Mega Age II -Kingmaker(Started)

[Xietor]

I believe we determined it is not possible to make a mod to stagger the research. So hard is our best option.

If anyone knows more about mods than me(and the people i asked), I would use a mod that does the following:

paths 1-3 normal research
paths 4-6 hard research
paths 7-9 very hard research.

I would love a mod that could do that. But if no one makes one(and some say it cannot be done), then we will use hard research.

[DrPraetorious]

What Xietor proposes isn't possible, but what cleveland proposes *is* possible.

Level,Total Easy,Total Normal,Total VD
1,20,40,100
2,60,100,260
3,120,200,520
4,220,360,940
5,380,620,1620
6,640,1040,2720

My suggestion would be:
Very Hard research
All lvl 1,2,3 spells are level 1 (lvl 2 for Con).
All lvl 4 spells are level 3
All lvl 5 spells are level 4 (3 for Con)
All lvl 6 spells are level 5
Lvl 7+ spells stay where they are.

Thus, spells level 1-3 are effectively easy difficulty.
Level 4-6 spells are effectively hard difficulty.
Lvl 7+ spells are very hard difficulty.
Item construction remains very hard difficulty.

I can generate such a mod if you want.

[Xietor]

That would be great Dr. P, But I am not sure any spells should be easier to research than normal. Normal levels are not too bad. And it really makes the bless nations a bit weaker if some spells are set to easy.

My fear is it makes the penalty for drain 2 too small of a price to pay for 80 design points.

[llamabeast]

Sounds like a cunning plan Dr. P. I'd suggest level 3 -> level 2 rather than 1 though. That way level 2 and level 3 spells are both at approximately normal difficulty, and also there will be no gap at level 2.

There is also the quirk that no spells will be available at level 6. You might want to take an educated decision and split the level 6 spells into more and less powerful ones, putting the less powerful ones at level 5 and the more powerful at level 6.

[Amhazair]

If you make all lvl 3 spells lvl 2 and keep Dr.P. suggestion otherwise unchanged that would make lvl 2 spells (now at lvl 1) effectively normal difficulty, and lvl 3 spells a little bit harder than normal.

It would of course mean there are no lvl 6 spells anywhere.

[Amhazair]

Eh, Llama. Stop saying exactly the same thing as me, but explained more clearly. It makes me look an illiterate copycat.

[DrPraetorious]

Okay.

(non-construction)
Lvl 1 stays.
Lvl 2 -> Lvl 1
Lvl 3 -> Lvl 2
Lvl 4 -> Lvl 3
Lvl 5 -> Lvl 4
Lvl 6 -> Lvl 5
Other spells:
Ice Strike, Shimmering Fields, Prison of Sedna, Sea of Ice, Iron Walls, Marble Warriors, Living (whatever), Animal Horde, Dome of Flaming Death, Dome of Corruption, to level 6.

Astral Tempest, Dragon Master, Wild Growth, Unraveling, to level 7.

Flame Storm, Niefel Flames to level 8.

[baruk]

A radical idea: use normal research.

- It keeps things simple.
- Balance between rushers and turtlers is maintained.
- Boomers already balanced by popularity of rushers.

So someone might finish research before turn 50. What's the big deal? There is no "research victory" to take into account.

My take on map balance: if starting distance between capitals is large, then research should be made more difficult to compensate the rushers.
On this map, distance between capitals will be low considering no. of players divided by total no. of provinces, so research should stay at normal.

See how normal research goes for this game - if need be changes can be made for Megagame 3.

[Xietor]

research was on hard for 1st big game, and i thought it was fine.

with 900 provinces, normal research does not give the benefit to the nations that are strong in research, and aids nations who are weak in research. I definitely am not in favor of very hard research as some nations will be sure to be rushed within 3 or 4 turns.