Use of Info Addict Mod for GOTM

[leif erikson]

We have decided that Info Addict could be used in GOTM play. The question is whether or not the community would like to use it? This is a public poll and it will run for 14 days.

We think that, eventually, there will be a mod for Civ5 GOTM and HoF, so using it would help people get used to the use of a mod. Additionally, using the mod would, in many ways, level the playing field as information is power in Civ play.

Please let us know what you think and thank you for participating in GOTM.

 

[Thresian]

Is it something that either everybody has to use or nobody?

 

[Monthar]

Any mods used when the GotM save is created are required to be used to even load the save. So yes, if it's incorporated we will be forced to use it. If that happens, with the exception of the Hof mod once it's finally available, I will no longer participate because mods prevent completion of Steam achievements.

The only reason I will participate with the HoF mod but not any other mod is the HoF mod will actually prevent/expose cheating. This Info Addict mod does not do that.

 

[Ribannah]

I would no longer participate either. The game needs to stay an adventure, and with all the additional info it would become a deskjob.

The name of the mod is well chosen. But I am not an info addict.

 

[leif erikson]

Is it something that either everybody has to use or nobody?

Monthar is correct, if the save is created with Info Addict, then you must have it to play the game.

 

[Ribannah]

Is it possible to make two versions of the same game, one with and one without the mod?

 

[trueblue]

a firm 'no' from me.

No to Info Addict.

(and No to scottish independence while im at it)

 

[leif erikson]

Is it possible to make two versions of the same game, one with and one without the mod?

The tools for game creation are not as advanced as in Civ4. Having created a few saves over the last year, I cannot think of a way to do this easily. Even if one creates a hand made map, when called up to start the game, the City states and AI Civs are not always placed in the same locations.

The possibility exists that there is a procedure I do not know about that would solve this, but someone would have to explain it to me.

 

[leif erikson]

Any mods used when the GotM save is created are required to be used to even load the save. So yes, if it's incorporated we will be forced to use it. If that happens, with the exception of the Hof mod once it's finally available, I will no longer participate because mods prevent completion of Steam achievements.

Have confirmed that achievements are invalidated by use of any mod. Thanks, did not know that before. That is something that we sure do need to consider.

 

[Monthar]

You're welcome. I learned that lesson the hard way when I tried using the simple Pastafarianism mod that only changed the icon and name of the last religion. Since that one game where the mod prevented me from completing several achievements I have avoided all mods.

 

[dmccarthy]

I also voted no due to not being able to complete Steam Achievements. I also prefer to play the game they way it was made and not with player changes (no matter how good).

 

[Moriarte]

Voted - no. Don't we have scouts and spies for that? But not terribly opposed to that proposition. Will still play GOTMs. Possibly going to make a game easier for some of us. Do we want that?

 

[ZerrorR]

When one rules over a country in CiV, he can access all that information on several location in game in meaningful way, and, as I understand it, keeps track over what has happened in the past as a log. That will help lower ranked players to improve their play because they don't know how to access that information, or it is too tiresome to go through all windows each turns. OTOH, we have this "I love STEAM achievements" opposition. I don't like what STEAM has done to this game. Remember Civ IV? They had vanilla and BTS. And that is it. Now we have 6 or 7 DLCs for vanilla and we are about to how many DLCs are going to be before they release dll.s for usable mod for GotM. Complete disregard of community here or/and on other sites.

I vote yes.

 

[Thresian]

Monthar is correct, if the save is created with Info Addict, then you must have it to play the game.

That's no from me then - I wouldn't mind playing with it myself, but it seems to create an unnecessary barrier to entry.

 

[leif erikson]

I also voted no due to not being able to complete Steam Achievements. I also prefer to play the game they way it was made and not with player changes (no matter how good).

Just to be clear (and not trying to favor one side or the other), Info Addict does not include any changes to game play. Its purpose is to make information easier to access to assist the player. Nothing more.

 

[FeiLing]

Well on the screenshots it seems I can see which AI traded which resources with another AI while the game is going on. .. sure that's very minor and hardly abusable but it is an information that normally wouldn't be available to you at all (all you know are RAs and even there's no record of it in a non modded game, so you'd have to actually memorize it or make notes).
More severe could be that this mod apparently tells you the exact rank of every civ in the demographics at any point in the game - you don't have to worry the guy you plan to attacking is actually 2nd in military rank (because the mod will tell you exactly where he is, which you wouldn't know in an unmodded game).

Of course some people like the extra stats. And some might even like how it shows you more easily when a deal/RA is about to run out. But is that worth forcing everyone to use it potentially losing (apparently) up to 50% of the player base?

 

[leif erikson]

Of course some people like the extra stats. And some might even like how it shows you more easily when a deal/RA is about to run out. But is that worth forcing everyone to use it potentially losing (apparently) up to 50% of the player base?

Seems to me we are trying to have a community discussion. Threats to quit, leave or otherwise punish someone seem out of place to me. All we need know is how you feel about using the mod and for people to provide their rationale one way or the other.

 

[trueblue]

If it tells you things that you cant find out in a plain game then its got to be no.

 

[dmccarthy]

I guess I was not clear ... to me changing the way information is displayed is changing the way the game is played ... since my experience is that I played differently when information is available in a different way.
I played Civ IV GOTM with a Mod (and my play style changed since there was more information that was easier to access) and I will continue to play Civ V GOTM if you add Info Addict but I expect I will not play the same. And if you've seen my results that might not be a bad thing.
I also agree that new players might not join for awhile if a Mod was required ... that was my experience with Civ IV GOTM back in the day. I did play but it took me awhile to feel comfortable changing the game from this website.
You might consider a GOTM that uses Info addict in conjunction with many of the DLCs ... I suspect that many of those that want the Info Addict also have most of the DLCs. That would be an interesting datapoint from those that voted yes.

 

[Ribannah]

Seems to me we are trying to have a community discussion.

To me, it seems that we are having a poll and that the outcome will decide what happens. The open discussion was another thread.

Threats to quit, leave or otherwise punish someone seem out of place to me.

I must have missed all these threats. What I see is announcements, and in the correct place. Why would you not want to be informed beforehand about the consequences?