[NFP] Ability Brainstorming/Civ attributes not designed with a historical civ in mind

[8housesofelixir]

Sounds like abilities with penalties will be an interesting trend:

Coup D'état Task Force: All Spies gain "License to Kill" and "Revolt" promotion automatically. -15 Diplomatic Favor every turn after having the first spy.

Debt-Trap Diplomacy: +4 Influence points per turn toward earning Envoy, +4 Diplo Favor per capital city and cities with a government district. Capital city and cities with a government district -25% gold.

Export-Oriented Nation: Beginning from Medieval Era, Cities with a Harbor +20% Food, Gold, Culture, and Science. Cities without a Harbor -20% Production, Culture, Science, and Faith.

Internal Colonialism: Cities without a Governor +50% Gold, and -2 Amenity, -5 Loyalty.

Night-Watchman State: Commercial Hubs gain Production and Tourism equal to their Gold adjacency. Cities with a CH -15% Gold.

Personality Cult: +50% Production and +75% Faith in capital. All non-capital cities -20% Science.

Resource-Based Economy: All trade routes gain Gold per improved Strategics and Luxuries in the starting city. All mines +3 Gold and -1 Production, all Oil improvements +6 Gold and -2 Production.

 

[Hellenism Salesman]

This Hallowed Ground
Any battle that you win with a Great General involved, the site of the battle can be used to form a National (Battlefield) Park as long as there are 3 other tiles around the site without Improvements/constructions on them.

Quite possibly the most interesting (and best way) I've seen to tie together warfare and tourism. This would lead to a whole other scale of planning and open up a whole new dimension of decision-making when it comes to wars. Fantastic idea

Night-Watchman State: Commercial Hubs gain Production and Tourism equal to their Gold adjacency. Cities with a CH -15% Gold.

Interesting idea... turning the concept of a Commercial Hub on its head and changing its functions entirely.

This would pair great with a unique Commercial Hub with special adjacency... so many good ideas.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Quite possibly the most interesting (and best way) I've seen to tie together warfare and tourism. This would lead to a whole other scale of planning and open up a whole new dimension of decision-making when it comes to wars. Fantastic idea

When I was very young we lived in Virginia, just 4 miles from Bull Run Battlefield, and then moved up to Pennsylvania, less than 90 miles away from Gettysburg Battlefield, and I just finished writing up the fighting on the Borodino Battlefield in front of Moscow in October 1941 - a park that now commemorates 2 different battles on the same site, in 1812 and 1941.

So, can't honestly say Battlefield Parks are exactly an original idea for me . . .

 

[Ryansinbela]

It would be interesting for you to turn battlefields into historical sites at a later point in the game

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

It would be interesting for you to turn battlefields into historical sites at a later point in the game

Right now you can get Relics from them, but "Battlefield Archeology" is only of minor importance compared to the Tourism from Battlefield Parks: even back in the Classical Era there were people going to see the monument at the "Hot Gates" (Thermopolyae) in Greece, and Gettysburg, Waterloo and Borodino all get crowds of people every summer - the town of Gettysburg has virtually no economic life other than tourism to the battlefield.

Of course, to bother with any increase in Tourism the massive tourism you get from Companies and Monopolies first has to be firmly throttled back . . .

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

It would be interesting for you to turn battlefields into historical sites at a later point in the game

I do think that's what some antiquity sites are. It would be interesting that instead of sometimes extracting an artifact you could turn it into a historic site especially if it is surrounded by a bunch of appeal. Especially if it is near your territory it could become a specific national park. The same can go for antiquity sites that were once where a tribal village was.

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

I do think that's what some antiquity sites are. It would be interesting that instead of sometimes extracting an artifact you could turn it into a historic site especially if it is surrounded by a bunch of appeal. Especially if it is near your territory it could become a specific national park. The same can go for antiquity sites that were once where a tribal village was.

