[GS] The Climate Change is Irrelevant in My Game

[BarbarianHunter]

I started an "icebreaker" GS game using Trajan with the intent of exploring the new GS mechanics, specifically climate change. The problem is I can't break any ice! No matter what I do the temperature just doesn't go up. I have built what I consider to be more than a few coal fired power plants as well as extensive railroad networks. Nearly nothing.

I was wondering if others were having the same issues.

Spoiler CO2 Levels :

Spoiler CO2 Contributions :

I have included the save, check it yourself if you're a denier .

 

[Ornen]

Yeah, in my first full game weather was barely an issue and climate change had zero impact. Hopefully it's a bigger deal when you move past default settings, because I'm underwhelmed so far

 

[Icicle]

I got tons of co2 contribution due to i'm not sure what, railroads maybe? But yeah other than a few cities where I had to rush coast barriers to save some nice tiles the net effect was that my coasts became easier to navigate without ice.

I was really hoping for more of the "desertification" effects of previous civ games. I understand that "pollution" as a mechanic was seen as tedious and a chore so I get not putting that in, but climate change means tiles should actually change - turning grasslands to deserts would actually make it worth paying attention to (not to mention the ability to change them back something that co2 reclaiming, which also appears to do almost nothing, would make more interesting).

If the main focus is going to be flooding it needs to affect maybe three times more times to actually feel like it's something to worry about. Or also maybe not broadcast what the tiles are in advance so it's so easy to play around (or only let you see that with a certain tech).

Right now Climate Change
1) Comes too fast
2) Does too little
3) Just feels like a timer mechanic that removes a few tiles from the game with no way to play around or reason to pay much attention to.

Honestly the whole thing feels like a let down. I was so happy they put it back in too.

 

[CaptainUnknown]

The climate change model in this game hit me hard in my first game. The issue is not that it exists, but that that I couldn't do anything to stop it. I lost a lot of great land/districts from 2 coastal cities. The main problem for me was that the flood barrier took 40 turns to build (due to all the coast) but a new level of climate change was hitting every 8 turns without fail. Also, every time my tiles got flooded/submerged, the flood barrier cost would recalculate. So my primary wish is that it would not be 8 turns per stage in the late game so I can even react to the rising sea levels. I won the game still, but that was because I was at max climate change level so I was no longer affected as I pushed to space.

I do agree with the previous poster, it comes too fast and it relatively does little, but there is little counter play if you are already suffering flooded tiles because stage to stage is too quick (in my very limited one game experience with it).

Edit:
Another thought I had but perhaps just like with the weird barbarian spawns perhaps there is something broke with CO2 changes. I had equivalent amounts to what the OP has and I was getting climate change. I was playing on a Shuffle map.

 

[Nikolai II]

On setting 2, 85% of all ice had melted and sea levels risen to max before I sent my spaceship out, in my last game.

 

[Archon_Wing]

Was pretty awful in my game. But I did chop everything.

I still don't see a reason to not chop everything. May have the case for replanting forests though. But the thing is even if you don't contribute pollution, other people will.

Although I guess if you play fast enough, it's not a problem.

 

[Cakeathon]

I started an "icebreaker" GS game using Trajan with the intent of exploring the new GS mechanics, specifically climate change. The problem is I can't break any ice! No matter what I do the temperature just doesn't go up. I have built what I consider to be more than a few coal fired power plants as well as extensive railroad networks. Nearly nothing.

I was wondering if others were having the same issues.

Spoiler CO2 Levels :

View attachment 518058

Spoiler CO2 Contributions :

View attachment 518059

I have included the save, check it yourself if you're a denier .

I have the opposite situation, climate change started going up and I couldn't do anyhting about it, just going up and up and up until it maxes out. Water level also wrecked one of my factories.

Hover over the global temperature icon and it will tell you about the deforestation level, at "extreme" it's 50% extra temperature increase from CO2, makes a huge difference.

Spoiler :

 

[BarbarianHunter]

Yeah, in my first full game weather was barely an issue and climate change had zero impact. Hopefully it's a bigger deal when you move past default settings, because I'm underwhelmed so far

I am playing standard settings as well (Disaster level 2) and a huge map.

I got tons of co2 contribution due to I’m not sure what, railroads maybe? But yeah other than a few cities where I had to rush coast barriers to save some nice tiles the net effect was that my coasts became easier to navigate without ice.

