More Luxuries

[Barathor]

More Luxuries







UPDATES:

Spoiler :

v 141:

Spoiler :

• Fixed a minor bug with displaying sugar's strategic view icon.
  
• Adjusted regional luxury eligibility again. Now the minimum amount of water required is based off of a formula using the target number of regional luxuries to place instead of my other new method using map size alone. (In the default game, the minimum amount of water tiles required is simply "12" all the time.)
  
• Fixed a minor bug with marble's new impact values applied at start locations.
  
• Tweaked the new way regions are determined so that other types are given a little more of a chance before the region is labeled either a Plains, Grassland, or Hybrid region.

v 140:

Spoiler :

• Updated the title of the mod to better represent its features.
  
  
• Fixed an additional conflict with other mods which add new city-state luxuries.
  
  
• Updated the modified Terra map included with this mod which has been neglected the past few updates.
  
  
• Updated and improved some resource icons and terrain graphics.
  
  
• Fixed a bug within the default game which allowed marble placements to clump. Now, they're optimized to spread out much more over the map for better gameplay.
  
  
• Fixed a rare bug within the default game where resources are placed on top of the lower half of the Great Barrier Reef.
  
  
• Optimized the determination of water luxury eligibility for regional luxury assignments and also removed unnecessary regional restrictions on them enforced only during regional assignments.
  
  
• Added many more types of plot list indices for better luxury distribution and also added a fifth and sixth plot list preference for luxuries to utilize more of them.
  
  
• Luxuries are now placed on tiles with features they're not normally found on to help get them on the map. Before the map is finalized, those tiles are adjusted to the appropriate features. Though, for aesthetic reasons, terrain types are never adjusted and luxuries are still restricted by them.
  
  
• Updated all plot list preferences of luxuries so they can utilize the new adjustment function and increase their flexibility during placement methods. Also, some luxuries have appropriately become more broader, such as Ivory, which can now be found on grass and desert tiles too.
  
  
• Added a fallback method with a higher luxury/tile ratio to help regional luxuries reach their target total during placements.
  
  
• Reduced both clumping and excessive spreading of regional luxury placements.
  
  
• Enhanced determination of region types so assignments are more accurate and concentrated their luxury lists and weightings with types that are most suitable.
  
  
• Enhanced the way random luxuries are assigned by utilized a weighted system and a new function to assign a target total.
  
  
• Capital cities will always receive two copies of their regional luxury type, instead of only most times (three with Legendary Start). For improved gameplay, this gives all civs trading potential from the capital alone.
  
  
• Added index numbers to all resources within the debug printout summary of total luxuries placed.
  
  
• Fixed a bug found in the default game which would display the wrong world luxury total within the debug printout summary.
  
  
• Condensed debug printouts and focused them on things pertaining to resources.

v 130:

Spoiler :

• Updated AssignStartingPlots per the latest patch tweaks.
  
  
• Improved modularity with other mods which add more city-state luxuries. This should now work fine alongside them, just enable this mod last so the other ones don't break.
  
  
• Removed Ebony.
  
  
• New luxury: Perfume.
  
  
  
  
• New CS luxury: Glass.
  
  
  
  
• Tweaked the color of the existing icons for Dyes.
  
  
  

v 122:

Spoiler :

• Updated random luxury totals for each world size. Now, all match the default game totals.
  
  The only excepttion is Huge, which receives 2 more over the default game. Huge really needed more anyway, but couldn't because of the default game's luxury total.
  
  

v 121:

Spoiler :

• Removed tin, as it wasn't very "luxurious".
  
  
• Added 4 new luxuries: amber, jade, olives, and ebony! (See post #2 for the new terrain graphics.)
  
  
  
  
• Increased the regional luxury cap from 16 to 18. Also increased the standard random luxury total on all sizes from 5 to 6. Also, now you can utilize all 28 luxuries on a Huge map of 18 civs! (18 + 1 marble + 3 city-state + 6 random = 28 total)
  
  
• Increased the hard-cap number of total resources the game utilizes from 45 to 75. Post BNW, there was only room for 5 new resource types to add without updating this number.
  
