Tip: Template for reducing late game MM hell

[LDiCesare]

1. No gem gens.

Agreed, they are MM hell. Remember to remove gem gens from pretennders and sea troll kings too while you're at it.

2. Determine an upper limit on map sizes. Consensus
Say 200 provinces?

I think that most games are played with too many players, and therefore too many provinces, to avoid late game MM. You're probably better off limiting the number of players to maybe 8 if you want to avoid MM and have room from a gut feeling, so that'd be more like 100-120 provinces imo.

3. Difficult research. Consensus

I can't see why it should be mandatory. Just get smaller maps.

4. CBM increase gem cost of spells and items.

Don't like it at first glance.

5. Low gem income (like LA settings).

I think it's just removing options.

1. RAND. Consensus

No way. War is a side effect of diplomacy. Removing diplomacy from games is fun sometimes but unrealistic and unfun if it's made general. Forbidding trading of gold/gems/items is more interesting than forbidding any kind of diplomacy imo.

2. Ban MM intensive nations. Like blood dom spreaders. LA R'lyeh.

No. If people want to play them, let them do so. If you want a random nation, you just have to accept it when you get a bad one or you don't play full-random nations.

3. Ban MM intensive spells. Like astral corruption and Forge.

I miss the point about astral corruption.

4. Cap research levels

Do you mean reduce research ability off some units? So Magic will become the best scale? No.

Overall, I'm sorry to say that I think the game is designed for less players than it's being played with often. 4 player games generally have all that you like: No late game MM, not much in terms of diplomacy. The issue is that, well, you don't reach "end game" and the game is over faster, which is exactly what your changes try to accomplish.