I was really hoping for more of the "desertification" effects of previous civ games. I understand that "pollution" as a mechanic was seen as tedious and a chore so I get not putting that in, but climate change means tiles should actually change - turning grasslands to deserts would actually make it worth paying attention to (not to mention the ability to change them back something that co2 reclaiming, which also appears to do almost nothing, would make more interesting).

If the main focus is going to be flooding it needs to affect maybe three times more times to actually feel like it's something to worry about. Or also maybe not broadcast what the tiles are in advance so it's so easy to play around (or only let you see that with a certain tech).

Right now Climate Change
1) Comes too fast
2) Does too little
3) Just feels like a timer mechanic that removes a few tiles from the game with no way to play around or reason to pay much attention to.

Honestly the whole thing feels like a let down. I was so happy they put it back in too.

I have built ALLOT of railroads as well but very little climate change. Have I mentioned these are quite useful?

Desertification and back is a really good idea IMO. I also agree the tiles that will flood should not be revealed until a certain civic/tech (or require better yet both a certain civic and certain tech).

I’m not let down by the expansion and feel it is a great addition. I really like what they’ve done with the strategic resources, gap units, infrastructure (railroads/canals), new civs, and new diplomacy mechanism. Yeah, and the natural disasters are really fun. Choices like rushing to dam technology or just carry on with other matters and the like are compelling relative to the previous iterations.

The climate change model in this game hit me hard in my first game. The issue is not that it exists, but that that I couldn't do anything to stop it. I lost a lot of great land/districts from 2 coastal cities. The main problem for me was that the flood barrier took 40 turns to build (due to all the coast) but a new level of climate change was hitting every 8 turns without fail. Also, every time my tiles got flooded/submerged, the flood barrier cost would recalculate. So my primary wish is that it would not be 8 turns per stage in the late game so I can even react to the rising sea levels. I won the game still, but that was because I was at max climate change level so I was no longer affected as I pushed to space.

I do agree with the previous poster, it comes too fast and it relatively does little, but there is little counter play if you are already suffering flooded tiles because stage to stage is too quick (in my very limited one game experience with it).

Edit: Another thought I had but perhaps just like with the weird barbarian spawns perhaps there is something broke with CO2 changes. I had equivalent amounts to what the OP has and I was getting climate change. I was playing on a Shuffle map.

That seem to be the vibe. Maybe I just have to wait and I’ll have my fill of global warming/flooding.

I suspect the discrepancy between the CO2 levels may be map size? My game is on a huge map.

Was pretty awful in my game. But I did chop everything.

I still don't see a reason to not chop everything. May have the case for replanting forests though. But the thing is even if you don't contribute pollution, other people will.

Although I guess if you play fast enough, it's not a problem.

Yep. I can’t find a reason not to chop either. I am presently replanting woods next to rivers for lumbermills. Funny thing is, I chop everything I can get my hands on and I’m still only @ the 10% penalty (see below).

I have the opposite situation, climate change started going up and I couldn't do anything about it, just going up and up and up until it maxes out. Water level also wrecked one of my factories.
Hover over the global temperature icon and it will tell you about the deforestation level, at "extreme" it's 50% extra temperature increase from CO2, makes a huge difference.

Spoiler :

View attachment 518063

Thanks for the heads up. I checked the deforestation level in the game I’m playing and listed as “heavy” with only a 10% modifier. I essentially chop anything I can get my hands on. Come to think of it, perhaps it’s just that I haven’t had time to chop out recent conquests.

Spoiler :

 

[ShunNakamura]

Climate change in my game is huge and apparently I am the top contributor. I had no power plants. But I did have 4 Ironclads I built to get Norway off my back. Apparently that is all it takes to start rising sea levels. Of course once the Mali and AI got to coal plants the number of turns between increases become much much smaller. The deforestation level is listed as Extreme and has been since the time I had the Ironclads running about. So that might be why.

And here I was trying to be environmentally conscious this game. Only renewables and a single nuclear plant. But I am still a major polluter. All because of 4 Ironclads I built to keep Norway from annoying me. I am sure we can all agree it is Norway's fault that we have no polar icecaps.

