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Multiplayer II: Dragoon — Design Log[]

This page is a change-log for the changes from Multiplayer Caravel (MP2C) to Multiplayer Dragoon (MP2D).

MP2 Navigation Page[]

Design Log for Multiplayer II Evolution: Dragoon[]

Focus goals for MP2-Dragoon:[]

  • Improve balance, realism, and strategic variety
  • Simplify unnecessary complexities
  • Boost early game action, growth.
  • Rebalance governments
    • Finer mathematical tuning for each government's population growth
  • continue Project Neptune to improve the game at sea
  • Project Era Boundaries - make the various eras of warfare actually congeal together to occur more often:
    • Reduce certain economic and technological "forcing effects."
      • These effects strongly encouraged different "war eras" to simultaneously co-inhabit the same time period
    • Many deterrents existed that prevented World War II Era techs to all occur together without non-WW2 era techs.
      • This made it so many such WW2 techs were never possessed simultaneously, robbing the game of the tactics of being played with these unit compositions.
        • "WW3 techs" were often acquired before other WW2 techs were achieved, due to the large incentives to race out of WW2 era and the tech requirements not only allowing it, but penalizing not doing so.
        • WW1 techs were frequently seen combined with WW2 techs and WW3 techs, and the tech tree and obsoleteness-schemes actually encouraged this.
    • To a lesser degree, the same problem existed in all other eras.
    • The tech tree, tech costs, and obsoleteness schemes should be changed for more balance, realism, and "era synchronicity".

Changes After Release[]

Cruisemissile

Cruise Missile[]

Gains the ability to iPillage tiles with 60% odds. May select target before detonation with Do > Select Tile Target.

Atom Bomb
Hbomb
Doomsdaybomb
Nuclear
Tacticalnuke

Nuclear Detonations[]

When a nuclear device detonates, affected tiles may experience the loss of a number of tile improvements.

For example, a nuked tile may be subject to the loss of up to n tile improvements, with odds of destruction at d%. This means that each of the n tile improvements has separate d% odds of being destroyed. Please review the n and d% for each nuclear weapon, below:

Number of tile improvements ON EACH TILE potentially destroyed by nuclear blast:
n

in Blast Radius

n

at Ground Zero

Destruction Odds

d% for each
Tile Improvement

Atom Bomb 1 2 40%
Nuclear Missile 2 4 40%
Tactical Nuke -- 4 40%
Hydrogen Bomb 3 6 50%
Doomsday Bomb 3 6 60%
Groundtroops

Ground Troops discount[]

Under Communism, Ground Troops get the same 5 shield discount as Riflemen.

Button vigil

Vigil Mechanics[]

I. A change to FCW server was implemented after release, which affects all rulesets that have the Vigil order. A new trigger was added to the rules for Vigil to make units engage more often if the conditions are favorable.

A unit on Vigil will attack an adjacent enemy unit if:

  1. The enemy unit is the right type of unit that the vigiling unit is watching for.
  2. The chance of losing is less than 1/6 🎲 (83 % odds to win), OR:
    • The odds to win by attacking are better than defending AND those odds to win are better than 25%.
  3. The vigil unit is not the only unit defending a city, unless it has 90% or better odds to win.

👉🏻 NOTE: Anti-Ballistic Missiles will always attack adjacent enemy missiles.

Click here for a Flowchart of how Vigil works.

II. Units don't leave vigil mode after engaging. Playtesting revealed use of fodder/sacrifice units of no worth, just to de-activate a vigil defense. A unit ordered to be on watch and attack shouldn't quit that order when it still has the moves and hitpoints and strength left to continue its duty.

Clarifications, Adjustments, and Bug Fixes[]

  1. Chand Baori allows Tribesmen to continue working, not just irrigate. MP2C onward.
  2. Tribesmen can build Quays. MP2D onward.
  3. "Worker-types can't make road-types while transported in foreign lands", a change from MP2C, had created a bug where Workers could not make road-types while transported in domestic territory, either. This bug was fixed. MP2B onward.
  4. Each city can spawn partisans a maximum of two times per game, and must wait two turns before able to generate partisans again.
    • /show partisan_max_spawns and /show partisan_turns to see settings for a particular game.
    • Spawns will not occur for "false flag attacks." A "false flag attack" is defined as: "When the AI in the game judges that the two players have recently been cooperating."
      • NOTE: In rare cases, this means that a quick and surprising betrayal of a nation, may rob their ability to spawn partisans.
  5. A unit on Vigil can only be seen as being on Vigil status, by the unit's owner or those with shared vision.
  6. THEOCRACY REBALANCE:
    • Freeciv server had erroneous effects which mistakenly multiplied bonuses in the beta-release. Note changes below.
    • TITHES
      • Reverted to original formula where "make content" and "forced content" bonus give tithes (not "Make Happy")
      • Fixed bug: tithes are given for each citizen actually appeased (not surplus appeasement).
      • Tithes add +1 gold to final gold (not base gold)
      • Tithes are subject to corruption.
      • A strategy that pursues tithe bonuses now gets +15% to +25% gold income.
    • MP2C's extra +20% gold bonus was removed. In MP2D, tithes and celebration alone now render more gold than other governments.
    • Science penalty set to -30%.
      • Corrects ratios where:
        • (a) Gold is usually a higher tax rate than science,
        • (b) Library/University multiply bulbs more than Marketplace/Bank.
    • Zealots cost 25 (was 20). Re-balance:
      • This government is now a sustainable aggressive government (not merely desperate defense.)
    • Loses +1 happy citizen.
      • (+1 happy already tends to come from Cathedral + Michelangelo strategies.)
    • Free unit upkeep (2 shield, 2 gold). (Was 10 shield, 1 gold.)
      • New balance for government's new roles and strategies.
    • OTHER CHANGES affecting THEOCRACY:
    • Angkor Wat reverted to MP2C: no longer works in Theocracy. (Created imbalance.)
    • Ecclesiastical Palace no longer allows transition to Theocracy.
    • Theology no longer gives blueprints for Theocracy.
    • Cost of Theology and Theocracy +50 bulbs each.
  7. Trains can carry Bombs again.
  8. The "BYOB" rule for airlifts. An exception to the rule where units carrying cargo can't airlift, is the BYOB ("Bring your own Bombs") rule. Bombers and Mobile SAM can airlift even if carrying bomb or missile armaments. This simplifies overall playability of the game.
  9. Carriers repair landing and resting aircraft the same as if they were in a city.
  10. Airbases heal aeroplane units at same rate as Fortresses heal land units: 20% of hp. (Was 15%).
  11. Regardless of moves used, all aircraft capable of vigil can always do so in a city or on a Carrier. This rule change was moved to MP2E.
  12. The ability for foreign units to deboard on quays for only 1/3 move-point, has been removed. Units deboarding on foreign and unclaimed quays lose all move-points (except Marines which keep their documented privileges.)
    • This means Quays are now fully restricted infra, as originally intended for MP2D.
  13. The ability for units to begin working on tiles or begin fortifying when they have 0 moves left, was a bug that is now removed.
  14. Changes were made to mechanics on Gulag effects:
    • Starting at size 20, cities require an additional +2 martial law count for each 10 in population size.
    • Under Gulag conditions, output is not ideal. Shield output is reduced 1/9. Gold output is reduced 1/3. Science output is eliminated.
    • For more information, see the MP2D Manual entries for: Martial Count and Starvation and Gulag Effects.
  15. The global rule that Wagons, Trucks, and Trains cannot be embarked upon, gets an exception: Freight and Cargo can always embark anywhere if they have moves left.
    • This was a necessary workaround to avoid a much larger project in server pathfinding which if fixed, would also greatly slow the pathfinding algorithms. (Pathfinding allows GOTO onto illegal tiles if a transport is there that could be embarked upon. For most units this is no problem because if embark is illegal, it simply disembarks. But Goods and Freight cannot disembark to any land tile, as they must be transported at all times unless in a city, quay, or base.)
  16. Lakes that are only one tile, and are the source of a river, MIGHT also count as a river for navigation purposes. Such tiles will be indicated as being both a Lake and a River, when info-clicking the tile. Any unit who can travel rivers can go on such a river/lake. There is no river defense bonus on such a tile.
  17. Workers automatically upgrade to Workers II with the discovery of Democracy, with no exceptions. (Was: bonus only worked if you didn't have Explosives.) If you capture Workers I or for any other reason have Workers I while in Democracy, you can do the upgrade command on any tile, to upgrade to Workers II for free.
  18. Anti-nuclear effects for 3 units were changed.
    • FORMERLY, the Bunker's effect of protecting its tile from nuclear detonation was given to the AEGIS Cruiser and Mobile SAM. This had unintended and unrealistic side effects.
    • NOW, 3 units now have new "Mobile SDI Effects":
      • Each Mobile SAM has a 33% "Mobile SDI" effect of thwarting nuclear Bombs dropped on an adjacent tile.
        • this emulates its strong anti-aircraft defense capacities
        • this effect does not work for missiles
      • Each AEGIS Cruiser not under PORT PENALTY has a 50% "Mobile SDI" effect of thwarting nuclear Bombs dropped on an adjacent tile.
        • this emulates its strong anti-aircraft defense capacities
        • this effect does not work for missiles
      • Each Anti-Ballistic Missile has a 29.3%(*) "Mobile SDI" effect of thwarting nuclear Missiles striking any tile within a √5 radius.
        • This effect radius of 2.24 tiles covers a 5x5 grid minus the 4 corners (I.e., 21 tiles.)
        • The ABM must be on Vigil.
        • Note: ABMs auto-engage adjacent nuclear missiles before detonation, with better than 29.3% odds.
          • (See Help→Units→Anti-Ballistic Missile.)
        • (*) 29.3% is mathematically special: for each two ABMs in range, detonation odds are further halved.
          • Chance to detonate: 2 ABM: 50%, 4 ABM: 25%, 6 ABM: 12.5%, 8 ABM: 6.25%, etc.
  19. Nuclear Weapons behavior on FCW-server was completely rewritten for more control over their effects. Please see individual documentation on each nuclear unit, as well as the documentation on anti-nuclear units and anti-nuclear defenses.
    • This is due to upgraded server mechanics.
  20. Wonders that relocate after their city is conquered, do not award loot to the conqueror.

Technology[]

Nomadic Science[]

U.tribe

Explanation:  Goals: (1) Decrease the "forced-rush effect" for immediate settling, (2) decrease the luck factor between players who immediately find an excellent capital spot and those who do not, (3) improve balance and realism

Effect: During the first 5 turns, each Founder and Settler gets 1 bulb/turn. Nomads can learn too. This causes less penalty for players in a bad starting position who must migrate to decent starting position.

