PolyCast Episode 293: "Play Out in Practice"

[DanQ]

Start it up. The two-hundred-and-ninety-third episode of PolyCast, "Play Out in Practice", features regular co-hosts Daniel "DanQ" Quick, Stephanie "Makahlua", Philip "TheMeInTeam" Bellew and "MadDjinn" with returning guest Ben "Ozbenno" Collins. It carries a runtime of 59m59s.

The summary of topics is as follows:

- 01m35s | News
The Fall 2017 patch, and new Downloadable Content (DLC), has arrived for Civilization VI.
- 27m26s | Open Mic
The second installment in an effort to fulfill a listener request for coverage as part of the 2016 Christmas Special through a Civ community forum thread on the very topic of re-designing CivVI's base civilization set.

- Intro/Outro | Miscellaneous
Pandering avoidance, purposeful avoidance and no avoidance.

PolyCast is a bi-weekly audio production recording live every other Saturday throughout the year, in an ongoing effort to give the Civilization community an interactive voice; sibling show ModCast focuses on Civ modding, TurnCast on Civ multiplay.

 

[Morningcalm]

Glad to see the patch coverage in this installment.

While I like that you are taking listener requests, I do wonder if too much time was spent on that one listener request with redesigned base civs--a thread with more input from multiple people might be a more worthy and community-focused topic for interesting discourse next time.

 

[DanQ]

Glad to see the patch coverage in this installment.

While I like that you are taking listener requests, I do wonder if too much time was spent on that one listener request with redesigned base civs--a thread with more input from multiple people might be a more worthy and community-focused topic for interesting discourse next time.

The thread that was linked to has discussion between three individuals and its creator to date. It also has more than 700 views in just over a month since its publishing. It is a thread with details befitting a complex topic and, moreover, its coverage on the show from last episode to this -- and, now, expected to conclude in the next -- is a reflection of that. It has generated a notable amount of consideration, and conversation, among panelists. Even more broadly speaking, I believe it to be a topic that is worth reflecting upon particularly now we're more than a year since Civilization VI's release.

 

[legalizefreedom]

I would agree far too much time is being spent with something that will never see the game. If there are discussions to be had related to the actual game, then those can be pulled out and discussed as topics... not necessarily a line by line breakdown of a fantasy mod. It is esp curious since...

Far too often I find myself thinking the important information is glossed over or hurried by a panelist just reading through it. I would enjoy it much more if discussions related to the mechanics, effects and stats of stuff in the actual game were deliberate and probing. The patch coverage (and how it changes or interacts with the current mechanics) could have easily been an entire episode.

I do want to add that I enjoy the show and appreciate the effort it takes to produce.

 

[DanQ]

It is premature and I feel presumptive to conclude that any suggestions about changes to civilizations in the game would never become apart of its official product, in context of the forum thread in question. Taking time to consider what panelists feel would and would not work within the game presently -- and why -- has been and continues to be worthwhile in my analysis, given the scope and treatment of the topic by its original poster. The premise of the changes suggested was that there would be no additions, or fundamental changes to, existing mechanics precludes it from categorizing as fantastical to me.

With the Fall 2017 patch being as new as fresh as it was at the time of recording, more in-depth discussion of its particulars seemed premature as gameplay with it was and still is emerging in practice. Its effects will no doubt be felt as if not the basis of, than impacting on, future Forum Talk and Senate topics. With regards to what was and what was not discussed at any length, or otherwise mentioned, from the patch we focused on during recording (and I in editing) that which was not (as) highlighted in our coverage of the patch preview last episode.

I do recognize, mc and lf, that if you were not vested in what PolyCast covers and how you would not contribute to initiating and extending the conversation of that coverage. Cheers to both of you for continuing to do so and indeed for being apart of its audience.

 

[Morningcalm]

For me the issue is not that you discussed the thread, but rather that there are bigger threads with more views and community involvement that could be worthy of discussion. If it's expansion civilization ideas you're after, there's the Design-your-own-Civ (stickied) thread from the Ideas and Suggestions subforum, with 48,266 views since August 2016, and over 26 pages of contributions and discussion of numerous contributors' ideas. You could pick and choose your favorites from a mechanical/strategic point of view.

Re: the game as is, I think some Polycast discussion of the scenarios would be great (including strategies for some of the more challenging ones like the Alexander the Great scenario, which is tough on Deity), as would discussion on how religious victory has changed in light of the Khmer, etc. I would specifically request a detailed strategy guide on how to properly place districts (i.e. are the adjacency bonuses worthwhile; are there ways to plan them in advance; what buildings spread bonuses to cities within 6 tiles and which don't) would be great. I still struggle with visualizing districts in advance since I don't always know how worthwhile adjacency bonuses are, and how city growth can be bolstered to allow for more district construction (cities with growth bonuses like the Khmer, or say Germany with the +1 district over the limit bonus tend to do better there).

Also, a discussion of war weariness (how quickly does it accumulate when in wars with multiple other civs for example) would be great.

Certainly I recognize that Polycast panelists will have preferences on what to speak about, but if it's strategy discussion we're after I think there's still a lot of ground to cover. Maybe civ-specific features or strategies would be nice, i.e. highlighting each victory type and which civs are strong for it (and how they go about seeking that victory, especially in light of opposition from other civs, difficulty levels, etc).

 

[drubell]

Not enough Maki fan

 

[DanQ]

For me the issue is not that you discussed the thread, but rather that there are bigger threads with more views and community involvement that could be worthy of discussion. If it's expansion civilization ideas you're after, there's the Design-your-own-Civ (stickied) thread from the Ideas and Suggestions subforum, with 48,266 views since August 2016, and over 26 pages of contributions and discussion of numerous contributors' ideas. You could pick and choose your favorites from a mechanical/strategic point of view.

I agree that that the thread chosen is not the only, let alone the largest such thread -- by any measure -- on the subject matter. The thread that was chosen as aligning more closely to the request from the listener in my assessment; as an Open Mic as compared to a Forum Talk topic, it was in responding to the listener that prompted the find for the thread in question. That is, the listener was looking for a re-design of "existing civs" and the thread you've linked to goes considerably beyond that.

Re: the game as is, I think some Polycast discussion of the scenarios would be great (including strategies for some of the more challenging ones like the Alexander the Great scenario, which is tough on Deity)...

In part towards your later point about panelist preferences for discussions entering into consideration, no PolyCast regular panelist plays Civ scenarios on even a recurring basis even if at all. (For better or worse!)

I would specifically request a detailed strategy guide on how to properly place districts (i.e. are the adjacency bonuses worthwhile; are there ways to plan them in advance; what buildings spread bonuses to cities within 6 tiles and which don't) would be great.

We discussed this as part of Episode 273.

Also, a discussion of war weariness (how quickly does it accumulate when in wars with multiple other civs for example) would be great.

This is something that has been alluded to, even explored to some degree, in a number of topics on the show to date but not extensively let alone combined into a set topic: this has now been discussed as part of Episode 294's recording which occurred today.

Maybe civ-specific features or strategies would be nice, i.e. highlighting each victory type and which civs are strong for it (and how they go about seeking that victory, especially in light of opposition from other civs, difficulty levels, etc).

Throughout this year we have featured what we have billed as the 'As and Against' series in Senate segments: profiling each Civilization VI civilization, including what Victory Condition(s) they are better/best geared towards (if any). Specifically, Episodes 280-282 and 284-287. (The game's two newest civs, the Indonesia and Khmer, were covered as part of Episode 294's recording which as previously noted was recorded today.)

... if it's strategy discussion we're after I think there's still a lot of ground to cover.

Certainly: that has not been in question, and indeed no argument there.