Poll: Which CS quests would you (not) want to have an expiration timer?

[LifeOfBrian]

While some CS quests have an expiration timer (for example ally/conquer two city-states, denounce a leader), most don't. I wanted to gauge the opinion of the community as to which quests you would (not) want to have an expiration timer. The poll is only focused on whether to have or not an expiration timer, whereas the question of how long that timer should be is a secondary discussion for another poll. Please let me know if I omitted to include any CS quests in the poll so I can add them. I didn't include the options that are by nature limited (who can generate the most techs, culture, tourism, followers,..., in a certain period; building a world wonder (usually someone builds that wonder before the hypothetical timer would expire; barbarians/rebels) Thank you for your replies&votes!

 

[Stalker0]

This is an interesting poll. My general breakdown is:

If something is going to happen at some point, no timer. If there's a good chance it will just never happen, a timer.

For example, the explore "X" place.... that is going to happen at some point, so I'm fine with no expiration. Whereas the spread religion, there are many games where I simply will not spread late game, its just not worth it, so I wouldn't mind that to expire.

The only thing I will say about duration....the ally/conquer 2 CS has a VERY TIGHT duration sometimes...I think just a bit too tight.

 

[DeAnno]

One distinction that comes to mind is if it's something you can just sort of "do" if you slightly try it should have a timer. If it's something with long term planning involved or that takes a quite a lot of work, no timer. This is one reason I think "discover a civ" should have a timer, because if you really want you can send your scout in the direction you met them from and you'll find them before too long, or just research Writing like a reasonable person and trade for their embassy. Wheras exploring terrains can be impossible until Compass a lot, so it shouldn't have a timer.

Similarly war/denounce should have timers, because if you really want to you just can. Capture a city shouldn't have a timer, because that is an actual big strategic job that requires much effort.

 

[looorg]

I would like them all to have an expiration date, eventually. It's sort of weird sometimes when various geographical quirks keep some quests alive for what feels like forever (I know you like to have Petra, there is just no desert in the entire world! etc)

 

[phantomaxl1207]

CS: please build 11 Hotels/ Constabulary's pls
Me: that's not happening

I would like to see the duration for conquering/ allying CS's be increased.

 

[Bryan317]

Expiration for all would be nice, but it sounds like a balancing nightmare that would have to be worked out.

Help a noob understand... Is the AI getting these quests as well?

 

[InkAxis]

This is an interesting poll. My general breakdown is:

If something is going to happen at some point, no timer. If there's a good chance it will just never happen, a timer.

For example, the explore "X" place.... that is going to happen at some point, so I'm fine with no expiration. Whereas the spread religion, there are many games where I simply will not spread late game, its just not worth it, so I wouldn't mind that to expire.

The only thing I will say about duration....the ally/conquer 2 CS has a VERY TIGHT duration sometimes...I think just a bit too tight.

Other than agreeing with your other point, I actually think it's the opposite.
If it's going to happen no matter what, then it should expire so you don't just get it automatically. But those that you might never do should have a longer timer (but still expire depending on what they are) so you can have time to do them if you want. Like the conquering one. In a lot of cases that would never happen, but if I am planning on it I wouldn't want it to expire!

 

[CrazyG]

The quests to war a leader, denounce a leader, and conquer a city always struck me as odd for having an unlimited timer. Often it'll get assigned in ancient era and completed in like industrial, and by that point diplomacy should have changed quite a bit.

For the others I like the situation as it is.

Help a noob understand... Is the AI getting these quests as well?

Yes, though it can be difficult to notice.

The easiest one to see is probably if the AI gets a quest to war you. It happens if you demand tribute from a city-state more than once in a short period of time, the turn an AI wars you the CS will become their ally.

 

[Solic]

Perhaps a Great Diplomat could be used to take some fragment of these bonuses and trigger a local reset similarly to how a Great Merchant can do that globally for WLTK? Just spit-balling an idea.

It gives them a bigger purpose when all embassies are gone and AI start to ramp up their influence to the point, where it is very difficult to compete production wise.

 

[azum4roll]

There are several types of quests, based on my observation. Those marked (?) are the points I'm unsure of.

