New Beta Version - September 9th (9-9)

[Gazebo]

Hey all,

New beta inbound. Smaller tweaks here, mainly bugfixes and tactical improvements, as well as some cleanup related to prior betas. If all goes as planned, this will be last beta, will move to official for next release.

General
    Major Tactical AI improvements
    Adjustments to early AI policy logic
    Bugfixes and performance improvements
    
Balance
    Buildings
        Granary/Ger: +25 food instantly when constructed (does not scale)
    Difficulty
        AI units that gain XP from scouting no longer get the AI difficulty sight bonus
    Wonders
        Alhambra: new promotion - Jinete - only for mounted melee units
            Jinete: +10% CS when attacking; ranged attack prior to attacking (a la zulu); 50% chance to withdraw
    Processes
        Food Process moved to Pottery
    Techs
        Pottery and Trapping swap spots (lines Archers up to go towards Comp Bowmen correctly)
        Removed Trade and Military Theory prereqs for Mathematics (so it only needs Calendar and Construction now, as before)
    Resources
        Fish now reveal on Pottery
        Bananas now reveal on Agriculture
    Promotions
        City Assault (for land melee units): now reduces damage from city attacks by 50% in addition to current bonus
        Sneak Attack: bumped to 20% (was 10%)
    Units
        Ranged Naval: dropped CS by 3-5 from Galleass-on

Not savegame compatible.

Link: https://mega.nz/#F!2Jdw3aQT!Z49gV7KAyMq6YiG5BD9jaA

Cheers,
G

 

[Stalker0]

The Granary idea is an interesting way to get to the key 4 pop quicker for settlers, but not provide a sustained means of pop. So ultimately settler 2 comes out quicker, but 3 and 4 still take time. I'll be eager to try the timings, I think its a slick idea and I hope it does the job.

Alhambra...kind of feel like Knights and Lancers become incredibly strong now, not really sure where this is coming from.

City Assault: Very interested to see how this plays out, definitely looking forward to try it.

Ranged Naval Drop: Horray! It still may not be enough, but that's a solid drop, certainly worth a test.

 

[Dolen]

G, did you happen to look into AI city capture crash thingy?

 

[CrazyG]

Why move the food process to pottery? The most common time for me to use that process is in the first 10 turns. If I go for pyramids or Stonehenge, I build a monument which sometimes finishes before I get the tech, so I put 1 or 2 turns into farming.

 

[ryanmusante]

Major Tactical AI improvements

This is awesome! It's what sets VP apart.

 

[andersw]

"Alhambra: new promotion - Jinete - only for mounted melee units
Jinete: +10% CS when attacking; ranged attack prior to attacking (a la zulu); 50% chance to withdraw"

What is the idea behind this?
Aren't mounted dominating enough in this period?
A small nitpick, with "a la Zulu" I assume you mean "a la Impii"?

" Resources
Fish now reveal on Pottery
Bananas now reveal on Agriculture"
I like this, food tiles are so important with recent settler change.

 

[Gazebo]

Why move the food process to pottery? The most common time for me to use that process is in the first 10 turns. If I go for pyramids or Stonehenge, I build a monument which sometimes finishes before I get the tech, so I put 1 or 2 turns into farming.

It was causing a weird issue with the AI. Best solution was to get it off agriculture.

G

 

[Stalker0]

Did tribute values get reduced in this version?

 

[Noob Fanboy]

The change to Alhambra was innecesary, but i guess a try to the new wonder doesn't hurt

 

[Bromar1]

The change to Alhambra was innecesary, but i guess a try to the new wonder doesn't hurt

Can you imagine Conquistadors with Jinete?

 

[Noob Fanboy]

O boy, raider knights with Jinete promotion.

 

[xeron]

Hello, my game keeps crashing on turn 1 or 2 with this update (last version was fine), tried this with 5 new games.
Any1 else experience this?

 

[ridjack]

Wonders Alhambra: new promotion - Jinete - only for mounted melee units Jinete: +10% CS when attacking; ranged attack prior to attacking (a la zulu); 50% chance to withdraw

That seems absolutely, 100% bonkers to me. I'm not likely going to be getting around to an extensive play-test soon due to other commitments, so hopefully @Stalker0 and co can do that soon; that being said, I'm pretty dang confident this makes Alhambra far and away the best warmongering wonder in the game. If I were going to be playing right now, Authority would possibly replace Progress as my default on the back of this single wonder alone.

This feels especially surprising considering that we just nerfed the Skirmisher line, and now we're giving half their ability to the already-potent mounted melee line for warmongers. And since Alhambra is the Authority-only wonder, you can't even snipe the wonder as a peaceful player to defend yourself or keep one of the 'monger AIs from going bananas on the world.

I might try to get a game or two in anyway, just because I badly want to play with the Zulus or Mongols with this change.

Do armored units keep the promotion? I sincerely hope not, not that it would matter too much by that point in the game with mounted melee having this ability.

 

[Stalker0]

I'm not likely going to be getting around to an extensive play-test soon due to other commitments, so hopefully @Stalker0 and co can do that soon; that being said, I'm pretty dang confident this makes Alhambra far and away the best warmongering wonder in the game.

Playing an Authority Persia game as we speak I'll definitely be making a shoot for this wonder and see if its as amazingly strong as I think it is.

 

[Revolutionist_8]

City Assault (for land melee units): now reduces damage from city attacks by 50% in addition to current bonus

Niiiiice! This is a r e a l l y welcomed addition imo. Not just for combat itself, but I assume (and hope) it will help the AI too!

 

[Gazebo]

Did tribute values get reduced in this version?

No.

 

[Gazebo]

That seems absolutely, 100% bonkers to me. I'm not likely going to be getting around to an extensive play-test soon due to other commitments, so hopefully @Stalker0 and co can do that soon; that being said, I'm pretty dang confident this makes Alhambra far and away the best warmongering wonder in the game. If I were going to be playing right now, Authority would possibly replace Progress as my default on the back of this single wonder alone.

This feels especially surprising considering that we just nerfed the Skirmisher line, and now we're giving half their ability to the already-potent mounted melee line for warmongers. And since Alhambra is the Authority-only wonder, you can't even snipe the wonder as a peaceful player to defend yourself or keep one of the 'monger AIs from going bananas on the world.

I might try to get a game or two in anyway, just because I badly want to play with the Zulus or Mongols with this change.

Do armored units keep the promotion? I sincerely hope not, not that it would matter too much by that point in the game with mounted melee having this ability.

We’ll see. If the pre attacking ranged strike proves too much removing it and bumping the attack cs a bit will be fine. I just couldn’t resist the theme.

Note that the spear throw for impi, while good, does not make them strong beyond balance.

G

 

[ridjack]

I just couldn’t resist the theme.


G

This I can get behind!

 

[crdvis16]

Major Tactical AI improvements

This is awesome! It's what sets VP apart.

I don't even know what the tactical improvements are but the word major has me excited

 

[Rekk]

We’ll see. If the pre attacking ranged strike proves too much removing it and bumping the attack cs a bit will be fine. I just couldn’t resist the theme.

Note that the spear throw for impi, while good, does not make them strong beyond balance.

G

Could you expand on what you were going for with theme? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Alhambra's splendor as a palace/fortress was done by the Moors...while jinetes were used against the Moors.