Will they ever fix the Overflow problem?

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

Anyone in here in the know about these things have any idea why they haven't fixed the overflow exploit, or the "if there's any chance at peace, the AI will take a no-conditions trade" exploit? They've been around forever, and it would seem to me like the coding involved would be trivial.

I'm also surprised that I haven't seen a mod take care of either ... am I missing something?

 

[phillipwyllie]

It would be easy to fix the beaker overflow exploit, just make GS work like GE in that you can't bulb without something in the build queue and the bulb can't give more hammers than the item being built.
In regards to the no condition peace deal, the AI in BNW is prolly geared towards trade and not ranking up a huge warmonger score(as in G&K).

Whether they patch it depends on if any devs are working on civ5.

 

[eldiablonoche]

Whats the "if there's any chance at peace, the AI will take a no-conditions trade" exploit?

I've never run across such a thing.

 

[AnalogWigwam]

It's pretty shocking to me that they haven't fixed the science overflow exploit, since it's basically game-breaking. I have a hard time wanting to play the game now that I know about it, and it's simply too hard not to use it, at least to some extent. I'm surprised more people haven't been complaining about this lately.

 

[tommynt]

overflow "bug" is not game breaking at all

what might be gamebreaking is the whole bulb mechanic as ai cant do it (in a clever way) and it therefore gives a huge advantage to human player

delaying important techs give quite a disadvantage and no1 posted "ueber" finishing times abusing the "bug"
All what it gives is give bad and medicore players a better chance at winning - catching up in tech when being behind - and thats proly even wanted by devs

 

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

overflow "bug" is not game breaking at all

what might be gamebreaking is the whole bulb mechanic as ai cant do it (in a clever way) and it therefore gives a huge advantage to human player

delaying important techs give quite a disadvantage and no1 posted "ueber" finishing times abusing the "bug"
All what it gives is give bad and medicore players a better chance at winning - catching up in tech when being behind - and thats proly even wanted by devs

Uh-huh. Right. Well those of us who aren't at 1000bpt by turn 200 sometimes find that we are behind in science even without purposely delaying important techs, and the overflow bug (no quotes) allows a really ridiculous way to catch up abnormally quickly.

 

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

Whats the "if there's any chance at peace, the AI will take a no-conditions trade" exploit?

I've never run across such a thing.

Seriously, though, that's something that wasn't even around before the fall patch, best I can recall. Now, if the AI is even vaguely okay with a peace treaty, they'll do one, even-steven. WTH? That *has* to be a bug.

 

[tommynt]

whoever really has a hard time catching up in science got many other problems in game aswell - like outtdated units, being "small", no CS allies and so on.

Not like these guys get a autowin by some "free" bakkers.

And even even if - civ is for 99% of players not about winning.

 

[Fallen_Kings]

I'm surprised they didn't fix this in the "Complete Edition"
However,I have fix the overflow exploit in my LUA mod

Spoiler :

local Overflow = player:GetOverflowResearch();
local OverflowModifier = player:CalculateResearchModifier(tech);
local OverflowChange = Overflow * ( 100 - OverflowModifier );
teamtech:ChangeResearchProgressTimes100(tech,OverflowChange,playerID);

 

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

I'm surprised they didn't fix this in the "Complete Edition"
However,I have fix the overflow exploit in my LUA mod

Spoiler :

local Overflow = player:GetOverflowResearch();
local OverflowModifier = player:CalculateResearchModifier(tech);
local OverflowChange = Overflow * ( 100 - OverflowModifier );
teamtech:ChangeResearchProgressTimes100(tech,OverflowChange,playerID);

Thanks! I'll check it out. Now can you get the AI to stop being such a wuss on peace treaties?

 

[Gamewizard]

The beaker overflow problem isn't just about avoiding the ancient techs until the AI hits Industrial to slingshot through the tech tree. Anytime you bulb a tech that some of the AIs already know you are going to get more beakers than you are suppose to.

In one of my recent Immortal games, I avoided Penicillin and instead teched the bottom portion of the tree. I built Hubble and used my 2 scientists to bulb Penicillin and the tech after. That should have been all I could get, but to my surprise I had enough beakers for a third tech and half of a fourth one.

Scientist bulbing is broken in the sense that it usually gives more science than it says it is going to give you.

 

[szcott]

Lol its funny that you said you just can't resist using it. That would be the easiest option.

On marathon it rarely gets me too far ahead, more like catches me up and maybe puts me 10-20% ahead, which erodes over time.

One thing I like about it, is that it opens up other possibilities on Deity. Now you don't have to go straight for science (although you do need a couple of GS). It gives you some options to play around a little more and still catch up.

 

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

Lol its funny that you said you just can't resist using it. That would be the easiest option.

One thing I've done to control for it is only pop when I'm starting a tech, and don't pop multiple GS's, but it's annoying ...

 

[Chum]

Was it annoying before a month ago when it was posted?

Because everyone sure seemed to get by just fine without knowledge of it. So, uhh, continue playing like you did before?

 

[Cromagnus]

If I had to pick between them fixing the overflow bug and fixing it so that AIs prioritize Education and fill university slots, I'd take the latter. The AI is so stupid about technology that it's game-breaking.

Of course, it should be easier to fix the overflow bug.

 

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

Sure, Cro, have 'em build/buy universities, hell, why not let the AI buy buildings with the thousands of gold they have stored up?

You start doing that, and nobody will ever win on Deity again ...

 

[Ninakoru]

You start doing that, and nobody will ever win on Deity again ...

That's no the problem, the problem is that AI is so stupid that need absurdly high bonuses to stay competitive.

If AI acts more clever, bonuses should be toned down to keep the game beatable.

 

[Cromagnus]

That's no the problem, the problem is that AI is so stupid that need absurdly high bonuses to stay competitive.

If AI acts more clever, bonuses should be toned down to keep the game beatable.

Exactly... reduce stupid bonuses that make Deity *different, not just harder* and supplement with more intelligent behavior.

For example, the bonus city. This is the "difficulty" equivalent of nuking the problem from orbit. It totally changes the game... the AI can immediately forward-settle on t5, giving the player a trade route garnering gold and beakers on almost immediately. The AI gets extra workers which the player can steal on t6 to boost their own growth.

This is a completely misguided approach to difficulty. It changes the core gameplay.

Free techs is the other obvious one. The AI wins GL every time because it has a tech headstart. Remove Mining and Pottery alone and the player has a 50/50 shot at GL. But that tech headstart disappears when the player gets education.

Overflow is a minor annoyance compared to the basic core issue that Deity is not at all like "playing against a skilled opponent without the wait".

 

[Fallen_Kings]

There are tons of things Firaxis should have fixed years ago:

But what have they done?Nothing.

 

[tommynt]

realisticly its just imposibly to code a "tommynt" difficulty.

and if there was one people d complain.

some tricks human players use are just too "complicated" for an ai to use.
The whole bulb mechanics for example. Things like saving up great writers for rediculous amounts of culture in a worlds fair. Beelining important military techs, bribing
.......