Blueprints and Techleak[]

Blueprints
  • The default blueprint percentage is decreased from 70% to 65%.
  • The default techleak is increased from 40% to 50%.
  • When calculating what percentage of the world's active nations have a tech, techleak no longer counts dead players, barbarian players, NewAvailablePlayers, and players who are idle 5 or more turns. This makes the formula more accurate, especially in games with fewer players.

Explanation: This slightly decreases the overpowering advantage of having better tech trade partners, while slightly increasing the phenomenon whereby civilizations learn from each other's advancements through leaked technology.

Effect: Bulbs awarded from tech trades are slightly less, while it becomes slightly easier for less developed nations to learn techs already known by most of the world.

Specialty Techs[]

Explanation: Formerly, almost every tech was a requirement for some later tech. Every nation of comparable technological development had access to the exact same things as its peers. In reality and in strategic simulations alike, nations tend to enjoy the option to specialize on specific branches of a technology to distinguish themselves and open up unique options that differ from others. The introduction of "specialty techs" will begin to allow MP2-branch to better simulate these features.

Effects: In MP2D, Combustion, Flight, Radio, and Space Flight each get an optional specialization tech under them, which unlock more features.

Philosophy[]

Philosophy.mp2c

Philosophy now gives a blueprint for the next tech in the future tech goal path, instead of giving the full bulbs for the next tech.

Tech changes[]

Explanation: Timing imbalances and unrealism in "era boundaries" were fixed by modifications to the tech tree. The tech tree is restructured more to promote the techs of historical eras to occur together.

MP2D Tech Adjustments
Tech Previous

Cost

New

Cost

Notes
Alphabet 24 22 Faster early game. Re-balance diversified early strategies
Astronomy 146 150
Automobile - - Gives +1 move to Light Armor. Now replaces The Corporation for enabling Trucks
Banking 364 475 Prolong early-mid game / Feudal Era
Bridge Building 226 225
Bronze Working 24 20 Faster early game. Re-balance diversified early strategies
Ceremonial Burial 24 22 Faster early game. Re-balance diversified early strategies
Chemistry 800 900 Prolong mid-game Eras
Chivalry 226 225
Combined Arms - - Mobile Warfare req. changed to Computers req. Enables Ground Troops, Fanatics. Obsoletes Riflemen, Zealots, Alpine Troops
Combustion 3680 7620 Gateway tech from WW1 era to WW2 era. Obsoletes Barracks II, Sun Tzu. Increases pollution 25% (was: Automobile). Enables Mass Transit.
Communism 1643 1650 Enables Commissariat of Agriculture, Propaganda Ministry
Computers 5650 15650 Gateway tech from WW2 era to WW3 era, New reqs: Mechanization, Radio.
Conscription 1890 2400 Gateway tech from Gunpowder Era to WW1 era.
Construction 111 110
Currency 51 50
Democracy 875 950 Prolong mid-game Eras. Upgrades Workers to Workers II for free.
Electricity - - Allows Trawler
Engineering 226 225 Allows Ballista, Citadel of Aleppo
Espionage - - Lets Diplomat and Patriarch do hostile embassy vs Courthouse & Homeland Security.
Feudalism 146 150
Gunpowder 800 1900 Gateway tech from Middle Ages to Gunpowder Era. Req#2 changed from Iron Working to Feudalism.
Invention 468 490
Labor Union - - deleted and substituted with new Mechanization tech
Literacy 111 110
Magnetism 875 975 Prolong mid-game eras
Map Making 51 50 +2 moves for Scouts
Masonry 24 20 Faster early game. Re-balance for diversified early strategies
Mass Production - - Increases output from Power Plants +20% . (formerly, Mfg.Plant increased Power Plant production).
Mechanization - - replaces Labor Union, req2: Machine Tools (was Guerilla Warfare)
Medicine 468 475
Miniaturization - - No longer obsoletes Lighthouse
Mobile Warfare - - No longer obsoletes Barracks II. Requires Miniaturization instead of Tactics.
Monotheism 384 300 Cheapens path to Crusaders and Theocracy government
Mysticism 51 50
Navigation 486 500
Nuclear Power - - Obsoletes Submarine, enables Missile Submarine
Philosophy 275 325
Pottery 24 22 Faster early game. Allows Goods.
Radar - - New reqs: Mechanization, Advanced Flight. Removed: Electronics
Radio - - New reqs: Flight, Miniaturization. Was: Flight only. Prevents rushing to more advanced aircraft before using earlier aircraft.
Refrigeration - - Allows Fishtraps.
Robotics - - Reduces Leonardo's Workshop to 1 upgrade per turn: Formerly, obsoleted Leonardo completely.
Rocketry - - Miniaturization req. changed to Computers req., as the gateway to WW3 techs.
Space Flight - - New reqs are Rocketry and Nuclear Power (was: Computers, Rocketry)
Steam Engine 1240 1340 University req. changed to Magnetism req. Frigates now come before Ironclads, always.
The Corporation - - Enables Freight instead of Truck
The Republic 146 150
The Wheel 51 50
Theocracy 725 550 Theocracy and Falconeers competitive with Democracy and Musketeers
Theology 600 450 Theocracy and Falconeers competitive with Democracy and Musketeers
Theory of Gravity 585 600
Trade 146 150
University 415 450 Prolong early mid-game Era
Warrior Code 24 22
Writing 51 50

II. Game Mechanics[]

B.granary

Standard City Growth: Grain Ceilings[]

The grain needed to grow a city to the next size has changed.

Explanation: Previously, the amount of grain needed to grow a city to the next size was 10 × New Size. This was nice and simple, but it was not ideally balanced to (1) the pace of longturn play, nor (2) the goal of tuning Bronze Age play to be more historic to growing cities and waging war; that is, less of an intense "land-grabbing settlement frenzy." The new food dynamics improve all the above.

Achieving a specific list of goals has resulted in a new re-balance. The goals were:

  • Slightly "speed up" the early game via "food box" effects without proportionally unbalancing other relative costs, timing, and factors.
  • Slightly decrease the proportional power of rapture over traditional grain growth.
  • Tune down, smooth out, and flatten the magnitude of the "discrete gap effect", which discouraged cities of size 3 or greater during the Bronze Age.
  • Tune down, smooth out, and flatten the magnitude of the "negative ROI effect", where during the last 40% of the game, it's difficult to get a positive return on investment from founding new cities.
  • Help better tune the relative power of governments which rapture slower or don't rapture at all.

Please make a note of this table comparing the previous and new grain growth values:

Grain required to grow to city size:
target city size ⏩ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
MP2-Caravel grain needed: 20 30 40 50 60 70 70 70 70 70 70 70
MP2-Dragoon grain needed: 15 20 25 31 37 45 53 60 60 60 60 60

City Radius[]

Large city

City Radius, as before, starts at 5x5 without corners. As a city grows, its radius of workable tiles will increase:

city

size

tiles note total tiles
1-20 5x5 without corners 21
21-29 5x5 with corners 25
30+ 7x7 without corners 45

Explanation 1: This allows larger coastal cities to better reach their potential by accessing more ocean tiles later. Previously, the +2 food for each ocean tile became a disadvantage for coastal cities—this did not accurately reflect most of the world's largest cities being coastal. This change also allows more variety with city placement and tile overlap strategies. This also helps non-rapturing cities access more food tiles, which is a goal of another project.

Explanation 2: This is part of an ongoing evolution in Project Macromatic, whose goal is to reduce the micromanagement load and number of cities controlled through such new features as city build slots, governors, intelligent advisors, hotkeys, build queues, improved empire tab, etc. Larger cities with more build slots can eventually be a large factor in reduced micromanagement.

Variable Rapture[]

Rapture delay

The characteristics of a government and its city population now influence variable speeds at which its people rapture.

Background Introduction: Long ago, only 2 governments could rapture. There was great disparity in power between governments. An attempted fix called "rapture rate" let the game globally slow rapture to once every x turns, such as once every 2 or 3 turns. The idea was good, but had counterintuitive consequences:

  1. slowing the game down, and
  2. ironically, increasing the urgency to rapture as fast as possible and never stop.

👉🏻 MP2C allowed more governments to rapture while trying to preserve "governmental flavors" with artificial restrictions and new migrant-type units. But what was always needed was a way to conditionally fine-tune rapture rates so that governments could be distinctively balanced by a diversity of policies, characteristics, and play-styles.

Variable Rapture is measured on a scale from 0-100. For example:

  • a city with a Variable Rapture of 0 can never rapture.
  • a city with a Variable Rapture of 50 will rapture one out of every two turns
  • a city with a Variable Rapture of 90 will rapture nine out of every ten turns

MP2 is currently varying rapture by tying the rate to four causal influences:

  • government type
  • original or conquered city
  • percent foreign population
  • buildings and wonders which may increase the rate

Rapture rates by foreign population and founding status:

          original       conquered   
foreign percent⏩ 30+ 20 10 0 30+ 20 10 0
AnarchyDespotism/Monarchy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Monarchyconstitutional Const.Monarchy 80 80 80 80 25 25 25 60
Republic Republic 90 90 90 90 33 33 33 80
Democracy Democracy 25 50 100 100 25 25 50 100
Nationalism Nationalism 50 50 50 100 33 33 33 67
Theocracy Theocracy* 40* 40* 40* 40* 40* 40* 40* 40*
Communism Communism 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40

*a Theocratic city goes to 57.2% if it has a cathedral.

At turn change, rapturing cities will indicate if they raptured and when they can rapture again:

Turn change report,

console

City dialog

with hover-text shown over icon

Explanation
Rapture msg Rapture msg2 Raptured last turn.

Will skip 2 turns of rapture

Rapture msg3 Rapture msg4 Will not rapture this turn

Will rapture turn after

Rapture msg5 Rapture msg6 Will rapture this turn

Quays[]

  • Quay-0
    Movement from Quay-to-Road and Road-to-Quay both use 2/3 move point. (was 1/3 and 3/3 respectively)
  • Quay-to-Road when exiting a city remains 1/3 move point  (was 1/3)
  • Time to build a Quay is now 0.5 worker-turn instead of 2.
    • This means quays are the only tile improvement Tribesmen can finish in one turn.
    • These changes are meant to 1) make Tribesmen more useful and 2) enhance the role of rivers in ancient civilization.

👉🏻 NOTE: In MP2 rulesets, only basic roads and rivers are "unrestricted infra". This means in foreign territory, non-allied units moving onto a quay expend the full terrain move cost (assuming there is no connecting bridge or river on the same tile as the quay.)

Tile Claims[]

  • Tile claim
    Tile claims can be made adjacent to each other (was: cardinally adjacent.)
  • Requirement for the diplomatic unit to be accompanied is not necessary in domestic territory.
  • Can now be made on any tile adjacent to existing claim.
  • Can now be made inside bases.

