Re: [Freeciv-Dev] Civ2 vs. Freeciv differences

[Tony Stuckey <stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Jan 28, 1999 at 11:09:24AM -0500, Greg Wooledge wrote:
> * Excess production isn't saved when something is built.  This was done in
>   Freeciv to work around a loophole which makes micromanagement of a city
>   more useful than it should be (advantage for AI, disadvantage for human).
> 
>   However, the problem is that on the turn after something has just
>   been built, the next thing in line is partially started, instead of
>   having 0 shields, so it can be purchased immediately for less than
>   half what it would have cost under Civ2 rules.  It might be better to
>   introduce some sort of new rule that states, "Buying units/improvements/
>   wonders costs double if the unit/improvement/wonder has been in production
>   for only 1 turn." instead of the current "Buying ... costs double if it
>   has 0 shields."  This is not an elegant rule, though, so I'm sure it has
>   problems of its own.

        What's not elegant about it?
        Also, there's a psychological effect.  In Civ2 with no shield
carryover, You are free to choose any type of thing to build.  (Unit,
Building, or Wonder).  In Freeciv, should you try to build something
different than what you were building before, you "lose" production.

> * Each terrain type has two different special resources, not just one.
>   I'm not sure how Civ2 handles terrain type modifications with respect
>   to specials; freeciv simply sets a bit flag to determine whether a
>   given tile has a special or not, and this flag remains set (or clear)
>   across all terrain modifications.  I haven't played Civ2 enough to
>   tell whether something similar happens there, and if so, how the game
>   determines which of the two specials to use.

        I'd have to check as well, but I beleive that changing the terrain
type preserves the special form.  I beleive that the table lists exactly
which special forms get converted to other special forms.
        One issue also is whether converting Forests->Grassland produces a
Grassland square with production or not.  I beleive that this was random in
Microprose Civ.

> * Certain advances, city improvements and units are not available.  The
>   Fundamentalism government type is not available (it's too powerful).
>   However, I'm not convinced that all of the other omissions are
>   unbalanced; for example, Elephants (Polytheism) are A4/D1/M2/H1/F1, which
>   is only 1 attack point more powerful than a Chariot (and is identical to
>   the Civ1 Chariot).  I believe they also cost more shields than
>   Chariots.  Crusaders (A5/D1/M2/H1/F1, Monotheism) are similarly debatable;
>   they're just Knights with A5/D1 instead of A4/D2.

        As I've said before:  I advocate slavish adherence to Civ2 rules.
If Freeciv wants to change those rules, we should define another CivStyle,
and document/default that new level to be what we suggest playing on.

>   It makes sense not to offer the Eiffel Tower wonder, since the AI has
>   no concept of peaceful relations.  It only knows war.

        This is on my list to change.

> * Civ2 is more generous with Partisans.  They are produced under far
>   less strict conditions than those of Freeciv (in particular,
>   Partisans are produced under governments other than Democracy and
>   Communism, and for cities not originally built by the player, but I
>   don't know the exact rules).

        This is also on my list to change.
-- 
Anthony J. Stuckey                              stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"When I was young, the sky was filled with stars.
 I watched them burn out one by one."  -Warren Zevon