[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Patch: bye bye free city center

[Robert Brady <robert@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 2 Jan 2001, Reinier Post wrote:

> On Wed, Dec 13, 2000 at 11:37:00AM -0600, Tony Stuckey wrote:
> 
> [...]
> > > This is indeed a valid concern, but I believe a long and interesting game 
> > > is 
> > > much better than a short and boring one.  I would rather sit through an 
> > > 8-hour game where there is at least a possibilty that my space ship would 
> > > reach Alpha Centauri, rather a 2-hour game where the result is apparent 
> > > as 
> > > soon as the first ironclad appears.  But again, that might just be me.
> > 
> >     Apparently, something has changed, and it's now impossible for
> > those other players to trade tech with each other and catch up.
> 
> Yes, it is indeed impossible.  There is no way to catch up while your main
> continent is being torn apart by ironclad-led attacks.  You need max taxes
> just to pay for defenses even if you *have* Steam Engine.

In particular, by the time your coastal cities are being pounded by enemy
Ironclads, you might well not have met another player who is able to make
a useful contribution to your research effort.

And its pretty difficult to build a caravel/diplomat and get it to a
friendly foreign power whilst you are blockaded.

Often I will be the no2 in a game, and will get to so desperate (because
no1 is attacking me) as to subsidise minor nations, (ie just give them
what tech I have, in exchange for little or nothing) so they can perhaps
hassle the no1, and get him off my back for a little while, long enough
to get proper defences...

But whether this works or not depends on how strong the third parties are
- if they are much weaker then me, its likely they'll get squashed.  And
its not as if I'll be able to send backup.

And no1 is often unlikely to risk provoking war on the 3rd parties - he
just wants his main competitor - me - out of the race, the others don't
have a hope of winning.  So maybe he'll pacify them through diplomacy,
promises of land, and so forth.  (And they'll be happy because they came
2nd, not 3rd or 4th)

I am of the opinion that Ironclad should happen a lot later in the game
(probably after Metallurgy), certainly after most of the colonisation has
been finished, and after everyone sensible has had the chance to set up
embassies with everyone.

-- 
Robert Brady
robert@xxxxxxxxxx