New Beta Version - June 9th (6/9)

[Gazebo]

Hey all,

Beta inbound. Caveat emptor. As usual, balance feedback on policy cost balance and any stability issues (late-game CTDs etc.) desired. Though all releases are technically 'betas' (you are the beta tester!) I reserve the title 'beta' for versions that are stable yet have experimental features or changes. Without further adieu, the changelog:

Bugs:

• Performance enhancements and optimizations
• Fixed tactical AI bugs related to healing, danger, and pathfinding
• Various github bugs/requests addressed
• Voluntary vassalage no longer possible if at war
• Worked on AI religion, pantheon selection (big improvements here)
• Worked on AI road building logic and gold management methods
• Integrated proper (i.e. actually intelligent) inquisitor logic for AI

New:

• All tiles revealed during a turn remain revealed for the duration of the turn
  • This is largely a boon for the AI, but it is also a rationalization of the rather odd 'memory loss' suffered by units revealing/unrevealing tiles on a turn

• Trade Route change:
  • Trade Routes now generate modest amounts of Culture based on the policy difference between two players (just like Science)
    • There's been a lot of talk about 'catch up' methods, and this is the best solution. It is active, engaged, and avoids the 'pity hand outs' of simply punishing high-culture players or rubber-banding low-culture players.

Balance:

General​

• Increased AI resistance bonus slightly at higher difficulties (more capitals = more resistance from other civs) - now affects all civs human and nonhuman (though it affects humans more than others)
• Puppet Culture, Science and Tourism modifiers now -40% (were -25%)
• Increased Culture and Science scaling costs from # cities by 2/3% for all map sizes.

City-States

• Faith from CSs increased slightly (+1 in ancient, +2 in classical, etc.)
• Influence from CS unit gifts diminishes based on the number of military units owned by the CS (floor is half the normal influence value)
• Reduced base value of bullying slightly.
• Gain culture from TRs to CSs (like science)

Pantheons:

• Earth Mother now +3 production from monuments (was +2)

Enhancers:

• Tithes and Sainthood follower scaler now 10 (was 6)
• Evangelism Science from missionaries dropped by 15%

Units:

• Recon units start with Treasure Hunter, Treasure Hunter buffed to 50% (was 25%)

Promotions

• Survivalism III - loses withdraw, gains Enemy Route use
• Trailblazer III - loses Enemy Route use, gains withdraw

India:

• -50% Prophet Costs added to UA
• Upped passive religious spread power slightly

Japan:

• Bumped XP -> Science/Culture gain up one factor (UA)

Rome:

• New Legion promotion - Pilum - 10 damage to adjacent enemies every turn you are fortified

Celts:

• Pantheon choices rebalanced:
  • Epona, the Great Mare: now +10 (was +12)
  • Lugh, the Skilled One: now +3 (was +4)
  • Bran, the Sleeping Guardian: Added: +12 Culture when a Citizen is born, scaling with era (removed culture in city)
  • Morrigan, Harbinger of Strife: 100% of CS as yields (was 50%)
  • Nuada, the Silver-Handed King: Added +2 Gold from City Connections
  • Ogma, the Learned: Added +3 Science +3 Culture +3 and Great Scientist points in the Capital
  • Rhiannon, Goddess of Sovereignty: +2 Culture in every city. +1 Production and +1 Gold from any tile with an improved resource

Policies:

• Policy costs increased by about 20% overall (including scaling above).
• Refactored policy costs for Wonders - are generally more even and slightly less strict than before.
• Progress:
  • Expertise - loses 1 movement for civilians, gains 5% reduction of all future policy costs
  • Liberty - gains +1 movement for civilians
• Authority:
  • Tribute - Values reduced to 20/20 and 30, respectively
  • Finisher - Added: yields from Tribute policy doubled.
• New finisher wonders for all policy branches:
  • Tradition - Sankore
  • Progress - Forbidden Palace
  • Authority - Alhambra
  • Piety - Taj Mahal
  • Statecraft - Big Ben (Westminster, see below)
  • Aesthetics - Louvre
  • Imperialism - Pentagon
  • Rationalism - Bletchley Park
  • Industry - Broadway

• Why? Changes to policy speed over time have caused wonder unlocks to be far too late (hanging gardens in medieval), so I bumped all wonders up a level. This has been a problem for some time.

Wonders:

• Big Ben now Palace of Westminster
• Westminster and Forbidden Palace bonuses flipped
• Broadway Theming bonus now Gold (was Culture) - added bonus: +250 Culture (scailng) when you construct a building in this city.

Buildings:

• Monument and Stele now have no maintenance

Beta online as of 1:00am EST. Not savegame compatible.

Link: https://mega.nz/#!vZlQnJQb!Noi-DdJdr1rOblEfBpWMYjxVq9_1g2Xi77pYsxqE-nQ

Cheers,
G

 

[Aldebaran1997]

Sweet Rome buff, I'll try this asap.

