New Beta Version - July 15th (7/15)

[Gazebo]

Hey all. Finishing up some final testing on the next version, here's the current changelog for discussion.

Changelog

Bugs
    Fixed overzealous RNG values for barbarian theft
    Overhauled AI demand logic and war logic related to demands/real aggression - AI should declare war much less erratically and only demand when it can, well, demand something
    Fixed some bugs related to peace time deals
    Fixed war/peace loop with vassals or other invalid targets caused by triggered war events
    Fixed cache issues related to fresh/no-fresh water on tiles
    Fixed base value RNG issue with pillaging gold
    Air units that are asleep should remain asleep (needs testing)
    Fixed nuke immunity issue for units with the promotion value

Balance
    Supply
        Adjusted supply algorithms to reweight supply a bit more towards population (instead of number of cities) - wide players should have a smaller army, and tall players a larger army. Is a very slight shift.
        
    Happiness
        Slightly increased exponent factor of needs model (was 375, now 400)
    Cities
        Base RCS penalty for city attacks now 50% (was 75%)
    Religion
        Founder
            Bumped Divine Inheritance back to 20% (was 15%)
            Way of Transcendence yield scaler now 20 (was 25, typo in text said it was 30)
        Pantheons
            God of War - now 200% from kills (was 300%), added +10% Unit Production Modifier
            God of Expanse now 25% border expansion, 20/8 on f/p yields (was 18/6)
            God of All Creation - added 1 Culture per 2 Pantheons
            Festivals - now +2 culture (was +1)
            Craftsmen - now +2 gold on Monument (was +1)
        
    Technologies
        Removed tech-unloccked range/indirect fire for cities
    Buildings
        Walls/Babylon Walls - increases city range strike range by 1
        Castle/Mission - increases city range strike strength by 25%
        Arsenal/Krepost - increases city range strike range by 1, adds indirect fire, blocks science theft and has +10 heal rate for garrisoned units - supply from pop bumped to 15% (Was 10%)
        Military Base - increases city range strike strength by 100%, loses science theft block, air strike defense now 15 (Was 10), supply now 25% (was 10%), air production now 25% (was 20%)
    Wonders
        Himeji - now just +5 supply (Was +1 supply per city)
        Pentagon - gains +1 supply per city
    Civs
        Aztecs - removed 10% GA Production from Floating Gardens
        India - Naga-Malla gains move after attack, but loses a movement point (now 3)
    Policies   
        Authority
            Honor - nerfed to 1 per 10 citizens (was 8), now spawns any unit type (not just melee), and the unit created does not require supply
        Tradition
            Opener - now +1 culture (was +2), immediately gain +2 population in capital; +1 culture in Capital for every 2 citizens
    
    Promotions
        Trailblazer line revamped
            I:  Double Movement in Jungles, Forests, Desert, and Snow, +10% strength outside friendly lands.
            II: Ignores Zone of Control, +10% strength outside friendly lands.
            III: Attempts to withdraw when faced with a melee attack (60% chance), +10% strength outside friendly lands.
        Charge I/II: nerfed to 15% versus wounded (Was 25%)
        Parthian Tactics - now +2 movement (was +1)
        Added March and Sentry for Mounted Ranged units as Accuracy 3/Barrage 3 level promotions, respectively.
        Medic I/II - each has -10% strength when defending (a human-friendly ability, now makes units with medic much more vulnerable)
        March - now -15% strength when defending (a human-friendly ability, now makes units with medic much more vulnerable)

G

 

[Kim Dong Un]

The defensive building changes look refreshing. It will be interesting to see how they play out. I like the new promotion changes for sure.

I just got back from vacation, but will wait to start a game. Is there any chance this releases at some point tonight?

 

[Asterix Rage]

Trailblazer line revamped I: Double Movement in Jungles, Forests, Desert, and Snow, +10% strength outside friendly lands. II: Ignores Zone of Control, +10% strength outside friendly lands. III: Attempts to withdraw when faced with a melee attack (60% chance), +10% strength outside friendly lands.

Looks too much to me

 

[JNZS13]

Tradition Opener - now +1 culture (was +2), immediately gain +2 population in capital; +1 culture in Capital for every 2 citizens

Interesting.

 

[SupTo]

Overall very good and interesting changes! I am a little confused why charge was nerfed so heavily though

 

[Gazebo]

The defensive building changes look refreshing. It will be interesting to see how they play out. I like the new promotion changes for sure.

I just got back from vacation, but will wait to start a game. Is there any chance this releases at some point tonight?

Tomorrow- still testing.

G

 

[CppMaster]

Honor - nerfed to 1 per 10 citizens (was 8), now spawns any unit type (not just melee), and the unit created does not require supply

How will that work? The units created by that will have special promotion 'supply free' or unit supply will just be increased? If it's the former, It would be a slight buff for the units created by that policy.

 

[hokath]

Great idea with the defensive buildings, wherever that came from

 

[bigcat88]

Nice changes.
Will be there fix for bug with sphere of influence on food CS? @Gazebo

 

[ElliotS]

Trailblazer line revamped

If you want this to be more aggressive I'd remove the "Outside friendly lands" limitation on Surviavlism's healing. At the very least don't allow it to go DOWN in friendly lands. (From 20 to 15.)