Units disbanded from lost home city[]

Musketeers.mp2c

A new mechanic exists which regulates the percentage chance that a unit will disband if its home city is conquered or destroyed.

Re-home % for units losing their Home City
Standard

Units

 Nuclear

 Units

Anarchy 0% 25%
Despotism 25% 50%
Monarchy 35% 60%
Const. Monarchy & Communism 55% 80%
Republic & Nationalism 65% 90%
Democracy 80% 100%
Theocracy 90% 100%

* The chance a unit will disband is (100% - Rehome%)

Explanation: In very ancient times, the concept of the city-state and nation-state were different. One could expect the loss of a home city to cause all army recruits from there to abandon the army to seek new homes in other city-states. However, in modern times it is false to assume that a soldier would abandon the army just when his hometown was destroyed. He might be even more inspired to fight on. The level of national solidarity that each government has, affects the chance that units disband if they lose their home city. This now becomes another feature to differentiate governments and play-styles.

Explanation 2: In nuclear warfare there is the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). A flaw previously existed where the first nation to do a nuclear strike could cause the disbanding of all the opponent's nuclear weapons. An unfortunate player who happened to be offline sleeping at the time lost retaliation power, replacing the MAD effect with something more like "strike while you still can." Thus, the chances for nuclear units to disband is greatly reduced in MP2D.

Hills Vision[]

Hills vision

Hills now give a vision bonus like Mountains, but only half as much. This allows seeing more tiles while on Hills.

Rivers[]

  1. Motorized land units don't get a move bonus on rivers, unless there is road infrastructure to give it.
    • Bridges, Rails, MagLev, and Quay give their normal move bonus on rivers.
  2. Clarification of River Defense Bonuses:
    • Rivers add +0.50 to the terrain defense bonus.
      • On tiles whose terrain defense is less than 1.5, such as Grassland, this makes the defense bonus higher than before:
        • 1 + 0.5 > 1 × 1.33
      • On tiles whose terrain defense is 1.5, such as Jungle, this makes the defense bonus identical to before:
        • 1.5 + 0.5 = 1.5 × 1.33
      • On tiles whose terrain defense is greater than 1.5, such as Hills, this makes the defense bonus lower than before:
        • 2 + 0.5 < 2 × 1.33

River Defense on different Terrain:

MP2C
MP2D
MP2B Classic
MP1
MP2A
 Civ 2
+ 0.5 × 1.33 × 1.5 + 0.5 ⬅ river bonus
terrain defense
Grass 1 1.5 1.33 1.5 1.5
Jungle 1.5 2 2 2.25 2
Hills 2 2.5 2.66 3 2.5
Mountains 3 3.5 4 4.5 3.5


Explanation: Civ2's original river bonuses had the best balance. MP2 reverts to the original Civ2 schema. This improves the imbalance where highlands were nearly unassailble in Classic, MP1, MP2A, and MP2B. Meanwhile, lowlands are restored to better defensibility than the re-balance that MP2B attempted.

A detailed chart of all combinations of terrain defense bonuses: MP2D Defense Bonus Chart

Huts[]

Huts give more diverse types of bonuses:

  • small bulb awards (1-5 bulbs)
  • a Boat (if on a river)
  • Goods (if discovered by a Tribesmen, Boat, Caravan, or other unit who can carry Goods)
  • a large Map of the surrounding area (14 tile diameter)
  • a small amount of gold
  • a free Warriors unit (or Phalanx, if you possess Bronze Working)

Corruption Calculations[]

Buildings and wonders which reduce corruption will always be guaranteed to reduce at least 1 corruption (in cities which have corruption). This solves the old issue of "double-truncation-rounding error." The rounding error made corruption reduction nearly worthless in small and medium-sized cities. Yet these cities are the cities whose corruption is often the highest percentage of GDP. Corruption reduction measures had been least effective at the time in the game when these measures were most needed and wanted.

Effect: Courthouse, Palace, Ecclesiastical Palace, Sphinx, Ziggurat, Supreme Court, and Mausoleum of Mausolos will all reduce a minimum of 1 corruption, if there is any corruption.

Hostile Embassy Mechanics[]

Emissary
Diplomat
Patriarch
Spy

A hostile embassy is an embassy made against a nation with whom you are at war, usually in order to gain intel on that nation.

Spies can no longer Establish Embassy. A Diplomat who possesses Espionage tech replaces the Spy, as the way to circumvent security buildings to establish a hostile embassy..

  • FORMERLY, in Multiplayer II Caravel:
MP2C: Ability to Establish an Embassy on a City with whom you are at war:
city is/has⏩ No Security Building,

Not Theocratic

Courthouse Homeland

Security

Police

Station

Theocratic
Diplomat X X X X
Spy X X
  • Multiplayer II Dragoon:
MP2D: Ability to Establish an Embassy on a City with whom you are at war:
city is/has⏩ No Security Building,

Not Theocratic

Courthouse Homeland

Security

Police

Station

Theocratic
Emissary or Diplomat

no Espionage tech

X X X X
Diplomat

Espionage tech

X X
Spy X X X X X

* The Patriarch unique unit has the same Establish Embassy abilities as a Diplomat.


Destroy City[]

A new unit order, "Destroy City", allows you to massacre a city. This means slaughtering every citizen and burning every building and wonder to the ground.

  • This genocidal order gives global casus belli.
  • Requires 2 units on tile, actor unit who destroys city must be a non-transported capturer-type.
  • For foreign cities, this order is not available to Democracy or Theocracy
    • Can only be done to cities size 2 to 8.
    • Spawns up to 5 partisans and 5 migrant refugees, and no more than a total of 8 spawned units.
  • For domestic cities, this order is only available to Despotism and Communism.
    • Can only be done to cities size 1 to 8.
    • Requires 15% foreign nationals in the city, or in other words, only conquered or reconquered domestic cities can be massacred.

Explanation: Besides providing a very realistic mechanic that was formerly absent, this new feature solves various issues. For example, owning or conquering a city could actually give a penalty due to empire size, espionage security, unwanted settlements which waste land availability, diplomatic border issues, and so on. With the right government, a nation is no longer ridiculously "forced" to hold cities counter to its national interests, but can eradicate them.

Ruins[]

  • Ruins of former cities now act as a kind of base. They have no defense bonus, but they prevent stack death. Thus, they can have improvisational tactical value.
  • A Hideout made inside ruins will never disappear if unoccupied.

Explanation: Gives the surrounding terrain more diversity for the tough and hard creative improvisations that warriors and generals must face.

Hideouts[]

  • Hideout-0
    Units in hideouts do not experience stack death.
  • A unit can now make a hideout while other units are on its same tile. (Bug fix).

Bunkers[]

Bunker

Bunkers are now 90% resistant to nuclear detonation. That is, only a 10% chance of being affected by a nuclear blast.

Micro-healing[]

If a unit ends its turn in a city and is not qualified for any other healing effect, a minimum +1 hp healing takes place.

Fishtraps[]

Fishtrap
Fishtrap2

Fishtraps become available with Refrigeration technology.

  • Fishtraps must be made adjacent to Fish.
  • Fishtraps cannot be made cardinally adjacent to each other, but diagonally adjacent is allowed.
  • A Fishtrap provides +2 food to its sea tile.
  • Any Fish resource adjacent to a Fishtrap will be raised by +2 food output and gain +1 trade.
  • Fishtraps can't be built directly on a tile with Fish, Whales, or a Buoy.
  • Making a Fishtrap requires a Workers/Engineer unit in a ship, or a Trawler unit.

The hotkey to place a Fishtrap is "i" -- the same hotkey as irrigation.

Visible Cargo[]

Wagon

New feature: cargo on some types of transports is openly visible to all players who can see the transport. The types of transport which show their cargo are:

  • Tribesmen
  • Boats
  • Wagons
  • Trawlers

Boarding, Deboarding, Loading, Unloading[]

  • Boarding any Transporter requires the unit to have moves left.
  • Except for Aircraft, Missiles, and Marines, the move cost to Deboard and Board is 1/3 move.
  • a Transport doing Load or Unload causes -1/3 move to all the units which that command causes to Deboard or Board.
  • Overloading rules - Overloading is when a transport loads a unit which is also a transport carrying units. This is now allowed only for more "natural cases."
    • Wagons and Trucks can't board ships while transporting cargo. Cargo should board ship separately. Prevents "Russian Doll" situation of loading ships over their natural capacity.
    • Trawlers can't tow each other. Prevents Trawler picking up a Trawler who picked up a Trawler who picked up a damaged Cruiser 30 tiles distant.
    • "Natural cases" are still allowed:
      • Aircraft with Bombs
      • Missile Ships or Mobile SAM with Missile payload
      • Tribesmen and Caravan with Goods
      • Transport with cargo getting towed by Trawler, etc.

Explanation: These changes improve the rules meant to reduce "double move exploits" that use multiple load and unload orders on multiple transport vehicles,

Missile Loading[]

Tacticalnuke
Missilesubmarine

New rules for loading Missiles on transporter units.

  • Missiles must be loaded on transporters:
    • in a city, or
    • via so-called "parachute-catch-delivery": a missile with enough moves left at turn change will parachute into the nearest unit who can carry it

This fixes certain exploits. For example, you can no longer fly a nuclear missile out to a submarine, load it, then move the submarine out to enemy waters, load it on a new submarine, go deeper into enemy waters, and nuke targets far beyond the range of the missile's original starting location.

Maximum Attacks Per Turn[]

U.bomber

The now-extinct OneAttack flag was intended to limit an "abusive" number of attacks from strong units with high-movement. But it forced units to lose all moves after attacking, which badly ruined game mechanics.

Max Attacks per Turn was finally introduced to better solve the original issue. Unlike OneAttack, a unit does not become paralyzed and unable to move after it has made an attack. Also, a specific maximum can be set. After the maximum is reached, the unit can no longer attack. Instead of being a "dead target", it can use its remaining moves for other actions.

In MP2D, most aircraft are now limited to two attacks per turn. Earlier bombers are limited to one attack per turn. High-tech aircraft may get 3 or more attacks per turn.


Max Attacks per turn by aircraft type:

Fighter
Escortfighter
Jet fighter
Multi-fighter
Stealthmulti-fighter
Stealth fighter
Divebomber
Mediumbomber
U.bomber
Strategic Bomber
Gsf
Jet bomber o
Stealthbomber.mp2c
2 2 3 2 2 3 1 1 1 2 4 2 3

Building Razing[]

The chance of a building being razed by a city conquest now has dynamic adjustments. (Formerly, the odds were always 20% in every case.)

