Anno Domini - a full mod from R8XFT

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Oh oh, be careful starting a discussion on the location of Atlantis on a thread visited by Xen it is going to be bloody...

Yep...cover your ears, Xen. Please don't turn this thread into a discussion about Atlantis.

 

[onedreamer]

really ? I'm getting interested...

edit: I just realized that glass working is already in the Anno Domini age. Were you already going to put glass on the map ? As strategic or luxury ? Or both (if it's possible) ?

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

really ? I'm getting interested...

edit: I just realized that glass working is already in the Anno Domini age. Were you already going to put glass on the map ? As strategic or luxury ? Or both (if it's possible) ?

It's highly likely it will be a luxury item on the map.

 

[Plotinus]

Using Native Americans as Africans....bad Plotinus...bad...

Well, he could pass for a Berber or Egyptian or maybe Ethiopian, since they all had rather lighter skin... but I was raised in the days of Civ I, when all units were represented by icons rather than realistic animations, and so I'm used to not being too worried about such things! Even so, I'm just thinking of the best options there are - better a Native American passing as an African than a European, after all, and all the "standard" units look pretty European other than the UUs.

 

[onedreamer]

It's highly likely it will be a luxury item on the map.

and you need another lux for the last era or will that be enough ?

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

and you need another lux for the last era or will that be enough ?

Actually, I'm having a rethink, so it'll be enough for now .

My thoughts are to move salt mining and bronze working into the ancient age, making road-building an earlier advance than it is, either available at the very start, or researchable straight away. Perhaps iron working will come into the second age, with more formidable units available in ages 3 and 4.

I've decided to go back to the drawing board and build the mod again from scratch, putting in the civs I suggested and using most of the advances, but making various changes, such as those suggested in the previous paragraph. Don't worry, it won't take me that long, and the mod should (I hope) still be ready at the end of February (I have plenty of spare time to work on it mid-late Feb - and it's going to be too cold to venture outside, save for the odd drinking session .)

My plan of attack is this:
1. Sort out the civs and be happy with animations and most of the graphics, including the advisors and popheads. This'll be time-consuming, but worth it. I've decided that as this spans quite some time, I'll ensure there's era-specific cities, although I won't go era-specific on the leaderheads for two reasons (mainly) : 1. It's way too much work for all those leaderheads! 2. The download would be way too massive! I believe that single-era leaderheads would be suitable for the mod. Incidently, my next project after this will be to make some of the leaderheads era-specific - starting with Cleopatra.
2. Tackle the mod one era at a time, putting in civilopedia entries, etc as I go along. At this stage, I plan to put in generic units only.
3. Decide upon a UU for each civ and put it in the game.
4. Using the ton of units I've downloaded from Civfanatics, place flavour units where appropriate.
5. If I get the hang of unit-making, add a couple of "essential" units.
6. Upload to Civfanatics.
7. Receive feedback from Xen about how the Romans could be improved in the game .

All the work I've put in so far will not go to waste; I've now got a really good idea what will be in each age, I've done a lot of the graphics and found some useful feedback in the thread.

 

[onedreamer]

Just wanted to say I think Cleopatra looks soooo much better than Firaxis'... and definitely the leaders in this mod don't need to be era-specific

One thing I would consider too is musics. Very few mods include them, but I can't really play with musics turned off. They add a lot to the "feeling" and flavor if chosen properly. The ones for the Native America mod, for example, are simply awesome.

Can't wait for this mod to be ready

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

All-new Hengist of the Saxons is in the works:

@Plotinus - any idea of any techs, units, info etc for the Saxons, but only to cover up to maybe 100 years after Hengist?

@onedreamer - music is a worthwhile consideration...

 

[Plotinus]

Good Hengist!

As for techs, units etc, I'm not hot on the Saxons (as opposed to the Anglo-Saxons). I assume that culturally and militarily they were much of a muchness. So I should think you can find lots of handy stuff in the first era of my scenario at least. Obviously the continental Saxons stayed pagan for a lot longer than the Anglo-Saxons (they didn't get fully converted until Charlemagne, who conquered them and then basically gave them the option of conversion or execution), so all that pagan stuff from the first era should be especially relevant.