Maybe make it so that you can get an Artifact while keeping the Antiquity Site. Doesn't make much sense for a Historical Site to just disappear after just collecting one Artifact.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Maybe make it so that you can get an Artifact while keeping the Antiquity Site. Doesn't make much sense for a Historical Site to just disappear after just collecting one Artifact.

With the new Barbarian Clan Mode providing more interaction with the Barbarian Camp sites, why not a mechanic that a Camp that has, say, one or more units hired from it, or is raided for Gold at least once - in other words, anything more than a straightforward "attacked and destroyed". If later destroyed, may return as an Antiquity Site with more than one artifact in it - the site remains, you can send an archeologist back to it - but a second artifact is never guaranteed.

This same mechanic could be applied to battle Sites that become antiquity sites or shipwrecks on old trade routes - if one ship went down, more than one is sometimes very likely - label one area the "Graveyard of the X Sea" and keeping harvesting artifacts out of it.

 

[Sostratus]

Personality Cult: +50% Production and +75% Faith in capital. All non-capital cities -20% Science.

This sort of reminds me of one of my favorite Civ4 civics (and the basis of a policy card i modded for fun) : Bureaucracy. While Civ4 had it lend +50% production and +50% commerce in the capital, I think you could have an interesting ability / function of a unique if you had something like “+10% [set of yields] for each palace, government plaza, diplomatic quarter, and their buildings in a city”

Gives you the flexibility to spread things out, but also make a total monster city, and the bonus comes in over time- but is still somewhat on tap early.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

This sort of reminds me of one of my favorite Civ4 civics (and the basis of a policy card i modded for fun) : Bureaucracy. While Civ4 had it lend +50% production and +50% commerce in the capital, I think you could have an interesting ability / function of a unique if you had something like “+10% [set of yields] for each palace, government plaza, diplomatic quarter, and their buildings in a city”

Gives you the flexibility to spread things out, but also make a total monster city, and the bonus comes in over time- but is still somewhat on tap early.

Bureaucracy the word was coined in France around the time of the Revolution, but the activity dates back to ancient Egyptian and Sumerian scribes - mounds of clay tablet and papyrus records have been found from both that can only be described as 'red tape paperwork' in the truest sense - records of transactions, agreements, memorandums of record, inventories, etc.

I think a real case can be made that without Bureaucracy, the ability of you the gamer/government to get anything out of your population is severely restricted, even to the point that without the 'Civic/Social Policy/Technology' (it could be put in any of those categories, because the scribal tradition has elements of all three) of Bureaucracy the best you can rule is a small City State, and all you can get out of any other city, no matter how close they are to you in Culture, Language, etc, is what you can loot and carry home with your army.

Slowly but surely, I am putting together a list of very early Civics/Social Policies that are Basic to the Civ model of City = Civilization; More Cities = More Civilization:

Heirarchy - so there is someone in the city that can give orders outside/above the immediate Family
Guest-Host Obligation - so that relations with Foreigners can move beyond Kill On Sight
Patronage - the idea that other Humans or Gods are required to protect you if you Do The Right Thing
Bureaucracy - so that orders can be transmitted beyond shouting distance and you can tell that they are being obeyed

 

[Chekko]

My brother had the idea where when your own cities rebel they turn into their own City or even City-States instead of some generic bad guy barbarian. Always thought that was a cool idea. It would bring more interesting experiences with cities doing bad. They rebel, they turn to some other nation and that leader make the city happy and prosper. A feature in Civ 7 could be there being a higher version of City-States. Something that can settle nearby up to 3 cities and have multiple suzerain abilities but each are leveled so you don't get everyone at once. And maybe normal City-States can turn into a greater one if it is doing really good. Also please add more interactions with City-States.

As a half-Finn it would be cool to have Finland in the game. I understand the country is not so historical, it's pretty young so a chance for Finland is pretty low. But its country motto "Sisu" (Don't give up no matter the odds) would make for one amazing Civ ability.

