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CTP2: Civ for Beginners
CTP2 seems like a good game on the outside. The interface is smooth, the graphics are exciting, the diplomacy is complex, unconventional units are well implemented etc. But it is sorely lacking in perhaps 2 of the most important categories as far as the experienced Civer is concerned, 1- Balance and 2- AI. These two things often determine how challenging a Civ-game is, and the more you get into CTP2, the more it shows. Playing on the hardest level in CTP2 provides the same challenge as playing Civ2 on Warlord or Chieftain. The AI is truly awful. And once you pull away it becomes simply a mater of crushing all the little AI nations into submission. The popluation/production problems are also a factor, cities grow far more quickly and easily than they're supposed to, and you hardly need to build any tile improvements at all, since these cities practically grow all by themselves. CTP2 is a good game for those new to the Civ series, and just want to get thier feet wet before deciding if they like this type of game, but for those who've played Civ since the beginning...no amount of bells and whistles can make up for flawed gameplay.
I've reinstalled CTP1 and Wes' Med Mod 4.12 and am happily revisiting that. The difference is very clear. CTP1 with Med Mod 4.12 is superior to CTP2 in almost every respect. The AI is challenging well into the Modern Era. Attacking in coordinated assaults, defending smartly when you're attacking, building up cities and improvements logically. The cities require your attention and management( Unhappiness is really an issue). And as for units, wonders, and improvements...there's a ton of decisions to make and ones to choose from with all the new things added. I find it ironic that Wes and company are getting paid nothing for thier good work on the AI for CTP1 (and presumably they plan to do the same for CTP2), while people at Activision who worked on the dismal AI for CTP2 are probably getting something like 100,000 dollars a year.
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