[MOD] PatchMod with rebalanced REF

[uppi]

Current Version: 1.02

Changelog:

Version 1.02:
- Based on PatchMod 1.07

Version 1.01:
- Integrated improvements of PatchMod 1.06b
- Decreased effect of giving in to the King's demands (IMO the effect was to great in the previous version)

I have expanded the PatchMod by Dale and snoopy with a new REF mechanic:

- The initial size of the REF was made difficulty dependent. For Pilgrim the size was actually reduced a bit and on the other difficulty levels the initial Pilgrim REF is multiplied by the value of the new XML tag iKingUnitMultiplier in CIV4HandicapInfo.xml. On Revolutionary the REF is 7 times bigger than on Pilgrim.
- The REF is now increased by a quadratic function of time. The REF will not increase initially, but in the late game it will increase quite fast on high difficulty levels
- Over the whole game the initial REF should about double

The effects on the game are:
- No more sheningans with the liberty bells to get a small REF. Liberty bells can now be produced without fear.
- The game should be easier on easy difficulty levels. On Pilgrim the war of independence will be more like a small skirmish. However on high difficulty levels you will face a large force, no matter what you do.
- Large colonies shoudn't be punished that hard anymore.
- In the late game hurrying the declaration of independence will result in a slightly smaller REF.

Initial testing looks good, but I have not tested every option, so any feedback is welcome

Download:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=10971

 

[Dale]

Looks good!

Did you retain the ability to slow REF growth by "kissing the pinky" and paying his gold requests?

 

[HG_CassiusA]

Very nice

Dale, I know you've been working real hard, but I think this needs to be in the next PatchMod release, as well as the next AoDII release

 

[Dale]

Interesting, but not where I want to head. I actually agree with the LB - REF link, though it definitely needs changing from vanilla. You'll note that PatchMod changes that relationship, and AoD2 will change it even further in the next version.

There will still be a link, but no where near as influential as that link is in vanilla.

Anyway, enough thread jacking.

 

[uppi]

Looks good!

Did you retain the ability to slow REF growth by "kissing the pinky" and paying his gold requests?

Yes. Well, at least I think I did

 

[uppi]

New version 1.01 released.

 

[The Rusty Gamer]

Is there a certain amount of radomness to REF increase as well?

BTW uppi, how hard is it to tie the REF in with others things such as the various increases in political points etc?

See http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181042

 

[ADHansa]

What files is it that contains the change in the REF?

I am playing with the 1.07 patch mod plus a few tweaks I've added on myself and just want to test add on this REF system in addiition. Can i just copy some of the files between the mods?

 

[uppi]

What files is it that contains the change in the REF?

I am playing with the 1.07 patch mod plus a few tweaks I've added on myself and just want to test add on this REF system in addiition. Can i just copy some of the files between the mods?

I actually updated it to PatchMod 1.07 a few days ago. If your tweaks are small it might be quicker to edit them into that.

The changes to the dll are in:
CvPlayer.cpp
CvInfos.cpp
CvInfos.h

XML files changed:
Civilizations/CIV4CivilizationInfos.xml
GameInfo/CIV4GameInfoSchema.xml
GameInfo/CIV4HandicapInfo.xml
GlobalDefines.xml

 

[uppi]

Is there a certain amount of radomness to REF increase as well?

Not directly, neither in the original game nor in this patch. There is, however, a certain amount of randomness to the Kings demands which in this patch have an influence on the REF growth if you give in.
And the type of unit added it random.

BTW uppi, how hard is it to tie the REF in with others things such as the various increases in political points etc?

See http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181042

Pretty easy: You just have to call CvPlayer::changeBellsStored(int iChange) with the amount of pseudo-bells desired. Then you'd have to change REVOLUTION_EUROPE_UNIT_THRESHOLD in GlobalDefines.xml to acount for the increased pseudo-bells. The hard part would be to find a balanced formula that is fun to play. Personally I already like the results of my modifications enough that I haven't considered further changes and I haven't recieved much feedback from other players yet.

 

[The Rusty Gamer]

I feel like we need to see that the choices we make in gameplay IS affecting the REF in some way. I felt that having a number of reasons (and appropriate feedback from the king in this regard) would make the game more interesting.

 

[uppi]

I agree, that it would be nice to have such a system. However finding a way to influence it, without ruining the gameplay is tricky. If you focus it on one factor, that factor can quickly become something that someone should avoid altogether, thus removing it from optimal gameplay. If you use a complicated formula, it would be difficult to balance (or even code).

