[NEWCIV] Some ideas about Culture-Civs that may or may not take root eventually.

[Somebody613]

1. I adore the idea of playing an Earth map.
Thus this thread is solely focused on an Earth map play through, unambiguously.

2. The idea of Regional Civs is quite old already, so I'm not adding much new stuff here.
It's still in the making, but the ideas are there - and the current culture system moves there even more.

3. I've already said this, but (given the above) it'd be quite fun to play as Regional Civs that adopt cultures as their play style (or name, but it'd be weird with having multiple active cultures, so better not).
This means dividing the entire globe into 39 (see point 5) regions, and attributing each of them to a Regional Civ.
Then spending some more time on splitting the existing (and maybe future) cultures by their geographic regions and somehow making sure that only the correct Civ can build that culture.
This doesn't exclude it being shared after being built - but it'd be stupid to see Zulus BUILT in Australia, lol.
It might be a bit tedious, but that's the idea.

4. Further on, I think it'd be a rather cute thing to introduce Culture Eras (most possibly correlating with Research Eras for easier mapping).
That is, you CAN'T research an OLDER culture, if you are out of its time range already.
No Aborigines being BUILT during the Modern Times, lol.
This is optional, since it IS an additional limitation - but it does have a better immersion taste.
This could also be related to culture building conditions - less so based on resources, and more so based on your personal game play.
Building a number of specific buildings that are found in that culture, or units, or dunno what.
Not just finding a random stone in the field, lol.

5. Here's the ACTUAL reason I'm even posting this (not really, but who knows).
Why did I say 39 civs?
Because I have a FUN idea for the 40th one!
ALIENS!
(In fact, I just realize it is NOT the 40th, but instead the 46th, since it's a new "Barbarian" - unplayable.)
So, I take it back - it's 40 regional civs, and 1 more "barb - alien".
Location: Antarctic (or some map edit on Bermuda, the goal is to make it 100% unreachable).
Special tech: Dummy tech "Aliens".
Special building: Dummy building "UFO spawning factory".
Special unit: Dummy unit "UFO" - 20 move flier with no regard of impassable or costs, 0 atk, 0 def, 100% always invisible and unaffected by anything, 100% abduction rate of CIVILIANS.
Special event: Abduction (duh) - the abducted unit is destroyed, or maybe is put to "invisible sleep" in the Alien city and then is teleported back to its capital some time later.
I know this is whacky, but that's the goal, lol.

 

[Thunderbrd]

There are player slots reserved for NPCs (non-player characters) like differing animal teams, neanderthals, and even the original only NPC, Barbarians. You may see 'insectoids' now and then when you encounter a locust swarm. This is a whole team for insects but is also a team for a more advanced Insectoid alien race, along the lines of what was shown in Starship Troopers. There are other non-filled reserved player slots that will eventually include other hominid species, like perhaps the Hobbits, and for other Alien races - My thinking here is that we may have a couple of these. It's a late stage development project we've long been considering. Some want only one alien group and so on but I'm not even thinking too much about it until we have multimaps. However, some of the unit plans now are paving the way for some later work on that.

 

[Somebody613]

...

My idea is a strange baby of Spore and Eva, lol.
And because I saw how small the Antarctic landmass is on Pit's map, so it's quite fitting for a hidden city that sends long-range UFOs to abduct people, loool.
Also, what about the OTHER ideas?
Is the idea of a Real World Map game play a bit too forcing on the player - or is it good on the contrary?
The thing is that the culture system in this mod is already very deep - so it feels like a necessary step to go even further and get rid of national civs all along.
But to do so, Earth geography is pretty much a must, unless it's a "space colonization map" - since a random map would feel weird ANYWAYS (even now).
Do you agree or disagree - and maybe add some specifics?

 

[Thunderbrd]

Is the idea of a Real World Map game play a bit too forcing on the player - or is it good on the contrary?

If I understand the idea, it's impossible because the number of players is too limited.

The thing is that the culture system in this mod is already very deep - so it feels like a necessary step to go even further and get rid of national civs all along.

Not getting rid of national civs so much as you will be able to adopt a culture AS your national civ and that choice can change as the game goes on, which may lead to some border restructuring when you do depending on the degree of influences of a culture throughout your cities and neighboring ones.

But to do so, Earth geography is pretty much a must, unless it's a "space colonization map" - since a random map would feel weird ANYWAYS (even now).

I haven't played with an Earth map since Civ II I think. Map scripts seem better to me because then you don't have the ability to predict anything about it.

 

[Somebody613]

If I understand the idea, it's impossible because the number of players is too limited.

Not getting rid of national civs so much as you will be able to adopt a culture AS your national civ and that choice can change as the game goes on, which may lead to some border restructuring when you do depending on the degree of influences of a culture throughout your cities and neighboring ones.

I haven't played with an Earth map since Civ II I think. Map scripts seem better to me because then you don't have the ability to predict anything about it.

I admit it's a matter of personal taste, but I'm still under the very strong impression from Rye's - so when I saw something even remotely close here, I jumped in.
Again, a matter of taste - but why then should you go for such a deep culture system to begin with, if NOT to play an actual Earth map, huh?
Like I said, such culture system depth is way too weird on a random map (except under the self-concept of a new planet colonization).