Solver's Unofficial BtS Patch

[Thalatta]

I noticed a little anomaly in the CIV4HandicapInfo XML when I was comparing the BtS AI modifiers to those of WL:

Under Monarch, BtS has the following:

<iAIAnimalBonus>-70</iAIAnimalBonus>
<iAIBarbarianBonus>-40</iAIBarbarianBonus>

This is the same as WL, but on all other levels BtS has:

<iAIAnimalBonus>-40</iAIAnimalBonus>
<iAIBarbarianBonus>-25</iAIBarbarianBonus>

I know this is a really minor thing, but it should be patched, shouldn't it?

 

[marioflag]

I noticed a little anomaly in the CIV4HandicapInfo XML when I was comparing the BtS AI modifiers to those of WL:

Under Monarch, BtS has the following:

<iAIAnimalBonus>-70</iAIAnimalBonus>
<iAIBarbarianBonus>-40</iAIBarbarianBonus>

This is the same as WL, but on all other levels BtS has:

<iAIAnimalBonus>-40</iAIAnimalBonus>
<iAIBarbarianBonus>-25</iAIBarbarianBonus>

I know this is a really minor thing, but it should be patched, shouldn't it?

It's a known thing that AI bonuses have been nerfed in BtS.It's not a bug.

edit: probably i misunderstood your post

 

[ori]

It's a known thing that AI bonuses have been nerfed in BtS.It's not a bug.

edit: probably i misunderstood your post

On the other hand it is a known bug

 

[Thalatta]

Ah, spiffy.

Jumping on the changes in AI bonuses - a general comment regarding possible patches, especially as far as AI is concerned:

I usually played Monarch/Emperor on WL and having heard about the smarter AI I started off with Prince on BtS. It, uh, wasn't pretty...the AI is better, no doubt about that, but I won with 3.5 times the score of the top AI. So I moved on to Monarch. Same kind of thing...not quite so extreme, but I still a little more than doubled the top AI. Emperor, then. Well, I got to 1000 BC and had a 100-point lead already...so I checked out the other AI info. I had nine cities and two wonders, Cathy also had nine cities, Boudica had six, Ramesses had four and a wonder and the rest had three. Nine is a lot, but I'd expect three to be on the low end rather than the norm; four or five seems like a reasonable average. Also, it seemed like most of the cities were probably still small and crappy.
So, I did a test run on the same map to 2000 BC, curious to see what things looked like, as I already had five cities at that point. None of the AI had more than a second city and half didn't even have a second city! Several even let their capitols grow past the happiness limit for some bizarre reason. Also, the second cities tended to only be in average locations.

Now, my conclusion is that the lack of a starting worker seriously slows the AI's expansion, because on WL I always had to compete for space at Monarch/Emperor. I like the lack of a worker with better AI because then the human player can't go find a neighbor and steal it, but something has to be done about this poor early expansion. Obviously, some civs can do it, so why not all? If it's a personality matter, then there should be some early settler priority put in to override it. If at all possible, no AI should found its second city as late as after 2000 BC. There may be a good reason to grow past the happiness limit (such as Slavery), but it seemed like the AI had just let things go. Also, the placement of AI cities could still use improving - settling one away from coasts or fresh water (which is even more important now with rivers due to Levees) - are typical examples. Maybe this should go somewhere else, but I thought I'd point it out.

 

[Zebra 9]

Well I'm a bit late but I think this looks pretty cool.

 

[jonpfl]

Solver,

I am using your patch and was wondering if this bug is something related to your changes.

The AP does not obsolete in my game. Both the AP and UN are passing resolutions.

The saved game file can be found here : http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=240263

Thx
jonpfl

 

[methane]

Solver,

I am using your patch and was wondering if this bug is something related to your changes.

The AP does not obsolete in my game. Both the AP and UN are passing resolutions.

The saved game file can be found here : http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=240263

Thx
jonpfl

Both can be passing resolutions at the same time as long as the
civilization that owns the AP does not have the technology that allows the UN (mass media?).

 

[jonpfl]

Both can be passing resolutions at the same time as long as the
civilization that owns the AP does not have the technology that allows the UN (mass media?).

Oh, didn't realize that

Makes sense, thx

 

[Colee]

Oh, didn't realize that

Makes sense, thx

Well I DON'T think it makes sense, but it's not a bug.

 

[colony]

Ah, spiffy.

Jumping on the changes in AI bonuses - a general comment regarding possible patches, especially as far as AI is concerned:

I usually played Monarch/Emperor on WL and having heard about the smarter AI I started off with Prince on BtS. It, uh, wasn't pretty...the AI is better, no doubt about that, but I won with 3.5 times the score of the top AI. So I moved on to Monarch. Same kind of thing...not quite so extreme, but I still a little more than doubled the top AI. Emperor, then. Well, I got to 1000 BC and had a 100-point lead already...so I checked out the other AI info. I had nine cities and two wonders, Cathy also had nine cities, Boudica had six, Ramesses had four and a wonder and the rest had three. Nine is a lot, but I'd expect three to be on the low end rather than the norm; four or five seems like a reasonable average. Also, it seemed like most of the cities were probably still small and crappy.

I've had a similar experience. Not starting with a Worker really does hurt the AI, or at least I can't think of another reason it doesn't expand faster in the early game. I tried a couple of Immortal games and there was a noticeable increase in the speed the AI built new cities at compared to Emperor. I don't know if it was the free Worker that helped them, but it would make sense. Maybe it should get it's free Worker back on Emperor, although this probably isn't the best place for talking about balance changes.

Your average noumber of AI cities seems similar to my experience, although the prospect of 9 cities (presumably) pre-CoL does make me slightly uncomfortable

 

[Wodan]

I'm not sure it's the worker. I've noticed Gandhi expanding like a madman, pretty much every game, while others such as Ragnar noticably focus on early military and end up with just the capital for a long time.

