davane
Warlord
I was thinking about some more Alt-Timeline options for C2C. In particular, around the theme of magic and spellcasting.
Magic and the Supernatural have been a theme throughout the ages, and even now, similar themes can be seen with the ideas behind psychic powers and the paranormal. Even futuristic settings explore psionic powers that can change the fabric of reality. This blends in well with the end game where the players literally become gods in their own right.
I am more designer and theorist than programmer, so if anyone wants to take these ideas and develop them, feel free. I will assist as I can, but this is not a promise of content.
---- ---- ----
The various types of magic all work in a similar manner to Alt-Timelines - Researching the option allows you to build a resource, which is required for the various magic options. The rituals are best served as projects, but other options might be worth looking at. For example, going back to the Gods of Old mod from BtS, buildings and promotions might also be an idea.
MAGIC
In the early game, you get access to magic. I am thinking that this should be unlocked after a technology like mysticism, as before this point, prehistory is focused on survival in the physical world. After this, there's a number of techs which relate to the various elemental Myths. So, the idea is that after you discover the Myth of Fire, you can unlock Fire Magic, for example.
I am thinking that a more advanced option can be unlocked when you discover Writing and the Magic Shop. You can get a general Thaumatergy tech, which then leads to seperate Mancy techs, such as Pyromancy for Fire Magic.
RELIGIOUS RITUALS
Religions open up during the earlier ages, and all have extensive options for themselves, but it would be amiss if we don't look at religious rituals. Here, the Religious techs lead to Alt-Timeline techs where you can can use rituals related to the religion as long as you possess the holy city for that religion. For example, Vodun/Voodoo has various rituals.
ALCHEMY AND OCCULTISM
In the Late Medieval/Early Renaissance Era, many eminent scholars and scientists dabbled with the idea of alchemy, which ultimately led to Chemistry and the Scientific Method. So it might be reasonable to explore an Alt-Timeline tech with Alchemical rituals. Likewise, in the Victorian Era, represented by the Early Industrial Era, there was much fascination with occultism and the supernatural, so another Alt-Timeline covering these might be an option.
The Late Medieval/ Early Renaissance Era is also good for a possible Mage Punk Alt-Timeline that works opposite the Clock Punk tech.
PSYCHIC POWERS AND THE PARANORMAL
In the Modern Era, even today, there's still strong belief in Psychic Powers and the Paranormal. These feature in many pulp stories of the time, and were even taken seriously by Cold War powers looking for that extra edge after World War II. Also, who can forget the Nazis and their desire for super soldiers and ancient religious artefacts.
Another selection of Alt-Timeline Techs might see these options come to life in various ways, although the effects would become much less flashy over time. These could even be extended into the near future, as we unlock more of the hidden potential of the mind through increased understanding in Parapsychology and Genetic Modification.
THE APOCALYPSE
No exploration of the near future could be complete without a look at Doomsday Cults and the potential for a Post-Apocalypse timeline, that deals with both decay and restoration. Whilst it might seem like this is a curtailing of the game, the idea is that alongside various doomsday weapons, the planet goes through an Alt-Timeline of potential decay, which opens into an Alt-Time of halting the seemingly inevitable and restoring the world.
One possible way to do this is to include a number to Alt-Timeline Doomsday techs - be it nuclear armageddon, nanobot plagues, or climate-based devastation. Even a mass extinction meteor strike might be possible. Whatever the cause, once any player has unlocked the doomsday scenario Alt-Timeline tech and built the resulting project, another Alt-Timeline tech becomes available which deals with the solution, which when completed, should bring the timeline back on track.
XENOPARAPSYCHOLOGY
Going in the other direction from the apocolypse, we see humanity reach out to the stars. As we explore, there's opportunity for more Alt-Timeline tech options, as we get to encounter aliens and their strange technologies. First contact is an important step, and whilst the timeline covers this in some context, we could use Alt-Timeline techs to explore contact with various types of alien archetypes, be it Greys, an Insectoid Hivemind, an AI machine entity, Silicon-based life. Some of these ideas could be explored as Doomsday Tech scenarios, others as simple Alt-Timelines expanding on advances we already see in the timeline.
