ruff_hi said:
So, suggestion is ...
- remove research related buildings (libs)
- remove the ability to build cottages
- reduce commerce (say -1 on each tile)
- increase production (say +1 on each tile)
I've been running a couple of test games using the mod that I wrote and looking at the AI cities in WorldBuilder to see how they handle the variant. Everyone one of them has so far started by turning research off and accumulating gold. I have yet to see one of the AI build a Library. I guess what I'm saying is that the AI seems smart enough to realize that there is nothing to research.
As for the commerce changes, this would effect the amount of gold that a civ can accumulate. Gold, and thus commerce, will still be needed to pay for an army and to supply that army in the field. It would also affect upgrades. If you have horses hooked up, but not iron, then you can build Horse Archers, but not Knights. Later, when your iron is hooked up, you can upgrade them all to Knights,
IF you have enough gold. Personally, I feel that your commerce proposal would be tougher on the AI rather than the human. We could manage our army based upon the gold, the AI may not be able to do that or to do it as well.
ruff_hi said:
The other thing I am thinking about is upping the cat power and changing it to a trebuchet (maybe str 7).
I really don't think this is necessary. Remember that collateral damage does not take the units strength into account, but rather is a straight percentage. And in combat, a str 8 Macemen versus a str 5 cat really isn't all that out of line. I would vote to leave it alone.
ruff_hi said:
I'm not sure what to do about religion - leave it in, or take it out? I do want to remove all wonders so the AI doesn't waste time building them.
I've been thinking about the religion question myself. Basically, removing religion will hurt the AI more than the human. The AI will rely on the happiness boost more than the human will. Ideally, it would be nice to find a way to allow the religions to be given to the AI and not allow the human to have one. Not a problem for an ancient age start, but a middle ages start ... Unfortunately, I haven't seen how to do this, yet. I'm leaning towards turning it off ...
As for wonders: in all of the AW games that I have played, I have never noticed the AI getting bogged down building wonders instead of troops. I don't think wonder building will be an issue in this variant or any other AW variant.