Easy Forbidden Palace Idea

nato · February 19, 2002, 18:58

What if the Forbidden Palace was fairly cheap to make? Like instead of costing 200 or 300 shields, it only cost say 20 or 30?

You could then easily build it in a 1 shield corrupt city, located in the far corrupt end of your empire. Getting that vital second capital would no longer be a major obstacle, and you could plan your empire more how you want it.

And since FP can only be built once, unlike the Palace, it couldn't be abused for culture capturing. Even though it would be cheap you still have to place it strategically, since it can't be moved or rebuilt.

A real bonus to this would be you wouldn't need a Leader for FP, so therefore peaceful builders would no longer be forced into war just to set up their empire.

Anyone like this idea?

The Andy-Man · February 19, 2002, 19:09

this seems pretty cool. try it out in the editor...

star mouse · February 19, 2002, 19:13

How about if you could create a second Forbidden Palace with the editor that required twice as many cities before becoming available? I would call this one the "Emperor's Summer Palace"

Jaybe · February 19, 2002, 19:13

WHAT!!???
No CHALLENGE, ANXIETY, or FRUSTRATION waiting for it to be built???

Honestly, I suggest you try it for yourself, using the Editor. I think you'll find that you will miss the satisfaction of finally getting it done if you make it so easy.
Sorry, but I'm serious.

nato · February 19, 2002, 19:40

Perhaps Jaybe, but I don't know. I haven't generally enjoyed the challenge of getting the FP built.

Generally it is just a challenge of getting a second Leader early in the game. Sometimes I don't want to fight that much early, and sometimes when I do I don't get even one Leader (even when I'm German and I shepherd my elite units and have been at war for centuries).

I think it might be nice to have the second capital be a strategic choice, rather than hoping to get lucky with a second Leader early in a war I might not want.

Ah well just an idea.

Ironikinit · February 19, 2002, 20:05

Cutting the cost wouldn't help me. I rush my palace, not the ForbPal.

Have you tested it out yet? I wonder if the AI would build it right away or something.

Anybody else notice that the AI hardly ever moves its capital, if ever? It used to do it quite a bit in Civ 2.

nato · February 19, 2002, 21:23

No I hadn't tested it. I just had the idea while reading the "Army from a hut" thread.

You have a good point with the AI, I don't know how it would react ... I don't really know how/when it builds the FP as it is now. The AI did move capitols constantly in Civ2, but I don't think I have ever seen it in Civ3.

Changmai Beagle · February 19, 2002, 22:38

I've been considering a strategy of building the FP and rushing my palace elsewhere. What do I lose if I change the location of my palace? The total Culture points from its existence?

Thrawn05 · February 19, 2002, 22:48

Making the FP cheaper might me, since I rarely ever build it. I'm not going to sit and wait 200 turns to build the darn thing when I have Universities and Catherdrals to build.

Ironikinit · February 19, 2002, 22:53

As I understand it, you don't lose culture points retroactively. That is, CPs that you've earned, you keep. However, the palace can generate a good deal of culture a turn because it doubles every 1000 years. So you could lose like 4 CP a turn or so. Don't trust that number it's just a guess.

DrFell · February 20, 2002, 11:36

I have a different idea to make the forbidden palace easier to build. In civ2, when you are constructing a palace, the city producing the palace suffers 0 waste. Now, why not extend that concept to the forbidden palace, and make it so when shields have been accumulated no switching is possible (except perhaps to a palace) without losing all the shields. Any thoughts on this?

nato · February 20, 2002, 16:54

That's not a bad idea DrFell ... but I think it would just have the exact same effect as lowering the shield cost of the FP like I suggested ... the FP would build much quicker. Since my idea could be done right now without extra programming, and the effects would be the same, I'd go with mine.

DrFell · February 21, 2002, 05:19

It would be similar, but not exactly the same, as high production distant cities would finish the wonder quicker than low production cities, rather than them all producing one shield and one trade as they do now.