 

[LKx]

Well, i'm in my first game (just level 2 disasters), i barely hit the atomic era (and i was the first) and unlocked sea barriers, that suddently sea level raises every few turns (and i mean 2-3).

Levels two are about to be submerged and i still have to get a barrier up.
I'm worried for level 3 tiles!

There are a couple of civs that raise a lot of co2 through carbon! (That might be because world Congress banished for some reason oil power plants!)

 

[TheDisco]

Haven't bought the expansion yet but I'm assuming we can turn off climate change entirely? I might skip this expansion if not. Seeing all this flooding as early as industrial era is just ridiculous. A foot of sea level rise per every 100 years or so, even with maximum CO2 output and deforestations, would be much more realistic than half the coasts flooded before invention of airplanes. I know it's a game and doesn't have to mirror reality perfectly, but I would enjoy a much slower sea level rise mechanic than currently implemented.

 

[blackcatatonic]

My first game ended before climate change kicked off (think the world was in Industrial?) There were loads of weather effects and disasters though. I would certainly hope climate change has some impact...

 

[DemonMaster]

It is not that extreme. There are a lot of exaggeration about this. Some games there can be a lot of problems, in others not so much.

I have played two standard games so far and in the first game I lost a lot of land, but the worst effects are in the late game. I could have lessened the effect, but I forgot that I could build barriers. In my second game, I lost some land but I built a barrier and could repair it and then for some reason, there was some resolutions in WC that forced me to abandon my glorious coal powered land and go into nuclear power instead. It halted the progress. But the effects of the climate change do come in the late game. But if a lot of civs enters the coal burning era at the same time, it can go fast. Remember IRL most of the world didn't enter the industrial era at the same time, but in civ that can happen.

 

[chazzycat]

In my first game we reached level 5 and many tiles were flooded. Not mine though. I had a bunch of coastal cities, and they turned out just fine. The flood barriers are cheap to build, you just have to hit that tech in time.

 

[KnightModern]

Yeah, in my first full game weather was barely an issue and climate change had zero impact. Hopefully it's a bigger deal when you move past default settings, because I'm underwhelmed so far

what's your default setting

I'm on level 2 and I'm pretty much getting highest temperature by the time I got to late modern-early atmoic era

 

[kb27787]

I don't think this will ever become relevant playing optimally (IZs still stuck... and I certainly think even if you build it, one factory is enough without need for power plants).
That said, has anyone tried planting woods instead to counter this? Playing as Maori I planted woods everywhere and did not notice any sea rising whatsoever.

 

[Jman5]

Complete non-issue in my game. Nearly got to Atomic age by the time I won a domination victory and I never even hit level 1. I was at 794 total (722 from me). This was at Epic speed.

 

[Echo_Magnus]

Got to the information age and the game ended because temperatures were too high.

Was playing on a duel size map at online speed I think, but no faster then quick. Maybe the map size/speed plays a role?

No coal or oil plants, ever. Didn't chop any trees, though I had plenty of lumber mills -- so maybe the trees don't count with a mill. Only had one of each resource being mined.

Water level did not rise, but this was on an inland map with no ice.

Can't blame it on my opponent because they had 3/4 my carbon output.

Honestly, as conservative as I played it felt a bit exaggerated. Not happy that it just ended the game with no ability to do anything about it. Carbon recapture was too far away.

Compared to my game on a small fractal map where I had all industry use coal and oil plants and a much larger standing army -- only made it to level 5. Ice didn't melt any, but water did rise.

Didn't make any sense, but I'm convinced it's map size. I won't be using GS on a duel size map again. Irked the crap out of me how the game just ended.

 

[Leathaface]

My first game (Disaster Intensity 2, Pangea) I only saw 2 tiles in one of my cities flood, 2 irrelevant tiles I might add. I won by Culture just before the Future era. 2nd game (Disaster Intensity 3) now and I'm running 4 Coal power plants at the same time and not seeing much difference in the Atomic era.

Though I'm playing on Pangea and all but one of my cities is inland. I'm seeing more dust storms and hurricanes though. Climate Change is only level 2 still.

 

[Tech Osen]

In my games it's the AI that's blowing out CO2 like there is no tomorrow. I had a one tile island with oil around it, got the barrier up two turns before it would be washed away, glad I checked that one on time.
All ice is gone and water at max now. That's on a standard size continents map with high sea level.