Multiplayer+ Design Log

Multiplayer+ 1.1 Design Log

Below is the more verbose design log for adjustments made to MP+ 1.1 ruleset, with specific explanations, effects, and rationale. The MP+ Overview gives a shorter list.

1. Mountain Vision

Land units see farther when on top of mountains.  Units on a mountain can see +1 tile.  Effect:   This provides more realism and tactics to the game. It is also a mechanism to provide some balance for the halving of the vision/movement ratio under 2x movement. 

2. Illegal Action movement

Penalty removed.  The command “[H]ome City” sometimes had a bug giving a penalty when legally performed. Furthermore, it is needless to make units lose ⅓ move after an accidental key-press for an illegal command. 

3. Bribe Sabotage bug fix

Aircraft, nukes, helicopters, and missiles can't be bribed or sabotaged.   

Explanation: Developers made an “Unbribable” flag to fix this, but Classic/Multiplayer rules never received the fix.

Effect:    For example, your nuke or cruise missile can't be bribed and turned around to go attack you. 

4. Tech pace

Fine-tuned the Bulb Costs of Technologies to equalize tech pace throughout the game.  

Explanation:  Previously, a formula did tech costs. It did well until late-game, then tech pace surpassed game pace.  

Effect:  First techs cost 4 bulbs less (28–4=24). Next techs are unchanged until Democracy/Gunpowder, with a gentle rise in costs. After mid-game, new units can get used before going obsolete.

5. Philosophy adjustment

Philosophy gives a free advance, but coalition abuse is curbed.  Free tech awarded if discovered before Turn 85, but only if the player has none of the following:  Industrialization, Electricity, Conscription.

Explanation:  This solution preserves different play-styles without ruining MP balance. Some wanted to restrict Philosophy, justifiably claiming “gangs of backwards nations” got better late-game techs than developed nations. Removal is problematic: players familiar with MP know that Philosophy re-balanced lost trade routes. This solution fulfills all the MP requirements. Keep in mind that late-joiners and others use Philosophy as a bargaining chip to get influence, alliance, and protection. It helps them survive and learn to play. It keeps the community growing. It increases cooperation, diplomacy, and interaction.  

Effect:  Before 1600AD (T85), Philosophy gives bonus tech if you have none of the first mid-game techs. This prevents mid- and late-game abuse. Philosophy continues to enhance diplomatic strategy, surprise, fun, and depth.  MP design goals are not lost:  Philosophy still compensates for lost trade routes.  Notifications begin warning of the coming expiration starting on T79.

6. Voyage of Darwin

Darwin's Voyage changed to increase Trade like Colossus.

Explanation:  (In MP1, Philosophy and Darwin could finish the tech tree on 0% science.) Some players wanted Darwin gone or One-player-only. One-player-only awards from Great Wonders and Huts were long ago forbidden from Multiplayer design principles to eliminate “ruleset luck” from deciding the game. The solution is to make Darwin do something else. Darwin becomes a replacement for Colossus going obsolete, simulating the effects on trade and commerce from scientific advancement.    

Effect:  Previously, most late-game tech was not being used: new tech too rapidly replaced old tech.  Now, the 4 stages of late-middle-, early-late-, late-, and end-game are exciting distinct phases of the game that can actually be experienced and enjoyed.  

7. Lighthouse

Improved and adjusted. +2 move, +1 vision, obsolete: Miniaturization. Cost: 170.

Explanation:  Lighthouse was OP in Classic rules. 200 shields gave ships +1 move and +1 vet. MP1 overcorrected: it removed the vet bonus, accelerated pace to go obsolete sooner, but kept the same cost. Then 2x moves came to MP1 without giving 2x to Lighthouse. The most valuable bonus was eliminated, the secondary bonus was half strength, the cost was the same, and it expired sooner.  Thought is needed to save this Wonder. Reducing cost is a no-brainer – but with only ¼ of its original value intact, the cost would be so cheap that Lighthouse would be too common. To fix it right, the cost was slightly reduced to 170, the bonus corrected for 2x moves, the expiration delayed, and +1 vision replaces loss of +1 vet. These corrections make Lighthouse usable.  Mission accomplished.  Obsolete by:  Miniaturization.

8. Pyramids

Pyramids restored to its Classic effect:  Food storage +25% in every city.  Cost 160.

Explanation:  MP1 re-purposed Pyramid & Great Library to lessen the gap between rapture/non-rapture governments. Giving rapture to one city was well-intended but it sadly proved to be overpriced and less effective than the original effect. Because overpriced under-poweredness was the reason for the original attempt to improve the Pyramid, it reverts back to Classic but gets a price reduction. 