 

[Gazebo]

Nice changes.
Will be there fix for bug with sphere of influence on food CS? @Gazebo

Is it a GitHub post?

 

[Enrico Swagolo]

Promotion wise, Charge seems overnerfed. I'd understand 20%, but 15%? It competes with Shock/Drill in this state, and those actually unlock other skills so it becomes the worse choice. Not a fan of the medic change either. On another note, Parthian Tactics Mongols might be uncatchable. That could be too much in this case.

Expanse will probably remain not picked by me even if I'm Russia, what it got doesn't seem enough to make it pickable at a glance. Maybe in practice it'll be better, though. GoAC might be having a niche, except for when the pantheons stay at 7/8 because Gustavus Adolphus hasn't built a Shrine by medieval. I'll still likely be going Goddess of Beauty for a permanent gain and a chance at founding myself (even if wonders are hard to get early game) but I see a purpose now

 

[Gazebo]

Promotion wise, Charge seems overnerfed. I'd understand 20%, but 15%? It competes with Shock/Drill in this state, and those actually unlock other skills so it becomes the worse choice. Not a fan of the medic change either. On another note, Parthian Tactics Mongols might be uncatchable. That could be too much in this case.

Expanse will probably remain not picked by me even if I'm Russia, what it got doesn't seem enough to make it pickable at a glance. Maybe in practice it'll be better, though. GoAC might be having a niche, except for when the pantheons stay at 7/8 because Gustavus Adolphus hasn't built a Shrine by medieval. I'll still likely be going Goddess of Beauty for a permanent gain and a chance at founding myself (even if wonders are hard to get early game) but I see a purpose now

The promotion changes will help with balancing the human AI playing field. I’ve been watching charge for a while and the AI has a hard time using it to its fullest. Blunting it means that humans can’t use it against the AI so easily. Same with medic and march.

G

 

[Owlbebach]

Expanse will probably remain not picked by me even if I'm Russia, what it got doesn't seem enough to make it pickable at a glance.

I think it was the most faith-heavy pantheon when it was 25, so i think it should be fine. GoAC shoudl be scary amaizing for early warmongers now.

 

[CrazyG]

I'll still likely be going Goddess of Beauty for a permanent gain and a chance at founding myself (even if wonders are hard to get early game) but I see a purpose now

Really?

Let's say you only get 3 of each yield because some AI skips their pantheon. In the 50 turns it takes for Beauty to give you a manufactory and a great work, you would have earned 150 ,,,, and . That's some snowballing right there.

 

[SpankmyMetroid]

Two indirect nerfs to warmongering progress (-supply from cities, and Honor now gives completely supply free units that can potentially do more than just sit as a garrison for extra culture). It should be harder to steamroll honor civs as progress now. As it should be, that method seemed to be overperforming.

I’m a bit worried stacking early, easy promotions on pathfinders will make them just better options for attacking things (+30% CS, ignoring ZOC, having up to 4 movement and potentially ignoring melee attacks seems super scary). Especially so if they hit an upgrade ruin, right now ancient era scouts are the same CS as spearmen with many more movement and sight advantages. Though this also gives early warmongers options for attacking jungle or desert heavy civs. Either way, looking forward to testing.

 

[documental]

I wouldn't exactly say supply-free units have the potential to do more. You'd want to do everything in your power to make sure you don't lose those units, because unlike regular units, when you lose these guys they cannot be replaced.

Combined with the medic/march change you'll be looking at the battlefield with quite a few more considerations. Doing what you do to make sure these units are protected is a given. March in enemy territory without a medic might as well be a nerf. It's definitely a strike against melee units, and I think overall makes you more reliant on ranged units.

In theory I approve. Though I'd feel funny if I didn't point out that this isn't entirely AI-friendly. While this nerfs an overpowered strategy the AI is not capable of effectively taking advantage of, these changes pretty much ensure it never will.

No longer will you not feel bad for having one too many medics.

 

[Legen]

Combined with the medic/march change you'll be looking at the battlefield with quite a few more considerations. Doing what you do to make sure these units are protected is a given. March in enemy territory without a medic might as well be a nerf. It's definitely a strike against melee units, and I think overall makes you more reliant on ranged units.

We may need to review the CS of ranged combat units this way, if melee units turn out to be dying too easily.

 

[tu_79]

Come on! It's just weakening the 'March+Medic' combo on the same unit. We can still have March on a melee unit, and provide healing with a Medic Skirmisher. Even then, having both promotions together means that this unit cannot be used for tanking, that's all, it still can attack, recover fast and attack again as long as the unit is not attacked in AI turn.

 

[LarryAR]

Changes to Defensive buildings look interesting and I like the changes to trailblazer promotions

I’m sorry to see the nerf to Medic I/II since choosing the medic promotion already costs a combat promotion and medics sometimes must defend in place while healing others.

As usual, looking forward to trying this next version.