OT: Stardocks Fantasy TBS

[MaxWilson]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

Regarding the weapons, I think there are several reasons for this:

1) It is much easier to make an effective AI when you are dealing with aggregate defensive and offensive values.
2) As a ruler, you really don't get involved with determining what arcs the weapons on your ships have.
3) It makes the game much easier as far as micromanagement in the late game.

My understanding is that from Frogboy's (i.e. Brad, the designer's) perspective, #1 is the reason. GalCiv was designed around the AI, and making tactical combat simple and symmetrical was the only way to make strategic choices computable for the AI. Imagine trying to create an AI that can predict combat outcomes for ships in MOO2 or armies in MOM or Dom3!

Unfortunately, it also makes the games flat and uninteresting for those who are more interested in playing with neat toys than in abstract strategy. I happen to be one of those who would rather have rich tactical options and an AI opponent which "cheats" around strategic choices by getting 8x my resources[1] than a world-class AI who can beat me every time at tic-tac-toe. Obviously I'd really like rich tactical options and an AI which doesn't NEED to cheat, but for me, the interestingness of my own armies is paramount.

-Max

[1] Being strategically clever is only necessary when you're dealing with scarcity. If you've GOT a bigger hammer you can just use it.