[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#7021) allies give all their techs for nothing

["Brandon J. Van Every" <vanevery@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=7021 >

From: Per I. Mathisen [mailto:per@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Tue, 2 Dec 2003, Brandon J. Van Every wrote:
> > I'm playing the Nov. 27 Windows version on Windows 2000.
> >
> > Allies will always give you all of their techs. You don't 
> > have to give them anything in return.
> 
> Feature, not bug. They are your allies!

In SMAC and Civ III, allies do not grant techs that allow you to build Wonders, 
unless you offer them something in return that's really really worth it to 
them.  Also, allies keep a running tabulation of your contributions to the 
alliance, i.e. whether you're a value add or baggage.  The Freeciv 
implementation of Unfettered Technological Altruism may not be a bug, but it is 
certainly misfeatured.

Does Freeciv allow Joint Victory with your allies?  If it doesn't, or if you 
can select Single Victory Only as an option, then the current generosity of 
allies is even more silly.

Also, I'd be very suspicious of an "ally" that requires me to share my vision, 
but won't give his own shared vision in return.  I don't give the AIs any 
shared vision because I don't need to.  In general, the computer AIs are far 
too trusting.

> > Also, with 1 human and 7 AI players in the game, the speed 
> > at which the AIs acquire techs is suspiciously ridiculous.
> 
> This is also true for 7 allied human players... if there is a problem
> here, it is that AIs ally too often, not that they use 
> alliance the way human players do (giving techs).

The tech rate is *way* too fast in Freeciv.  I've had battleships in AD 500, 
and most cities on the board haven't even reached size 8 yet because it's so 
quick.  There is, especially, no point in building libraries as a human player, 
because all you have to do is ally with some AI and they'll build all the techs 
for you way faster than you could.


Cheers,                         www.indiegamedesign.com
Brandon Van Every               Seattle, WA

20% of the world is real.
80% is gobbledygook we make up inside our own heads.