Far less than 95 theses for practical improvements

[Kenjura]

These are based on my observations of others' complaints, and a few of my own.

1 - AI Tech trading.
Problem: The AI likes to hand out techs to each other for absurdly low prices. I see little of this, but then I only play regent.
Solution: The best I've seen is reduce the effect of tech devaluation.

2 - Useless units.
Problem: Cruise missiles with a short range. Privateers that can't defeat a galleon. Submarines that get spotted by frigates. Not all are agreed on exactly which units are useless, but all are agreed that some are far less attractive than others.
Solution: Make them useful, or just eliminate them outright.

3 - Useless techs and structures.
Problem: Whee. Chemistry. Printing Press. Way to inflate the tech tree with garbage. Longevity. Nifty, but too late. Manufacturing plants. The warmongers are making armor and nukes, and the peace-mongers are building spaceships.
Solution: Give benefits to the useless techs. Maybe a minor wonder or improvement if units are out of the question.

4 - Pop rushing issues.
Problem: Whatever this is, it's a problem. If someone would explain this issue to me, I'll edit this out.

5 - Scenario editing.
Problem: Jesus H. Christ. Civ3 is missing something that civ2 had in plenty!
Solution: Put it the hell back in. If people who've never played the game can make saved game editors, you guys can make a scenario editor.

6 - Unit obselecense.
Problem: In late game, I have my choice of stealth bombers, modern armor, and longbowmen.
Solution: For god's sake, put an upgrade path on these units. Swordsmen are decidedly offensive, as are longbowmen. Upgrade to knights or cavalry, perhaps.

7 - Victory conditions.
Problem: Domination victory takes as long as some Final Fantasy games. Diplomatic victory is either impossible (warmongers with bad reps) or too easy (peace-lovers with a long history). Space victory is generally too easy.
Solution: I think average score victory may be the best way of truly judging the winner, but you have to wait until 2050. Maybe you shouldn't?

8 - Random number streaks.
Problem: It's all right when a spearman inflicts one point of damage on your cavalry, but when you lose six cavalry in a row without killing the spearman, something is out of whack. The random number generator gets on streaks of natural 20's, apparently. I rarely have this luck as a human player, but even if I do, I'd rather have a more even generator.
Solution: I'm no coder. Fix the damn thing.

9 - Multiplayer.
Problem: It done don't exist.
Solution: Let's have it.



Same idea, but 10% the length of the original (give or take half a thesis). ^_^

[civman2000]

I think average score victory may be the best way of truly judging the winner, but you have to wait until 2050.

That's Why you can retire .

6 - Unit obselecense.
Problem: In late game, I have my choice of stealth bombers, modern armor, and longbowmen.
Solution: For god's sake, put an upgrade path on these units. Swordsmen are decidedly offensive, as are longbowmen. Upgrade to knights or cavalry, perhaps.

upgrading infantry to mounted units is unnatural. The real problem is that there is no aggressive infantry past londbowmen, until you get to marines, whick suck anyways. There should be an aggressive musket man 6/4 and musketmen should be 5/6 (need a bigger advantage over knights). Cavalry: 9/4. Offensive Rifleman: 8/6 Rifleman: 6/9 Offensive infantry: 10/7. Infantry: 7/11. Then the rest of the units (tanks, etc) are correspondingly upgraded. Also, if cavalry has 3 moves, tanks should have 4, panzers should have 5, as should modern armor.

[ACooper]

1. For me tech trading adds another dimension to the game. I know it will be tweaked, but I think it is pretty close to good now.

2. Cruise missles do have limited range in real life. Each tile represents up to thousands of miles. Original submarines could be spotted by almost anything (but they were mostly missed)

3. Improvements could be made here.

4. You don't even know what it is and you call it a problem?

5. Ok. (though I could care less about scenarios, if it's important to you I'll support it)

6. ditto Civman2000

7. Is this really a problem?

8. I'm glad your not a "coder". Flip a penny 100 times and see what kind of "streaks" you have.

9. Care less about multiplayer, but more power to you.


Good luck with the game.

[John Paul Jones]

Originally posted by Kenjura

8 - Random number streaks.
Problem: It's all right when a spearman inflicts one point of damage on your cavalry, but when you lose six cavalry in a row without killing the spearman, something is out of whack. The random number generator gets on streaks of natural 20's, apparently. I rarely have this luck as a human player, but even if I do, I'd rather have a more even generator.
Solution: I'm no coder. Fix the damn thing

Did you calculate the Spearman's starting odds verus the cavalry, and adjust for city size/ city walls/ fortress/ terrain/ rivers/ experience and difficulty level ?
Did the Spearman get upgraded during the 6 assaults ?

Sometimes a spearman will have a clear advantage against even cavalry...but other times, and probably that time it was just bad luck offset by playing at a level above Regent where the odds are always stacked in the AI's favour anyway.

I miss the combat odds window from SMAC

[Kaak]

35) option for a better, more extensive replay
36) GET RID OF THE TECH TREE AGES. having to research all of the techs for one age before going on kills half of the strategic value of the game.

[Grey Knight]

By forcing you to basically research everything in an "age", you reduce the amount of strategic advantage you can get by taking any particular path in the tech tree. You can only get about three techs ahead on any particular path, which means the AI can do research randomly and not have to worry about getting "lost".

Shawn

[Kaak]

Shawn, how's fort worth? my sister lives there...

anyway, on topic: I agree. I think a little thought should be put into civs having research paths that correspond with their characteristics. My main beef with this however is the effect it will have on multiplayer.