 

[Smoking mirror]

One thing to watch out for is that you have an early method of crossing small bodies of water, Perhaps giving the little ship from conquests a single movement point and the ability to carry one unit. Otherwise those civs unfortunate enough to start on a small island (probably with no fresh water) will have to wait untill the second age to beable to move to a more hospitable environment, certain death for any civ.

Also I've found that having no resorces visible at the start of the game makes for a very interesting game. Most early cities will be placed in reference to bonus grassland, or proximity to rivers or the sea, later cities will have much better placement in reference to resorces, and so will be more productive (but smaller).

For resorces I'd stay away from manufactured goods, such as glass or fabrics, and concentrate on the bounty of mother earth. Good ideas are;
Volcanic sand; esential for making concrete, the most esential part of roman buildings, and one of the things that helped to make the roman civilization.
Fine sand For early glass work very fine sand is needed, with few impurities.
dyes or inks A good resouce for the middle ages are the ingredients used in the colourfull inks used in europe for illustrated Bibles. These were made from a whole range of previously useless materials which were only seen to be of use when it was discovered what could be extracted from them, such as certain sea shells or insects.
sheep You could represent the spread of animal breeding during the middle ages by having different animals arrive with something like selective domestic animal breeding. Previously animals like horses and dogs were selectivly bred over centuries to produce animals more usefull to warfare or hunting, but in the middle ages, animals like sheep and pigs (which had previously been quite small) were selectively bred for trade and agriculture reasons.
The trade network of England which led to the formation of the British empire was built on a foundation of sheep farming and wool export.
gold and silver Having a ready source of precious metals is essential for any of the old civs, If possible I'd make a royal mint available in the middle ages or rise of rome era that needs gold or silver (you choose) in the city radius. It'd be a small wonder that pays for all trade instalations, while a trade or goldsmiths guild would have effects similar to wall street again needing a ready source of gold or silver. Civs with no access to gold or silver would then be at a disadvantage to those that do. Because of the masive advantage given by these buildings you may want to make them government specific, limiting them perhaps to monarchies.

 

[Xen]

all I'll saty of atlantis is the thought of it being in the north/baltic sea is the last echos of Nazi propaganda, which proclaimed the same thing, as part of thier justifacatiob for themselves beign the "master race".

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

@Smoking Mirror - cheers for the info ! There's some good stuff in your post and it will be very useful.

@Plotinus - I was looking at your Rood and the Dragon scenario. (For those of you reading this who haven't tried it yet - get it downloaded!! The link is available in Plotinus' signature.) I was thinking that the techs were possibly a little too late for my mod. Perhaps I could bring Ealu into the late game; I'd love to bring Polearms in, but feel that's too late a tech even for the end of this mod .

 

[The Last Conformist]

all I'll saty of atlantis is the thought of it being in the north/baltic sea is the last echos of Nazi propaganda, which proclaimed the same thing, as part of thier justifacatiob for themselves beign the "master race".

Ideas locating Atlantis in or at the Baltic Sea long predate Nazism, unless you count 17th C Göticists as Nazis.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Please don't start an Atlantis discussion in this thread guys....

 

[Snorken]

I've placed the Amazons in the African category for city graphics only - they'll get their own set of units - there's plenty available, even a settler .

If think you should place the Amazons in the Mediterranean category for city graphics...

Also, could someone please post some info about the Harrapans and the Nabateans? I've never heard about them either...

 

[The Last Conformist]

The Harappans are the same as the "Indus Culture" or "Indus Civilization". Surely you've heard of them?

The Nabataeans were an Arab tribe who made a living as traders in NW Arabia. Their most important centre was Petra in modern Jordania, today a popular tourist destination. Parts of The Last Crusade were shot there. They eventually got annexed by the Romans.

 

[Snorken]

Thanks for the info TCP! And yes, i've heard of those "Indus" people ...

 

[onedreamer]

Harappa was a city in India built by a civilization that lived there before the migrations of the indoeuropeans which lead to the birth of the indus culture. Therefore I wouldn't say they are the same thing... especially since they have almost been exterminated by the indoeuropean invaders and their civilization was destroyed. They built about a hundred of cities with big temples, they had their own alphabet and writing (still undecyphered... or however you spell this nasty word !) and they were your typical agricultural & commercial civ.

 

[The Last Conformist]

You wouldn't say they're the same as what?

 

[onedreamer]

summary: Harappans lived in India prior to the birth of the Indus civilization.