  
• Added 6 new plot list indices for luxuries to utilize during placement methods. These help to control things better, and one of them actually resolves an issue in the default system without having to add in a quinary index to the whole thing, since luxuries are limited to four plot list indices.
  
  
• Further optimized the luxury system within AssignStartingPlots.
  
  
• Reduced the file size of all icon images.
  
  

v 110:

Spoiler :

• Added a 5th luxury, Tin!
  For gameplay purposes, this has a contrasting relationship with Copper, similar to Gold and Silver. Outside of any hills, on flat terrain, Tin favors plains and deserts while Copper favors grass and tundra.
  Plus, this is "loosely" supported by this map of Bolivia (major tin producer) and observing the dry plains/desert looking terrain on Google Earth; that's reason enough for me!
  
  
  
• Fixed an issue when determining random luxury totals if a player is using "less" than the intended number of civs on a map.
  
  
• Updated the icon art for Tobacco.
  
  

v 103:

Spoiler :

• Updated the icon art for Tea.
  
  
  

v 102:

Spoiler :

• Added a tweaked version of the map script, Terra, so it's compatible with this mod. (It actually works much better with the higher luxury total since the maps are larger.)

v 100:

Spoiler :

I just released a new mod if anybody is interested. It adds and fully implements four more luxuries: cocoa, coffee, tea, and tobacco.



More common viewing size:



There's also an extra tobacco image of cigars, since I wasn't happy with it and decided to redo it during development (I prefer single objects and images that are more distinguishable at the smaller sizes they're viewed at more often).





Also, none of the existing luxuries looked anything like a tobacco plant, so I created my own:



These luxuries are fully implemented into AssignStartingPlots and function just like the existing ones.

I also raised the regional luxury total so games which include civ totals higher than 8, will still assign a unique regional luxury to each starting area, along with some other modifications. For those that like Huge maps, with lots of civs, up to 16 civs can be used and all will receive a unique regional luxury.

I also fixed a bunch of discrepancies with some existing luxury tile requirements between the functions and fixed a rare bug which would prevent some civs from receiving their 2nd random luxury type at their starting location.

I commented and marked all the modifications I've made in the file; just perform a case-sensitive search for "MOD" to jump to each line.

UNDER DEVELOPMENT:

Spoiler :

• Incomplete: Optimized random luxury totals to be placed, since the default game's method isn't working properly.
  
  
• Idea: slightly incorporate latitudes into luxury placements. Nothing too strict, but only to prevent things like ivory (elephants) in tundra regions where plains are available or marshland sugar in or near tundra regions, for example.
  
  
• Incomplete: Enhance random luxury distribution using new impact tables. This would spread out types throughout the map, instead of having the same type of random luxury too close together.
  
  

You can also download the file here, at CivFanatics:
CivFanatics Download

 

[Barathor]

Spoiler TERRAIN GRAPHICS :

Cocoa:


Coffee:


Tea:


Tobacco: (created unique new graphics for this one)


Amber:


Jade:


Olives: (created unique tree trunks for this one)


Perfume:


Dyes:


Glass:

 

[Horem]

Which AssignStartingPlots.lua did you use to make these? (Vanilla, G&K or BNW?)

 

[gunnergoz]

Just D/L it and am looking forward to trying it along with your improved small continents mod.

 

[lockstep]

I also raised the regional luxury total so games which include civ totals higher than 8, will still assign a unique regional luxury to each starting area, along with some other modifications. For those that like Huge maps, with lots of civs, up to 16 civs can be used and all will receive a unique regional luxury.

I also fixed a bunch of discrepancies with some existing luxury tile requirements between the functions and fixed a rare bug which would prevent some civs from receiving their 2nd random luxury type at their starting location.

[...]

Coming out soon is another one I'll call "More Luxuries Deluxe" which includes heavier modifications to luxury distributions.

How about also releasing a simple "Luxuries Fixes" mod which just includes the raised regional luxury total plus the discrepancy/bug fixes? (You'd have to lower the number of random luxuries for Huge maps to 4 in order not to exceed the number of BNW luxuries.)