THE COSMIC WARP AND THE SPACE BEYOND
The late game eras see a shift in the reality of humanity, as we reach further into the vastness of the cosmos. It's common in more Science Fantasy settings to see the supernatural appear from the spaces between the stars, and even the most hardened Sci-Fi Space Epic often sees strange anomolies in the cosmos.
We aren't just talking about Xenos here, but the very nature of reality, with many believing that warp drives aren't just FTL-travel, but actually tear holes in the fabric of space from which all manner of horrors can escape.
BECOMING GODS
The shift in human reality not only sees us explore beyond the limits of space, but also remodel our own beings, as we literally change to become gods with awesome reality-shattering powers. Here the exploration of magic comes full circle, as we return to a similar idea from the early game, but instead of locking powers behind Myths, they are locked behind the various divine aspects you can become in the late game.
More importantly, a key feature to becoming a god should be the ability to create your own faith. It seems more than a little absurd that if you literally become a god, your society remains druidic or christian.
---- ---- ----
You may have noticed that these ideas become more and more vague as the timeline progresses, as there's a lot more potential in the later Eras, and it would be great if people who put the time in to go from the Prehistoric to the Cosmic Era got some things to really shake up their gameplay.
Chances are, anyone playing this long without winning is playing single-player, so the late game options can be skewed towards this bias, with game-changing consequences that aren't necessarily going to be as balanced for multiplayer.
At the very least, I would consider an option to remove these elements from the game as a necessity, as well as the option to close off any Doomsday techs (which would close off the accompanying restoration techs).
All of these are ideas right now, as I said - I am more of a designer than a programmer or artist. Any of the above could easily become modmod packs in their own right, although it would be good if they were able to be integrated seemlessly to provide an evolving atmosphere of magic throughout the game, from one end of the timeline to the other.
(Note: My end of timeline ideas are very vague, because I have only a limited understanding of the gameplay in the late game eras, mostly from reading the civlopedia entries. I am almost certain some of these ideas have already been covered, if only very briefly, and my intent is to look into expanding them out much further.)
Magic and the Supernatural have been a theme throughout the ages, and even now, similar themes can be seen with the ideas behind psychic powers and the paranormal. Even futuristic settings explore psionic powers that can change the fabric of reality. This blends in well with the end game where the players literally become gods in their own right.
I am more designer and theorist than programmer, so if anyone wants to take these ideas and develop them, feel free. I will assist as I can, but this is not a promise of content.
---- ---- ----
The various types of magic all work in a similar manner to Alt-Timelines - Researching the option allows you to build a resource, which is required for the various magic options. The rituals are best served as projects, but other options might be worth looking at. For example, going back to the Gods of Old mod from BtS, buildings and promotions might also be an idea.
MAGIC
In the early game, you get access to magic. I am thinking that this should be unlocked after a technology like mysticism, as before this point, prehistory is focused on survival in the physical world. After this, there's a number of techs which relate to the various elemental Myths. So, the idea is that after you discover the Myth of Fire, you can unlock Fire Magic, for example.
I am thinking that a more advanced option can be unlocked when you discover Writing and the Magic Shop. You can get a general Thaumatergy tech, which then leads to seperate Mancy techs, such as Pyromancy for Fire Magic.
RELIGIOUS RITUALS
Religions open up during the earlier ages, and all have extensive options for themselves, but it would be amiss if we don't look at religious rituals. Here, the Religious techs lead to Alt-Timeline techs where you can can use rituals related to the religion as long as you possess the holy city for that religion. For example, Vodun/Voodoo has various rituals.
ALCHEMY AND OCCULTISM
In the Late Medieval/Early Renaissance Era, many eminent scholars and scientists dabbled with the idea of alchemy, which ultimately led to Chemistry and the Scientific Method. So it might be reasonable to explore an Alt-Timeline tech with Alchemical rituals. Likewise, in the Victorian Era, represented by the Early Industrial Era, there was much fascination with occultism and the supernatural, so another Alt-Timeline covering these might be an option.