 

[8bitBob]

Be right back, abusing the hell out of India.

 

[Funak]

Not a big fan of this:

Promotions

• Survivalism III - loses withdraw, gains Enemy Route use
• Trailblazer III - loses Enemy Route use, gains withdraw

Other than that everything looks solid.

 

[Gokudo01]

Trade Route change:

• Trade Routes now generate modest amounts of Culture based on the policy difference between two players (just like Science)
  • There's been a lot of talk about 'catch up' methods, and this is the best solution. It is active, engaged, and avoids the 'pity hand outs' of simply punishing high-culture players or rubber-banding low-culture players.

 

[Aldebaran1997]

Is Venice now OP?

 

[Asterix Rage]

I'm amazed to see VP still being improved and how you G take care of the users feedback
Great Great Great

My concern is about the design of the pathfinder. Whatever the leader we pick, we get an indian guy at T0. I hope a more neutral design coming in a further release

 

[Aldebaran1997]

Would you kindly make Policy requirement of WW be displayed on Civilopedia?

 

[Aldebaran1997]

It feels little weird that only Piety's completion wonder is available faster than other medieval Branch. And I think Taj Mahal needs more holy stuff like free Stupa or sth like that. And comparing with new Broadway, Pentagon is inferior, imho.

 

[PapaRockett]

Hey G,
Puppet Culture, Science and Tourism modifiers now -40% (were -25%)

What does that mean exactly?

 

[Borussia]

I like the Legion change. I really hope the units keep the promotion when upgraded unlike Impis.

Hey G,
Puppet Culture, Science and Tourism modifiers now -40% (were -25%)

What does that mean exactly?

Until now puppets had a -25% modifier and with the patch now a -40% modifier. So for 100 culture / science the city produces you only get 60 after this patch instead of 75 now. I first realized this because of this patchnotes too.

Increased Culture and Science scaling costs from # cities by 2/3% for all map sizes.

Does this mean for every non-puppet city (?!) you need 2% more culture and 3% more science or 0,66% more for both?

 

[Funak]

This version finally broke the WHoward 'Rotate start position' mod

EDIT: Might actually just be me, I'm seeing some other problems as well. Like yield icons disappearing as soon as I end turn.

 

[Aldebaran1997]

This version finally broke the WHoward 'Rotate start position' mod

EDIT: Might actually just be me, I'm seeing some other problems as well. Like yield icons disappearing as soon as I end turn.

I find absolutely same problems. Broken rotate start position, disappearing yield icons...

 

[randomnub]

I was under the impression the recon line penality vs barbarians was a typo and they were supposed to underperform against enemy civilization troops instead. Or at least that was the original suggestion, but it hasn't been changed so is it correct to assume that's the way it should work? Because it sucks I think I'll still build warriors over pathfinders, when I can get at most one ruin out of 'scout first' and then start have barbarian problems

 

[Funak]

I was under the impression the recon line penality vs barbarians was a typo and they were supposed to underperform against enemy civilization troops instead. Or at least that was the original suggestion, but it hasn't been changed so is it correct to assume that's the way it should work? Because it sucks I think I'll still build warriors over pathfinders, when I can get at most one ruin out of 'scout first' and then start have barbarian problems

The idea is that they're not supposed to clear barbarians, that's what warriors are for.

 

[Funak]

Is Venice now OP?

I really don't see how a catchup mechanic is going to make someone OP, is Venice usually behind on policies anyways? I've found it the opposite most of the time.

 

[Aldebaran1997]

I really don't see how a catchup mechanic is going to make someone OP, is Venice usually behind on policies anyways? I've found it the opposite most of the time.

Welp, I'd try joking but it seems that it doesn't work well. Btw, there is not only catchup culture, but also CS culture bonus if I understand correctly.

 

[Gokudo01]

The game feels slower, now you understand why you were able to fly away with cultural advantage : the early game is so slow without all those SoPol bonus.

 

[Gazebo]

I'm amazed to see VP still being improved and how you G take care of the users feedback
Great Great Great

My concern is about the design of the pathfinder. Whatever the leader we pick, we get an indian guy at T0. I hope a more neutral design coming in a further release

Native American. And no, not doing model work. All units are 'themed' anyways (even generic ones), don't see the issue.

Would you kindly make Policy requirement of WW be displayed on Civilopedia?

Can't, player specific data can't be rendered there.

This version finally broke the WHoward 'Rotate start position' mod

EDIT: Might actually just be me, I'm seeing some other problems as well. Like yield icons disappearing as soon as I end turn.

I find absolutely same problems. Broken rotate start position, disappearing yield icons...

Github post, lua logs, mod lists, etc. - you know the drill.

G

 

[Enrico Swagolo]

Thanks for the new version, I'm going to test it. I will pick Spain and avoid any cultural religion bonuses to check how it is for a more-or-less base civ that benefits both from warmongering (nerfed) and going wide (nerfed).