When was the most recent gameplay improvement that benefited small/medium-sized nations?

[Ch33kY]

[b]When was the most recent gameplay improvement that benefited small/medium-sized nations?[/b]

Recent - and by that I mean last year - gameplay updates include new wonders that require several thousand infrastructure and technology. These additions potentially benefit all nations, but only a few are anywhere near the requirements and can afford them. The introduction of naval warfare benefitted larger nations that could afford to have large navies and the extra improvement slots to purchase them.

Our search of improvements then goes back to the introduction of events, aircraft and wonders, which I think were a product of 2007. These are the most recent gameplay improvements that benefitted small and meduim sized nations. With dwindling CN membership, wouldn't the game be better to play and more attractive for new players if there were significant improvements to help small and mid-sized nations?

Edited August 30, 2010 by Ch33kY

[Luis Quezada]

The awesome space wonders where created for that purpose i believe, since they were WAY more cheaper for smaller nations. In the end though mostly big nations got them since the ROI on it was very very low.

[Jack Shepard]

Changes made to spy ops, self anarchy manipulation removal, additional loot in defensive ground wins, secret aid...

[Andre27]

[quote name='Luis Quezada' timestamp='1283186064' post='2435864']
The awesome space wonders where created for that purpose i believe, since they were WAY more cheaper for smaller nations. In the end though mostly big nations got them since the ROI on it was very very low.
[/quote]

That is a matter of opinion. For small nations 50M + some is still an awful lot for degrading wonders with only +3 happiness.

[MrMuz]

IMO, being a small/medium nation, the game's fun enough. At that level, you're trying to build your infra up and gain your first wonders. Then, there's aiming a bit higher and working towards the MP (and an economy to support it). There's not much focus on anything else pre-MP. From then on, there's still spies, the SDI, among other things. I noticed that the younger nations are the ones logging in every day. Past 100k infra, even the active players either start to go idle or focus more on non-game mechanics part of the game.

[Duncan King]

I actually can't think of any change to the game that has actually benefited smaller nations since the war declaration range was tightened on 11-12-2008. This leveled the playing field for those in the lower mid ranges as they no longer had to fear being jumped on by someone twice their size. Sure, people in the upper ranges could be jumped on people twice their size two, but when you're only 20K NS, the 40K NS nation that hits you probably has a lot more toys than you do (wonders, more tech, more improvements). Once nations clear 60K or so, they're usually pretty well developed if their leader isn't a complete idiot.

All of the changes to the game since that time have been either neutral to mid and lower nations or outright benefited larger nations (like the Moon and Mars Wonders).

In fact, I can't really think of a change other than the narrowing of the declaration range that wasn't indifferent to smaller nations, benefited larger nations, or was outright damaging to smaller nations. One example that comes to mind are the changes to tech values that were done on 11/7/2007 and 11/4/2007. The first update devalued technology and sent the NS of all nations plummeting. The second one changed the requirements for aircraft to require more tech. As a result of this, some nations that weren't huge but were able to support level 9 bombers found their NS decreased by a quarter and found themselves unable to even buy level 1 bombers.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Duncan King

[Captain Nathan Brittles]

[quote name='Duncan King' timestamp='1283362708' post='2438323']
In fact, I can't really think of a change other than the narrowing of the declaration range that wasn't indifferent to smaller nations, benefited larger nations, or was outright damaging to smaller nations. One example that comes to mind are the changes to tech values that were done on 11/7/2007 and 11/4/2007. The first update devalued technology and sent the NS of all nations plummeting. The second one changed the requirements for aircraft to require more tech. As a result of this, some nations that weren't huge but were able to support level 9 bombers found their NS decreased by a quarter and found themselves unable to even buy level 1 bombers.
[/quote]

Well, that's an exageration to say they went from being able to buy level 9 bombers to being unable to buy even level 1 bombers. The devaluation of tech had no effect at all on aircraft purchase requirements. The tech requirements for level 9 aircraft went from 100 to 500. Meaning the nation you're saying was unable to purchase aircraft after the update had to have had a minimum of 100 tech and 1000 infrastructure which is actually good enough to purchase level 2 aircraft; level 3 if they had 105 tech. And the update didn't affect the level 9 aircraft they already possessed.

[quigon jinn]

[quote name='MrMuz' timestamp='1283346650' post='2438161']
IMO, being a small/medium nation, the game's fun enough. At that level, you're trying to build your infra up and gain your first wonders. Then, there's aiming a bit higher and working towards the MP (and an economy to support it). There's not much focus on anything else pre-MP. From then on, there's still spies, the SDI, among other things. I noticed that the younger nations are the ones logging in every day. Past 100k infra, even the active players either start to go idle or focus more on non-game mechanics part of the game.
[/quote]

The game itself is boring even for new nations (unless you are playing poorly and collect every day, etc).

The experience, including game/forums/irc, is what makes this even worth playing long term.