If the general decision is to use that system then I will add the feature that the button is greyed out when you don't have the necessary nomadic yields instead of not displayed at all (and also add some ways to simplify some of the XML as it is currently very verbose).So the yields are the fruit, hunts, material, lore. What do they do?
Also how much do you need before research or build a unit? Because my research has not moved at all.
EDIT: Nevermind I found the button. Oh very cool!
Besides unit upgrades consider using promotions to model the growth of the nomadic unit (cost for the promotion would be a cerain amount of fruit and hunt yields) and maybe only allow settlement when a certain size is reached (and the necessary tech).EDIT2: So what are you thinking should be the tech that unlocks your first city? Like Shelter Building or even Cave Dwelling? I am thinking it could work like this;
- Band of Homo Sapiens cannot build a city until say Shelter Building.
- At Nomadic Lifestyle you can build Nomad units that are better than Band of Homo Sapiens.
- These Nomads can upgrade over time. Such as ...
Nomad (Req Nomadic Lifestyle) -> Horse Nomad (Req Horseback Riding) -> Etc.
If you go the nomad route then you can get better nomad stuff. If you pick the settling route then you start the game with one city as usual. Note these could be used in tandem where you have a single city and say a limit of 3 nomads that can roam around. Note that the nomad line cannot build cities (unless possibly at a later tech).
Promotions can also serve as upgrades in the different areas. Like maybe you can buy a long range hunting promotion that gathers some hunts in a 2 plot distance radius or an elder council promotion that gives you a constant source of lore per turn.
There has been no balancing effort in those numbers. Better increase the costs than tone down the gathering as one important thing is that the gathering is considerably higher than the yields that are produced on a plot each turn.This way from the start until Shelter Building you are playing the Nomadic game. I also think that the gathering benefits should be toned down since I think you can get too much too fast. At least for the Band of Homo Sapiens. Nomads could possibly be that powerful.