Independent powers need a tweak, perhaps?

[sixty4half]

I tend to take out 1-3 during Antiquity and another 2-5 in Exploration. I also rarely attack any in Modern except 1 Military IP (if its still around) for added production towards my final project.

Usually the AIs get 1 IP while I'll have 3 or 4 befriended.

Tecumseh detests me.

 

[Kwami]

My assumption is that you no longer receive the effects of the bonus nor can you apply it to any city-state in the future (in that age).

Have you tested it, though? I never remember to test it.

 

[Lazy sweeper]

The elephant in the room is that IP are not allowed to have a leader...
nor have any kind of government choice...

A Pirate IP without a leader would be dull...
Maybe besides IP there could be a new class of "IP" denominated "Revolting Powers" which could have a leader assigned, and
work as normal civs but with some limitations (no settlers expansion) and could form a "League" like the "Hellenistic" league that
then became Greece once large enough... (or better say, after nationalism has been "discovered"... Greek cities where called Magna Grecia but it was more of a geographical term, the concept of nation did not exist..)

It's a interesting concept, very complex also.

 

[Lazy sweeper]

Making the crises strong enough so that players actually lose some settlements (and not to other players) is something they need to do.

Also Independents
1. need to be able to defend better (both more units and keeping them at home)…increasing in later ages
2. need to allow “runner ups” benefits for other civs to befriend besides the suzerein (say similar to the endeavors)

And Liberation should be allowed (makes you suzerein…previous suzerein gets “runner up” benefits.

Civ VI had the better city states mod, which gave them free walls, and other defence bonuses to make them tuffer to conquer.
It worked well, but not enough bastions or other fortifications options to include in the bonus left them a very easy target nonetheless.

Defence units and cities should be able to build outside walls, bastions, so by the exploration age star formation cities could sprawl.
That's a lot of work to be done.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

The elephant in the room is that IP are not allowed to have a leader...
nor have any kind of government choice...

A Pirate IP without a leader would be dull...
Maybe besides IP there could be a new class of "IP" denominated "Revolting Powers" which could have a leader assigned, and
work as normal civs but with some limitations (no settlers expansion) and could form a "League" like the "Hellenistic" league that
then became Greece once large enough... (or better say, after nationalism has been "discovered"... Greek cities where called Magna Grecia but it was more of a geographical term, the concept of nation did not exist..)

It's a interesting concept, very complex also.

"Revolting Leaders" for "Revolting Powers", or possibly a Revolting Leader who causes a City State or a Settlement to revolt would be interesting, except that we already have some of the most iconic Revolting/Revolutionary Leaders in the game:
Napoleon of the Consulate
Lafayette
Rizal
Trung

Obviously, there are a host of others from the historical record that could also be included, but it emphasizes the problem: what's the real difference between a Revolutionary Leader and a regular Leader? How they appear? Who can get them?

I guarantee if, say, Leon Trotskii was included as a potential Revolutionary Leader there would be an immediate cry for him to also be a regular Leader - and almost any other 'Revolt/Revolutionary' Leader you can name: Lenin, Robespierre, G. Washington, Ollie Cromwell, the Roman Grachiis, Alcibiades of Athens - any good or iconic leader will be desired for a regular Leader, too.

Also, while Leaders for recognition purposes are almost a requirement for playable Civs, for an in-game event that produces (presumably) an itinerant effect like a CS or settlement revolt they are not so necessary. Have a specific Revolting Masses unit graphic (or a singular Pirate Ship unit for a pirate CS) and for the few turns a 'revolt' lasts, that should be enough. Especially since, presumably, we would ultimately desire the possibility of the Revolt producing a new independent City State or even a playable Civ - in which case regular unit graphics and Leaders should then apply.

 

[MutilationWave]

I think in early antiquity the independent powers are ok strength-wise then they fall off quickly. I agree they need to be buffed. Walls, more units, sometimes they are even using units from the previous age unless my memory is failing me.

 

[CliffCo]

I think in early antiquity the independent powers are ok strength-wise then they fall off quickly. I agree they need to be buffed. Walls, more units, sometimes they are even using units from the previous age unless my memory is failing me.

The hostile IP still act dumb sometimes, I approached one of their towns in antiquity with 4 units against their 3 and expected them to at least put up a fight but they just stood there not moving and let me pick them off.
This was today since the update.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

The hostile IP still act dumb sometimes, I approached one of their towns in antiquity with 4 units against their 3 and expected them to at least put up a fight but they just stood there not moving and let me pick them off.
This was today since the update.

Yeah, if anything the Hostile IPs are even less competent since the latest patch. In the past they would pretty quickly hit me with a force of 3 - 4 units. This afternoon the nearest HIP sent a single Warrior against my Army, and then tried to defend the approaches to his settlement with a Scout! This was also the first time I've fought a hostile IP that did not form any ranged units on defense, so its defense was pretty laughable.

 

[CliffCo]

Yeah, if anything the Hostile IPs are even less competent since the latest patch. In the past they would pretty quickly hit me with a force of 3 - 4 units. This afternoon the nearest HIP sent a single Warrior against my Army, and then tried to defend the approaches to his settlement with a Scout! This was also the first time I've fought a hostile IP that did not form any ranged units on defense, so its defense was pretty laughable.

I agree, the camp i attacked was made up of 3 warriors and a scout, even the scout just stood there so i saved him for last lol

 

[SemiLazyGamer]

And it's not clear what happens to the bonus that I picked when I created the city state.

Late to the party on this: while it still isn't clear, the bonus is kept for the rest of the age, but you lose one city-state for purposes of the bonus.

Say you get the +1 combat strength to infantry from city-states and the city-state captured is the one that gives you the bonus, you still have the bonus, but just aren't benefiting from it until you befriend another.