  • Each form of government has its own base chance for razing buildings during conquest.
  • Liberating your own city reduces the risk of building razing by 50%
Government base chance

foreign city

liberating

own city

Anarchy 21% 10%
Despotism 21% 10%
Communism 21% 10%
Monarchies 14% 7%
Republic 14% 7%
Nationalism 14% 7%
Theocracy 7% 3%
Democracy 7% 3%
  • Certain buildings subtract -50% from the base chance of razing. Combined with -50% odds for liberation by the founding nation, these buildings will not be razed during a liberation reconquest:
    • Amphitheatre
    • Aqueduct
    • Cathedral
    • Granary
    • Harbor
    • Marketplace
    • Hydro Plant
    • Sewer
    • Supermarket
    • Temple
    • Totem pole

NOTE: The chance of Wonders being razed remains as before: always 100%

Big Land units[]

Armor
Mechinf

The new unit class "Big Land" was created. The class consists of large mechanized military vehicles: Light Armor, Armor, Armor II, Mechanized Infantry, Mobile SAM.

  • These units can't go on Mountains unless there is a road, city, or base native to land units.
  • These units don't use rivers; there's a full terrain penalty on rivers (unless quay or bridge.)

Explanation: This re-balances three phenomena:

  • Mech.Inf can no longer blaze into enemy territory and fortify on top of roadless mountain summits.
  • Motorized armies can no longer move 18 tiles down a river to infiltrate enemy territory.
  • Foot units properly and realistically have more utility in certain tactical situations, such as using mountains and rivers.

Tax Rates[]

B.coinage

Starting in MP2-Dragoon, tax rates can be tuned in intervals of 5% (was: 10%)

Vigil and Auto-attack Mechanics[]

  • Vigil and auto-attack are no longer limited to Fighter-types
  • Most Vigil units will auto-attack based on odds of winning.
  • Some Vigil units will Special Unit Attack (SUA) instead of a standard attack.

Explanation: These new possibilities for Vigil allow the community to think of a whole new range of Vigil actions for different units.

  • This continues to reduce unfairness from "camping" -- players who are online longer than others.
  • This allows programming more tactical diversity for units, to better and more realistically emulate their real-life counterparts.

Effects: Please review each unit to see if it can vigil - it is no longer limited to Fighter types.

  • Ballistic units on vigil will auto-attack with SUA if legal
  • Fighter types on vigil will auto-attack Aeroplanes, Zeppelins, Transport Helicopters and Paratroopers
  • Anti-Ballistic Missiles will ALWAYS auto-attack missiles.

PROVOKING TYPES: Units on Vigil are programmed to only attack PROVOKING TYPES. This greatly reduces the ability for a human player to bait and exploit a vigil-unit's AI. (For example, using cheap cannon fodder units as bait in order to waste a vigil-unit's attacks, or to weaken it so that an attacker can now penetrate its vigil perimeter.) The helptext for each individual vigil-unit will list the PROVOKING TYPES that it can auto-attack. If no PROVOKING TYPES are listed, then any reachable unit is a candidate for an auto-attack.

Vigil engagement chart[]

Vigil-Flowchart-FCW

Also see: the new Vigil Mechanics.

III. Governments[]

Despotism[]

  • Despotism
    Founding a city during Despotism gives a "nomadic food bonus" of +2 food automatically put in the city's grain storage.
  • Founding a capital city during Despotism gives a bonus of +4 food automatically in the city's grain storage.
  • Gains access to new wonder, Propaganda Ministry, +1 happy, +2 luxury.
  • Despotism has no Variable Rapture.

Explanation: Scarcity and hard survivalism both under despotism and resourcefulness of nomadic ways, resulted in people hoarding preserved food sources. This reduces the early game "slow period" by about 1 turn. It furthers the project of quantitative easing against the forcing-effect of "leave Despotism for Monarchy ASAP". Gradually people will wake up into realizing a multiplicity of Bronze Age strategic diversity.

Monarchy[]

  • Monarchy1
    Now gets 1 free gold upkeep on all units
  • Monarchy has no Variable Rapture.

Constitutional Monarchy[]

  • Monarchyconstitutional
    Variable rapture rate is 80 in original cities and 60 in conquered. Rate reduces with foreign nationals.
  • Now gets 1 free gold upkeep on all units.

Nationalism[]

  1. Nationalism
    Nationalism gets a +20% science bonus in original cities. (Was 15% all cities).
  2. Gains access to new wonder, Propaganda Ministry, +1 happy, +2 luxury.
  3. Variable Rapture rate is 100 in original cities and 67 in conquered. Rate reduces with foreign nationals.
  4. Armor move bonus applies to all Armor types.

Theocracy[]

  1. Theocracy
    Variable rapture rate is 40 in all cities, and 57.2 in all cities with cathedrals.
  2. Theocracies can make the Patriarch unique unit, which is a diplomatic unit that bribes at -67% the cost.
  3. Pilgrims, Zealots, Fanatics can change home city to a foreign ally who is Theocratic. This allows more fluid strategies of bringing all Zealots to fight together under the same command, and even for former Theocracies to re-home Zealots into allied Theocracies in order to avoid the double-unhappiness upkeep which Zealots suffer when not under Theocracy.
  4. Theocracy can incite other cities at a 33% discount.
    • Patriarch gets additional -33% discount
  5. Theocracy corruption changed from 2% + 2% per tile to 0% + 1% per tile.
  6. Theocracies now spawn Zealots instead of Partisans.
    • Fanatics will be spawned if their technology is known.

Communism[]

  1. Communism
    Variable Rapture rate is 40 in all cities.
  2. Communism: celebrating cities with granaries get +1 food to city center tile, if not on Mountains.
  3. Communism gets +40% capital prod bonus.
  4. New wonder: Commissariat of Agriculture: +5 starting food in each city. Work-rate for Farmland is 2 worker-turns, not 3. Gives +10% gross food output per city.
  5. Gains access to new wonder, Propaganda Ministry, +1 happy, +2 luxury.
  6. Communist cities get the effects of a free Supermarket.
  7. Communism completely unaffected by empire size/# cities (was 12, then none)
  8. Communism +1 trade on irrigated tiles that produce trade.
  9. Now gets 3 free gold upkeep on all units

IV. Unit Changes[]

Scout

SentryAlways Units[]

Zeppelin
Balloon1
Partisan.mp2
Escortfighter
Awacs
Multi-fighter
Stealthmulti-fighter
Spyplane
Satellite

In MP2C, the Zeppelin and Balloon were given the ability to give "sentry reports" of nearby unit movements without going into sentry mode

  • This is because they are reconnaissance craft but can't sentry while in flight.

In MP2D, more units were given the "SentryAlways" flag,

  • More types of aeroplanes with reconnaissance roles gain the same abilities as Zeppelins and Balloons.
  • This gives Scouts and Partisans the ability to give scouting reports without surrendering their ability to fortify.
SentryAlways units
Scout
Partisan
Balloon
Zeppelin
AWACS
Spy Plane
Escort Fighter
Multi-Fighter
Stealth Multi-Fighter
Satellite

   

Explanation: Units who have a major role for reconnaissance shouldn't be falsely limited by game mechanics to not collect sentry intel.


Ballistic Units[]

Ballista
Catapult.mp2c
Howitzer

Catapult, Ballista, Cannon, Artillery, Howitzer, & Magnum Turret are the Ballistic sub-class of military Land units.

  • All Ballistic sub-class units can now do Special Unit Attacks (SUA) if and only if they haven't moved.
  • They are also able to do SUA against oceanic tiles (if not transported.)
  • Ballistic class units can vigil if in a city or base of any type.
    • Balliistic units on vigil will auto-bombard (SUA) instead of auto-attack. They only target non-civilian military units.
  • Explanation 1: This relieves some camping advantages by letting people who aren't online all the time, set up retaliatory defense structures in some areas. It also gives a balance adjustment for weaker city walls.
  • Explanation 2: The multiple modes of the new combat system with SUA and SUD are carefully being expanded.

Ballistic units' bonus against City Walls and Fortifications has changed to balance the changes those buildings receive in MP2D:

Unit MP2C

City Walls
any terrain

MP2C

Fortifications
Lowlands

MP2C

Fortifications
Highlands

MP2C

Forts.+Walls
Lowlands

MP2C

Forts.+Walls
Highlands

Generic 3x 1.67x 1.5x 3.5x 3x
Catapult 2.75x 1.42x 1.25x 3.22x 2.75x
Cannon 2.5x 1.17x 1x 2.93x 2.5x
Artillery 2.25x 1.17x 1x 2.63x 2.25x
Howitzer 1x 1.17x 1x 1.17x 1x
Unit MP2D

City Walls
any terrain

MP2D

Fortifications
Flatlands

MP2D

Fortifications
Rough Land

MP2D

Forts.+Walls
Flatlands

MP2D

Forts.+Walls
Rough Land

Generic 2x 1.5x 1.33x 3x 2.66x
Catapult 1.75x 1.5x 1.33x 2.63x 2.33x
Cannon 1.5x 1.5x 1.33x 2.25x 2x
Artillery 1.5x 1.5x 1.33x 2.25x 2x
Howitzer 1x 1.5x 1.33x 1.5x 1.33x

* Bold text indicates stronger defense than MP2C. Light text indicates weaker.

Boat[]

Boat

Hitpoints were changed from 10 to 8. This continues the pattern of making civilian units slightly weaker than the weakest military units.

Goods[]

Goods

Cost: 20. Goods are now available with Pottery and cost 20. Recycle penalty is -3 shields. (Was: Currency, cost 25, -6 shields.). Goods can now help build Wonders.

  • This simplifies the Goods unit to make it immediately available and usable with less penalties.
  • This helps early game growth during Despotism while also making it more viable and less penalized.
  • This enables building more ancient Wonders to tap diverse strategies and effects.
  • This better enables Bronze Age trade route strategies, for those who desire such a strategy.

Caravan[]

Caravan

The cargo capacity of the Caravan was increased from 2 to 3.

Legion[]

Legion

Legion cost was adjusted to 30 (was 32).

Explanation: The discount cost adjustment for MP2C foot soldiers was the same percentage for all foot soldiers. So the Legion remained relatively overvalued by the exact same percent. This change now corrects the relative overvaluation.

Diplomat[]

Diplomat

Cost: 30.  The Diplomat is now the mid-game upgrade to the Emissary.

  • Diplomats gain the ability to Establish Embassy without spending themselves.
  • The new tech requirement is Economics.
  • Emissaries can upgrade to Diplomats for free.

Knights[]

Knights.mp2c

Knights' defense strength was simplified to D2. A bonus of D3 is activated vs. mounted units.

Effect: Knights are no longer D1 against catapults, cannons, etc.

