.

 

[Deadly Dog]

Yes, I meant era score, thanks. If I'm not using Barbarian Clan Mode, I've always received era score after Ancient Era for goody huts.

That's weird because I never get era score for goody huts after the ancient. Not ever.

 

[Piranga]

Mostly because I don't think in general you'd have enough convert before Political Philosoph

Yes this is the one backdraw I found right away. However I feel like one unobtainable civic boost is minor comparatively.

 

[blackbutterfly]

Navel raiders with the Loot promotion will get 50 gold. Exploit.
I'm waiting for the Spiffing Brit YouTube

Just to confirm this is exploitable in Barb Mode with the Loot promotion. (I posted a Bug Report).

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

Just to confirm this is exploitable in Barb Mode with the Loot promotion. (I posted a Bug Report).View attachment 588620

TEA SLURPING INTENSIFIES

Also, I'm enjoying the mode so far. Not much detail, I'm just liking the mode.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Yes, I meant era score, thanks. If I'm not using Barbarian Clan Mode, I've always received era score after Ancient Era for goody huts. On huge maps, there are still some to be found even in the Industrial Age.

You should still get rewards for Goody Huts past the Ancient Era, but it's not possible that you could get Era Score. It's specifically limited to the Ancient Era in the code.

<Row MomentType="MOMENT_GOODY_HUT_TRIGGERED" EraScore="1" MinimumGameEra="ERA_ANCIENT" MaximumGameEra="ERA_ANCIENT"/>

 

[Virdrago]

You should still get rewards for Goody Huts past the Ancient Era, but it's not possible that you could get Era Score. It's specifically limited to the Ancient Era in the code.

<Row MomentType="MOMENT_GOODY_HUT_TRIGGERED" EraScore="1" MinimumGameEra="ERA_ANCIENT" MaximumGameEra="ERA_ANCIENT"/>

I didn't realize this. Something else to worry about in DA. Thanks!