The Motaba virus

[Magean]

Hi,

I noticed that in the late game, more and more cities suffer from Motaba virus epidemics, losing 5 pops each time. On a standard map, I once received two occurrence of such news from abroad on the same turn.

I'd like to know a little more on what causes the virus, aka what technology enables the event, and the related events.

I know there's the event that allows you to unleash the virus on your rivals, but I'm not sure whether this is the starting point of the pandemic, or just the cause of a single occurrence of the virus.

Can multiple civs receive the event allowing to spread the virus ? Is the likelihood of an epidemic increased every time one chooses to do so ?

Thanks in advance

 

[hokath]

The answers are:

The event that allows you to unleash the virus is a player event that can trigger after you enter the Atomic Era. Recently, randomchancedeltas (that is, the increasing likelihood of an event occuring) were toned down, but possibly not for this one: it may be occurring unreasonably frequently as you go into the very late game.

This event has 4 choices, one of which unleashes the virus. The other 3 are: instant science boost, 2 free guided missiles in all cities, free Air Siege III promo for all bombers.

If you choose to unleash the virus, it will affect all players other than yourself.
Someone else may also pick this option, in which case the only change is that it can now affect that first player also (it does not increase the chance of the other event occurring). I am thinking about preventing this choice from being taken by others.

When the pandemic event occurs in a city there are two options: lose 5 pop or if you have a med-lab, lose 5 pop and up to 2000 science to prevent the event occurring for you ever again. The idea here is for the event to be more punishing those who are not as technologically advanced (and so dont have med labs).

To see this information yourself you can either navigate to CommunityPatch/Modules/Events/... and read the XML files which are self explanatory (for those events in XML) or you can view the eventsdatabase in an SQL viewer (for those events in SQL)

 

[Edaka]

When the pandemic event occurs in a city there are two options: lose 5 pop or if you have a med-lab, lose 5 pop and up to 2000 science to prevent the event occurring for you ever again. The idea here is for the event to be more punishing those who are not as technologically advanced (and so dont have med labs).

I have an issue with this, though. Last time I picked the second option, the event did occur in another city afterwards. Doesn't the second option only restrict the event from happening ever again in that city only?

 

[hokath]

I may have misinterpreted RequiresNoActiveCityEvent in that case. That's irritating. Guess will need to have a PlayerEvent that chains off it then.

In either case, do you guys think the pop loss should be toned down and by how much?

 

[Gazebo]

Hokath I couldn't find s link to your latest events. If you could link me I'll update.

 

[hokath]

Hokath I couldn't find s link to your latest events. If you could link me I'll update.

On this Github: https://github.com/TechpriestEnginseer/Community-Patch-Events-Development

For the chained event, does setting EventChance to 0 make it guaranteed to fire? It says so in the EventsTable file but when I tested it for one, it didn't go off. I also have a sneaking suspicion that notifications for player events aren't going off (thought they definitely go off for city events)

 

[Gazebo]

On this Github: https://github.com/TechpriestEnginseer/Community-Patch-Events-Development

For the chained event, does setting EventChance to 0 make it guaranteed to fire? It says so in the EventsTable file but when I tested it for one, it didn't go off. I also have a sneaking suspicion that notifications for player events aren't going off (thought they definitely go off for city events)

No, set it to the chance maximum for events themselves. That instruction was related to event choice chance, no? Player event notifications should be working, though if you can give me a specific example to work with I can test it.

G

 

[Magean]

Thanks hokath for the detailed answer.

2000 science to render a single city immune is a lot to pay, if you have to pay it for every other city as well. Personally, I'd make it so you only pay the science cost once to vaccinate your entire empire. Afterwards, you are not totally immune and can still get a less devastating version of the virus : maybe -1 or -2 pops instead of -5.

 

[hokath]

That instruction was related to event choice chance, no?

Oh yeah, woops.

Player event notifications should be working, though if you can give me a specific example to work with I can test it.

So, when I enact one of the event I made, I get the notification. But when other people enact it (and I know they have because I see the Longbowmen it gives), I don't see anything. Generally, I can't recall seeing another players' player events notification at all, if there are any.