Crusaders[]

Crusaders

The defense strength of Crusaders was increased from 1 to 1.5

Pilgrims[]

Pilgrims

Just like Zealots and Fanatics, Pilgrims can "establish home city" in allied theocratic cities, which transfers them to that nation.

Spy[]

Spy

Cost: 35.

  • Spies can no longer establish embassy.

Explanation: The spy is now properly specialized to covert ops. (The diplomat can now establish embassy without being spent.) The net result is a slight nerf for a Spy. It can no longer use its 6 move points to establish hostile embassies from great distances.

Partisans[]

  • Partisan.mp2
    Partisans can investigate conquered cities not owned by the original owner.
  • Partisans join the sentry always class of units.
  • Partisans gain +2/9 move points per veteran level.
  • Spawned partisans gain whatever veteran level effects are operative from their city (i.e., Barracks and wonders).

Zeppelin[]

Zeppelin

Zeppelin move rate changed to 7 moves, 7 turns of fuel. (was 6m, 3f).

This allows the unit to be a terror of the skies, prior to the enemy's discovery of Flight, and thereafter slip into a more vulnerable but still useful aerial reconnaissance role.

Riflemen and Alpine Troops[]

Riflemen.mp2c
Groundtroops

Riflemen and Alpines upgrade to Ground Troops

  • upgrade cost is only 4 gold.

Freight[]

  • Freight Container
    Freight can now use multiple build slots, like Infantry.
  • The new requirement for Freight is The Corporation (was Mass Production.)

Truck[]

  • Truck
    The new tech requirement for Truck is Automobile (was The Corporation.)

Explanation: This unit is quite powerful and was available too early relative to Cavalry.

Airplane[]

Airplane

Fixed a bug where Airplane was not counted as a civlian unit and thus couldn't do diplomatic missions to nations with whom you're at peace.

  • Bug also fixed in MP2B and MP2C.

Anti-Aircraft Artillery[]

  • AAA are an integral part of ground infantry, so they now have gold upkeep instead of shield upkeep. This compensates for some losses to this unit:
  • AAA lose 2 Marines-like abilities:
    • attacking while transported has been removed (exploit prevention)
    • AAA now deboard and disembark like standard land units.
  • AAA still retain the ability to attack non-native tiles.
  • AAA need 9 turns of service to convert to Mobile SAM in two turns (was 10 turns + four turns).
    • No longer required in capital (decreases micro-management tasks)
  • Can now upgrade to Mobile SAM. (e.g., for gold or via Tesla's Laboratory)

Armor[]

Armor

Cost: 75. (Was: 80).

  • Attack strength increased from A:10 to A:11
  • 40% odds of Stack-Escape when its stack is killed

Armor II[]

Armorii

Cost: 80. (Was: 85).

  • Armor II bonus vs. Missiles cut to +75% or 1.75x (was +100% or 2x)
  • 40% odds of Stack-Escape when its stack is killed
  • Communist and Nationalist bonuses for Armor now work for Armor II (simplicity/consistency)

Explanation: Mobile SAM now has more usefulness in tactical operations and nerfs the Armor II which was getting too much use as an anti-cruise missile defender unit instead of its intended purpose.

Aircraft Techs[]

The technologies required for certain aircraft have been changed:

Tech requirements for WW2 aircraft:
MP2C MP2D
Fighter Flight Flight
Dive Bomber Radio Flight.2
Medium Bomber Advanced Fliight Radio
Heavy Bomber Radar Advanced Flight
Strategic Bomber Rocketry Radar

Medium Bomber[]

Mediumbomber

Now has cargo capacity of 1. Can carry the Bombs unit, but not nuclear weapons. Can attack only once per turn.

Helicopter types[]

  • Helicopter
    Damaged helicopter types arriving in a city, begin healing 10hp immediately at TC, rather than having to wait a full turn to rest.
  • The attack Helicopter cost was reduced to 90.

Explanation: There were complaints that these units aren't useful enough. On helicopters, hitpoints represent half a quasi-kind of fuel and half an actual kind of damage. Thus, helicopters can begin healing at half-speed immediately after landing in a city. Gradual small adjustments may have more impact that people suppose. This rightly sets healing to 1 turn for short sortie, 2 turns for damaged <50%, and 3 turns for badly damaged if there's no airport.

Mobile SAM[]

  • MobileSam
    Mobile SAMs 3x defense against Missile units, now takes over the same defensive strength that Armor II had, which was nerfed to 1.75x but made more affordable.
  • Can now carry 3 missiles (was 1), including new type ABM.
  • like AEGIS, can attack Missiles
  • After discovery of Laser, each Mobile SAM has a 33% chance to thwart adjacent nuclear bombs dropped by bombers (somewhat like SDI but with 33% odds of success.)
  • all units on their tile from a nuclear blast.
  • Mobile SAM convert from AAA in 2 turns after 9 turns of service and the order can be done in any domestic city (was: 10, 4 turns, capital city)
  • After Space.2 tech, newly made Mobile SAMs get a free Anti-Ballistic Missile.

Jet fighter-types[]

Jet fighter

All jet fighter-types get increased combat strength, usually +1 to attack and defense. (Stealth Fighter gets +2 defense.)

Changes to Jet Combat Aircraft
MP2 Caravel MP2 Dragoon
Jet Fighter A6 D5 A7 D6
Multi-Fighter A6 D7
Ground Strike Fighter A7 D4 A8 D5
Stealth Fighter A8 D4 A9 D6
Stealth Multi-Fighter A7 D8

Explanation: Formerly, these aircraft did not perform as well vs. ground units of their era, as the air units of the previous era. Due to SAM Batteries and the late game being a time where offense should be stronger, these units were buffed.

V. New Units[]

Scout[]

Scout

Cost: 18. Explorer changed to Scout. Available with Horseback Riding, moves 4 tiles (6 with Map Making, which makes it identical to the previous Explorer.) Cost reduced 2 shields to be the same as Horsemen. Gains +2/9 move per veteran level.

Gains same vet bonuses as are given Horsemen, by buildings and wonders.

Emissary[]

Emissary

Cost: 24. This is now the earliest form of the Diplomat. It's slower and cannot sabotage cities.

  • Emissaries can upgrade to Diplomats for free.

Explanation: In the early game, the ability to destroy city walls is now limited to the Siege Ram. The cost reduction on early diplomatic outreach gives less economic penalty on early civilizations.

Ballista[]

Ballista

Cost: 45. Req: Engineering

A:1 D:0.2 HP:10 FP:5 Moves:2

Ballistae don’t conventionally attack. Ranged Attack fires massive bolts through enemy formations for 5 rounds, targeting up to 2 units who can’t conventionally retaliate. This may also target Ocean tiles. They must have all their move points to do attack, and can't target Fortresses or Cities. Though they only have A1 accuracy, 5FP causes 5× damage. When conventionally defending against foot and mounted units, Ballistae defend at 20% defense strength (0.2). This roughly cancels the 5× damage, making them like a D1 defender. However, a lucky hit or strong defensive terrain can reveal the 5FP as very effective. Against other attackers, the 5× damage is a deadly deterrent.

Ballistae excel at degrading forts and well-fortified tiles. Defensively, they are capable of Special Unit Defense, reciprocating against ranged attacks with their own retaliatory attack.

VIGIL: the Vigil order lets Ballistae automatically Range-Attack adjacent military units if they have better attack odds. Can be done in cities or bases if it has used no moves.

Patriarch[]

Patriarch

Cost: 55. A unique unit accessible only to Theocracies.

The Patriarch is unique—you can make only one, and only with Theocracy in a city with an Ecclesiastical Palace. He can do what Diplomats can do, with extra powers of persuasion. Under Theocracy, the Patriarch converts units to join your side at 1/3 the cost of a normal Bribe; and incites cities to become yours at one third the normal cost. Diplomatic actions can all be done multiple times if successful. A Patriarch may claim a tile for your nation if adjacent to a tile claim made inside your own national border.

Foreign tile claims require the Patriarch to be accompanied by another unit. Espionage tech allows the Patriarch to establish hostile embassies vs. Courthouse and Homeland Security (but not vs. Police Station or Theocracy.)

In diplomatic contests, the wiles, power, and influence of the Patriarch make him equal to a Spy in strength.

Workers II[]

Workersii

Cost:30. Upgrades Workers. Req: Democracy

Upon the discovery of Democracy, Workers will immediately upgrade for free to Workers II. Bribed and captured Workers can also upgrade free on their present tile. No moves are spent, no city is needed, and the current job is not interrupted.

As civilization progresses, socioeconomic trends improve education, efficiency, and methods. From an underclass of serfs and peasants arise groups of skilled and experienced laborers.

For each turn of work completed, Workers II have a small chance of promotion. Promotions increase the efficiency and work-rate of tile improvements. But perhaps a greater efficiency comes from veterans getting +1/9 move, allowing movement onto adjacent hills, forest, swamp, etc., without losing their turn.

Workers II efficiency by veteran level:
Workers

Title

Veteran

Level

turns

working

worker-turn

output*

work-rate

per turn

move

bonus

Apprentice v0 1 1 1.0 0
Journeymen v1 5 6 1.2 +1/9
Foremen v2 4 5 1.25 +1/9
Master Workmen v3 3 4 1.34 +1/9

*Veteran work-rate bonuses stack with other work-rate bonuses.

In other respects, this unit is identical to Workers I.

Trawler[]

Trawler

Cost: 30. Req: Refrigeration.

Trawlers are work-boats that can do Fishtraps, Buoys, Roads, Quays, Canals, Sea Bridges, & clean pollution/fallout. Trawlers can carry one Land unit, usually Engineers or Workers, to expedite their water work. Trawlers can tow ships who haven't moved, but at a reduced rate of -3 move points. Towing gets damaged ships back to port for repair and helps crew repair rates if the damaged is resting while towed. If a Trawler stops towing it recovers pro-rated move points.

Light Armor[]

Lightarmor

Cost: 65. Req: Combustion 2.

A:9 D:5 FP:1 HP:25 Moves:4.

Light Armor is an early mechanized replacement for Cavalry. It is good for mobile offensives, and also defends better than any unit of its era. The discovery of Automobile gives +1 move point. Units inside Forts get no defense bonus against Light Armor. Units inside Fortresses get a reduced bonus of 1.67× instead of 2×. Big Land units can’t enter Mountains without a road or native base, and do not receive a move bonus from Rivers.

Communists pay 5 less for this unit. Nationalists get a +1 move bonus.

Explanation: In Civilization rulesets, longstanding issues existed with balance for Armor units. They were sensitive to even the slightest changes in strength, tech timing, or improvement obsoletion. To solve this problem:

  • [standard] Armor gets a buff and causes no wonders or barracks to go obsolete. (The obsoletion now comes sooner with Combustion.)
  • Light Armor is available sooner.