Reasoning: I'm somewhat concerned that four new plantation luxuries (bringing the total to 12 out of 24) will shift the game balance towards regularly researching Pottery--Calendar first (same as in Vanilla Civ5, but corrected in G&K). Also, I'm using the Trade Opportunities mod which would only show the new luxuries under "other luxuries" (if it all). However, I very much like the idea of unique regional luxuries for all civs on Huge maps.

 

[Barathor]

which assignstartingplots.lua did you use to make these? (vanilla, g&k or bnw?)

bnw!

 

[GutFeeling]

I really dig this mod! My favorite of your new resources is tobacco, what with the totally new art and all. Chocolate comes in second. I agree that releasing a smaller, simpler mod that focuses on the tweaks/fixes aspect like lockstep suggested would be really awesome. And I also agree that this mod seems to place too big an emphasis on plantations, but unfortunately, what other kind of improvement would be appropriate for these resources? Great work!

 

[Barathor]

Well, this "is" a toned-down version, haha... I just felt like releasing something new on the side, and briefly stepping away from a large map script project I've been working on in my spare time, which this was originally part of. I have another version of this mod which I wrote before this one that has more changes (for anybody interested -- it won't appeal to all, of course). I'll probably release it today after setting up the documentation.

lockstep, I suppose I could just release a mod which just addresses the fixes and discrepancies in AssignStartingPlots for anybody wary of the additional changes and/or that are currently using mods which won't work with the new luxuries. I'll include the raised regional cap too, but I'll restrict it to 12. Past 12 civs, the split cap will rise to 2; past 16 civs, the split cap will rise to 3.

Also, I didn't see the additional plantations as that big of an issue. In the existing game, if we count the sea luxuries as well, that makes Pottery the tech path towards improving 11/20 luxuries (55%); with these new luxuries added, it's 15/24 (62.5%). If you look at it in terms of plantation resources vs. total improvable resources early in the game, 9/29 (31%) now becomes 13/33 (39%) (only counting iron and horses out of the strategics).

I guess it could also be addressed in another small modification to the tech tree. Possible modifications could be pushing Calendar ahead to early Classical, but giving it a lower cost equal to Optics so it's a little more costly to beeline towards. Or, another could be to simply reduce what you get from Calendar, perhaps by moving the Stone Works to Masonry (maybe throw the Quarry improvement into Mining too, so the tech tree looks nicer and it further tilts the scale and makes Mining a little bit more appealing, especially with Marble laying around). But any of those tweaks would be in a separate, supplementary mod, of course, for the player to decide if they want to use it.

 

[lockstep]

lockstep, I suppose I could just release a mod which just addresses the fixes and discrepancies in AssignStartingPlots for anybody wary of the additional changes and/or that are currently using mods which won't work with the new luxuries. I'll include the raised regional cap too, but I'll restrict it to 12. Past 12 civs, the split cap will rise to 2; past 16 civs, the split cap will rise to 3.

Seems like a good idea. I'd definitely use this (or, if such a thing is provided, a combination of your unique luxuries fix and whoward's city state luxuries fix).

Also, I didn't see the additional plantations as that big of an issue. In the existing game, if we count the sea luxuries as well, that makes Pottery the tech path towards improving 11/20 luxuries (55%); with these new luxuries added, it's 15/24 (62.5%). If you look at it in terms of plantation resources vs. total improvable resources early in the game, 9/29 (31%) now becomes 13/33 (39%) (only counting iron and horses out of the strategics).

I didn't say it's a big issue, but I was under the impression that G&K purposefully decreased the percentage of Calendar luxury resources.

 

[Barathor]

Seems like a good idea. I'd definitely use this (or, if such a thing is provided, a combination of your unique luxuries fix and whoward's city state luxuries fix).

Interesting! I didn't know he created that. We think alike.

I had a third version of this mod that I was going to name "More Luxuries Plus" (between the vanilla and deluxe versions) which increased the city-state luxury cap to 4 and decreased the weight of them from 75% to only 50%, for better distribution.



This displays the weights of city-state luxury choices:



I also removed the regional luxury from the list, as it's a bit of a waste to the neighboring civ within the region, and it ensures the civ retains more of a monopoly on their regional luxury to trade to others.

