They oughta bring back the bonuses for being the first to do something.

[moysturfurmer]

Like how you'd get a free great person for being the first to research a certain tech in 4.

It doesn't even have to be drastic, it could be something like a small science bonus for an era if you're the first to reach it, or a point of happiness for the first to discover radio or a single tile border expansion in every city if you're the first to research navigation or things like that, or a tiny increase to culture for being the first to meet every city state on the map I dunno I'm just spitballing here.

As of right now there's no real incentive to sail around the world, and that's kind of a bummer to me.

 

[TPQ]

Yep. Agreed. This would add to the game and make things a little more interesting between wars.

 

[Save_Ferris]

Agreed. But it's easier to beeline certain techs in Civ 4, so the AI might overuse the feature.

 

[moysturfurmer]

Agreed. But it's easier to beeline certain techs in Civ 4, so the AI might overuse the feature.

Couldn't the player as well, in theory?

 

[Save_Ferris]

Couldn't the player as well, in theory?

True, but the AI will find a way to screw it up. If they beeline before considering any other techs, they will get behind in science.

 

[Namaspamus]

Magellan's journey (prove that the world is round) was nice. It could also become a City-states quest.

 

[I_qua_I]

I would love to see these kinds of little rewards implemented.

 

[Camikaze]

I like added flavour, but I'm not sure if introducing big advantages for breaching arbitrary thresholds is really a good thing in terms of gameplay (that is, bigger advantages for more arbitrary thresholds).

 

[Rusty Edge]

I like added flavour, but I'm not sure if introducing big advantages for breaching arbitrary thresholds is really a good thing in terms of gameplay (that is, bigger advantages for more arbitrary thresholds).

I agree, it could be a balance issue.

For me, things like a tech race, a circumnavigation race, or a wonder race were things that made me want to play another turn, just to see what happened. It added suspense.

A)You could try to balance things by reducing the advatages. A circumnavigation bonus could be less than an extra movement point for your entire navy the remainder of the game. It might only apply to the ships at sea when you prove the world is round, or it might only apply to the last ship to move .

B)You could try to balance things by spreading out the advatages. The first to circumvnavigate might get the traditional benefit, the second could get the movement for it's ships at sea, the third a visibility promotion for it's existing ships ( to help them catch up on exploration) and the others could get the same or nothing.

Likewise a race to a tech that grants a free tech could grant a number of beakers or free scientists in your empire.

Second place in a World Wonder race might grant you a national wonder if you covered the hammer cost, or some free engineers.

 

[Camikaze]

Yeah, I guess nerfing the benefits would be a good way around possible balance issues. I prefer A to B, as with B it may be advantageous to not come first, but to come second, or something, in certain situations.

I like flavour!

 

[Namaspamus]

For me, things like a tech race, a circumnavigation race, or a wonder race were things that made me want to play another turn, just to see what happened. It added suspense.

A)You could try to balance things by reducing the advatages. A circumnavigation bonus could be less than an extra movement point for your entire navy the remainder of the game. It might only apply to the ships at sea when you prove the world is round, or it might only apply to the last ship to move .

Agree about the "one more turn" feeling these challenges added.

+1 naval move is not such a game-breaking bonus, especially in the late game. Elizabeth has +2.
I would even go for something like: the first to reveal all the map (or 90% of it) receives +1 line of sight for his units because of his scouting ability.

Agree though that some bonuses like: the first to a certain tech receives a science bonus can produce a balance-breaking snowball effect.

These could also become city-states quests as we are in great need of more of them.

 

[Ramstorp]

I want negative effects for being the first to reach certain techs...

 

[Namaspamus]

...nuclear fission?

 

[Rusty Edge]

An unhappiness penalty for banking?

 

[awesome]

Yeah, I guess nerfing the benefits would be a good way around possible balance issues. I prefer A to B, as with B it may be advantageous to not come first, but to come second, or something, in certain situations.

I like flavour!

maybe that's not so bad in some situations. it can be explained away with the reasoning that you improved on what someone else did first when it happens, but you would generally get slightly better benefits when you're first to do something than second.

 

[Camikaze]

That it happens to be advantageous to come second in some situations isn't the problem. The problem is knowing ahead of time that you shouldn't try to be the first at something. That you shouldn't win a race that is designed to be won. That's exploitative.

 

[awesome]

well, if they did design it that way, they would either be doing it on purpose or being sloppy, so that's kind of a moot point anyway.

 

[Ramstorp]

Maybe it could be more random.

The (risk taking) one to get to some techs first might get a really nice benefit, or he might get a really nasty problem on his hands.

In some normal 10,000 m race the idiot who decides to lead the race usually wears himself out before the last 100 yards.

Some of the greatest empires refused to modernize until the very last moment, because they were scared of losing all the glory they had stored up in their old ways.

There are reasons why everyone is not liberal or progressive in this world.

 

[Rusty Edge]

Maybe it could be more random.

The (risk taking) one to get to some techs first might get a really nice benefit, or he might get a really nasty problem on his hands.

In some normal 10,000 m race the idiot who decides to lead the race usually wears himself out before the last 100 yards.

Some of the greatest empires refused to modernize until the very last moment, because they were scared of losing all the glory they had stored up in their old ways.

There are reasons why everyone is not liberal or progressive in this world.

Aha! I myself tend to embrace the random elements for making the game more replayable. Others may complain because they only like random advantages. Still others would like to remove random elements to make the game an experiment or a measure of skill.

Some say the Chineese Treasure fleet circumnavigated the Earth, others say only the
Indian Ocean. We'll probably never know because the Emperor's reaction was to burn the fleet and destroy the records. That would be an interesting element in the circumnavigation race .... "Elements in your government are terrified by what they have discovered. They have destroyed your fleet and maps." That would be quite a check against trying to exploit such bonuses as may be available.

Or maybe merely- "your charts have been destroyed".

Another disadvantage to being the first to do something is that the trial and errror is expensive. Maybe the benefit to the first is greater, but so is the cost. What if there is no northwest passage? It gets easier when you can imitate somebody else's success. Nuclear fission should be easier for the second to discover it, if for no other reason than they know it's possible.

 

[Camikaze]

well, if they did design it that way, they would either be doing it on purpose or being sloppy, so that's kind of a moot point anyway.

My point is that it would invariably be designed like that. It's unavoidable. The nature of the idea means that it will be able to be exploited in such a way. Offering benefits for second place will mean that in some situations, getting the second place benefits will be more beneficial than getting the first place benefits. This means that there will be situations in which it is to your benefit to try and come second, simply to exploit those advantages.