A "Focus" policy slot, every government has one, you can only have one slot and it does not go into Wildcard slots. Focus policies are used for things like the idea to play tall. I'm thinking you should not be able to change that slot too often and every card is available from the start.

 

[Sirsquier]

I love coming up with abilities.

UA:

1. Can settle on costal tiles and in the late game sea tiles. +2 food from costal and sea tiles.
2. +50% production and gold for 10 turns after declaring formal wars
3. Clearing a barb outpost gives an artifact, fully heals unit, and gives them +15XP.

UU:
1. A spearman replacement that has +10CS verse melee and cavalry
2. A slinger replacement with 2 range

just a few

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

I love coming up with abilities.

UU:
1. A spearman replacement that has +10CS verse melee and cavalry
2. A slinger replacement with 2 range

just a few

Both of the UUs are historical:

The Picts in the 6th - 7th centuries CE used a formation of men with 12 foot long spears held in both hands behind a first rank of aristocratic swordsmen. You tried to attack the spearmen, and the swordsmen cut you up, you tried to charge the swordsmen and ran into spearpoints. It predated the "Double-pay men" swordsmen in pike formations by 800 years or so!

Baleric or Rhodian slingers in the Classical Era fired streamlined lead 'bullets' instead of stones. They flew so fast they couldn't be seen or dodged, so were particularly deadly against light infantry or cavalry, and if they hit you on the head even wearing a helmet you were still likely to get a concussion. They are high on my candidate list for specialized military units available as mercenaries (IRL they were hired by Romans, Carthaginians, and Greek states) from City States.
Much later, slingers (Basques this time) firing similar lead pellets shot a bunch of English longbowmen to pieces because direct fire from the slings was longer than direct fire from the longbows!

 

[Sirsquier]

I've heard of slings being used very late but did not know of the other one.

Both of the UUs are historical:

The Picts in the 6th - 7th centuries CE used a formation of men with 12 foot long spears held in both hands behind a first rank of aristocratic swordsmen. You tried to attack the spearmen, and the swordsmen cut you up, you tried to charge the swordsmen and ran into spearpoints. It predated the "Double-pay men" swordsmen in pike formations by 800 years or so!

Baleric or Rhodian slingers in the Classical Era fired streamlined lead 'bullets' instead of stones. They flew so fast they couldn't be seen or dodged, so were particularly deadly against light infantry or cavalry, and if they hit you on the head even wearing a helmet you were still likely to get a concussion. They are high on my candidate list for specialized military units available as mercenaries (IRL they were hired by Romans, Carthaginians, and Greek states) from City States.
Much later, slingers (Basques this time) firing similar lead pellets shot a bunch of English longbowmen to pieces because direct fire from the slings was longer than direct fire from the longbows!

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

Civilization Ability: Can spend Gold to gain Culture, Faith, and Diplomatic Favor(small amount compared to the amount of Culture and Faith you get, though.).

 

[Hellenism Salesman]

spend Gold to gain Culture, Faith, and Diplomatic Favor

"I don't need to be a good leader! I have MONEY!"

 

[Hellenism Salesman]

Call it a necro but I just really wanted to share.

• Leader ability: Upon entering a Golden Age, gain a permanent +1 Trade Route Capacity and a free Trader. While in a Golden Age, domestic trade routes yield +3 Gold for each district in the destination city that has an adjacency bonus of +2 or higher.
• Civilization ability: While in a Golden Age, generate Gold per turn equal to all Era Score earned during this era. +2 Era Score upon completing a Commercial Hub or Harbor. Builders have +1 Build Charge while in a Golden Age.
• Unique unit: Trader replacement. Cannot be plundered. Upon forming a Trading Post, gain a free Builder in the trade route’s origin city.
• Unique infrastructure (district): Commercial Hub replacement. Unlocked at Foreign Trade instead of Currency. No adjacency from rivers, but instead gains +2 Gold from being placed on a feature. Minor adjacency bonus from tile improvements.

