One user said the more options we have the better, and I specifically agree for sandbox, non- metaverse games. Another one hoped that the ability to change research rates mid game shouldn't be implemented for Metaverse games, and I agree too. In fact, Metaverse games should have tighter options ( and only one default research rate we can't change mid game ) to the contrary of the offline sandbox mode.
1) Though it's inevitable that some races are now much harder to play than others ( since they each have unique tech trees mostly), I think it's still possible to tweak them if you have spare time - otherwise casual players will only play the three-four easiest. I find some of them ( like Arceans or Iconians ) now totally unbeffiting with my gameplay style in ToA on maps crowded with several rivals. 2) Tech tweaking: ONLY normal tech rate for MV games; Thalans should have farm techs; ad
Thanks for the inputs, Brad, and good work Stardock! I too am very intrigued by your Metaverse' ''much needed love''....
I wonder how Stardock will implement the new victory condition coming in TA, and how much will it weight compared to the others?
Confirmed. I have to save & reload each time a FLEET ( AI or mine ) attacks ships in orbit ( which hang up the game ), though I've just discovered the bug isn't triggered when using a single attack ship ( when knowing the defending planet hasn't an Orbital Fleet Manager that is ). So we can limit to SOME EXTENT tedious saving and loadings since it seems to be fleet related, but this is a very strange glitch indeed I expect to be fixed sooner than later...
When can we expect standard MV games to be enabled in Twilight of the Arnor? An upcoming beta through January, if so which one ? Or just for the final release? Unless of course people mostly want to play tournaments now?
Sorry if I didn't read all the posts in this long thread, but in case the devs are still reading, I would like these implemented if technically possible ( adding my 2 cents to what's already discussed by other posters ): 1) more diplo options regarding military ships in rival territory= right of passage treaty, and even without it the possibility to ask a rival the permission to pass for attacking another rival ( influence areas to be realistically used ); I always find ridiculous a AI
All related programs seem to be rightly installed, but it seems I'm stuck with the 1.50 Dark Avatar version in game, EVEN if my SDC say 1.50X.072 installed in March. I didn't make the upgrade manually. What really is the very latest DA patch? And why can't I play a 1.5X game? Should I reinstall SDC???
Excellent posts all. Money is harder to come by, so even if the trade routes have been nerfed, they're still essential to work ( unless playing the early warmonger on smaller maps ). Though the espionage can be seen as a mixed bag by some, I think it's well implemented and can be potent - especially when you put one agent after another on a rival's Manufacturing/Economic/Technological Capital or Anti Matter Power Plant. The new pacing of the game really shows the hard work Bra
I was also in the middle of playing Medieval2-TW. I am now consumed with Dark Avatar and loving it. Same here. And I predict DA should stay my primary strat game for quite some time, for it enhances a lot the base game into something even more balanced.
Yes, I can tell you the AI is tougher. I must downgrade to Painful in DA ( was at Crippling before ). Two things the AI does much better= science science science ( like Civ IV ), and takes the galactic resources very fast during the early rush.
Thanks for dropping by these all very cool implements. I'm particularly impressed by the Epic Generator. The spy system seems to be reminiscent of the classic MoO2' one; I guess you have some modern twists in mind to update it! Keep up the good work
Great! But can we have some input about the redesigned difficulty levels, particularly in the upper hand past Intelligent: the ''new'' economic bonuses related to ( I think many will agree with me about a better cheat allocation filling the gap between 120% and 200% ), following what e-stab just posted....
Overall I think the actual state of the MV is effectively, like Brad stated, a compromise between the best player scores ( longer games on gigantic maps that take weeks to submit) and the shorter ones that would have been otherwise abused by daily submitters without some kind of square root applied after a certain number of games submitted ( though I would prefer a less drastic formula to be implemented when posting the 6th, 16th game and so on as to avoid the abrupt downgrade quite discouraging
Keep up the good work! ''Additional difficulty levels'' = yes! Do I read your mind that you're also planning to fill the hole of AI bonuses between Genius and Incredible? Anyhow, thanks for the heads up.
For me, Crippling ( Genius ) remains the best challenge/fun ratio with a 120% economic bonuses to the AI. It's not that the Incredible AI ( ultimate level ) becomes too clever, no; but competing against 200% economic cheats is no fun at all.
Is it too late to suggest new difficulty levels to be added and tested for the expansion? Here's why ( and please correct me if I'm wrong ): The AI has the same 100% economic bonuses than the player at Intelligent & Gifted ( + some additional algorithms unlocked in the latter? ). Now the AI set at Genius has a 120%, and 200% at Incredible which include 3 levels ( Masochistic, Obscene, Suicidal that seem only distinct by additional algorithms it seems? ). It would be much w
CraigHB As soon as you play your 6th game, your total score for all 6 games will be divided by 2. Then when you play your 11th game all 11 are divided by 3. No, I don't see it that way. ( see below the next statements ) But first, I don't want to complain - I generally adapt very well to any great game good devs make, such as
I don't know if it's related to the option in question here, but I've just completed my first 1.2 game with the '' CPU algo '' ON and for the very first time in GalCiv 2, I witnessed the Ai - at last - being able to push out Dreadnoughts equipped with ultimate weapons by 2231-2232.
I never saw any official info about the Gifted level......except that a Stardock person once mentioned that Gifted is the same than Intelligent regarding resources and bonuses yet the AI has some additional algorithms unlocked to be ''almost'' on par with experienced ( but not the very best ) players. Of course the AI has 120% at Genius and ..........200% at any of the three Incredible levels ??? ( Maso, Obscene, Suicidal ). I too would like to see detailed algorithms unlocked for each level....
I rather doubt they will make another recalc soon, as we enter summer vacations yet who knows, perhaps with an upcoming 1.3 - but I agree they should have nerfed the 1.1 betas 1 & 2 ( not as much than 1.0 & 1.0x though considering the AI upgrades ). I still wonder if ( CariElf or any Stardock person ) will fix or erase the cheater flagged 1.2 beta 1..... As for the scoring system, I think the longer it takes on gigantic maps STILL pays a lot for a military victory. I don'
OK, thanks for the update.
OK, but will it still be possible to patch current 1.2 beta 1 metaverse games with the upcoming beta 2 and then perhaps be able to submit them without being flagged?
Though I respect your well written critics, based on your gameplay experiences, I'd say it's unfair to compare GalCiv 2 with the Civ series based on the AI coding. At least in GalCiv2 the ''decent-but-still-stupid - AI- the-hardcores-will never-be-content-with'' doesn't cheat at respectable difficulty levels, while in a medium game of Civ 4 you can witness ruthless AIs constantly declaring wars out of a whim, with no reason. I like to know the motives to go to war. Firaxis' AI ( Civ III & 4 ) c
Agreed, the 1.1-Beta scores submitted before the scoring change (which happened in 1.1-Beta3 IIRC) need to be recalculated as well, otherwise the whole effort loses most of its sense. I mostly agree, though they're still 1.1 with some AI tweaks over 1.0x so I would prefer to see the Beta 1.1 - 1 & 2 slightly downgraded, i.e within a range of v
