Starting locations and Altarians have Deeper Knowledge about turn 70

from GalCiv3 Forums

So I've been getting really poor starting positions most of the beta, most of the time this doesn't really bother me but its grating on me now.  Starting positions right on the edge of the map limits your options for exploration and seems to mean having to travel farther to find planets or at least that's what I've found in almost every game I've played so far.  I may just be really unlucky but it seems too consistent.  Please take a look at planet distribution and starting location parameters and see if you find an issue.

 

Secondly, I started a new game today and around turn 70 bumped into the Altarians.  A few turn later I talked to them to trade techs and they already had up to Deeper Knowledge.  That's got a be a bug, its only 2 techs from the research victory by turn 70.  I had that option turned off for this game but I would be really upset if I had left it on and about turn 150 lost the game because I wouldn't have that it reasonable to get there that fast.  Especially as I'm playing on an immense map and hadn't even gotten a 1/4 of the map explored.

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Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

What galaxy size/planet settings are you playing on? Without the ability to set tech tree speed (which I think should be a sliding thing that starts minor and grows  as you rise through tech ages, a mere20% is nothing with enough planets and tech while its crippling early) immense w/tight clusters is just too easy to expand till you reach the edge/a neighbor.

I spent a lot of time playing with different loose cluster settings recently, try immense with loose clusters common/common or abundant /abundant planets.  I think my stars are at common but the star dispersal seemed fine & I didn't play with that.or think about it till right now. You wind up with lots of planets in clusters still, but the loose clusters means that sometimes you will have to build a starbase, invest in life support, or both) to go "that way".  The end result is nice, but changing tech speeds is important  imo

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

That game was on an immense map of the scattered type because I hadn't tried it yet.  I don't like the large empty areas with the clusters but I'll try it again.  

 

Also thinking a bit more about the Altarians getting Deeper Knowledge so early in the game they basically had to bee line for it but they had a dozen or so military techs and some from the other trees.  The AI was set to gifted but even then shouldn't have been able to get that far down the tree that fast.

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Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

The fact that the AI was set to 'gifted' gives your answer. They started with most of the first age in tech. That is the advantage, not a better AI. As we approach release the AI will be MUCH better at thinking and you will want to scale back the difficulty because it will be using all those starting techs it gets for free at you.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

I thought the higher levels of the AI were just bonuses to well everything, not free techs and even then it seems excessive, they had a power rating of 40000 before turn 100.  In past games the AI also on gifted would be between 10000 and 15000 around turn 100.  With the cheaper colonizers expansion goes a bit faster but I don't believe that fast.  

It could be they were following the enlightened path and got some help from artifacts too.

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting kestlstw, reply 4

I thought the higher levels of the AI were just bonuses to well everything, not free techs and even then it seems excessive, ...



It could be they were following the enlightened path and got some help from artifacts too.

End of kestlstw's quote

 

The difficulty settings aren't finalized yet.  Right now there are no strong AI functions that the higher difficulties can draw upon (such as Gal Civ 2, most of what higher difficulty settings were doing was allowing the AI to have access to advanced functions (strategies/tactics/management/etc)).  In GC3 none of those functions yet exist, as the base game hasn't been finalized yet - so all the good AI stuff hasn't been written yet.

When the game finally ships - I doubt that the AI will get free stuff.  But with just the base AI in the beta, the only way to make the AI harder is just to give it free shit...

 

As you pointed out, some of what you saw may have been somewhat luck-based.  The Alterans starting in a location that was awesome for research and just starting down that path 100% from the get-go. But I agree, the pace seems fast...

 

cheers,

 

-tid242