Re: [Freeciv] starting technologies

[Reinier Post <rp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Jun 29, 1999 at 01:38:59PM -0500, Kmicic wrote:
> I guess my main problem with freeciv is that it takes about 8 hrs of (timeout
> 100) gameplay before building of any modern structures/units is possible. And
> usually by the time ironclads are invented, the game is already decided in
> favor of one player anyway.

I agree.  Some options:

  + increasing the techlevel variable
    gives each player a random choice of techs
  + decreasing the researchspeed variable (a misnomer)
    makes research go faster; not very effective
  + increasing the gold variable to a huge sum
    forces players to make difficult strategic decisions
    right away and makes the game much less predictable
  + decreasing map size and/or landmass
    shortens the expansion race; very effective
  + change/omit units, buildings (incl. wonders), and/or techs
    by creating your own modpack (i.e. versions of data/*/*.ruleset);
    probably very effective, I haven't tried it in multiplayer games
  + use generator 4
    which has two civs per island

Should this be in the FAQ?

> Personally I think that managing growing cities, building factories and power
> plants, and planning attacks with the use of tanks, battleships, and nukes is
> more fun that running around with 5 chariots and managing 100 cities of size
> 4. Yet, because of how long it takes to research the appropriate
> technologies, I have never yet built a single tank in a a public game...

Another approach is to add a new tech to allow Civ:CTP-style public works;
they make settlers obsolete by allowing tile improvements to be bought
directly.

> If this sentiment is shared among other players, we can do something about
> it. The current option techlevel is random, and therefore not used at all in
> competitive public games.

I don't think it's as bad as it seems.  It will promote early attacks
and collaboration, which is a good thing.  But players can probably fill
the worst gaps before even meeting.

> However, what about having a server option that'd
> allow players to choose advanced starting technologies? This could be done in
> any way, for example, by giving each player 5000 tech points, and letting him
> choose starting technology trees. Tree value would be calculated by the
> number of yet unresearched technologies that are needed to reach the root
> node (function to compute that # is already in the code, used when the
> long-term research goal is set).

Good idea.  If you add this, it will probably be accepted.

-- 
Reinier Post                                             rp@xxxxxxxxxx