And before any code is written, there should be some sort of consensus, how an ideal system should work, including some hard numbers.

 

[pajeg]

here's some way to get your expension to affect the ref :

- you can adds troops to the ref as the king tax you (he used the taxs col 1 for that if i remember right, when he ask gold if you accept his troops cost more, if you refuse they cost less)

- you can add troops as your colonie get bigger too (you are stronger with 30 colonies than with 10, the ref should too)

- if you raze a village/colonie, the ref get another unit (if you're a warmonger, the king have to be more cautious)

 

[Gliese 581]

Oh my god I just found your mod and I'm very excited! This is what I've been looking for ever since I exploited the cr_p out of the game a week or so after getting it. I believe like you that not having a set REF increase tied to time and difficulty will be very hard. Until (in the event) such a fix has been succesfully created this might actually make me play the game again and be able to lose it!

The only thing missing here is that the AI will still be in its weak vanilla state. Even if I impose a house rule on me based on Dale's AOD mod (no attacking AI first 20 turns) I know they will be just as incompetent at winning the WOI as ever.

 

[Dale]

Oh my god I just found your mod and I'm very excited! This is what I've been looking for ever since I exploited the cr_p out of the game a week or so after getting it. I believe like you that not having a set REF increase tied to time and difficulty will be very hard. Until (in the event) such a fix has been succesfully created this might actually make me play the game again and be able to lose it!

The only thing missing here is that the AI will still be in its weak vanilla state. Even if I impose a house rule on me based on Dale's AOD mod (no attacking AI first 20 turns) I know they will be just as incompetent at winning the WOI as ever.

Ah.... you do realise in AoD you can't DoW in the first 20 turns right? The King stops you. Also, I believe a linear REF like you have been requesting is equally, if not more exploitable. Just knowing exactly how many units the REF will be at any given time is a massive exploit in and of itself. Whether you are having a good game, or a crappy game, the REF is always the same. That's definitely NOT good in a strategy game.

But then the REF linked to bells production as it is in vanilla is also unacceptable.

I invite you to comment on this thread where I lay out the future design of bells, rebel sentiment and REF in AoD2.

 

[Gliese 581]

Ah.... you do realise in AoD you can't DoW in the first 20 turns right? The King stops you. Also, I believe a linear REF like you have been requesting is equally, if not more exploitable. Just knowing exactly how many units the REF will be at any given time is a massive exploit in and of itself. Whether you are having a good game, or a crappy game, the REF is always the same. That's definitely NOT good in a strategy game.

But then the REF linked to bells production as it is in vanilla is also unacceptable.

I invite you to comment on this thread where I lay out the future design of bells, rebel sentiment and REF in AoD2.

Well I believe baseline REF should be a fixed increase but adding secondary tiers of positive and negative values on this would be great, such as diplomacy effects of interactions with king. As long as there is always a clock and you're not penalized for getting bells or units or whatever but is free to accumulate power by a method of your choosing without trying to manipulate REF it's all good.
I don't think the game is so easilly exploitable even if you know the size, you will still have to do your best with your land and resources to win, if you get a bad start on revolutionary it should be a hell of a struggle to get a good army up in time before the REF gets out of hand, all that is required is that the fixed increase is well balanced.
Then there's the challenge the other colonies should pose with their own race and even warfare etc that I miss from col1.

 

[Dale]

Yes, the mixed method is the best in my opinion, and what I suggest in the thread I mentioned above.

7. REF to be influenced by different aspects:
- King's attitude to other European powers (external threat)
- Global Rebel Sentiment (internal threat)
- Linear time-based growth (represents overall increase in military due to increased manpower and defense spending)

With internal (player) and external (diplomacy) and linear factors the REF is more fluid to the game but with a minimum to help ensure it's not a pushover.

BTW in my proposal GRS is calculated as the percentage of all colonists who are separatists (like it is now) but each colonist has a Loyalty index which is influenced by various things the King does (such as tax hikes, King dragging you into wars, etc). So the real difference in my proposal is that each colonist is influenced via a variety of influencing factors to determine whether they are loyal or a separatist.

 

[brambovee]

Hello
when load this mod no problem occurs, but when i start the game i can choose my nationality etc. but then, when I launch the game windows (vista) shuts the program down.
anyone any idea how?