PolyCast Episode 191: "Find a Balance Point"

[reddishrecue]

I appreciate the fact that I was mentioned in this polycast even though I wasn't that written about with "red". However, at least I was talked about which is why I appreciate it.

 

[DanQ]

Thanks DanQ,

I appreciate the attention but a bit embarrassed. I am not very advanced in my play and I don't know where to post queries so here I am.

You are welcome. Posting relevant questions on Civ in this or any other thread for an episode of PolyCast is likely to get at least a mention on an upcoming episode if not a more extended discussion. Such questions are most welcome.

To answer your question I am new to polycast. I just purchased Civ V BNW in December without having ever had vanilla. I had never listened to your podcasts until last month. I am basically looking for current info on strategy since most of the info on CFC seems to be for vanilla. I realize I am quite late to the party.

I take it then that you first came across PolyCast through my news posts that appear on the site's front page? For information on the Brave New World expansion pack for CivV, I recommend the Well of Souls page on it. For discussion, the forums here on CFC serve as an excellent starting point at least.

A side note / observation is how technical the terms are on your podcast. I am an avid air gun enthusiast. We have terms on our forums that make no sense to the newbie or casual observer. The same seems to be true for your podcast. There is no good way around it but a reference of some sort could help. Perhaps one exists and I am just not aware of it. Even if there were it would still take time to get the jargon down.

I would like the opportunity to respond to this point more meaningfully, and possibly my fellow co-hosts too here and/or on the show itself; if you can indicate in reply what terms you are referring to, we can address them specifically.

 

[DanQ]

I appreciate the fact that I was mentioned in this polycast even though I wasn't that written about with "red". However, at least I was talked about which is why I appreciate it.

You are welcome for the mention. Your username is familiar, but I cannot recall exactly from where in this episode... a review of my notes didn't come across it. Can you direct me to which topic? (A timestamp (as well) would be even better , but not needed.)

A thanks also to you, jon, for the thread referral for WG.

 

[PhilBowles]

Lastly, I have a bit of a rant about when the AI demands tribute. I could be wrong about the terminology here but when an AI civ pops up and demands like 980 gold I feel like I have a gun held to my head to make an immediate decision with no other information available. There is no way to consult my advisory counsel or otherwise look at the situation with that civ. I am forced to make an immediate decision. This part of the gameplay seems odd. Maybe it is by design to increase the difficulty or add to the fun but I feel differently. When a civ makes a demand like that it seems to me that would be the best time to have all the tools of diplomacy available. And in the real world I think that such a demand would warrant discussion among the counsel available.

Yes, it's unfortunate that you don't have any options to look at the surrounding context, however if this is the request you get from a friendly civ (framed as "Your greatness is an example to us all etc. Please give me stuff"), then it will always ask for something you can afford - for instance, it will never ask for your last copy of a luxury resource.

Of course, the game calculates what you can afford based only on the absolute values (if you have two copies of a luxury, it will ask for 1. If you earn 11 gpt, it might ask for 10), so that contextual information would still be useful.

As far as diplomatic relations go, refusing a tribute demand will give you a permanent negative modifier, but by itself this will typically be minor - no one's going to go to war with you because you refused to give them your spices unless they already hate you for other reasons.

 

[WhoGnu]

Yes, it's unfortunate that you don't have any options to look at the surrounding context, however if this is the request you get from a friendly civ (framed as "Your greatness is an example to us all etc. Please give me stuff"), then it will always ask for something you can afford - for instance, it will never ask for your last copy of a luxury resource.

Of course, the game calculates what you can afford based only on the absolute values (if you have two copies of a luxury, it will ask for 1. If you earn 11 gpt, it might ask for 10), so that contextual information would still be useful.

As far as diplomatic relations go, refusing a tribute demand will give you a permanent negative modifier, but by itself this will typically be minor - no one's going to go to war with you because you refused to give them your spices unless they already hate you for other reasons.

Thanks.

It would be nice to know if the other civ "already hates you". That's my point. Hard to keep track of 8 or more civs. Especially for me.

 

[WhoGnu]

Dan Q,

Thanks for the response. One term that comes to mind is "Zurich rush"?? I heard this in one of the podcasts and still haven't figured it out. I am familiar with rushing with chopping forests and with great engineers and with gold.

There are others but to be fair your podcast is geared towards advanced play and players. The terminology SHOULD be above my head. I was not suggesting that it should be otherwise.

I find myself having to look up abbreviations and acronyms a lot. When I hear them in the podcasts I have to stop and figure out what's being said. That's part of being a newbie. The beauty of the podcast is that you can stop or replay them. With time I will understand things as they are being said.

Please don't waste any time on me. I have so much learning to do. I am trying to figure out too many things at once and I need lots of game time. It was irresponsible of me to make comments about the terms you use on the podcasts. I just need to catch up.

And I really do enjoy the podcasts so thanks to you and your co-hosts.

Mark

 

[Browd]

Perhaps you heard "zerg rush" -- an overwhelming attack with zillions of units (from Starcraft originally)?

 

[DanQ]

I appreciate your gameplay-specific comment above, Phil.

Dan Q,

Thanks for the response. One term that comes to mind is "Zurich rush"?? I heard this in one of the podcasts and still haven't figured it out. I am familiar with rushing with chopping forests and with great engineers and with gold.

Perhaps you heard "zerg rush" -- an overwhelming attack with zillions of units (from Starcraft originally)?

I expect you are correct, Browd.

There are others but to be fair your podcast is geared towards advanced play and players. The terminology SHOULD be above my head. I was not suggesting that it should be otherwise.

I find myself having to look up abbreviations and acronyms a lot. When I hear them in the podcasts I have to stop and figure out what's being said. That's part of being a newbie. The beauty of the podcast is that you can stop or replay them. With time I will understand things as they are being said.

You're already doing what I would be recommending, Mark: building your Civ 'vocabulary' by looking up words, phrases, acronyms etc. that are particular to the series (or at least in the context of).

Please don't waste any time on me. I have so much learning to do. I am trying to figure out too many things at once and I need lots of game time. It was irresponsible of me to make comments about the terms you use on the podcasts. I just need to catch up.

I think you're being too hard on yourself. PolyCast strives to be a Civ strategy podcast that is accessible to beginners as well as intermediate and advanced players, in terms of experience as well as difficulty level. We always appreciate feedback that constructively critiques what we are or are not saying, or what we are or are not doing, from our audience. This doesn't necessarily mean we'll always agree of course , but we'd much rather have that dialogue than not.

And I really do enjoy the podcasts so thanks to you and your co-hosts.