[BtS] "Mars, Now!"

[General Pilates]

Also, some little nitpicks.

• If hills have resources on them, they shouldn't be terraformed into flatland.
• It would be fun if Tiles with Mars grass could then be converted to terraformed ground, after.
• Levitikus should be spelled Leviticus.
• Any way to increase the spawn for prmitive sea-animals? I have never seen them in any games I've played.

If I find more stuff I'll post it.

 

[The_J]

Alternative patch download

You might want to do some Civilopedia entries. I'll do some, if you want.

I would be happy if you did so .
I'm not a talented writer and i have way too less time, so i appreciate every help i can get here.

Also, some little nitpicks.

• If hills have resources on them, they shouldn't be terraformed into flatland.
• It would be fun if Tiles with Mars grass could then be converted to terraformed ground, after.
• Levitikus should be spelled Leviticus.
• Any way to increase the spawn for prmitive sea-animals? I have never seen them in any games I've played.

If I find more stuff I'll post it.

Hills: why that?
Grass -> terraformed: Do you mean by a worker action or via normal terraforming?
Levitikus: Oops, that's german spelling.
Sea animals: Spawn rate is the same like for every other sea bonus (if there's a bug in the code then i can't see it at the moment), but looking at the code i think this rate could be overall relatively low.

 

[General Pilates]

It's annoying to have your hills lose their production because they get terraformed. It would be better if hills couldn't be normally terraformed, but could by a worker's action.

When I mean the grass, it could go from Mars soil-> Mars+grass-> Terraformed land. By normal terraforming.

Also, 'Israelian' should be Israeli.

Ok, here is the entry for Hubble V2.

The idea of a space telescope is to take pictures and images of the vastness of space, without the handicap of an atomsphere in place. There have been a few of these in Human history, but the most famous by far was the Hubble Space telescope. Orbiting the earth, and taking a massive array of dazzling images of the sky, Hubble managed to provide a basis for how large the universe was, and many other mindboggling questions. However, due to the primitive technology used during the time, Hubble could not take images of planets in other solar systems, or other smaller scale objects, such as far away asteroids, or comets in the Oort cloud.

However, soon after the first colonization missions to Mars, the idea of the Space Telescope was once again brought up. Using much higher video and lense technology, it would be possible to launch a new Hubble space telescope, above the marian atomsphere, to once again look at the beauty of the stars.

 

[The_J]

Thanks .
I included the suggestions and added the text.
Seems i also forgot some (not often appearing) unit graphics, which i've fixed now.

Oh, and in the changelog i forgot that i included the mapscript tools by temujin in the last patch.
That's truly great work .

 

[General Pilates]

No problem. Now, I'll do the ESA text.

The European union had for a long time in the 20th century been called weak and ineffecient by many people. However, in the 2050s, a strong leader managed to pull the union together, and extended it's power all the way to the borders with Russia. After fighting several rebellions, he managed to reach the Aegean with quickfire negotiations and a new form of blitzkrieg, helped by the new developing technology. He died soon after due to complications, but several moderately good leaders after him managed to keep the frail union together, accomplishing a dream of european unity thought to be impossible.

When the UN annouunced it's colonization program, the EU refused to participate, on the grounds that they did not want to be part of a suicide trip. The UN obviously had lack of foresight, and they lost many, many colonists in the initial colonization of Mars. For a long time, many people did not care about Mars, and the private sector continued to use it for their own needs.

However, in the 2080s, Gas prices escalated, and the uranium needed for Fusion was slowly being depleted in the European Union's boundries. Realizing that Mars was the next logical goal, the Union began it's own colonization program, thinking it was a devious and clever idea, until they realized that the other nations, including the USA, and Russia, were also planning one.

Realizing that the future of their nation is at stake, the Europeans must now expand and learn to survive in the expanse of the red planet, if they want to survive at home.

 

[The_J]

Nice one , will be added .

 

[General Pilates]

Water (resource)

Water is the building block of all life, and besides a few hardy extremophile bacteria, nothing can exist without it. Although water is plentiful on Earth, on Mars it is a very valuable commodity. Most of the water comes from underwater Aquifers, remnants of a lost ocean that once covered the north of Mars.

