Just finished another game, and the computer's cities are just plain abysmal. This city is a good example, as it is crystal clear that the city has no plan:
Yes, that is a research specialization, with a level 1 hall, where there are NO LAND BONUSES. This is absolutely bonkers. Here is the same city a while later:
This is a city with a plan. Two energy sectors, ultimately being supported by a water sector, for maximum energy gain. Community wellness center for maximum growth and happiness bonuses. This will grow quickly, and pump that energy out.
Here are the obvious necessary improvements:
Last one would obviously be this:
After adjustments, this city is actually worth something. It will produce a TON of energy, and very quickly, probably a few hundred per turn, no problem.
The computer appears to have no idea how to do any of this. There is no possibility of this working out in their favor in any way, and the bonuses I inherited were worthless. ON TOP OF THAT, it took 11 MANUAL unstackable changes to get this city back on track.
1. First production set - this is to get initial defenses up, no initial changes to the sector.
2. Remove research specialization (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
3. Remove research exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
4. Place energy exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
5. Place energy specialization
6. Remove production specialization (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
7. Remove production exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
8. Place energy exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
9. Place energy specialization
Then at populations 12 and soon to be 16, it requires 2 unique visits that cannot be stacked to do the same for them. And it could be worse.
How is it that the game design allows for such abysmal planning? In this case, I ended the game with 30 cities under control, 10 of which I built. That means that I went through this exactly same thing 20 times before winning.
Worse, every possible system for accelerating this is stymied. So if you try to stack 2 deconstructions per turn, which cannot be hurried, it will do ONE of the two, and you will lose all remaining production. If you do just one, it will do the deconstruction, and still appears to give production to the next building in que. That is a stupid game design mechanic. So unless you want to lose 4 turns of production, you will not stack sector deconstruction. There is literally no effective way through this, you are about to do maintenance to every city you take over every couple of turns for probably the rest of the game.
Guys, this is abysmal. And it is EVERY SINGLE TIME. The computer's build orders make precisely no sense, and the system here fights you every single step of the way.
In the end, it is clear that the construction order run by the computer makes no sense. It appears that the computer simply cheats, and gives itself optimal bonuses, despite land values, plus a hefty multiplier. But why does everything in the build que fight you? It is clear that a lot of this needs to be revisited. These are basic game design decisions that can definitely be resolved. They need resolution.
And it isn't like it doesn't currently exist. Note this:
This will move up if you click on it.
But this one will not move up. Level 3 cannot build before 2. It knows that the build order is sequential. The game ALREADY HAS THE MECHANIC. It just somehow forgot how to use it.
This is bad design. No reason for this to be this way except that the game is not finished. It is clear that we need the developers to go ahead, take a minute, and figure this out.
Yes, that is a research specialization, with a level 1 hall, where there are NO LAND BONUSES. This is absolutely bonkers. Here is the same city a while later:
This is a city with a plan. Two energy sectors, ultimately being supported by a water sector, for maximum energy gain. Community wellness center for maximum growth and happiness bonuses. This will grow quickly, and pump that energy out.
Here are the obvious necessary improvements:
Last one would obviously be this:
After adjustments, this city is actually worth something. It will produce a TON of energy, and very quickly, probably a few hundred per turn, no problem.
The computer appears to have no idea how to do any of this. There is no possibility of this working out in their favor in any way, and the bonuses I inherited were worthless. ON TOP OF THAT, it took 11 MANUAL unstackable changes to get this city back on track.
1. First production set - this is to get initial defenses up, no initial changes to the sector.
2. Remove research specialization (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
3. Remove research exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
4. Place energy exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
5. Place energy specialization
6. Remove production specialization (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
7. Remove production exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
8. Place energy exploitation (cannot be stacked with any further improvements)
9. Place energy specialization
Then at populations 12 and soon to be 16, it requires 2 unique visits that cannot be stacked to do the same for them. And it could be worse.
How is it that the game design allows for such abysmal planning? In this case, I ended the game with 30 cities under control, 10 of which I built. That means that I went through this exactly same thing 20 times before winning.
Worse, every possible system for accelerating this is stymied. So if you try to stack 2 deconstructions per turn, which cannot be hurried, it will do ONE of the two, and you will lose all remaining production. If you do just one, it will do the deconstruction, and still appears to give production to the next building in que. That is a stupid game design mechanic. So unless you want to lose 4 turns of production, you will not stack sector deconstruction. There is literally no effective way through this, you are about to do maintenance to every city you take over every couple of turns for probably the rest of the game.
Guys, this is abysmal. And it is EVERY SINGLE TIME. The computer's build orders make precisely no sense, and the system here fights you every single step of the way.
In the end, it is clear that the construction order run by the computer makes no sense. It appears that the computer simply cheats, and gives itself optimal bonuses, despite land values, plus a hefty multiplier. But why does everything in the build que fight you? It is clear that a lot of this needs to be revisited. These are basic game design decisions that can definitely be resolved. They need resolution.
And it isn't like it doesn't currently exist. Note this:
This will move up if you click on it.
But this one will not move up. Level 3 cannot build before 2. It knows that the build order is sequential. The game ALREADY HAS THE MECHANIC. It just somehow forgot how to use it.
This is bad design. No reason for this to be this way except that the game is not finished. It is clear that we need the developers to go ahead, take a minute, and figure this out.
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