Global objective: destroy a certain barbarian camp, build a certain wonder, excavate a certain artifact, prove the world is round (?), etc. These expire when any civ in the world completes them.
Global event: barbarian horde, gain the most culture/tech/followers/tourism in 30 turns, CS warring each other, hosting a forum, etc. These have natural expiry timers.
Triggered global event: asking for units, liberate a city, etc. These end when the trigger is no longer valid.
Individual objective: discover a civ/CS, explore a certain place, acquire a certain strategic/luxury resource, etc. These never expire, and pop up randomly (max one per CS (?)).
Recurring quest: send a trade route to a CS, spread religion to a CS, discover a Natural Wonder. Another CS immediately starts the same quest once the last one is complete, when applicable. These never expire.
Triggered objective: build a building/National Wonder that you just researched in every non-puppet city, DoW/denounce a civ, etc. These never expire.

My opinion is that individual objectives, recurring quests and triggered objectives should have an expiry timer (clearly marked on the quest description). In the case of recurring quests, a new CS should start the same quest.

 

[looorg]

The quests to war a leader, denounce a leader, and conquer a city always struck me as odd for having an unlimited timer. Often it'll get assigned in ancient era and completed in like industrial, and by that point diplomacy should have changed quite a bit.

There is always that other gem of a war quest when a city-state that is allied with a civ asks you to declare them, and as soon as you do they declare war on you and the quest goes away. So to trigger that quest you first have to flip then diplomatic and then do the war stuff.

 

[Bryan317]

Perhaps a Great Diplomat could be used to take some fragment of these bonuses and trigger a local reset similarly to how a Great Merchant can do that globally for WLTK? Just spit-balling an idea.

It gives them a bigger purpose when all embassies are gone and AI start to ramp up their influence to the point, where it is very difficult to compete production wise.

Whoa! Best idea of the day! I don't think it would be too much to ask to make the great diplomat ensure the quest is indefinite. I mean we are talking about arguably the most difficult great person to earn, yet they could use a buff. THIS BUFF.

 

[Fluffball]

I said timer for all. Some obviously should have a timer as they may simply be impossible to do and you can be stuck with a pointless quest the whole game with no way to refresh the quest without DoWing the CS. Some quests you will get done anyway so don't 'need' a timer but a timer at least makes it a reward for making an effort to do it quicker than you otherwise might have not just something you will eventually get awayway. If there way a way to refresh the quests better such as using an envoy to reroll a quest i would be more in favour of less timed quests.
Something like using an envoy to change the quest gives the player inteesting options, do you just gain the influence or do you take a chance on getting a quest that will add influence and have other benefits such as science, cultre, production etc.

A great diplomat could then have the option for it's normal use of an embassy or gain you influence while erroiding all other influence or could be used to 'complete' all quests.

 

[looorg]

I find the idea of having diplomats/envoys trigger a quest interesting. Perhaps a normal envoy could trigger a random quest and a diplomat perhaps offer a choice of quests that you could do for them (sort of like some scouts, forget which civs, can pick a reward from a hut).

 

[tothePAIN]

It would be nice for all of the quests to have a timer. Some quests are impossible or close enough to it, that a reset eventually would be nice. Even if that reset is something like 90 turns (for conquering a specific AI city).

 

[Stalker0]

Perhaps a Great Diplomat could be used to take some fragment of these bonuses and trigger a local reset similarly to how a Great Merchant can do that globally for WLTK? Just spit-balling an idea.

The idea of the GD completing all quests on a CS has some merit...but it would mean that late game any competitive quest (like most culture, science, tourism)...would just get sniped by GDs instead of actually accomplished.

i guess you could make it where you get the benefit of those quests but they were still active for other civs, but that mIght get messy

 

[azum4roll]

The idea of the GD completing all quests on a CS has some merit...but it would mean that late game any competitive quest (like most culture, science, tourism)...would just get sniped by GDs instead of actually accomplished.

i guess you could make it where you get the benefit of those quests but they were still active for other civs, but that mIght get messy

Global events shouldn't be affected by this.

To be fair, it's unlikely they'll add new codes to CSD4VP anyway.