Robert Surcouf
Civ4Col Modder
In this thread, I'd like to discuss the technical aspect of the invention feature.
For the general ideas and the general approach, see here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=476044
If you want to discuss specific inventions, please look at this thread: (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=476046)
First of all, how is it going to work? In our colonies, we would have a new building (or rather a new production line), e.g. an inventor's house. When a colonist works in such building, he produces ideas. Ideas would be a new yield of course. With those ideas we would be able to obtain new inventions. And these inventions would unlock new units, new buildings or enable us to do something...
Here's a few questions we might discuss in this thread
A) Ideas / Inventions/ Inventor
1) First things first. Is that ok? Kailric's approach seems good to me. It isn't Civ4's approach (since in Civ4 you get some Commerce and Commerce can be "transformed" into research), and seems close to other Colonization features. Does someone want a more Civ4-like feature? Frankly I don't see how, but maybe someone has an idea
2) Dazio has raised a few interesting objections. One of his concerns (among many other...) was about the terminology. Should we really call our unit/profession "inventor". One of the inventions I used was called "Corn", another was "Native spirit" (I must thank you Kailric for the idea !). Europeans didn't invent Corn and they sure didn't invent Native spirit. This may not be the most important part of the discussion, but he was right. Does it make much sense to put a colonist inside a building in one of your colonies and you miraculously find the "Native spirit" invention. Anyhow, native "inventions" can be traded, but it may seem odd to obtain them from afar (I mean simply "staying" in your colonies)
3) Graphical aspects: Should we use Civ4 science icon, or Kailric's light-bulb icon for ideas?
B) Programming some features
When I tried to adapt Kailric's modcomp in my early (and unfinished!) Storm and Light, there was one major CTD. This CTD occurred when someone bought a Veteran (or tried to change a Veteran's profession) when the soldier profession was unavailable. Indeed soldier was Veterans default profession. In late game's, early era professions were no longer available (e.f. arquebusier in 1750) and were replaced by rifleman profession. However I had to keep the default profession just to avoid a CTD. Kailric's solution was a little different, since he replaced all units when a upgrade occurred. So he had early veterans, veterans ant late veterans (if I remember correctly...). Both solutions work, but seem a little awkward to me. Kailric's solution multiplies the number of units artificially and my solution leaves us with a few useless professions and might bother AI which is bad!
For the general ideas and the general approach, see here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=476044
If you want to discuss specific inventions, please look at this thread: (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=476046)
First of all, how is it going to work? In our colonies, we would have a new building (or rather a new production line), e.g. an inventor's house. When a colonist works in such building, he produces ideas. Ideas would be a new yield of course. With those ideas we would be able to obtain new inventions. And these inventions would unlock new units, new buildings or enable us to do something...
Here's a few questions we might discuss in this thread
A) Ideas / Inventions/ Inventor
1) First things first. Is that ok? Kailric's approach seems good to me. It isn't Civ4's approach (since in Civ4 you get some Commerce and Commerce can be "transformed" into research), and seems close to other Colonization features. Does someone want a more Civ4-like feature? Frankly I don't see how, but maybe someone has an idea
2) Dazio has raised a few interesting objections. One of his concerns (among many other...) was about the terminology. Should we really call our unit/profession "inventor". One of the inventions I used was called "Corn", another was "Native spirit" (I must thank you Kailric for the idea !). Europeans didn't invent Corn and they sure didn't invent Native spirit. This may not be the most important part of the discussion, but he was right. Does it make much sense to put a colonist inside a building in one of your colonies and you miraculously find the "Native spirit" invention. Anyhow, native "inventions" can be traded, but it may seem odd to obtain them from afar (I mean simply "staying" in your colonies)
3) Graphical aspects: Should we use Civ4 science icon, or Kailric's light-bulb icon for ideas?
B) Programming some features
When I tried to adapt Kailric's modcomp in my early (and unfinished!) Storm and Light, there was one major CTD. This CTD occurred when someone bought a Veteran (or tried to change a Veteran's profession) when the soldier profession was unavailable. Indeed soldier was Veterans default profession. In late game's, early era professions were no longer available (e.f. arquebusier in 1750) and were replaced by rifleman profession. However I had to keep the default profession just to avoid a CTD. Kailric's solution was a little different, since he replaced all units when a upgrade occurred. So he had early veterans, veterans ant late veterans (if I remember correctly...). Both solutions work, but seem a little awkward to me. Kailric's solution multiplies the number of units artificially and my solution leaves us with a few useless professions and might bother AI which is bad!