For the colonists, water is a essential resource, and at the critical colonization stage, most of it has to be shipped from earth. But improvements in terraforming, and the discovery of the water may lead these colonies onto the path of self sufficency, if technologies can be developed to pump it out of it's underground resevoirs.

Command center

Throughout history, humanity has always needed some kind of leadership in order to survive effeciently. On earth, countires were run from some kind of administrative center. At first they were Palaces, but as time progressed, and mankind moved away from despotisim and monarchy, Presidents or representives took their place.

On the Martian surface, a Command center is a extremely essential place. It holds reserves of oxygen and water for the first colony, it has advanced communications to talk to Earth, and most importantly, it houses the colony leader, who coordinates the path of the colonists. It is one of the most vital buildings on the martian surface, although only one can be built, for obvious reasons.

PSE (Civ)

The Private space explorers were founded as a small business that provided supllies and manpower to the governmental space agencies. However, over time, the CEO realized that Mars had an immense mineral wealth that had to be taken quickly. So, he switched the company's main business from providing parts, to actually colonizing.

By the 2060s, the PSE had several plants and pumps, using automated machinery to mine the martian resources. After the failed UN colonization, the vast amount of mutants finding their way across the surface attacked the PSE's private drilling stations, cutting them off, and making PSE lose millions in revenue.

This failure prompted the CEO to think of other ways to make money from Mars, when he noticed the rapid colonization efforts pushed by the different nations. Realizing he could make money having colonies on the Red planet, he pushed his own civilian program to send people to Mars, and millions signed up, anaware of the dangers on the Red planet.

Now the CEO simply needs to bide his time until the colony is strong enough to push the other colonies off the surface, so he can become the top dog of another planet.

Miniarization Quote:

"For a Species wanting so badly to expand, Humans seem to have a obsession with small things" - Sari Kun, Modern Philosopher

 

[General Pilates]

Orbital Sun shield

For millenia, Humanity has stared up at the sun, and blinded itself. Many wondered how this massive furnace could produce so much light. After humanity began it's acceleration into the Space age, the answer was found in the analysation of Fusion. The power of fusion made the chain reactions that would power the sun to it's immense heat and size. However, rather than trying to copy this technique, some people tried using solar power. Although on Earth, the night and day cycles hampered this, in space, the full heat and power of the sun proved to be very useful for early spaceships.

However, once fusion became easily useable, solar power began to fall behind, and became a quiet and backward energy source compared to that of fusion. But, with progressing technology, it could be possible to put an oribtal Sun 'shield' or panel, that would collect the massive power of the sun and transfer it onto the surface of the newly colonized Mars. Earth's space junk would pose a problem, but Mars has a clear sky, so a shield on it would not get heavily damaged.

It would be a incredibly daunting task, but if completed, could provide enough power for an entire continent, powering most of Mars with the clean heat of the sun, making it much more friendly than fusion or fossil fuels.

 

[General Pilates]

Arabia

In the 2020s, a revolution rocked most of the Muslim countries. Many nations such as Saudi Arabia and Iran were rocked by internal revolutions as secular Sunni muslims went against religous Shiites in a bloodbath that lasted seven years. When the dust settled, the government eased up regulations, and many of the muslim countries began a rapid modernization and reform, fueled by their oil. They formed a union much like the arab league, but there was less autonomy, as most nations were fine in one unified islamic state.

After the new caliphite had been realized, at least in the view of the more nationalistic arabs, they turned their heads towards the stars. Oil was slowly being depleted, and being superceded by fusion. The Union needed a way out, and fast. Luckily, Mars provided that answer. Right around the time that most other nations were preparing their own space programs, the Arabs, now much more industralized and technology focused than they used to be, launched their own colony ships, in hope of expanding their territory, and finding more oil and uranium, to have their own fusion reactors.

Only time will tell if the Arabs will survive and thrive on this new barren surface, taking it's plentiful resources for the new caliphite, or perish as the colonists did before them.

Korean Empire/KARI

Although originally unified, after World war II, Korea split into different sides. One was communist, the other Democratic. After the Korean war, tensions remained very high, with unification doubtful. However, the supreme dictator of North Korea, was killed in 2015, and North Korea was in a civil war for over 60 years, with no side showing any sides of victory. Then, in the 2080s, Korea was once again unified when the South Korean government moved in and took over the country. It began to rebuild the ravaged countryside and the devastated cities, until North Korea finally began to look healthier and more like it's southern neighbour. South Korea had already dwelled into space exploration and colonization, but they had done no real expansion.

