[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Fixing ICS (simply)

[Raimar Falke <i-freeciv-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Dec 18, 2003 at 06:55:25PM -0500, Hellen Claggett wrote:
> OK, I've been following the debates and discussions on reducing ICS in
> Freeciv and, as a ICS player myself, it seems to me that the proposed
> solutions are more complicated than the problem they are trying to fix.
> As far as I can tell, the basic problem is that founding a new city is
> far more profitable than improving an existing city. Therefore, if you
> really want to fix ICS, I suggest you reduce the profitability of
> building a new city.
> 
> For example, simply removing the free road and irrigation that is given
> to a new city will cause true fear and angst among ICS players
> (remember, I'm one of them so I know ;-). 

> If you want to keep those above improvements for all cities, then
> increase the length of time it takes to build a new city to include
> the time it would take to road and irrigate the terrain. Picture
> seeing a 'B' on a settler for 6 turns as it actually builds a city
> and then picture your would be ICS player grinding his teeth in
> frustration. Going further, it may make sense to add even more time
> to the creation of a new town. If it takes 2 turns to build roads,
> shouldn't it take at least as long to build the houses?

Master of Magic did this. From
http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/momagic.html:

   You start with a single city, but if you hope to win, you'd better
   expand. You've got to build other cities, either by having a
   Settler unit create an outpost (which will eventually grow into a
   city) or by conquering a neutral or computer-controlled city and
   making it your own.

An output is passive: it doesn't produce something, it doesn't consume
something, it is very vulnerable. IIRC the time till the outpost
growths to a size 1 city depended on the tiles around it.

        Raimar

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