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[gameplay] disable artillery towers and bolt towers
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Authored by Nescio on Dec 21 2019, 5:39 PM.

Details

Reviewers
wraitii
Group Reviewers
Restricted Owners Package(Owns No Changed Paths)
Commits
rP23928: Disable artillery towers and bolt towers in-game.
Summary

Although it's nice that artillery towers (rP23094) and bolt towers (rP23160) have been created and added to the game, enabling them by default is a mistake, because it distorts gameplay:

  • the AI does not build them;
  • not all civs have them;
  • their stats are rather arbitrary;
  • their templates are a mess;
  • their classes mean they benefit from arrow tower technologies;
  • there appears to have been no proper discussion or extensive play-testing;
  • the right selection panel can only display up to 24 entities.

This patch ensures ordinary towers can't be upgraded to artillery towers or bolt towers and that those can't be built directly.
They remain still available for maps and mods. The same applies to the stables etc added last year.

Related: D2494, D2549.

Test Plan

Check for completeness and correctness. Agree unbuildable is an improvement over brokenness.

Event Timeline

Nescio created this revision.Dec 21 2019, 5:39 PM

Successful build - Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.

Link to build: https://jenkins.wildfiregames.com/job/vs2015-differential/840/display/redirect

Successful build - Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.

Link to build: https://jenkins.wildfiregames.com/job/docker-differential/1356/display/redirect

Nescio retitled this revision from [gameplay balance]: disable artillery towers and bolt towers to [gameplay]: disable artillery towers and bolt towers.Dec 23 2019, 4:21 PM
Nescio updated this revision to Diff 11027.Jan 15 2020, 1:55 PM
Nescio edited the summary of this revision. (Show Details)

rebased

Nescio removed a reviewer: borg-.Jan 15 2020, 1:55 PM
Nescio added a subscriber: elexis.

Successful build - Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.

Link to build: https://jenkins.wildfiregames.com/job/vs2015-differential/1046/display/redirect

Successful build - Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.

Link to build: https://jenkins.wildfiregames.com/job/macos-differential/142/display/redirect

Successful build - Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.

Link to build: https://jenkins.wildfiregames.com/job/docker-differential/1564/display/redirect

Nescio edited reviewers, added: Restricted Owners Package; removed: Restricted Owners Package.Jan 15 2020, 2:05 PM
Nescio updated this revision to Diff 12691.Jul 15 2020, 2:34 PM
Nescio edited the summary of this revision. (Show Details)
Nescio edited the test plan for this revision. (Show Details)
Nescio edited reviewers, added: Restricted Owners Package; removed: Restricted Owners Package.
Nescio added a subscriber: wraitii.
  • rebased
Owners added a subscriber: Restricted Owners Package.Jul 15 2020, 2:34 PM

Successful build - Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.

Link to build: https://jenkins.wildfiregames.com/job/docker-differential/2650/display/redirect

Nescio retitled this revision from [gameplay]: disable artillery towers and bolt towers to [gameplay] disable artillery towers and bolt towers.Jul 15 2020, 3:02 PM
Nescio edited the summary of this revision. (Show Details)
borg- added a comment.Jul 15 2020, 3:02 PM

@borg-, @Feldfeld, @Stockfish0ad, @ValihrAnt, any opinions on this?

I particularly dont like these towers. Can change the gameplay drastically and it doesn't seem to have a historical context (not sure).
Can be a good idea for only one civ, like as a differentiation.

In general I agree -> Art is good, but these seem to make little sense for gameplay and we already have way too many towers.

wraitii accepted this revision.Jul 16 2020, 10:04 AM
This revision is now accepted and ready to land.Jul 16 2020, 10:04 AM
borg- added a comment.Jul 22 2020, 4:00 PM

I was thinking better, I think I just remove the tower construction and keep only upgrades tower. Increase the cost and time of upgrade. This would remove an icon and it would be better for gameplay balance.

Although the art is nice, the concept is questionable, the templates messy, the stats unbalanced, and they were apparently added without proper discussion and testing, therefore I strongly feel they should be disabled (i.e. unbuildable but kept as assets for maps and mods).
If at some point in the future their is a clear vision and consensus they must become buildable by default, they can be considered for reintroduction, in steps.

Will commit soon.

Nescio updated this revision to Diff 13012.Aug 3 2020, 9:30 AM
Vulcan added a comment.Aug 3 2020, 9:36 AM

Successful build - Chance fights ever on the side of the prudent.

Link to build: https://jenkins.wildfiregames.com/job/docker-differential/2845/display/redirect

This revision was automatically updated to reflect the committed changes.