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

Call it a necro but I just really wanted to share.

• Leader ability: Upon entering a Golden Age, gain a permanent +1 Trade Route Capacity and a free Trader. While in a Golden Age, domestic trade routes yield +3 Gold for each district in the destination city that has an adjacency bonus of +2 or higher.
• Civilization ability: While in a Golden Age, generate Gold per turn equal to all Era Score earned during this era. +2 Era Score upon completing a Commercial Hub or Harbor. Builders have +1 Build Charge while in a Golden Age.
• Unique unit: Trader replacement. Cannot be plundered. Upon forming a Trading Post, gain a free Builder in the trade route’s origin city.
• Unique infrastructure (district): Commercial Hub replacement. Unlocked at Foreign Trade instead of Currency. No adjacency from rivers, but instead gains +2 Gold from being placed on a feature. Minor adjacency bonus from tile improvements.

I like it, although the first part of the Leader Ability is a bit too similar to Mans Musa's.

 

[KingPiggyXXI]

I tried to make a civilization that focused on Gold and Military. I'll admit that I haven't got a clue if these are balanced properly, so the numbers may require some very major tweaking.
Civilization Ability: Purchasing land and naval units with Gold costs 25% less and costs no Strategic Resources, but these units cost twice as much Gold maintenance. All units gain the Golden Fervor unit command: once per turn, your land and naval units may spend Gold to gain +1 Movement and +5 Combat Strength for the turn.
Tried to capture the idea of mercenaries with this ability. Units expending a resource to gain a bonus is based on Alfonso XI from the Black Plague scenario.

Leader Ability: Commercial Hubs gain a major adjacency bonus from Strategic Resources and Encampments. When producing units, Commercial Hubs grant Production equal to their adjacency bonus. Buildings in the Encampment provide +2 Gold and +1 Great Merchant Point. Your domestic Trade Routes gain +3 Gold and +2 Production for every Commercial Hub and Encampment at the destination city.
Leader Ability: May form Navies at Mercenaries, instead of Nationalism, and Armadas at Mercantilism, instead of Mobilization. Allows Navies and Armadas to be purchased in Harbors without the Seaport building. Purchasing Navies and Armadas cost 25% less Gold. Coastal raiding costs one movement and provides Gold in addition to other yields. Gain +1 Trade Route capacity when you recruit a Great Admiral.
Two separate leaders. One is more focused on Commercial Hubs and land warfare, the other one is focused on naval warfare and pillaging.

Unique Unit: Man-at-Arms replacement. Costs less Production, but has higher maintenance. Starts with one free Promotion. May use the Golden Fervor command twice every turn.
This unit also tries to sort of seem like a mercenary by doubling down on the civilization ability. The unit is cheaper, has higher maintenance, and gets even more Golden Fervor.

Unique Building: Market replacement. Having a Harbor in this city provides it with +10% Gold and +1 Great Admiral Point. Having an Encampment in this city provides it with a +10 Strategic Resource stockpile and +1 Great General Point. Having both in this city provides it with +1 Trade Route capacity.
Focuses on the combination of Harbors, Encampments, and Commercial Hubs. Because it encourages building Harbors and Commercial Hubs together, the +1 Trade Route capacity hopefully makes that more viable.

 

[Hellenism Salesman]

Purchasing land and naval units with Gold costs 25% less and costs no Strategic Resources, but these units cost twice as much Gold maintenance. All units gain the Golden Fervor unit command: once per turn, your land and naval units may spend Gold to gain +1 Movement and +5 Combat Strength for the turn.

This concept (especially the Golden Fervor action) is one of the most interesting abilities I think I've ever seen. Just having this new tactical use for your Gold would make you constantly carefully consider how and when to spend your Gold, and reshapes Gold from a resource that merely strengthens conquest to one that can be the backbone of it.

Now, imagine if we were to give this Civ the Suguba...