The Late Medieval/ Early Renaissance Era is also good for a possible Mage Punk Alt-Timeline that works opposite the Clock Punk tech.
PSYCHIC POWERS AND THE PARANORMAL
In the Modern Era, even today, there's still strong belief in Psychic Powers and the Paranormal. These feature in many pulp stories of the time, and were even taken seriously by Cold War powers looking for that extra edge after World War II. Also, who can forget the Nazis and their desire for super soldiers and ancient religious artefacts.
Another selection of Alt-Timeline Techs might see these options come to life in various ways, although the effects would become much less flashy over time. These could even be extended into the near future, as we unlock more of the hidden potential of the mind through increased understanding in Parapsychology and Genetic Modification.
THE APOCALYPSE
No exploration of the near future could be complete without a look at Doomsday Cults and the potential for a Post-Apocalypse timeline, that deals with both decay and restoration. Whilst it might seem like this is a curtailing of the game, the idea is that alongside various doomsday weapons, the planet goes through an Alt-Timeline of potential decay, which opens into an Alt-Time of halting the seemingly inevitable and restoring the world.
One possible way to do this is to include a number to Alt-Timeline Doomsday techs - be it nuclear armageddon, nanobot plagues, or climate-based devastation. Even a mass extinction meteor strike might be possible. Whatever the cause, once any player has unlocked the doomsday scenario Alt-Timeline tech and built the resulting project, another Alt-Timeline tech becomes available which deals with the solution, which when completed, should bring the timeline back on track.
XENOPARAPSYCHOLOGY
Going in the other direction from the apocolypse, we see humanity reach out to the stars. As we explore, there's opportunity for more Alt-Timeline tech options, as we get to encounter aliens and their strange technologies. First contact is an important step, and whilst the timeline covers this in some context, we could use Alt-Timeline techs to explore contact with various types of alien archetypes, be it Greys, an Insectoid Hivemind, an AI machine entity, Silicon-based life. Some of these ideas could be explored as Doomsday Tech scenarios, others as simple Alt-Timelines expanding on advances we already see in the timeline.
THE COSMIC WARP AND THE SPACE BEYOND
The late game eras see a shift in the reality of humanity, as we reach further into the vastness of the cosmos. It's common in more Science Fantasy settings to see the supernatural appear from the spaces between the stars, and even the most hardened Sci-Fi Space Epic often sees strange anomolies in the cosmos.
We aren't just talking about Xenos here, but the very nature of reality, with many believing that warp drives aren't just FTL-travel, but actually tear holes in the fabric of space from which all manner of horrors can escape.
BECOMING GODS
The shift in human reality not only sees us explore beyond the limits of space, but also remodel our own beings, as we literally change to become gods with awesome reality-shattering powers. Here the exploration of magic comes full circle, as we return to a similar idea from the early game, but instead of locking powers behind Myths, they are locked behind the various divine aspects you can become in the late game.
More importantly, a key feature to becoming a god should be the ability to create your own faith. It seems more than a little absurd that if you literally become a god, your society remains druidic or christian.
---- ---- ----
You may have noticed that these ideas become more and more vague as the timeline progresses, as there's a lot more potential in the later Eras, and it would be great if people who put the time in to go from the Prehistoric to the Cosmic Era got some things to really shake up their gameplay.
Chances are, anyone playing this long without winning is playing single-player, so the late game options can be skewed towards this bias, with game-changing consequences that aren't necessarily going to be as balanced for multiplayer.
At the very least, I would consider an option to remove these elements from the game as a necessity, as well as the option to close off any Doomsday techs (which would close off the accompanying restoration techs).
All of these are ideas right now, as I said - I am more of a designer than a programmer or artist. Any of the above could easily become modmod packs in their own right, although it would be good if they were able to be integrated seemlessly to provide an evolving atmosphere of magic throughout the game, from one end of the timeline to the other.
(Note: My end of timeline ideas are very vague, because I have only a limited understanding of the gameplay in the late game eras, mostly from reading the civlopedia entries. I am almost certain some of these ideas have already been covered, if only very briefly, and my intent is to look into expanding them out much further.)