Personally, I'd make it so you only pay the science cost once to vaccinate your entire empire.

Yes so this was the intention, going to fix that.

 

[Gazebo]

Oh yeah, woops.


So, when I enact one of the event I made, I get the notification. But when other people enact it (and I know they have because I see the Longbowmen it gives), I don't see anything. I can't recall seeing another players' player events notification


Yes so this was the intention, going to fix that.

Are you setting the event notification to global? There's a bool for that IIRC.

G

 

[hokath]

I've set <IsWorldEvent> to true

I've committed the player event chain for the motaba event, will just test it.
edit: tested it quickly, hopefully that prevents the nastiness going off globally rather than per-city

 

[Edaka]

I may have misinterpreted RequiresNoActiveCityEvent in that case. That's irritating. Guess will need to have a PlayerEvent that chains off it then.

In either case, do you guys think the pop loss should be toned down and by how much?

Yeah, I had a feeling that it wasn't working as intended. That can indeed be irritating, especially for someone who wrote the thing That aside, I like the event, as well as others you've made, so nice work!

I think that 5 pop at the time the event becomes active is appropriate (especially if immunization is an option). I mean, the hurricane can make you lose 4 very early on.

 

[Gazebo]

I've set <IsWorldEvent> to true

I've committed the player event chain for the motaba event, will just test it.
edit: tested it quickly, hopefully that prevents the nastiness going off globally rather than per-city

Global events are only shown to players that have been met by the player receiving the event, mind you.

G

 

[hokath]

I like the event, as well as others you've made, so nice work!

Thanks! There are some more coming, so you'll have to help me hunt down the errors in them too.

Global events are only shown to players that have been met by the player receiving the event, mind you.

Ok, that shouldn't be an issue here. I dunno if I dun goofed, I just get the feeling its not working. The only other one that does this currently is Stadium event, choice one. I haven't seen that go off, but since its so late it might be a fluke. Anyone seen that event notification from another player?

 

[Gazebo]

Thanks! There are some more coming, so you'll have to help me hunt down the errors in them too.


Ok, that shouldn't be an issue here. I dunno if I dun goofed, I just get the feeling its not working. The only other one that does this currently is Stadium event, choice one. I haven't seen that go off, but since its so late it might be a fluke. Anyone seen that event notification from another player?

You can very easily test this using the firetuner. Simply fire the event choice for another player while acting as a different player.

G

 

[hokath]

I'll try that
edit: so I autoplayed myself to player 2 and then fired the stadium event choice. I see the popup.
Then I autoplay back to player 1, but I don't see it. Is that what you meant?

 

[Gazebo]

I'll try that
edit: so I autoplayed myself to player 2 and then fired the stadium event choice. I see the popup.
Then I autoplay back to player 1, but I don't see it. Is that what you meant?

Who did you fire the event for? Player 1?

 

[Gidoza]

When the pandemic event occurs in a city there are two options: lose 5 pop or if you have a med-lab, lose 5 pop and up to 2000 science to prevent the event occurring for you ever again. The idea here is for the event to be more punishing those who are not as technologically advanced (and so dont have med labs).

I don't know about this - it's never a good thing when we're punishing players who are already BEHIND in order to make them even more behind. The game's self-balance should focus on pulling back the leaders, not the stragglers.

 

[tu_79]

I had to check this and it results that 'The Motaba virus' is:
A fiction virus in 'Epidemic' movie
&
A virus for MS Messenger.

Guess someone here is in his 30s.

 

[hokath]

Who did you fire the event for? Player 1?

Ah no it would have been for the active player. Instead of GetActivePlayer() is it something like GetPlayer2() or something?
Though would I not still expect to see it in the start of turn notifications?

it's never a good thing when we're punishing players who are already BEHIND in order to make them even more behind.

I get where you are coming from, but this is sort of Civ all over. You are ahead, you are stronger. The balance is in people teaming up against you.

Guess someone here is in his 30s.

Guess again