[Spoilers] Old World PBC test game 1.

[Sullla]

So what happened? Why is Free For All not viable? I'm guessing it's because combat in Old World falls apart if you suddenly get attacked from a different direction. It was what I always found in my Single Player test games: things worked great with one opponent but collapsed if attacked from another side because there weren't enough Orders available to handle it. Am I on the right track or was there some other problem in this game (?)

[Alhazard]

I’ll update later but yeah 2 front wars is a real problem that I don’t know if theres a good solution. Game being full diplo even if its aw doesn’t help

[yuris125]

full diplo in a game which has multifront wars as a known weakness = asking for trouble

[Alhazard]

ok so the situation is that Dale spawned on SW, Nylen S, Fluffy SE. Dale and Fluffy ganged up on Nylen so he is gone. I teched axes but was going to be flexible as to attacking barbs or And. Well And attacked me so I attacked back with axes but we got into a stalemate because he got axes too. Its around T47 and now Fluffy is attackign sparta with an not insignficant army so I dunno i can even defend that city. I have calloff the attack on And because I need orders for the south so im screwed because I been behind expansion because I was trying to take And's cities. I asked for a truce from Fluffy but he declined so Im going throw everything at him because I can't win anymore. I asked Dale for an alliance but he ignored so whatever. Now I could have not pushed to And instead get barb cities or actually complete the Ishtar gate for 5 cultural level boons instead of holding off greedly. Lesson learned.

Design problems:

T27 they are talking about how Nylen died to archers. How do you get them so fast?! I figured it was due to 200 science if you get one from a cultural level science boom. Well on T27 I got one too at sparta so would have 1 turned Axes then except I had to replay that turn because of technical problems and got a civic boost instead. BIG change in outcome. This bonus should be nerfed alot at 1st level or even removed.

Slingers. Recently the cost of producting these got changed from 50 food to 50 stone! Well its more flavor except it just really hurts gameplay. Stone is so badly needed and here is another unwarranted sink. Also in the early game, you had the option of slingers or settlers with the food you get and its actually creates interesting decisions where as now you just use food for settlers and really hurts player enjoyment with all the stone that you can never have enough of.

This week, the game nerfed the amount of civics+training+orders you get in MP mode? Why? I despite playing SP because how slow it is. Doesnt even try to solve the problem also of specialists are too expensive.

I really feel honestly that the game has gone so far off the rails that I dunno if I want to play another game. Can't be bother to get more involved in testing and feedback because of work. This week I have to do 15hrs of mostly mandatory OT and trying to study for a certification exam. After exam studying is done, maybe I will revisit learn how to code to try to develop a game I might enjoy. Also the feedback experience is not so good because the rationale behind changes are not discussed so I dont even bother to ask. Quite a difference when I was testing David Sirlin's games and we debated gameplay strongly.