Beyond the Sword features

[Wyatan]

So, on a whim (well, to be more exact, AI Survivor and new Adventure are no strangers to that), I fired up Civ 4 again after YEARS.

Played a few games to get reacquainted with the game... and then remembered I had actually played very little of BTS (played mostly Vanilla, and a bit of Warlords).
And then I believe I could see why: is there a single BTS feature that doesn't actually make the game worse ?

Apostolic Palace, Espionnage, Corporations, Random Events, Delayed Space... can't see a single redeeming feature in that list.

[AdrienIer]

Was unrestricted leaders an option before BTS ? Also the new civs are ok, the new units wonders techs and buildings are pretty good and they introduced the +25% worker production bonus for the expansive trait, which is a great bonus for a trait (the balance between all traits can be debated but in itself it's pretty good). It's only the core mechanics changes that are meh at best.

[yuris125]

I think siege units not being able to fully kill is a good change

[Qgqqqqq]

Unrestricted is Warlords.

I'm pretty sure some of the siege changes were Warlords and some were BTS, though I don't know exactly which.

[GermanJoey]

The AI was significantly improved for BTS as well.

[Ellimist]

The random events feature is used extensively in FFH and definitely makes the (modded) game better.

[DaveV]

Best feature of BtS: no CD required!

I know, it was added in the very last patch, but still...

[Qgqqqqq]

The random events feature is used extensively in FFH and definitely makes the (modded) game better.

Best feature of BtS: no CD required!

I know, it was added in the very last patch, but still...

These, actually.


But yeah, none of the features on the box were worth a damn.

[Bobchillingworth]

The AI was significantly improved for BTS as well.

So was the Warlords AI, though... and then they tinkered with the BTS one to the point where I think Warlord's ends up better (albeit at the cost of the 90% of the AI being passive cottage maniacs).


Worst sin of BTS was dropping vanilla Spain from God Tier to "ew". Man I really loved to play as Isabella...


Yeah, I prefer Warlords over BTS as well. But then again I prefer Civ 3 Conquests over both of them

[Qgqqqqq]

And FFH?


Main thing to remember about Warlords was that the boosts to the AI were much, much greater. I can't say whether it's play was inherently better or not, but it certainly had a bigger handicap.