Explanation 2: The changes regarding Light Armor and Armor result in a game where armored units participate in late game tactics and unit compositions more frequently.

Bombs[]

Bombs

Cost: 25. Req: Radio.2.

A:10 D:0 FP:1 HP:10 Moves:1

Bombers are considered to carry standard weaponry included. However, the Bombs unit represents a special payload of high numbers of different types of bombs. The Bombs unit lets bombers disrupt target defenses before coming in for a riskier fatal strike. Only bombers with high capacity can carry this unit. Bombs can only be moved by bombers or the airlift order. They can’t attack from inside a domestic city. Bombs are cheap, but they damage more often than kill, and even victory has a cost. Hidden expenses lie in logistics, delivery risk, and non-reusability.

Multi-slot: Under certain conditions, cities can make one (or more) multi-slot units per turn, plus one of any other type.

Magnum Turret[]

Magnumturret

Cost: 160. Req: Mass Production. Unique unit: only 1 per player.

A:10 D:7 FP:3 HP:40 Moves:3. No vet levels. Cannot move.

On rare occasions in history, nations constructed monumental turret guns. Cost-benefit is debatable among military theorists due to scale, cost, and immobility. The Magnum Turret stays where it’s built. You may build only one.

Housed in armored defenses, the Magnum Turret deters attackers and nearby enemy encampments. It may attack or Bombard ocean tiles.

If it has moves left, the Magnum Turret can do 7 rounds of Bombardment up to 2 tiles distant upon five units, with two possible fatalities.

  • 👉🏻 Bombard requires activating the "Do" command on the target tile, if it's 2 tiles distant.

When special attacked from range, it can retaliate with the same type of Bombardment.

The Vigil order instructs the Magnum Turret to auto-Bombard adjacent military units if it has better attack odds.

Fanatics[]

Fanatics

Cost: 25. Req: Combined Arms. Upgrades Zealots.

A:6 D:5 FP:1 HP:20 Moves:2

Fanatics are modern warriors devoted to a higher cause. They cannot be bribed. Theocratic nations can maintain Fanatics without paying their steep upkeep. (Fanatics are unhappy if not under Theocracy, requiring high upkeep to stay content.) Fanatics produced in a city with Ecclesiastical Palace are inspired by fervorous faith to +1 higher veteran level.

Fanatics fervently defend their homeland, and can do surprise skirmish assaults to snipe and injure foreign occupants: Up to 4 invaders on the tile will endure three combat rounds without defense. Skirmish assaults can also be done to foreign occupied cities if they have a remaining Foreign National population. Like Zealots, Fanatics can Establish Home City in any allied city that is Theocracy, allowing control to pass between nations who share the same faith.

Explanation: Similar to Riflemen and Alpine Troops, the Zealots line was a dead-end that could not re-arm and upgrade in the late game. The Fanatics unit fixes that issue.

Ground Troops[]

Groundtroops

Cost: 40. Req: Combined Arms.

A:7 D:5 FP:1 HP:20 Moves:2+

Ground Troops upgrade earlier infantry with better weaponry. The upgrade cost for Riflemen and Alpine Troops is 4 gold. Ground Troops can stay fortified while attacking, and veterans enjoy a +⅓ move bonus.

Explanation: This new unit allows Riflemen and Alpine Troops to participate in a modern upgrade path, rather than remain stuck with more primitive weapons and abilities of an earlier era. Improved attack, defense, movement, and ability to attack while fortified give less disadvantage to earlier investing in the infantry line of units.

Missile Submarine[]

Missilesubmarine

Cost: 55. Req: Nuclear Power

A:12. D:4. Firepower:2. Hitpoints: 30.

A Missile Submarine is an upgraded Submarine. It gains 2hp, greater defense, and capacity for 4 Missiles. It can’t be seen except by an adjacent unit, adjacent city, or cardinally adjacent buoy.

  • The DIVE DEEP order makes Missile Submarines completely invisible even to adjacent units, on the following turn.
    • Enemies only discover it if moving directly to its tile, at which point they may attack.
    • It can only be done in Deep Ocean while the Missile Submarine stays quietly in place.
  • Missile Submarines are unreachable by Air units, but don’t block air attacks on surface ships.
  • Minimum speed is 5, when damaged.
  • Stack-Escape:75% odds to evade stack-death if attacker doesn’t have more moves than it does.

Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM)[]

Anti-ballisticmissile

Cost: 35. Req: Space Flight 2.

A:1 D:0 FP:10 HP:1

ABMs intercept enemy missiles. Because there is seldom enough time to order a launch against incoming missiles, ABMs are usually set to Vigil, which makes them automatically intercept adjacent missiles. ABMs are useful for anti-missile defense outside of cities. They must be cargo on a Mobile SAM or similar missile-capable unit, and set to Vigil. ABMs aren't very effective against non-missiles. As a defensive unit, they cause no unhappiness; and their upkeep is 1 gold. After required tech is known, 1 ABM is delivered free to each newly built missile-carrying type of unit. (Missile Destroyer, Missile Submarine, AEGIS Cruiser, Carrier, and Mobile SAM).

Multi-slot: Under certain conditions, cities can make one (or more) multi-slot units per turn, plus one of any other type.

Multi-Fighter[]

Multi-fighter

Cost: 90. The Escort Fighter now upgrades to the Multi-Fighter, which allows this type of aircraft to continue its role.

A:6 D:7 FP:2 HP: 20 Moves:22 Fuel:2

Explanation: Formerly, the Fighter and Escort Fighter both upgraded to the Jet Fighter, which eliminated any aircraft capable of continuing the support role of the Escort Fighter. This unit corrects that situation.

Stealth Multi-Fighter[]

Stealthmulti-fighter

Cost:95. This continues the Escort Fighter line to its natural conclusion.

A:7 D:8 FP:2 HP: 20 Moves:26 Fuel:2

Project Neptune[]

Project Neptune is an ongoing mission to boost the role and efficacy of sea-power in Freeciv rulesets.

Lighthouse and Magellan's Expedition[]

  • Lighthouse2
    Lighthouse
    • The Lighthouse is never obsolete, but must be built before Electricity.
    • The Lighthouse movement bonus reduces from +2 to +1 when combined with Nuclear Power bonus.
    • The city with the Lighthouse gets the Port Facility healing/repair effect.
  • Magellans expedition
    Magellan's Expedition
    • Magellan's Expedition gives +1 move to nations who do not have the Lighthouse.
    • The city with Magellan's Expedition gets the Port Facility healing/repair effect.

Explanations:

  • Ship movement was too slow to simulate naval warfare, in the faster paced late game.
    • Late game investments in naval transport and logistics can improve these issues.
  • No way to heal ships exists prior to Amphibious Warfare. Therefore, earlier wonders are given this ability.

Buoys[]

Buoy-vision

Buoys report nearby visible activity like a sentry unit, and are even able to see enemy submarines, if cardinally adjacent.

U

Missile Payloads[]

Aegiscruiser
Missilesubmarine

Missile carrying ships have changes to their cargo capacity:

Missile Capacity for Sea Units
MP2C MP2D
Missile Destroyer 1 2
AEGIS Cruiser 2 5
Submarine 8 0
Missile Submarine - 4

Explanations:

  • The advent of the ABM necessitates an increase in missile capacity.
  • The larger payloads of smaller submarines was neither accurate, nor useful to Project Neptune's goal of making surface ships more relevant.

Crew Repair[]

  • Crew Repair was simplified. Every type of ship gets 10% of its hitpoints repaired by its crew, each turn.
    • effectively +1 hp more than previously
    • now includes all wooden ships

Explanation: reduced complexity, uniformity.

Minimum Speed[]

All ships now gain +1 to their minimum speed, when damaged

  • Boat, Trireme, Riverships: 3 (was 2)
  • Submarines: 5 (was 4)
  • all other Sea Units: 4 (was 3)

Move Rates[]

Most ships gain +1 move. Adjusts a discrepancy between their speed and that of corresponding land units using roads.

  • Ships to not gain +1 = Trireme, Longboat, Ram Ship, Cargo Ship, Transport
  • Frigate gets +2 (had received a +1 adjustment prior to all ships getting a general +1).

Explanation: This change lessens the "molasses effect" in island games, where all sea-based operations were excessively slower than land operations.

Shore Attacks[]

Ironclad

Shore attacks for modern ships changed:

  • Cruiser
    For Ironclad onward:
    • Ironclad, Destroyer, Cruiser, Battleship, Missile Destroyer, AEGIS Cruiser
    • Battle will last 20 combat rounds, which may or may not result in a victor. (Ironclad onward)
    • Chance of attacker promotion is half frequency: 2 battles required for same chance of promotion as 1 sea battle.
      • Properly balances an average of 1 death per every 2 attacks
  • For ships with Firepower 2 (Cruiser onward):
    • Cruiser, Battleship, Missile Destroyer, AEGIS Cruiser
    • Combat Strength is adjusted during shore attacks:
      • As before, Firepower of FP2 is reduced to FP1 during shore attacks.
      • Now, attack strength is increased +33%
      • Overall effect is -33% reduction in attack strength for shore attacks (was -50%)
        • I.e.: (100%+33%)/2 = 67%. (was: 100%/2 = 50%)

Explanation: the viability of combined operations using naval forces is improved, yet the limited combat rounds reduces the overpowering of the role of sea units upon coastal terrain and cities, and makes them more of a support unit for softening positions, as is realistic and historical. Instead of dying in a losing fight, a ship will damage and soften land units and still have enough hitpoints left to survive the support role operation.

Submarine Class[]

  • Submarine
    The standard Submarine can no longer carry missiles.
    • This ability is reserved for the unit to which it later upgrades: the Missile Submarine.
  • Submarines gain some compensations for this loss:
    • The Submarine Class loses 1 less move point than other units after a successful attack (that is, moves lost from incurring damage)
      • This slightly improves its "Hit and Run" role and diminishes its role as a mere suicide unit or "guided torpedo" type of unit.
    • Galleons and Frigates can no longer attack Submarines

⭐️ Note: Buoys can now see submarines that move cardinally adjacent to the buoy. They give sentry reports of the sighting.

Please see Missile Submarine under New Units, above.

Battleship[]

  • Battleship
    Now gets same vision radius as a Cruiser
  • Gets Bombard (SUA) range of 2 (was: 1)
    • 👉🏻 requires activating the "Do" command on the target tile if the range is 2.
  • Gets new STACK CHIEF feature
    • Stack Chief units never die in a Stack Death
    • Stack Chief units "anchor" other units who successfully escape Stack Death, from fleeing to another tile. They remain alive on the same tile with the Stack Chief.

