The technology exists to make a patch for AOC. I think we can all agree that this game needs a patch to breathe life into it, the only question is what should be patched?
Here I'm listing some changes that I would like to see in AOC. There's nothing that's really groundbreaking, they're just small tweaks here and there that I think would balance the game for the better.
Starting Point for Proposals
Cost changes:
Buildings
Palisades: 3w (old: 2w)
Walls: 7s (Mayans 5s) (old: 5s)
Units
Cavalry Archers:
New cost for all civs except Huns: 40w 60g (old: 40w 70g)
New cost for Huns in Castle Age (-10%): 36w 54g (old: 30w 53g)
New cost for Huns in Imperial Age (-15%): 32w 51g (old: 28w 49g)
Examples of Castle Age:
Cost for 10 CA: 400w 600g vs. 400w 700g
Cost for 20 CA: 800w 1200g vs. 800w 1400g
Cost for 10 Huns CA: 360w 540g vs. 300w 530g
Cost for 20 Huns CA: 720w 1080g vs. 600w 1060g
Technologies
Elite Eagle Warrior: 1200f 800g (old 800f 500g)
This is an obvious change; it's far too easy to fast imp and research EEW and raid everyone's economy to a halt. It should still be possible but only the best players should be able to pull it off.
Build Speed Changes:
Palisade Wall: 8 seconds (old: ~5 seconds)
Stone Wall: 10 seconds (old: ~6 seconds)
Militia in Dark Age: 30 seconds (old: ~21 seconds) --except I wonder if 30 seconds would make it too slow?
These changes are aimed at making it harder to slow down the speed of the game. Drushing isn't really rushing, it's just hit and run and a way to keep a safe and tidy economy so you can get to Castle Age. You often see both players "agreeing" to drush so they can cleanly get to Castle Age and fight under the safety of walls and TC's. It should be hard to defend in any age, if you want to play Sim City then go play the real thing or else play AOE3.
Game Mechanics
Docks generate 10% more trade gold
Trade Cogs are almost completely useless as is, docks should give more gold
Unit Stats
Skirmishers: +1 attack vs. scouts (with fletching they could do 2 hp damage to scouts until they got armor)
Fast Fire Ships: 145 hp vs. 120 hp (49 shots to kill vs. 40; fully upped Galleons take 55 shots to kill each other)
The change to Skirmishers should help reduce scout dominance in Feudal Age while not making them any stronger against other units. This is designed for mid-late Feudal when Scouts and Archers are an unbeatable combo. If the +1 attack vs. scouts is too powerful then HP tweaking might have to be tested.
The Fire Ship change would help civilizations who don't get Bracer or Aztecs who don't get Galleons. The aim would be to keep Galleons the top water unit but by less of a margin
Of course all these changes are theoretical, they would have to be tested. Not everyone would agree on the balance changes, especially those people who are limited only to the current play style.
Let's hear your ideas and maybe if we get some consensus, particularly among some of the better players, we can package them and come up with a plan to make a patch which would then be tested and tweaked to perfection.
Here I'm listing some changes that I would like to see in AOC. There's nothing that's really groundbreaking, they're just small tweaks here and there that I think would balance the game for the better.
Starting Point for Proposals
Cost changes:
Buildings
Palisades: 3w (old: 2w)
Walls: 7s (Mayans 5s) (old: 5s)
Units
Cavalry Archers:
New cost for all civs except Huns: 40w 60g (old: 40w 70g)
New cost for Huns in Castle Age (-10%): 36w 54g (old: 30w 53g)
New cost for Huns in Imperial Age (-15%): 32w 51g (old: 28w 49g)
Examples of Castle Age:
Cost for 10 CA: 400w 600g vs. 400w 700g
Cost for 20 CA: 800w 1200g vs. 800w 1400g
Cost for 10 Huns CA: 360w 540g vs. 300w 530g
Cost for 20 Huns CA: 720w 1080g vs. 600w 1060g
Technologies
Elite Eagle Warrior: 1200f 800g (old 800f 500g)
This is an obvious change; it's far too easy to fast imp and research EEW and raid everyone's economy to a halt. It should still be possible but only the best players should be able to pull it off.
Build Speed Changes:
Palisade Wall: 8 seconds (old: ~5 seconds)
Stone Wall: 10 seconds (old: ~6 seconds)
Militia in Dark Age: 30 seconds (old: ~21 seconds) --except I wonder if 30 seconds would make it too slow?
These changes are aimed at making it harder to slow down the speed of the game. Drushing isn't really rushing, it's just hit and run and a way to keep a safe and tidy economy so you can get to Castle Age. You often see both players "agreeing" to drush so they can cleanly get to Castle Age and fight under the safety of walls and TC's. It should be hard to defend in any age, if you want to play Sim City then go play the real thing or else play AOE3.
Game Mechanics
Docks generate 10% more trade gold
Trade Cogs are almost completely useless as is, docks should give more gold
Unit Stats
Skirmishers: +1 attack vs. scouts (with fletching they could do 2 hp damage to scouts until they got armor)
Fast Fire Ships: 145 hp vs. 120 hp (49 shots to kill vs. 40; fully upped Galleons take 55 shots to kill each other)
The change to Skirmishers should help reduce scout dominance in Feudal Age while not making them any stronger against other units. This is designed for mid-late Feudal when Scouts and Archers are an unbeatable combo. If the +1 attack vs. scouts is too powerful then HP tweaking might have to be tested.
The Fire Ship change would help civilizations who don't get Bracer or Aztecs who don't get Galleons. The aim would be to keep Galleons the top water unit but by less of a margin
Of course all these changes are theoretical, they would have to be tested. Not everyone would agree on the balance changes, especially those people who are limited only to the current play style.
Let's hear your ideas and maybe if we get some consensus, particularly among some of the better players, we can package them and come up with a plan to make a patch which would then be tested and tweaked to perfection.