Variant Brain Storming Thread

[Own]

Cool variant idea. Actually it was Offa who wrote a write up. He said he was lucky that his two rivals were at war. I might give Egypt a try .

 

[Heroes]

Sedentary would be toughest, AI can get techs. Raging can bully AI settlers home, and humans are more competent at protecting theirs without hiding them in a city (like the AI does) so any higher helps humans

IMO alphabet starting with is needed for getting to republic quicker.

With these settings best civ would be America.

Thanks for your analysis about barbs. But in what sense do you mean America is the best? In the sense that it's the hardest to win? Useless trait (exp), useless UU (F-15), all you get is only ind, -- it's just a shame to use America. I want a fair challenge, but not a challenge which is so terribly unfair!

My point is that people keep building or capturing GLib again and again, or otherwise using arch map, -- can we do sth different? It will be a "phoenix rising" kind of challenge even without AW till 10 AD!

 

[barbslinger]

I was thinking of a variant where you are only allowed one city until you can ID a resource or a lux. Then you are allowed to either settle there to get the resource / lux or capture. I think Emporer possibly Monarch.

 

[Sirian]

The number succession games using challenging, never been done before variants is officially at zero. Even the world famous LK series has been suspended due to the lack of an interesting, challenging variant.

...

So this is a brain stroming thread.

...

I can't start because I don't have any ideas at the moment.

Hey Bugs. This may be coloring outside the lines, but Civ4 will be out in a couple of weeks, and every game there will be like playing a new variant, hopefully for a decent while. Then the Civ4 variants can begin. Should be NO SHORTAGE of fun around by this time next month.

As for what to do until then, we could try the "Counting Sheep" variant. Try and make yourself fall asleep for a couple of weeks, so you can "wake up" again when the action picks back up.


- Sirian

 

[Sir Bugsy]

Hey Bugs. This may be coloring outside the lines, but Civ4 will be out in a couple of weeks, and every game there will be like playing a new variant, hopefully for a decent while. Then the Civ4 variants can begin. Should be NO SHORTAGE of fun around by this time next month....
- Sirian

You have that right. I'm sure we'll just have to wait for you and Arathorn to cook us up some doozies.

 

[T_McC]

I've been sitting on a variant for a while, but never got around to starting a game with it. Now it's probably too late.

Luddites!

Only two rules:
(1) Player may never enter the Industrial Age. (In practice, never research ToG.)
(2) Player must declare war on any AI that does enter the Industrial Age.

So it's offset-AW, with the human guaranteed to fall farther behind as each turn progresses. No Rails, Rifles, Infantry, Artillery ... (Oh, and obviously you have to win by Conquest or Domination, although in theory you could try to win by culture.)

Played on Demigod+ it reverses the time pressure of the epic game. The human has to fight early wars (at technology/resource deficits) and can't rely on the AI getting bogged down.

I tried it solo a couple of times on DG and it had a nice effect, everything was going smoothly until the IA and then it all hit the fan. (Especially with the usually flaky distribution of Saltpeter.)

 

[Sirian]

You have that right. I'm sure we'll just have to wait for you and Arathorn to cook us up some doozies.

Arathorn says he'll start an SG within twelve hours of getting the game. Wow! I doubt I can match that.

You won't have to wait long to try out some of my ideas, though.


- Sirian

 

[LKendter]

Well I hope to start some SGs shortly after it comes out.

However, it will be awhile before I try a variant. I went to variants when the base game was getting dull.
The big change with RaR is the only reason the LK series made over 100.

 

[scoutsout]

@Bugsy: How have you been?

I've got a variant idea I've been mulling over in my head the last few days... discussed it a little with Bede... Maybe someone following this thread can make something of the idea.

Here's the concept: You must accept peace treaties as soon as the AI will accept straight up peace; no mushing on until an AI civ is pushed into the sea. You could make the AI pay for peace, but then you'd be obligated to the 20-turn deal... You would have to fight short, decisive wars... if you grab 5 or 6 cities on a single turn, the AI will probably sue for peace shortly afterward.

In other words, you'd have to do one thing that I personally detest: giving up the initiative just after you've seized it.

