Minors changed??

oops sorry people just noticed the other thread about this subject...still, i think it stinks, they are messing up my strategy's and minors being advanced and wellspread out make them more or less major, wont it?

I like the fact minors actually do something now, but on the downside, that's a lot more races fighting for those few habitable planets. If they all didn't know where all the yellow stars were it wouldn't be so bad.

I beg to differ. I don't see what's so advantageous about the minors 'stealing' literally all my planets in front of my nose, who also have a cash & homeplanet advantage, and who furthermore don't even count towards the victory conditions!! Hell, you cant even decently keep tap of their progress since they dont show up on graphs, statistics, or otherwise sector dominance/influence...i think it's a big mistake. I hope they rectify it or else it would be a reason for me to demote to 1.1x again.
[Message Edited]

It's maddening for sure, but I kinda like it. It makes it more challenging.

Bill

~SDC~

You're welcome to differ, but we do. What's the point of having minor races if they don't do anything? I like every race in the game to be trying to win. The way the minors used to be they were kind of useless, just there to take advantage of. Now they're very tough. Maybe there should have been a middle ground. Although I think I prefer this to the way it used to be.

Although I agree with the rest of your points, I would like to see the minors included in all the graphs, charts and statistics.

Early in the game but sooner or later they always get taken over by a major race.

Minors are still relatively wimpy. But at the higher difficulty levels they do start to do stuff.

I've had a few starts recently where a minor ended up with the majority of worlds (I like to play with rare habitability). When all the Majors only having one or two worlds at the most, but a Minor has 6, that makes for an interesting set up.

Not being able to track a minor's strengths like you can with the "majors" is definately a disadvantage.

But if the Minors are going to do stuff, then shouldn't you just let them be the same as a Major? Including trying to win via Culture, Military, etc? What is the real role of the Minors? Are they simple rubes to be tricked into bad deals and pushed out of the way when it's world harvesting time? Or are they meant to be as tough customers as the Majors, just not interested in colonizing more stars?

I think the role of the Minors could do with a bit more sharpening now. Are they merely "Minor" because they do not try to take every yellow world, or because they aren't allowed to win and are therefore merely trade ports and yellow star waiting for the harvest (invasion/culture flip)?

I agree with Star Pilot's points. I was one of the people pushing for the minors to do more, but the current implementation is not what I had in mind. I'd like to see them actually try to win.

The more threads the better.. I think this "new" game might be just fine, but it's almost not the same game it was two weeks ago. They have really screwed with far too many things (trade values, trade values & orientation, Starbases, Minors, and more) and it's really frustrating me as well!


~SDC~

I've gone through that shock a few times myself, elkabong. But I found backing down a difficulty setting for a game or two allowed me to adjust to the changes. Some changes you might find are actually good. Some you might find really suck for how you like to play. Most shouldn't really impact you much. Just my opinion of course, but it is what I've experienced with all the changes over the course of GC.

This matter of the Minors, though, I feel needs more dialog. What exactly is a Minor for? Now that they somtimes spread out (and get better starts then all the majors in a few of my games), I really am left wondering... what are Minors for? Targets, rubes, competition, or allies/enemies?

Minors are there to add variety to the game and to provide 'safe' civilizations that you don't have to fear winning the game.

I use them for new planets. The first they the build is a weak little MK or fighter. Their population is only a few hundred million even after 10 turns or so. Kill them early and you have a good yellow 16 PQ planet to build on. Make sure you have the ability to flip a sector if you take one in the controled sector of an AI, becuase even though the Minor might not flip, when it becomes yours, it will definately flip in a few turns, in some cases.

~SDC~

Minors shall be disableable! It once was promised that they would be in a later version but they still aren't!

Yes, well, as I mentioned, I don't get much time to play a lot of games, so really they are changing it more rapidly than I can keep up I guess. They had a nice long string of solid tiny changes which didn't change a helluva lot, and now this one big steaming pile is plonked on us as the last update before AP. They must know it's bad, as they seem to have changed their tune about the "last update".. At least I hope they have.

Make AP for the uber-wonder-kids who have 40 hours a week to play. I have a job and 3 kids and a wife who take a lot of my time -- I just want to spend 4 or 5 hours playing the game I grew so fond of, but it's now a patch away.

~SDC~

Me thinks some of you are imagining more changes than there really are.

In 1.13 we made it so that minors couldn't make wonders and that at very high difficulty levels the minors would expand 1 sector out if there was a good planet.

In 1.2 we added logistics.

Neither changes turns th game into a "new game". Certainly it might disrupt those who have a "pattern" of play.

1.21 is going to have some changes as well such as cleaning up some of the starbase module stuff. Making starbases cheaper but certain star base modules cost money instead (not much money but some).

The goal is to make the game as enjoyable as possible to the widest possible audience.

I use it as another obsticle to overcome.

~SDC~

I, for one, am enjoying the game immensely, changes and all. You guys have obviously been very busy with other projects, but most of us really appreciate your dedication to this game, long after most other companies would have stopped.

Thanks...and I'm really looking forward to Political Machine and GalCiv 2!!

Indeed! LOL

SO you are telling me that the minors and the majors in this version will pay me the same for techs as the last version?

If you are, I will step back in and play again. I may be losing my mind. Since I am not playing it is harder to remember, but I know in several restarts of the game, I found the whole system of trade entirely different.

I also found the expansionist abilities of the minors GREATLY increased. I also note that there was a small issue I am SURE of, which was the ascending cost of the starbases, which has been balanced you say, by later savings in maintenance. On the other hand, front loading of major costs is a MAJOR change if you ask me...

Any word on downloading of a previous version? I messaged support about a week ago, with no response yet.

~SDC~

In large sized galaxies, I haven't found the upfront cost of the star bases to be significant, elkabong. But I do not rely on using very many starbases. As long as you have a decent economy via trade, getting the cash to build a new star base shouldn't be that big a deal.

Now, I haven't tried tech for cash trading since my first few games. I've gotten into other strategies, so I cannot tell you how tech for cash currently stands.