Effect:  The classic Pyramid restores lost balance to non-rapture nations. It may provide a “vertical alternative” for nations who can't expand horizontally. In the early game, for the cost of 4 Granaries or 4 Settlers, you get a “half Granary” in all cities. In the late-game, the effect of the Pyramids may be different. For late-game non-rapture governments, this Wonder is almost a “viability patch.” Even so, the Pyramid is not meant to give equality to all governments, and it doesn't. It corrects a “widening of the gap” that MP1 unintentionally worsened. Perhaps it allows more strategies and more flexible timing of revolutions, improved balance and playability, government variety.

Pyramids do not help new size 1 cities and begin their effect upon reaching size 2.

9. Copernicus

Copernicus' Observatory reduced to 100 shields.  

Explanation:  This Wonder was meant to enable an early science strategy.  It was basically a Library that costs 200 shields.  Early science was 333% better served by making three Libraries, saving 20 shields, and discovering a more important technology first. 

Effect:  Copernicus now costs 1.7x a Library.  Maybe it's now possible to sacrifice an important key tech to risk going for early Astronomy and Copernicus.

10a. Mass Transit

Cost: 60 shields. Increases base trade by +2.

Explanation:  Mass Transit was broken: 120 cost with upkeep similar to 2 Engineers. It cut the Pollution from Population but not Production. Let's compare that to an Engineer. For 40 cost, one Engineer can clean pollution from Population OR Production in any nearby city. Mass Transit might prevent Population Pollution in one city (but Pollution usually comes from Production.) When there is no Pollution, an Engineer can irrigate, road, fort, etc. Too many Engineers were cleaning pollution while pollution prevention was never bought. The Engineer is cheaper and has other benefits, so it remains a strong alternative: no classic strategies get broken. But the Mass Transit option gives:  a) +2 trade from increased mobility and revenues from tickets, very slowly recouping its extra cost;  b) Preventative pollution control c) Increased playability.

Effect:  Very little. You can pay extra to have less annoyance, with a very slow and small return on investment.

10b. Recycling Center

Cost: 70. Upkeep 1. Increases base production by +2.

Explanation: Recycling Center was broken for the same reasons as Mass Transit. Recycling generates raw materials which aid production. It very slowly pays for itself with +2 shields to city output. A useless building now becomes a modest investment that increases playability. 

Effect:  Very little. The game remains the same. Some people might use this improvement. Some won't. 

11. Air ZoC

Air Units block land units from the tile they're on, but don't exercise ZoC on adjacent tiles.  

Explanation:  Rulesets allow two options. Fighters can be: (a) impotent – unable to defend a Worker from a vet Warrior, or (b) unreachable – able to block 10 Armors from a Worker. This was always a dirty compromise. MP rules are semi-classic: air superiority and defensive air support got represented by choosing (b), even if it there are possible exploits. Defensive air support correctly represents the difficulty of land-to-air access. Nevertheless, trimming back ZoC to greatly reduce the exploits makes perfect sense.

Effect:  Fighters remain 'Unreachable' but no longer exert ZoC over 8 other unoccupied tiles.

12. Restrictinfra

Re-balance: Enemy rails only act like roads, while roads can still be used by all.  DEFAULT SETTING.

Explanation:  A balance for Restrictinfra was achieved. Before, our choice was between two extremes: 1)  Some claimed that it's ridiculous for armies to travel at light speed conquering dozens of nations in a single turn, and that it should be easy for an invaded nation to disable its rails. 2) Others claimed that making the game ignore enemy rails and roads as if they don't exist at all, is even more unrealistic and makes stalemates.

Both sides were right. Behold the sweet spot in the middle.

Effect:   Late game strategy was dominated by paranoia over rail systems. Rail invasions ended the game right as players were getting to “the good part of the game.”  Now there is an option.  (Restrictinfra=OFF preserves Classic behavior settings.)

13. Bribe costs

½ bribe cost for civilian units correctly adjusted to include all civilian units, not just Settlers.

Explanation:  Bribing civilians is easier than bribing military.  The ½ bribe cost rule goes back to when Settlers were the only infra unit.  Failure to properly port the “Unit Flag” resulted in Workers having the same doubled bribe costs as military units.  

Effect:  Workers wandering very far from home are realistic bribe targets again. 

14. Submarine

Fix to OP Submarine. Now attacks at 9, restored to classical Civ I/II strength.

Explanation:  Classic ruleset committed to creating the best possible synthesis of Civ I + Civ II. But for no good reason, the 50p Submarine got altered to attack like a 160p Battleship. By comparison, this would be the same as buffing Armor to be invisible, 12A FP2, Cost:50, yet available 24450 bulbs sooner – cheaply able to slaughter every more advanced more expensive unit for the rest of the game. This was absolutely wrong. It devastated attrition ratios for more expensive more technological sea units by many multiples. The Submarine now returns to its rightfully balanced Civ I/II strength. This fixes a massive mistake that mutilated the naval balance of Sid's Civ I/II.

Effect:  Submarines still remain the only unit with superior attrition ratios vs. more expensive higher tech units.

15. Sea unit movement

Move ratios of Battleship:Cruisers:Destroyer adjusted to 10:11:12. 

