Difficulty levels make this game useless!

random50

Join Date 03/2006

Difficulty levels make this game useless!

The AI is no challenge to me when it has just a 25% bonus economy, research and production bonus (genius AI up to crippling). I am no challenge to the AI when it has a 100% bonus to all 3 (incredible AI, masochistic and above). I could switch tech trading on and economy cheese my way to victory, or maybe even leave tech trading off and do the same (pay everybody else to do my dirty work and flip planets instead of invade) but I don't enjoy playing that way. Why the hell is there no sensible middle ground?!

Related topic...how do I go about getting this complaint heard by the people who could actually do something about it? The game is utterly useless to me as it is, and surely I can't be alone in finding this difficulty jump insurmountable. It must be so easy for them to put in an AI level with, say, 50% bonus, so I assume it's just not been brought to their attention.

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One can only hope, random50. One can only hope. They are good with communicating with their clientele so I doubt this issue will just die. I just find it daunting, especially for them, to field soooooo many threads.

Oh, and I don't think it would be a "simple" change. Difficulty is based on the programming of the AI. That CANNOT be an easy task. I've read the Journals and News concerning AI. It sounds like two tonnes of hell packed into a one tonne bucket. I just want them to know that this issue is being addressed by players as a problem. Maybe they won't solve it, maybe they will. I can't control that. I can only beg like a good little boy.

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eravenheart, reading back over your post I realise your change may be complicated to make.

The one I want, on the other hand, doesn't need any AI changes at all since the AI's the same from tough onwards. All that's needed to put in a level between crippling and masochistic is putting in an AI level with a multiplier for the main things between 1.25 (genius) and 2 (incredible).

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Ahhh. I see. I also was reading over a modding guide. You actually understand all that????? I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar. Hence why I get miffed when that dreaded word mod shows up. The only thing I've managed to do so far is change the starting planets. (I gave myself all 26's to see if it would work. It did, will wonders never cease. Now I've got to change it back.) I also looked at scenario modding and just simply walked into the corner of my room and wept uncontrollably for a few minutes.

I don't even want to think of how the people who actually CREATE this stuff keep their sanity. I think I'll just sit back and wait to see what's what.

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Hi!

All that's needed to put in a level between crippling and masochistic is putting in an AI level with a multiplier for
the main things between 1.25 (genius) and 2 (incredible).

It seems to be that simple, but I just realized they'd need to change metaverse scoring too. And that would probably be the main problem. You probably know what was needed to change it once (keep_pressing_end_turn_to_increase_score bug), so they'll probably not change it because a handfull of us aren't satisfied with the current AI bonuses balance.

Ah, anyway, I've put GC-2 on hold for a while. The Stars! game I'm currently in just keeps going better and better.

BR, Iztok

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I think the problem here, is that stardock was overly sufficient with believing, that their "Intelligent" level would beat 90% of the players, which I think is wrong. There are many slowly scaling lower difficulty-levels and only 2 above Intelligent.

Look at Civ 4, there's only 2 Levels below Regent but a big bunch above. 5% Bonus to the AI, 10%, 20%, ... it scales smoothly upwards so anyone can find himself a suitable level where he has exciting games.

In GC 2 there's just Genius and the Cheese or Die-Level: Masochistic.

I totally agree with the opinion of manys here: Just implement some more levels between Intelligent and Maso.

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It's only a game...

Bah, humbah.

As to the gap, yeah its a big one. I usually adjust controls though in the startup. Instead of tight I use loose star systems. Than just to really confuse things, about once a week I put everything on random that can be. Just so that I can get that... "uh-oh" feeling.

W/R
Suralle Straykat
Kat Lord @ Large

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What is USELESS is ....
Having a vaild point and then CRYING like a little baby about it ...
Instead of articulating it in a clear, unambiguous manner without being abrasive and annoying !!!!

If I remember correctly random50 already opened a thread about the topic of having no appropriate difficulty mode between crippling and maso. So I clearly can understand the frustration.

For me it is exactly the same. I have no difficulty beating crippling sharing my allignment with NO other race (cheese free game with diplomacy switched off). I guess the developers decided that anyone who can beat crippling is cheeeeesing to the max anyhow, so it wouldn't matter anymore how steep the difficulty rise is from crippling to maso.
How ever this is just wrong. Crippling is very well doable, without cheese and without cheat.
Maso and above is very difficult and is only doable with very special game settings and 1000 layers of cheese.
Pls stardock just make maso-mode a 50% eco bonus, can't be so difficult.

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No, I guess we're just equally as lacking in patience when it comes to finding names some other guy hasn't already nicked.

yes indeed.

Great minds. I considered calling it the "Civil Service"

much better than 'nerf centre'!

I dont think the scoring would cause too many problems though - the scores already out there wouldnt need to be changed, would they? That was what caused all the problems with the other thing. you would just need to be able to rate new games with the new difficulty.

hopefully they will add another level, but until then theres always the civil service

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