Wodan

 

[KMadCandy]

I'm not sure it's the worker. I've noticed Gandhi expanding like a madman, pretty much every game, while others such as Ragnar noticably focus on early military and end up with just the capital for a long time.

*giggle* gandhi does have the ultimate UU for expanding like a peaceful madman! . i finally got BtS end of last week, read a lot about it here of course and put in Solver's patch before game 1. i turned the difficulty down way too much myself for my first game, like Thalatta and some others. thank you Solver, i don't even know the bugs you saved me from but i know that you made the game better for me

this is not the real topic of this thread, and as an added bonus is several days old already, but i just saw it today, and hey, i'm here now, and am addicted to typing, so you know what happens next. this was about cathy DOW'g someone at friendly, and questions about that:

KMCandy, I think, answered my post saying that the calculations to be 'bribed' into a war are different than the routine that calculates a DoW -- so I suspect that pleased or friendly is less of a defense if 'bribed' into a war.

I think we have seen this with vassals. We beat up somebody, and they 'offer' to be a vassal of somebody freindly with you, who declares war. I suspect that this is similar to being bribed into war.

Also, in an old post of Blake's, he also showed a different factor which was essentially a 'dogpile' rating. So, again, the calculations may be different also when dogpiled.

yeah i brought it up recently, specifically about catherine in fact! in warlords and vanilla, cathy was the only one that could be bribed into war against someone she was friendly with. she won't declare on her own at friendly, she can just be bribed into it. but as folks already mentioned it, the decision can happen at pleased and doesn't get turned off when you hit friendly before she acts. anyway, i haven't checked the xmls to see if any of the new leaders in BtS can also be bought into war against "true" friends. bottom line, pleased/friendly counts somewhat for bribes and is weighted in but the calculations are different. i'm not sure whether it's less of a defense, probably so. money talks after all.

 

[Slax]

Saw the following two odd things after installing Solver's patch which may or may not be bugs, and may or may not have something to do with the patch (all in first era):
1. -1 unhealthiness from something called "Features"? Happened only in one city.
2. "A great general (so and so) was born in a distant land" during my turn after I fought and lost a unit to Japan who I have known for some time. Shouldn't it know that it was Japan? It couldn't be some other civ if it happened during my turn right?

Just wonderin'.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Saw the following two odd things after installing Solver's patch which may or may not be bugs, and may or may not have something to do with the patch (all in first era):
1. -1 unhealthiness from something called "Features"? Happened only in one city.
2. "A great general (so and so) was born in a distant land" during my turn after I fought and lost a unit to Japan who I have known for some time. Shouldn't it know that it was Japan? It couldn't be some other civ if it happened during my turn right?

Just wonderin'.

1. That is from Jungles or Floodplains
2. Announcements in your turn are of things happening on other player's turns.

 

[DaviddesJ]

I also think it might say "born in a distant land" if you can't see the city where it happened.

 

[JosEPh_II]

I need some info please.

I've D/l'd Solver's Patch. Do I unzip it into the CvGameCoreDLL folder letting it overwrite 11 filesand add the .dll file?

Or do I unzip it and then place the CvGameCoreDLL folder it creates into BtS's CvGameCoreDLL Folder?

Help Please.

JosEPh

 

[Harrier]

2. "A great general (so and so) was born in a distant land" during my turn after I fought and lost a unit to Japan who I have known for some time. Shouldn't it know that it was Japan? It couldn't be some other civ if it happened during my turn right?
Just wonderin'.

If you do not wait for all the end turn displays to appear - this will happen.

It had nothing to do with your war with Japan.

In previous releases, impatient players complained about waiting for the AI moves to end.

So now - once all the calculations are done, you can play your moves. But while you are - all the AI events are shown to you.

If it confuses you just wait a few seconds while they are displayed.

I guess those who complained were RTS players who were confused.

 

[ori]

I need some info please.

I've D/l'd Solver's Patch. Do I unzip it into the CvGameCoreDLL folder letting it overwrite 11 filesand add the .dll file?

Or do I unzip it and then place the CvGameCoreDLL folder it creates into BtS's CvGameCoreDLL Folder?

Help Please.

JosEPh

I'll just quote myself

From the 12 files you really only need the one called CvGameCoreDLL.dll
copy that one to .../Firaxis Games/Sid Meier's Civilization 4/Beyond the Sword/Assets overwriting the one that is already there (you might want to copy the original file somewhere as a backup). And you are all set. Unless you intend to mod yourself you can forget about the other files

 

[JosEPh_II]

Thank you Ori. I missed your previous post.

JosEPh

 

[KMadCandy]

2. "A great general (so and so) was born in a distant land" during my turn after I fought and lost a unit to Japan who I have known for some time. Shouldn't it know that it was Japan? It couldn't be some other civ if it happened during my turn right?

announcements have sometimes been freaky even in warlords. i had a game where i bought maps, so i knew that the Romans were around, but i hadn't met them. so i had no idea which Caesar was in charge. the next time rome popped a GP, the announcement told me it was Julius. cool, i'm psychic i guess!

In previous releases, impatient players complained about waiting for the AI moves to end.

So now - once all the calculations are done, you can play your moves. But while you are - all the AI events are shown to you.

If it confuses you just wait a few seconds while they are displayed.

that keeps freaking me out, seeing their scouts zoom around when it's my turn when we're not at war. i'm so used to of hit enter, wait around and watch them move, then it's my turn. something i just have to get over tho, like the whole 3d graphics thing. gosh i feel like an old curmudgeon. thanks for the info, i hadn't realized they'd changed it in quite that way.