But, the way it worked out, with my luxury totals, I decided to scrap the "Plus" version of the mod, and just keep the "Deluxe" version. The difference being that now city-state and random luxury totals are combined, so you get more diversified luxuries for city-states and more types of randoms sprinkled throughout the map.



Also, in the deluxe version, the sea luxuries will never become regional luxuries and will always be chosen for random luxury distribution. I did this because, in my opinion:

1) "Regional" sea luxury placements aren't as ideal as land ones, and it leaves the region lacking a bit inland with only strategics, bonuses, and a few random-type luxuries. (Note: this doesn't prevent a sea luxury from spawning at starts, since it can still be placed as a civ's 2nd bonus luxury.)

2) A great majority of the time, city-states are coastal, or even islanders. Also, a lot of times they're also in harsher land. So, finding and placing luxuries within a 2-ring radius around them is more limited. With Whales, Pearls, and Crabs always available as 3 out of the 8 random luxuries, it ensures a greater distribution, even with lots of island city-states.

3) Sea luxuries just work out nicer when they're sprinkled throughout the map's coastlines as random luxuries instead of being clumped-up as regional luxuries. They're also so flexible (when placed as "randoms"), that it makes sense to use them as randoms. Plus, being out at sea gives more room inland for the other luxuries to be spaced-out better, so it's always beneficial to have random sea luxuries in the game.

Another change in the deluxe version is that I tweaked the placement method for city-state luxuries so that it has a much greater chance of evenly distributing all the resources to city-states. So, in a Standard game of 16 city-states, with 8 random luxuries, each luxury would roughly be distributed to around 2 city-states each.

 

[lockstep]

The difference being that now city-state and random luxury totals are combined, so you get more diversified luxuries for city-states and more types of randoms sprinkled throughout the map.

Even for a "Deluxe" version, I'd still prefer that some luxuries would go exclusively to city states.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to a possible "Fixes only" version (I'm sure you'll find a better name) with no luxuries added, but with unique regional luxuries for 12 civs, bug fixes and possibly 4 (for Standard maps) city-state-only luxuries.

 

[lockstep]

Speaking of a "Fixes only" version, am I right to assume that it wouldn't necessarily affect save games?

 

[Barathor]

Speaking of a "Fixes only" version, am I right to assume that it wouldn't necessarily affect save games?

I assume it wouldn't, because it all has to do with map generation (With the "Fixes Only" version, consisting of only the Lua file to override). With a saved game, the map is already generated and AssignStartingPlots has done its job.

 

[lockstep]

I just noticed that you're also the author of the "Krakatoa Fix" mod and of "Optimized World Sizes", so you don't shy away from "just" fixing things. How does "Optimized Luxuries" sound? ;-)

 

[Barathor]

I just noticed that you're also the author of the "Krakatoa Fix" mod and of "Optimized World Sizes", so you don't shy away from "just" fixing things. How does "Optimized Luxuries" sound? ;-)

I dig it; that'll be the name.

 

[JFD]

Excellent. I love new Luxuries, for which the mod supply is few. But perhaps you would consider +1 Gold and +1 Production for the Coffee instead.

 

[gunnergoz]

Now if we can just link the Tobacco luxury to the Plague/Health mod...

 

[mtgiri]

Any chance of getting the .civ5mod?
Thanks!

 

[Meethos]

Excellent to see you modding again. Already subscribed to this and looking forward to the deluxe version and the BNW updates to your older mods you mentioned on steam. Keep up the great work.

 

[GutFeeling]

I guess the fact that they're all plantations isn't a big deal. I was personally just thinking about the pantheon belief that improves plantations -- there's one that does that, right? -- it would get picked more often, encouraging players to make the same choices every playthrough. It was a half-formed thought.

I started playing my first game with this mod, and I really like it! Particularly, your icons fit in seamlessly with the core game's. One thing I noticed that may be a bug: a city-state I discovered at the beginning of the game seemed to offer a nearby source of coffee before it was within their borders. Could this be a result of the mod?