Carrier[]

  • Carrier
    Gets new STACK CHIEF feature
    • Stack Chief units never die in a Stack Death
    • Stack Chief units "anchor" other units who successfully escape Stack Death, from fleeing to another tile. They remain alive on the same tile with the Stack Chief.

VI. Wonders[]

New Wonders[]

Citadel of Aleppo[]

Citadel aleppo

Cost:120. Req: Engineering

The great Citadel of Aleppo turns a city into a formidable fortress. It must be built before Metallurgy is discovered. It provides 3× defense against all Land attacks. The thick walls are impervious to sabotage, Siege Rams, and any bonuses from Catapults, Cannons, Artillery, and Howitzers. The Citadel of Aleppo cannot be made in a city that has City Walls, but it is possible to sell those in order to allow for the Citadel.

  • 3x defense
  • impervious to ballistic units and siege ram.
  • Allows each nation to make one special fortress city with the same strength as the old mp2c City Walls

Commissariat of Agriculture[]

Commissariat

Cost: 150. The Commissariat of Agriculture submits all agricultural output to State methods and planning. Newly founded cities start with +5 food. Time to create Farmland is reduced to 2 worker-turns. Gross food output in every city receives a +10% multiplier. This Wonder is never obsolete, but only works in Communism.

Propaganda Ministry[]

Propagandaministry

Cost: 200. The Propaganda Ministry manages news and public belief toward national solidarity. It also ensures entertainment and cultural gatherings are aligned on message for the populace to love its leadership. The Propagandra Ministry gives every city in authoritarian governments +1 happy and +2 luxury. This Wonder is never obsolete, but only has an effect in Despotism, Communism, and Nationalism.

Changes to Existing Wonders[]

Chand Baori[]

Chand baori

Cost: 65 (was 80).

Fixed a bug where sometimes diagonal irrigation was not working.

Ziggurat[]

Ziggurat

Cost: 80. The Ziggurat has been buffed with less restrictions and more bonuses. It no longer requires being built on a river.

The Ziggurat gathers all ruling functions of early civilization into one wondrous building:

  1. Shield output suffers no tile penalties.
  2. The food capacity of the Ziggurat is legendary: it counts as a Granary, and receives an additional +1 food on the city center.
  3. All Settlers in your nation have no food upkeep.
  4. The Ziggurat acts as a Temple and a Barracks in its city.
  5. The Ziggurat gives 1.75× defense vs. all attacks, regardless of terrain or attacker.
  6. If your Palace is in another city:
    • The Ziggurat receives +1 happy citizen
    • Reduces corruption in nearby cities as if it too were a Palace,
    • RELOCATES the capital production bonus to its city.

The construction of a Granary, Temple, Barracks, Fortifications, or City Walls will replace the corresponding Ziggurat effects.

Obsolete by: Monarchy or switching from Despotism.

Explanation: The least popular Tribal Wonder has new flexibility and possibilities.

Agōgē of Sparta[]

Agoge

The Agōgē receives major new bonuses:

  • Reduces Phalanx price 3 shields.
  • Counts as a Barracks in its home city.
  • +1 move bonus for starting turn in a city: now applies to all cities, not just the city with the Agōgē .
  • Increases chance of veteran promotion 50% for phalanxes.
    • (this is not +50% odds, it's +50% frequency), i.e:    {50%, 33%, 20%, 15%} becomes {75%, 50%, 30%, 22%}
  • Agōgē + Barracks in a city allows making hardened Phalanxes

Explanation: The wonder struggled to return its value except for only the most extremely militant Bronze Age strategies. The combination of the new and old bonuses working together should make it more useful to moderate militarism and defensive strategies.

Angkor Wat[]

Angkor wat

Angkor Wat reduces city celebration size from 3 to 2.

Mausoleum of Mausolos[]

Mausoleum of halicarnassus

The Mausoleum becomes more powerful.

  • ➤ Courthouses cost -33% in Despotism; 5 less in other governments.
  • ➤ Cancels Courthouse upkeep before Banking. After Banking, gives 1 gold of unit upkeep for free.
  • ➤ A Courthouse or City Walls gives each city +1 content citizen, unless unhappy about military.
    • Having both also adds +1 happy citizen.
  • ➤ Acts like half a Courthouse in cities with no Courthouse:
    • 30% corruption reduction.
    • If there is any corruption at all, it’s reduced by a minimum of 1.
    • Tile output penalty lifted +1 in Anarchy, Despotism
    • 10% bonus vs hostile diplomats.
  • ➤ Your units cost 35% more to bribe.
  • ➤ Prevents your cities from being incited.
  • ➤ Halves the odds of investigating your cities.

The Mausoleum is a Civil Wonder. You can make only one Civil Wonder. Obsolete by:Radio

Explanation: The least popular Civil Wonder gets more power for more diverse strategies.

Pyramids[]

Pyramids

Cost: 180 (was 200). With Pyramids, cities start with 33% or +5 food for 5/15. (MP2C was: 25% or 5/20.). This compensates the later timing and higher science requirements recently given to the Pyramids. The Pyramids also give their city a rapture rate of 100% (every turn), regardless of government type.

Ecclesiastical Palace[]

Ecclesiastical palace

Cost:70 (was 90). (same as Palace).

Statue of Zeus[]

Statue of zeus

Zeus promotion bonus changed: instead of The Republic tech turning it off, it's Monotheism or Communism that turns off the bonus. The two different "make content" bonuses were clarified.

The powerful Zeus gives order and organization to both city and nation. In every city in your nation, this Wonder neutralizes one unhappy citizen caused by military units. In Monarchies and non-representative government, the Statue of Zeus makes one citizen content.

Before the discovery of Monotheism or Communism, the Statue of Zeus increases veteran promotion frequency by one third:

[50,33,20,15]% → [67,44,26,20]%

In the city the statue is located, it makes one citizen happy and provides free upkeep to 4 units. Except for one permanent happy citizen, the discovery of Tactics makes the Statue of Zeus obsolete.

Copernicus' Observatory[]

Copernicus observatory2

Cost: 90. (Was: 100).

Lighthouse[]

see Project Neptune above

Magellan's Expedition[]

see Project Neptune above

The Great Wall[]

Great wall

This wonder now enables a new game mechanic: the ability to create Terrain Walls.

Terrain Walls - The Great Wall wonder allows one to build walls right on the map. The terrain properties are:

  • Takes one turn to build, set Tile target with (D)o
  • Takes four turns to pillage.
  • Can't be built on a Base, River, or Canal
  • Can't be built on Mountains, Rivers, Bases.
  • Non-allied units lose all move points moving onto a Wall, and lose all move points moving off of a Wall
  • Foreign units who are on a Wall with no moves left, are considered as 'attempting to scale the Wall', and have -50% defense.
  • Domestic units on a wall are considered fortified for free, even if not in a fortified state. (NB:not allies, yours only)

Roman Colosseum[]

Roman Colosseum

Cost: 360. (Was: 400).

Sun Tzu's War Academy[]

Sun tzus war academy

Cost: 300. (Was: 310). Obsolete by: Combustion. (Was: Mobile Warfare).

Explanations: Sun Tzu expires with Combustion instead of Mobile Warfare. Combustion tech becomes the new "era chokepoint" rather than Mobile Warfare. This better divides the Napoleonic and WW1 eras from the WW2 era. It also rebalances some unit veterancy issues. Reduced cost reflects that the wonder no longer lasts quite as long.

Leonardo's Workshop[]

Leonardos workshop

The discovery of Robotics does not obsolete this wonder, but rather, reduces its upgrades from 2 per turn, to 1 per turn. The discovery of Rocketry also has this effect.

Explanation: Quantitative easing on upgrade backlog syndrome. Eliminates overly strong penalties for the discovery of Automobile. Diversifies different tech strategies during the WW2 era.

Adam Smith's Trading Co.[]

B.asmiths trading co

Adam Smith wonder adjusted back to 300 cost

Explanation: the former cost increase had been implemented before the WYSIWYG upgrade, which now makes this wonder less OP and no longer justifying the cost increase.

Isaac Newton's College[]

Isaac newtons college

Isaac Newton's College is now obsolete by Computers.

Explanations:

  1. This works with other changes to help "put a lid" on the WW2 era and allow it to happen for a while, before exiting gradually into the arms race of the WW3 era.
  2. This makes the wonder "The Internet" less pointless, as well as Research Labs.
  3. Nerfs and reduces the ROI of what was one of the most OP wonders in the game.

Hoover Dam[]

B.hoover dam

Cost: 550. (Was: 600).

  • In the city where it’s built:
    • Hoover Dam counts exactly* as a Hydro Plant, Factory, and Manufacturing Plant.
      • If any of those buildings already exist in the city, they have no effect* and can be sold.
      • The bonus as counting as a free Mfg. Plant makes this bonus available to the city with Hoover Dam, prior to discovering Robotics!
    • The +20% output bonus from Mass Production is received without needing that tech.
    • The total of all combined production bonuses is +160%, available immediately upon completion of the Wonder.
    • The excess power from Hoover Dam is so great that in its home city, it supports up to 15 free upkeep for other buildings!
    • Must be built on or adjacent to a river.
  • In all other cities:
    • Hoover Dam increases the bonus of all Hydro Plants by another +10%, so that they yield +40% output.
      • After Mass Production is discovered, then all Hydro Plants get +60% output—the same as a Nuclear Plant!
      • The output increase does NOT contribute to pollution.
        • This means Hydro Plants assisted by Hoover Dam produce less pollution than Nuclear Plants.
        • Hoover Dam reduces the cost of Hydro Plants by 5 shields.

Explanation: Formerly, Hoover Dam counted as a Hydro Plant in all cities. Since Hoover Dam has different functions now, its cost is reduced.

Effects: Compared to MP2C, Hoover's +10% boost to Hydro Plants is greater than the +7%.

* A literal Factory building is still required for the building of spaceship parts.

JTIDS[]

Jtids

Cost: 275 (was: 230)

VII. Buildings[]

City Walls[]

City walls.mp2c

City Walls are now 2x defense like all other defensive buildings. This finally creates a uniform simplicity where City Walls, Coastal Defense, SAM Battery, and SDI all provide the exact same 2x defense against their respective attacker types.

Ballistic class units (Catapult, Cannon, Artillery, Howitzer) continue to get a bonus against City Walls, which is now adjusted to: Catapult 1.75x (was 2.75x), Cannon 1.5x (was 2.5x), Artillery 1.5x (was 2.25x), Howitzer 1x (was 1x).

Explanation: This also fixes an error in the porting from original Civ I and Civ II. 3x was wrongly attributed to City Walls because during gameplay calculations, it was to tell people that City Walls are 3x defense because people included the 1.5x "free-fortify" bonus in their calculation.

