vorlon_mi
Emperor
I bought the game in 2019, both the base game and the RT expansion at the same time, on a Steam sale.
I started playing BERT, not the original BE game. I learned the game with BERT assumptions.
I wanted to get the "Fearful Symmetry" achievement, to win on a Skirmish map. But I couldn't find a way to select such a map in BERT. So, last night, I went into the DLC option and turned off the RT expansion. I started a game on a Skirmish map as Brasil, and dug in to crush my opponent.
Wow. So much changed, switching back to "vanilla" BE. I was struck by how much it resembled Civ 5, especially the diplomacy. So many conventional agreement options. I was able to build Trade Convoys for a city that had not yet grown enough population to be eligible for its second trade route; in BERT, that option is greyed out.
At a higher level, I can see a bit why BERT is not nearly as popular as Civ 5. For people who were fans of Civ 5, giving BE vanilla try felt familiar. Affinities would be new, as would the side quests, but combat would be similar; culture & virtues would resemble culture & social policies; energy replaced gold; stations replaced city states. Stations were actually simplified city states, since one could only trade with them not become friends or allies with them.
Now, imagine that the BE fans see all the changes that happened in RT, especially the changes that make me enjoy BERT so much. Diplomatic capital is a separate currency, allowing greater flexibility in rush-buying or rush-building units or buildings. All the familiar deal options from other games in the franchise are replaced by eclectic deal options that vary from game to game, depending on what traits you choose and what traits the AI choose.
I can certainly see that some fans of vanilla BE would stop playing. Fans of Civ 4, who love large stacks, would stay away from BERT just as they are staying away from Civ 5. Fans of Civ 5 who like the new features available through the expansion packs would stay with that game, and not give the new BERT a try.
After I get this achievement, I'm going back to playing with the RT expansion. It's a different game in key respects, and a better game in my opinion.
I started playing BERT, not the original BE game. I learned the game with BERT assumptions.
I wanted to get the "Fearful Symmetry" achievement, to win on a Skirmish map. But I couldn't find a way to select such a map in BERT. So, last night, I went into the DLC option and turned off the RT expansion. I started a game on a Skirmish map as Brasil, and dug in to crush my opponent.
Wow. So much changed, switching back to "vanilla" BE. I was struck by how much it resembled Civ 5, especially the diplomacy. So many conventional agreement options. I was able to build Trade Convoys for a city that had not yet grown enough population to be eligible for its second trade route; in BERT, that option is greyed out.
At a higher level, I can see a bit why BERT is not nearly as popular as Civ 5. For people who were fans of Civ 5, giving BE vanilla try felt familiar. Affinities would be new, as would the side quests, but combat would be similar; culture & virtues would resemble culture & social policies; energy replaced gold; stations replaced city states. Stations were actually simplified city states, since one could only trade with them not become friends or allies with them.
Now, imagine that the BE fans see all the changes that happened in RT, especially the changes that make me enjoy BERT so much. Diplomatic capital is a separate currency, allowing greater flexibility in rush-buying or rush-building units or buildings. All the familiar deal options from other games in the franchise are replaced by eclectic deal options that vary from game to game, depending on what traits you choose and what traits the AI choose.
I can certainly see that some fans of vanilla BE would stop playing. Fans of Civ 4, who love large stacks, would stay away from BERT just as they are staying away from Civ 5. Fans of Civ 5 who like the new features available through the expansion packs would stay with that game, and not give the new BERT a try.
After I get this achievement, I'm going back to playing with the RT expansion. It's a different game in key respects, and a better game in my opinion.