- Joined
- Jan 12, 2004
- Messages
- 1,281
Hello,
please find below my take on humankind.
First, I want to compliment amplitude staff for the work done : this game feels like tremendous love has been poured into it, crafted by passionate people - I really appreciate that. The game map is gorgeous !
Second, I did spend serious time playing and analyzing the game ( I won the highest HK level as my first game on T220 without optimizing, save game available on request ).
In spite of this, my overall feeling is mixed, so I decided to spend some time explaining why, so maybe fixes can be found to make the game more enjoyable.
please find below my take on humankind.
First, I want to compliment amplitude staff for the work done : this game feels like tremendous love has been poured into it, crafted by passionate people - I really appreciate that. The game map is gorgeous !
Second, I did spend serious time playing and analyzing the game ( I won the highest HK level as my first game on T220 without optimizing, save game available on request ).
In spite of this, my overall feeling is mixed, so I decided to spend some time explaining why, so maybe fixes can be found to make the game more enjoyable.
- the victory star system needs a rework
- It makes the game feel like the player's goal is to fill corresponding buckets.
- Example : I need to kill military units ? shop for the weakest units on the map.
- Since there are a fixed amount of stars for each era, furthermore with increasing value in each category, the easy path to win at higher levels is to delay entry into the next era to optimize bucket filling : that's unfun.
- the neolithic era is a good idea, but is unbalanced and too easy to abuse
- The player needs to leave sanctuaries alone so they spawn large amounts of wild life to kill (especially mammoth).
- The player can thus accumulate obsene quantities of self healing tribe units (20+ in ~20 turns) which can be used to kill the closest AI, count for population stars, are maintenance free and can be significantly upgraded later in the game as needed.
- Furthermore, player also gets massive amounts of influence doing this, to spend on building outposts out crowding the remaining AIs on your continent, and to get second city right away after leaving neolithic age.
- it's overly difficult to predict what in game actions will lead to what results, for example:
- when I merge cities or outposts, what will be the consequences in terms of stability, population vs max, production etc. ? am I expected to just try different combinations and reload ?
- what is the usefulness of e.g. this woodwork infrastructure building ? am I expected to go count woodland tiles on the map by reading the mouseover on each tile ?
- the predictions for districts is better, but I need to select and go find out on the map for each one: why not display the end result on the building list itself ?
- Also prediction is missing for wonders with "exploitation" effect (although present for hamlets) or when purchasing a district with influence for an outpost (e.g. harbor).
- game rules are too removed from the real world, overly complex yet easy to abuse
- The main issues are the stacking of bonuses, especially adjacency and wondrous effects.
- It took me some time to figure out (>100 turns !), but basically the only worthwhile buildings (there are sooo many of them !) are those which allow to stack and snowball bonuses.
- It becomes possible to breeze through the tech tree one tech every turn or couple of turns.
- the AI civilizations are not fighting hard enough to win
- They should try to disrupt (i.e. attack) a leading (human) player.
- Above all AI should not let themselves stay allied with a militarily anemic rival, letting that player focus on bucket filling (victory stars) and dispense with expensive unit building...
- AI should build more military units and use them.
- the UI could use some polish, here's my wish list main items:
- I really like the tactical combat concept, but it is too slow: there needs to be an option to speed animations (edit: there is
), or skip them altogether. Clicking on units needs to become more reliable, and not lead to leave the combat screen without clear player intent. Notifications please shut up during combat. - Tidy up notifications: when the condition is met or no longer applies, delete the notification automatically. Do not require user to click when there is no choice (e.g. some osmosis events). Allow user to remove notification rather than acknowledge (put a recall all button if needed).
- Improve unit list and city lists: city list to the left and unit list to the right of screen, dispense with need to switch between both. Extend list downwards as much as possible. Display only synthetic & useful info on each item (ideally user-configurable), and without need to click on each one for details (mouseover).
- I really like the tactical combat concept, but it is too slow: there needs to be an option to speed animations (edit: there is
- miscellaneous issues
- Osmosis can yield insane amounts of free tech, and require insane clicking by player --> unfun + broken --> please remove from game.
- When an independent city spawns, it has zero citizens, and player army can just walk in an capture it for free.
- When an independent city with zero citizens is captured, you can purchase districts very cheap (using cash).
- Carthaginians can build Cothon in addition to harbor (expected Cothon to replace harbor).
- Independent city resources can be milked for cash without independent army response.
- player can upgrade outposts to cities without influence
- Create outpost (using influence)
- Liberate outpost, and wait next turn until outpost upgrades to city by itself, and even improve a resource for free...
- Capture city without combat, since it has zero citizens !
- the battle field is too easy for the player to manipulate
- Before attacking, break your stack(s) and surround enemy stack : you can then pick off each unit of enemy stack one at a time, all in the same turn since adjacent units can attack without moves left. This also generates much more war support.
- Choosing the plot from which to attack allows player to manipulate battlefield shape, visible during preview.
- Place a unit on enemy reinforcement spot to prevent reinforcements from spawning.
- very early AI genocide yields endless supply of easy to kill units (tested on HK level)
- Milk mammoths to raise large tribe armies.
- Simultaneously, explore to locate closest AI before it has time to create 1st city.
- Pillage all AI outposts, earning 2 additional tribes per pillaged outpost, and slaughter all AI tribes.
- Game will now cheat and create endless supply of 4-tribe and later 4-scout armies for player to kill and farm for stars.
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Italians here we come!
