Policies: late game

[Thalassicus]

If we remove the CS production policy, what would we replace it with?

 

[Seek]

If we remove the CS production policy, what would we replace it with?

Sorry, I wasn't clear that I meant after we choose another focus for Order.

To that end, here's an idea: what if we increased Order's range beyond just production and made it very easy to set up new cities after the industrial era? Policy ideas:

• -50% purchase and/or production cost for all tier one buildings (monuments, markets, colloseums, libraries, etc.)
• +X% science and/or culture in each connected city *or* a one-time boost for either/both when a city is connected to the trade network
• New cities start with 3 citizens

I like keeping the building maintenance reduction, happiness on prod buildings and the buff to Engineers. (I still look forward to when you eventually implement pthmix's ideas for non-linear buffs to specialists btw!)
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PS I like the G&K Autocracy opener a *lot* (culture looted from conquered cities) - perhaps we could implement that early? ,

 

[Txurce]

To that end, here's an idea: what if we increased Order's range beyond just production and made it very easy to set up new cities after the industrial era? Policy ideas:

• -50% purchase and/or production cost for all tier one buildings (monuments, markets, colloseums, libraries, etc.)
• +X% science and/or culture in each connected city *or* a one-time boost for either/both when a city is connected to the trade network
• New cities start with 3 citizens

I like keeping the building maintenance reduction, happiness on prod buildings and the buff to Engineers.

Wouldn't this be too much of a buff for wide empires?

 

[Seek]

My recent wide Persia game has reminded me of the fun in building up a wide empire, so I may be biased towards that currently. In any case, I think with the recent changes making Freedom and Autocracy a good bit more powerful, Order could use some more tweaking (as Thal suggested in the OP). The more-or-less sole focus of the tree on production leaves something to be desired as well; it's kind of flat. Even in the Persia game I mentioned above I didn't settle a few decent city locations because it would take too long to make them actually mean anything before I won the game - thus my proposals above to buff new cities - and I think it would be fun to just go on a settling spree once Order was unlocked!

It is a delicate balance between wide and tall, but as of now, I will choose Autocracy over Order for a wide empire any day because the happiness bonuses out-weigh the production bonuses. Perhaps we could buff the NW boosting Freedom policy or something else if necessary (and of course the numbers can be tweaked).

 

[Thalassicus]

Good idea about making an Order policy into the Planetary Transit System from Alpha Centauri. It made all cities start at 3 population. I really loved that world wonder!

What should order's tagline be? Right now it's "Order improves production."

PS I like the G&K Autocracy opener a *lot* (culture looted from conquered cities) - perhaps we could implement that early? ,

The code's still in vem from when I had that on the Spoils of War policy, so it would be easy to add. However, I don't want to focus the tree more on conquest - that's the problem we identified and solved in the "universal policy trees" thread. Instead, how about we replace the finisher and try something like...

 

[Seek]

"Like a gas, we will fill all available space!" Yes, that's exactly what I had in mind!

Yes, I do miss Spoils of War..

 

[Txurce]

My recent wide Persia game has reminded me of the fun in building up a wide empire, so I may be biased towards that currently.

Even in the Persia game I mentioned above I didn't settle a few decent city locations because it would take too long to make them actually mean anything before I won the game - thus my proposals above to buff new cities - and I think it would be fun to just go on a settling spree once Order was unlocked!

I agree about wide being fun as well even when not warmongering. But that big of a bonus and discount (not to mention on an opener) feels like auto-cities. I could see a much-diluted version being reasonable, but this seems too easy, and and even bigger science boost in the already-strong wide approach.

 

[Seek]

I didn't intend to give the impression that certain policies were meant for anywhere specific on the tree or that the numbers were balanced - my only intent was to give ideas (I should have said "X" in all three suggestions, rather than numbers - the 50% was probably a bit high, I admit). As I see it, if Thal decides he wants to implement one or more of the ideas he will choose something reasonable, and if it's unbalanced we can discuss it further.

 

[Thalassicus]

I should have said "X" in all three suggestions, rather than numbers

This is why I'm often vague when brainstorming... happens to me alllll the time.

 

[Seek]

This is why I'm often vague when brainstorming... happens to me alllll the time.

I'm sure I've been guilty of being on the other side of it more than I'd like to imagine.

Re: United Front above - how about a small (say 20%) bonus to purchasing tier one buildings in addition? Or added to Planned Economy (good flavor there, I think)?

Oh! What about buffing cities with a Railroad connection in Order? Perhaps via science or culture or GA points (ie, not production).

Edit: Btw, what constitutes a "production building"? Does it include military buildings or ocean buildings, both of which might be considered as such now?

 

[Thalassicus]

It's whatever available building has the highest "production" flavor. You can see the numbers by setting this to 1 in the options file:

SHOW_AI_BUILDING_PRIORITIES 1

I can adjust those numbers if they look off.

 

[Txurce]

This is why I'm often vague when brainstorming... happens to me alllll the time.

I can only imagine!