This variant would also hose up your ability to make alliances and orchestrate a good ol' fashoined dogpile... though MPPs are not out of the question.

The chance for peace negotiations is made crystal clear when using one of the utilities like the ones Dianthus and Ainwood created... because trading opportunities are available again.

I don't really have a good name for this variant... peacemongering? Sounds like an oxymoron to me... but if it's worthy of a game I suspect it'll get named.

 

[Kylearan]

Hi,

However, it will be awhile before I try a variant. I went to variants when the base game was getting dull.

I agree. Since it's a new game with heavily altered game mechanics and new concepts compared to Civ 3, playing the standard game will feel like playing a variant anyway, at least during the first months. So why bother playing variant games early on if enough fun can be had with playing the game as it was shipped...
I guess a lot of people will start variant games very soon though, to try to get some early fame, whatever that may be worth...

Unlimited rail movement is gone.

Yes, thank God! That may leave at least some strategy in the game once railroads are discovered, instead of the brainless "I don't have to worry about where to put my home defense" and "I can kill enemy landings easily with my attack forces from the front" crap as it has been with Civ 3...

-Kylearan

 

[Sirian]

Epic 1 is going to be a (mild) variant. You'll understand why when you see it!

 

[Whomp]

I pledge addiction to Civ4 of Firaxis Games in America, and to 2K Games which publishes it: one franchise under Sid, inescapable, with certainty of "One More Turn(TM)" for all!" - The Pledge of Addiction

Sirian you are such a nut!!!11!!eleven!!11

I would like to try my first RBC game with Civ4!
I would also like to call shotgun on a Sirian SG where he let's idiots like me play.

 

[Sirian]

We'll come up with something. Guys I've been playing with for years get first dibs on the first SG or three, though. You gots to dance with the fellow what brung ya!

- Sirian

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

I've got a variant idea I've been mulling over in my head the last few days... discussed it a little with Bede... Maybe someone following this thread can make something of the idea.

Here's the concept: You must accept peace treaties as soon as the AI will accept straight up peace; no mushing on until an AI civ is pushed into the sea. You could make the AI pay for peace, but then you'd be obligated to the 20-turn deal... You would have to fight short, decisive wars... if you grab 5 or 6 cities on a single turn, the AI will probably sue for peace shortly afterward.

I think graham did a variant similar to that or maybe it was the reverse, human couldn't initiate peace talks

 

[Own]

I thought of a good variant. Zwingli started an SG that never got off the ground. I think we didn't realize how huge a challenge it would be.

All AI's are a certain difficulty, except one who is one (or two ) difficulties higher. This means there definately will be a huge runaway.

So sid among the deities would be incredibly hard to stop the sid from hitting the dom limit. Deity among the emperors seems doable.

 

[jeffelammar]

I've been pondering a variant that probably needs some tweaking, but I think might be interesting. The idea started when I saw the title of Gozpels "Slow Motion is our Potion" game, but really has nothing to do with the variant there.

We Think in the Long Term
1. Tech Research - The only thing you are allowed to click on the tech tree is techs that have no direct follow on techs. You can only change when you get the "Pick a new Tech". And then only if you have reached the target tech that you last selected.
AA: Construction, Currency, Republic, Literature, Map Making, Monarchy, Horseback Writing
MA: Free Artistry, Music Theory, Theory of Gravity, Economics, Navigation, Magnetism, Military Tradition, Chivalry
IA: Advanced Flight, Amphibious Warfare, Sanitation, Ironclads, Facism and Communism
MT: Stealth, Recycling, Integrated Defense, Robotics, Genetics


2. You can only issue orders every other turn. You can issue goto orders and things like that which will span your next turn, but every other turn you have to just click "Next Turn" without adjusting anything or making any changes. (Or even canceling moves that are going to turn out badly)

Optional rules to add to the theme.
1. Sliders - You can only change sliders every x turns (10 or 20 sounds good to me)
2. Diplomacy - Player initiated Diplomacy could also be restricted to certain turns (every 10 or 20)
3. No Build Switching. You start and finish everything. (Could allow the exception if you get beat to a wonder, or you could say that that means you have to throw away the shields)