The Classic ruleset erroneously implemented this "double inclusion" of the free-fortify bonus as part of City Walls. This resulted in land units inside cities getting 3x * 1.5x = 4.5x, whereas original Civilization had 2x * 1.5x = 3x. This mistake resulted in some dramatic changes to game balance:

  • The 1.5x stronger City Walls combined with the cost reduction from Civ II (80) to Classic (60), to create other dramatic effects in the game...
  • The ability to rapidly buy 4.5x walls for 60 instead of 3x walls for 80, meant the game became skewed to be more heavily economic until the post-gunpowder era.
  • Strategic dynamics got narrowed more into "playing sim city while gunpowder rushing"
  • Bronze age, Iron age, and Feudal Age warfare were greatly diminished.
  • The game became heavily "aero-centric". Since SAM Batteries are only 2x defense while the Walls were 3x, this resulted in:
    • "Flight rushing" being force-multiplied more than it should
    • The beautiful "chess tactics" of ground warfare, ZOC, positional warfare, etc., being greatly reduced.
    • Land warfare was nerfed so much that the late game turned almost exclusively into air and missile warfare.
    • The majority of the chesslike tactics of land control, positioning, supply lines, and logistics, were removed from the late game.
    • Land conquest and control of non-city terrestrial positions and borders were replaced with a game of "city pounding" by aircraft and missiles.
    • Tactical integrity of the game was degraded.

In spite of the above, there were some good effects that came from the 4.5x mistake. Economic strategies were enhanced. Massive multiplayer became more capable of sustaining game integrity in spite of Vlad-type and Metree-type players. MP2D believes it can sustain some of the good effects of the "4.5x mistake". This is because:

  • The cost of City Walls is still less than the original 80, for a better defensive value proposition.
  • The game now has the new Fortifications improvement, which provides decent defense for cheap.
  • The build-path from Fortifications into City Walls now has a nice analogue symmetry to the Fort➡Fortress line of terrain improvements. A stronger defense is still obtainable with a greater degree of time, effort, and cost, for those who will do extra preparations and efforts for it.

Note that each player may build one of the new wonder, "Citadel of Aleppo", which has 3x defense similar to the old City Walls.

To understand how the change to City Walls was sculpted to balance and fit with the new Fortifications improvement, please see immediately below:

Fortifications[]

Fortifications

Fortifications were cleaned up and simplified. Now, Fortifications simply add +0.33 to the terrain defense bonus (+0.50 for Flatland*). Upon the discovery of Metallurgy, Fortifications get the same +10 cost increase as City Walls. Because of the steep and tough terrain of Mountains, this improvement can't be constructed in cities built on Mountains.

Previously there were complex restrictions, rules, and layering to balance this improvement's defense bonus structure. It is believed that the current solution is both simpler and has better balance.

Effect: +0.33 to the terrain defense, except flatlands (+0.50). This is regardless of other defense improvements in the city. Fortifications simply increase the terrain defense of their tile.

Ruleset comparison, defense bonus of a Land unit inside city, being attacked by a Land unit. ◀weaker......................................................................................................................................................................................................................stronger▶
Civ2Civ3 Civ 2 MP2D MP2C Classic
On Flatland*
City with no defenses 1.5x 1.5x 1.5x 1.5x 1.5x
Fortifications --- --- 2.25x (1.5x * 1.5x) 2.25x (1.5x * 1.5x) ---
City Walls 3x (2x * 1.5x) 3x (2x * 1.5x) 3x (2x * 1.5x) 4.5x (3x * 1.5x) 4.5x (3x * 1.5x)
City Walls + Fortifications --- --- 4.5x (2x * 1.5x * 1.5x) 5.26x (3x * 1.5x * 1.17x) ---
On hills
City with no defenses 3x (2x * 1.5x) 3x (2x * 1.5x) 3x (2x * 1.5x) 3x (2x * 1.5x) 3x (2x * 1.5x)
Fortifications --- --- 3.5x (2.33x * 1.5x) 4.5x (2x * 1.5x * 1.5x) ---
City Walls 4.5x (2x * 1.5x *1.5x) 6x (2x * 1.5x * 2x) 6x (2x * 2x * 1.5x) 9x (3x * 2x * 1.5x) 9x (3x * 2x * 1.5x)
City Walls + Fortifications --- --- 7x (2x * 2.33x * 1.5x) 9x (3x * 2x * 1.5x) ---

Table: MP2D is now balanced right in the middle of other rulesets, while offering more options: weaker defense is available for cheap, and very strong is available, but requires investment and time.

* Flatland = all terrain with zero defense bonus: i.e., Plains, Grassland, Desert, Tundra, Arctic.

Police Station[]

Police station

Under authoritarian governments (Despotism, Nationalism, Communism.), Police Station gives +2 forced content citizens in its city, This means it also handles citizens upset by nationality.

Homeland Security[]

Homeland security

Now prevents "Poison City" from taking place in its city.

Cathedral[]

Cathedral

Cost: 70. (was: 75).

Increases the rapture rate of cities in Theocracy to 57.2%. (4 out of every 7 turns).

Has 50% less chance of being razed in a city conquest.

Barracks II[]

B.barracks ii

Expires as obsolete upon discovering Combustion. (Was: Mobile Warfare).

Explanation: As described elsewhere in this summary, reconfiguration of tech costs, reqs, timing, and obsolescences, were required to fix several imbalances and unrealistic phenomena in the game. This is germaine to unifying the WW2 era and making Light Armor and Armor units appear more often in tactics and unit compositions.

Coal Plant[]

B.power plant

Coal Plants were simplified to give +30% to output immediately, and another +20% after discovering Mass Production. (Was +20% for Factory, +20% for Mfg. Plant)

  • For 120 shields, a coal plant immediately provides +30% to production.
    • This is more reasonably aligned with the +50% for 140 shields, for a Factory investment.
  • Upon discovering Mass Production, Coal Plant productivity is increased by +20% to +50%.

Hydro Plant[]

B.hydro plant

Cost: 175

  • Hydro Plants were simplified to give +30% to output immediately, and +20% extra after Mass Production. (Was +20% for Factory, +20% for Mfg. Plant)
  • With Hoover Dam, Hydro Plants give +40% to output immediately, and +20% extra after Mass Production. (Was +27% for Factory, +27% for Mfg. Plant)
  • Immediately provides a production-pollution reduction percentage exactly matching the output bonus described above.
  • Hydro Plants' chance of being razed during a conquest is 50% less.
    • This means a 0% chance of being razed ifcombined with the -50% reduction for liberating an occupied city.
  • Upkeep is 2 (was 3). This is less than the 4 upkeep of a Coal Plant or Nuclear Plant.
  • The total output for a Hydro Plant with Hoover Dam, Factory, and Mfg. Plant is now +160% (was +154%)
  • Pollution reduction remains the same: all output bonuses have an equal production-pollution reduction bonus.
  • After a Hydro Plant is built in a city, Coal Plants recover 85% of their gold cost when sold, rather than 50%.

Nuclear Plant[]

Nuclear plant

Nuclear Plants give +60% to output immediately. (Was: +30% for Factory, +30% for Mfg. Plant).

  • For 185 shields, a Nuclear Plant immediately provides +60% to production.
  • Immediately provides -50% to pollution reduction.
  • Allows power plant strategies that don't include an "obligatory" Hoover Dam.
  • After a Nuclear Plant is built in a city, Coal Plants recover 85% of their gold cost when sold, rather than 50%.

VIII. Miscellaneous[]

New Animal Resources[]

In addition to deer and wild boar, two new animals were added. Mountain Goat (3 1 0) and Hippopotamus (3 1 0).

Explanation: Certain terrain types did not partake evenly in the early-game acceleration effect provided by deer and wild boar, because those animals only appear on grassland and forest. Some statistical tuning was done for mountains, hills, and desert, to allow these terrain types to also participate in early game acceleration. NOTE however, that it is not as much as the wild boar and deer because it is not intended for mountains, hills, or desert to provide as much food as other terrain types.

  • Mountain Goats only appear on mountains OR hills adjacent to mountains.
  • Hippopotami only appear on desert rivers.

Sea Commerce units never cause unhappiness[]

Previously, some types of sea commerce units with military capacities would cause unhappiness for representative governments, while others wouldn't. For universal uniformity, no unit capable of doing commerce will ever cause unhappiness.

  • The units to which these units upgrade, also do not cause unhappiness:
    • This also includes the Galleon, which in its era is the only transport ship that can deliver Goods for establishing commercial trade routes.
    • This also includes the Transport, which has 0 attack and therefore is not in itself an aggressive unit.

Explanation: a Caravel in non-domestic waters has a home city that is in disorder. It then gets a free Leonardo upgrade to Galleon, which made it impossible to not cause a second turn of disorder. This then throws the Democracy into anarchy and causes it to lose the game. This change prevents this and other ridiculous possibilities from being allowed to happen.

Explanation 2: Historically, representative governments have excelled in trade and especially maritime trade. Excluding commerce and semi-commerce ships from the unhappiness effect provides a bit more realism and quantitative easing to rules that overly punished the naval protection of maritime trade interests.

Capture and Expel, movement cost[]

Each of these actions now uses 2/3 of a move.

Explanation: This makes them uniform. Previously they were 3/3 and 2/3, respectively. It was often hard to remember which was which.

Railroads[]

Railroads take 1.5 worker-turns to complete, not 2; this may assist economic pace in cases with veteran Workers II units, or with governments and wonders which give work-rate bonuses.

MagLevs[]

  • MagLevs can only be built wherever railroads may be built, (i.e. Road and SeaBridge).
    • A railroad is not required: only the possibility of building a railroad is required.

Effect: MagLevs can no longer be built on ocean (unless SeaBridge.)

Advisor now gives real advice[]

The so-called "advisor" is game mechanic which suggests what building to make next in each city. Previously, he did it based only on alphabetical order. The advisor now suggests an order closer to what an experienced player might use. This makes it a real advisor. More importantly, it will hopefully decrease the micro-management work of changing production targets in every city, by some reasonable fraction.

Hunting Wild Animals[]

Wild Animal hunting now gives a bonus to the nearest city of the unit who kills it. The bonus may be a food award and/or gold bonus and/or culture bonus.

  • To enable wild animal units in the game, do:
    • /set animals x
      • where x is a number from 1-1000 for animal frequency per each 1000 tiles.
Food

awarded

Gold from

Furs/Ivory

Culture

points

Lion 1 2 1
Bear 1 3
Wolf 1
Leopard 3
Tiger 3
Crocodile 2 3
Hippopotamus 5 2
Rhinocerous 3 3
Polar Bear 4
Giant Squid 5 2 1