Stardock Forums
Wanted to start a new game with 915 with a decent start like a 4/4 tile had to ctrl n about 50 times before I got one and then there was nothing worthwhile within view. Has this been changed to make good start locations harder to find?
I've never - EVER - seen a 4/4 location, and only once I've seen a 6/3
4/3 is normal for me, but 4/2 is not that unusual (best tile within visual range at start). Its like its always been for me (I never reload at start, but take what I get)
I've found a 5/3 start location with an orchard, an apiary, a clay mine and a shard within a short distance. I had to walk aound for 2 turns to find the 5/3 othewise i would have used a 4/3. So there is very much a random quality to it.
4/4 start locations are often between a river and a mine or some other material external resource.
I'm seeing much better starting locations than previous beta versions. Hmmmm. Strange!
From .915 log:
Whatever that means.
It means you won't see any more 2/3 tiles, so neither you nor the AI can settle on poor locations. the total tile yield (food + material) must be 6 or more in order for you to be able to settle on a tile. I've seen a lot of blank "fertile" areas because of this change while playing against the easier AI.
I usually see 3/3 4/2 4/3 or 5/2. On the rarest of occassions I have seen a 5/3.
Do most of you just settle right where you are at, maybe a tile or two from the starting position, or do you really look around?
I do look around, a 5/3 location in view is too tempting, even a 4/3 would be good, otherwise a 4/2 allows to immediately start building a pioneer while the sovereign scouts around, I don't like to lose more than two turns
I usually choose the best set within view. Does any actually explore for their starting settlement.
For what it's worth, I always choose the best site within view, once I start playing. Otherwise key time (at the very beginning of the game) is lost ... BUT (and as Pee Wee Herman once said, there's always a big butt), I now routinely hit [ctrl] [n], from 10-50 times, until I get a starting set-up that I can stand. For me, that means at least an available 4,4 or a 5,3. The game has become so darn challenging/difficult, in the last couple updates, that I now refuse to settle for anything less ...
I usually just take what I can get and don't restart. I usally get pretty far before I run into an AI that quadruples my power rating. Then I somehow piss them off and they send wave after wave of troops at me. And then I die.
"And then I die." ... See, I just don't find that to be FUN !! ... (but your honesty does you credit, KingHobbit) ...
Are you listening, Devs ??
@OrionM42 - If you dont like to fail, turn down the difficulty. I like to fail, and I play on higher difficulties. Dont ask the dev for great starts for all 
Some want to suffer and only taste sweet victory occasionally.
Joasoze -- Honestly, I take your point ... if someone doesn't like to fail, they should (mostly) just turn down the difficulty level (and perhaps monster density, etc.) ... You, and other folks like you, SHOULD have the opportunity to play at higher levels of difficulty/challenge/hardship.
That said, I was just reacting to KingHobbit's question, since I think we share a similar viewpoint; AND, ( I admit ) I do feel the need, from time to time, to remind the FE Dev Team, that there should be some GENUINELY Beginner/Easy/Medium levels, for the rest of us, to play. I don't want them to lose sight of that. Peace.
I do seem to fall behind at least one AI sovereign in the game. I certainly don't mind failing, and I like the random critters running around. I do find it rather insulting that my level of game play is rated at Janusk though. That Bastard!
I actually think that .915 has fixed a lot of the difficulty problems that surfaced in the last two patches. Whereas before I had to play on Beginner to even hope of making it to the end game, I've already won a game as Altar on easy, and am doing fairly well with Kraxis on the same difficulty level. I'm thinking of actually giving Normal a go again; Easy AI were kind of a pushover for me =P Mind you, I was one of the first people to complain about the game being too difficult when that was the case. What difficulty level are you playing at?
Again, this is a "for what its worth" comment. I am only into my first game in v0.915. I played three games in v0.914, and graduated, from "Beginner" to "Easy". My v0.915 game is at the Easy level, partly because I anticipated that (as you said) some of the difficulty problems would be fixed in v0.915. Maybe they have been -- can't really tell, as yet. I was still getting kicked pretty hard at the beginning, but ultimately do expect to win (Gilden, small map, 3 AI's). However, finding the *FUN* is still an issue for me.
We all differ in what we find to be *FUN*. Some folks want Serious Challenge ( I respect that! ), and others do not.
I remain hopeful that Stardock will succeed in meeting pretty much ALL of our styles of play, and ideas of *FUN* . For one thing, I am heartened, that now the range of play is: Novice, Beginner, Easy, Normal, Challenging, Hard, Expert, Ridiculous, and Insane. In other words, there are NOW 5 levels above medium and 3 below. I welcome this!
As far as that goes, if Stardock wants to offer another even harder level ( let's call it "Suicidal-Masochistic" 
), I would have no problem with that. I just want to be confident that Stardock will try to make a game that is *FUN* for all (or at least, most) of us. That way they will end up with the best sales, and the Biggest Hit; and then they will be incentivized to create MORE great games for us ! 
right now my playing skills are somewhere between easy and normal. Easy is too easy, and normal seems to out pace me.
I play on hard, I Ctrl+N if I don't get at least a 4/3, and I also Ctrl+N on known bad starts (like when you're in a corner and there's mountains on the other side - choked). I don't consider 4/4, 5/3 or any above (though I've never seen it) a must. However, 2 mat starts are excruciatingly painful, and having any less than 4 grain means you take too long to get to level 3 city (where most of the good stuff are). As a result, 4/3 is minimum for me. I'll walk at most 2 turns for it.
Oh, and no, I haven't noticed that starting locations are worse.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
Elemental Forums