Question for Greg or other 2k Person re: ancient ruins

[Beckmachi]

At higher difficulty levels (Emperor, Immortal, Diety), are they hard-coded to provide diminishing returns? For instance, I regularly get some culture, a tech or two, and maybe a weapons upgrade, but then any further ruins I find (I play on huge maps) yield only gold or maps. I have new seed checked so I can retry as many times as I wish and have tested a bit and this seems to be the case, but wanted to check my anecdotal evidence with someone who knows the code, please.

Thanks.

[M A F I A]

I got a weapon upgrade on King difficulty, perhaps the are less % than normal for better rewards, but I think every outcome is still possible.

[slowtarget]

Weapon upgrades are locked to happen no more than once per unit. Tech gifts seem to only give a the first few levels of tech. For all that I've played, I don't think I've ever gotten the Culture gift more than once. There aren't many more possible results. In the late game, I've only really gotten money and citizens (and a couple weapon upgrades, I think).

As for getting someone who "knows the code" to respond, that's unlikely. You'll have to be happy with responses from the community. While Greg is helpful (and startlingly attractive now that he's begged the devs to save advanced setup options) and is closer to the developers than any of us are, he doesn't actually know any of the code and he's the best you're going to get here.

[kooljay2]

While Greg is helpful (and startlingly attractive ...)

Whoa, is this breaking news of a "crush" on 2KGreg, slowtarget? Is there something you'd like to share with the community?

[SamBC]

Whoa, is this breaking news of a "crush" on 2KGreg, slowtarget? Is there something you'd like to share with the community?

More interesting than a 'crush' on 2KLiz... that's just too predictable in a gaming community.

[2K Greg]

I asked the devs about this and got an answer for you.

The higher difficulties give fewer goodies (and of lower quality,) as most of you probably already know. Also, as has been hypothesized above, only certain techs are available through huts, and a unit can only get one upgrade via huts.

The final thing to note is that there is code that keeps you from getting the same reward for a while. So while it's not diminishing returns per se, it may feel like that if you happen to get a couple great huts in a row.

[Beckmachi]

Thanks very much.

[Old Blue]

Mahalos for the info

[MadDjinn]

I asked the devs about this and got an answer for you.

The higher difficulties give fewer goodies (and of lower quality,) as most of you probably already know. Also, as has been hypothesized above, only certain techs are available through huts, and a unit can only get one upgrade via huts.

The final thing to note is that there is code that keeps you from getting the same reward for a while. So while it's not diminishing returns per se, it may feel like that if you happen to get a couple great huts in a row.

'certain' just means the ancient era techs. - generally won't get later techs even if you wait.
I've gotten 2nd tech level techs often enough to know that the available techs are 'good enough' for a game since most ruins go in the ancient era. (so no changes if someone starts complaining please )

as per 'fewer' -> ppl can check the XML themselves. It's not that much different from Prince, and you'd really need to be playing on a very low level to get a free settler

yeah.. getting kinda tired of :tech, culture, pop, tech, barbs, map, barbs, barbs, map, gold.

of course, it's worse when it starts: map, barb, gold, barb, map...