Explanation:  A Battleship is just barely slower than a Cruiser. But because 1x units can't be set to half movement points, this was represented by the loss of a whole move point. The arrival of 2x movement doubled the discrepancy. Ironically, a solution is built into 2x moves, as it creates a doubled scale that can tune units with "half moves." This is ideal for fixing units with lop-sided movement ratios. Battleship:Cruiser:Destroyer ratios now change from 4:5:6 (1x) to 10:11:12 (2x). This yields the same difference in tile range as 1x and gives almost the exact ratios for real life speeds. A magnified imbalance created by 2x gets changed into a balanced ratio even better than 1x. The finer tuning capabilities of 2x achieve improved naval balance and playability.

16. Swamp Transform to Ocean

Transform time for Swamp to Water changed from 36 to 12.  Map Generator gives two extreme choices. You can create a map of many islands, or a continent with unconnected lakes. The first choice favors naval units over land units; the second, land over naval. Ideally, all units could participate in a game. Before, landlocked nations couldn't participate in sea wars. This change lets sea units rise in importance, a step closer to balanced land/sea games. Let's analyze realism. Before, making a hill under a city took ⅓ the time as dredging a swamp. But dredging swamps takes less time and was done before the industrial age.  The easiest transformation was set as the hardest!  This change is more realistic, more playable, and is a small step toward “the Holy Grail” of land/sea balance.

17. Flaws in Aircraft mechanics Fixed.

1. Only Fighter-types protect a tile from attack by units which can't reach Air units.
2. OneAttack Flag deprecated in Bombers and Helicopters.

Two serious issues existed in the programmed mechanics for Aircraft. These have plagued all Freeciv rulesets since its inception.

• Any air unit, such as an AWACS, could prevent any land unit from attacking a tile. An AWACS could hover over an enemy Engineer, literally allowing it to pillage key strategic tiles in your territory while being completely untouchable to counterattacks from land units such as Armor. After the release of the NeverProtects patch, it simply makes no sense to retain this flawed behavior. Now, only Fighter-types can protect a tile from land attacks--the originally intended function of providing defensive air cover for ground units.
• The OneAttack flag in Freeciv was an incorrect port of the proper mechanics for Air units. A fix was probably intended later, but it never was implemented. The flawed mechanics got magnified to extremes in Longturn and any game with unitwaittime. This elevated the issue to a broken game mechanic. Please see the longer explanation of the need to remove OneAttack here. Now, just like the original game, Bombers and Helicopters no longer lose their entire turn after making an attack. This was the second violation in the Classic ruleset's porting from Civ I/II. (Both are now fixed.)

18. Wonders restored to full nationwide effect.

No longer “on the same continent”.

Explanation:  Prior to Multiplayer, Great Wonders were overpowered for a game with >20 players. Great Wonders were made into “even Smaller Wonders” – working only on the same continent. This broke Wonders on some maps. 

Effect:  In most games, the only effect is to remove the huge disincentive where off-shore islands were unattractive for settlement. On small-islands maps, most Wonders will no longer be useless. On maps with larger islands or variable size islands, fairness and parity are restored among players' random positions. On multi-continent maps and "maps with interesting planetary geography," this change eliminates game-breaking random luck--for example, getting starting positions on off-shore islands, smaller continents, getting a bi-continental situation, etc. 

19. Diplomacy Improved.

Cease-fire and peace can be established with another player within "contactturns" of meeting or having adjacent units. Default=10 turns.

Explanation: The server setting "contactturns" had long defaulted to 0 in massive multiplayer games: real commitment should be needed to give tech/gold/vision, or else these things become OP and potentially abused. However, there were bad side effects: 1. It was not rational to invest a large percentage of your GDP in making diplomats. 2. Thus, many nations were forced into "phony war," confusing the meaning of "war." 3. Game outcome could hinge on two nations not meeting each other: "I'm sorry but our allies can no longer cooperate because our explorers met." 4. "Phony war" was such a dominant game element, that often allies were at "war" until the late game! 5. It is quite acceptable for games to divide into allied factions, but it felt like too many games were predetermined this way. This small new feature is a liberation: it enables a new future for Freeciv massive multiplayer.

Effect: 1. Players can do cease-fire or peace without investing a prohibitive fraction of their GDP in diplomats. "Phony war" no longer intrusively dominates game mechanics: accidentally meeting someone is the trigger for phony war, but the exact same trigger allows cease-fire. 2. Having real diplomatic states accentuates the different government types and their ability to change relations, enter territory, or be restricted by a Senate. 3. The significance of casus belli is enhanced. 4. More types of diplomatic relations are possible. 5. Statue of Liberty regains importance that was lost by default revolen=1. 6. "Phony war" need not disrupt game mechanics, since the trigger for it–accidentally meeting someone–is also the trigger for allowing a cease-fire.

NOTE: Original MP1 behavior is easily configured by setting "contactturns" to 0.

See next:

Changes in Multiplayer II from Multiplayer+