The huge population boom following the war began to exert massive pressure on the small Sakhalin penninsula. The korean president, being a visionary, realized that the only way out was up, and began his own program for colonization, that coincided with the other nations. Although the real reason Korea wants to colonize Mars is far more devious.

The Koreans must learn to forgo their difficulties and small size and expand to the same size as the leading world powers, if they want to survive on the red planet.

 

[General Pilates]

Hey, for trading with earth, couldn't you steal some script from Colonization? Or is that not possible?

- Balancing. Really nothing is balanced.
- Events have to be changed
- And the diplomatic text
- Civilopedia has to be filled
- Quotes have to be translated

I agree with the balancing. Some things can be annoying, and civs really are not a challenge, even on Deity.

For the events, I could do some. A lot could just be changed from Civ 4 BTS.

Events could circle around some of the terrain features like the first mars mission shuttle, an obelisk, the face of mars e.t.c

I don't know about diplomatic text.

I'm working on the civilopedia, hopefully I'll get the leaders and nations done.

I don't know german, so I can't help with the quotes.

 

[Vortilex]

@ Gen. Pilates: Son of a mother duck, you've been busy! That takes a lot of work off my hands I was just getting around to a checklist of what doesn't have an entry.

 

[General Pilates]

Rosswell

Rosswell was the ruler of the Martian empire until the earth year 2074. He was known as an incapable martian, growing up in the 'intellectual caste' rather than the cultural or warrior branches. He was known to be very headstrong as a young martian, such as organizing the blunders of Tunguska, and the crash at Roswell, which he is now called with disdain.

However, as most science caste martians are, he got wiser over time, and began to be much more cautious about his dealings and his interactions with earthlings. However, trouble was looming in the horizon for the Martian empire, and his sons Kra'wall and T'challa wanted to grab power for themselves. He managed to set up a triumvarite. However, a bullet found itself in one his son's heads, and a civil war exploded.

He managed to win the war, but just as he grabbed the last city back, he saw the earthlings landing. This was an unwarranted expansion, but he became worried: the earthlings had heavily evolved their technology, she he decided instead to bide his time and wait, to see if the earthlings would attack.

 

[General Pilates]

Russia (civ)

Russia has always been a major player in world politics, from the time of Peter the Great. Russia had been ruled by a communist regime for nearly eighty years, until the year 1990, when it all fell apart, and it was replaced by the Russian Federation. The Russian federation controls most of the crude oil reserves of the world, and it has a massive space program, and history in space. However, when approached by the UN, they, like the other nations, refused to send any trained astronauts for the Colonization program.

The years after the failure of the colonization were tense, as crude oil began to dry up, and uranium was running out. However, three Russian politicians suggested a Mars program, to tap into new resources, and to take the Red planet as theirs. The preisdent agreed, although he was reluctant. The colonization program began, and millions of russian men and women boarded the ships, ready to colonize the red planet.

Russia must now push it's boundries, to become the largest nation of another world, or it will perish.

 

[The_J]

that's so nice.
Sadly, these texts will not be patched in tomorrow, because i've already compiled the patch and will not redo that, because it's late in the night here .
Will sure get in with the next patch in 2 weeks, but not before .

Some smaller problems:

Korean Empire/KARI

Although originally unified, after World war II, Korea split into different sides. One was communist, the other Democratic. After the Korean war, tensions remained very high, with unification doubtful. However, the supreme dictator of North Korea, was killed in 2015, and North Korea was in a civil war for over 60 years, with no side showing any sides of victory. Then, in the 2080s, Korea was once again unified when the South Korean government moved in and took over the country.

Do you mind shortening the civil war?
It would else not match the entry for Sayuri Kim...er... maybe the date in there should be moved, 2030 is a bit too early for the whole timeline.

Hey, for trading with earth, couldn't you steal some script from Colonization? Or is that not possible?

No, in Colonization there's a completely other system behind that.

For the events, I could do some. A lot could just be changed from Civ 4 BTS.

Events could circle around some of the terrain features like the first mars mission shuttle, an obelisk, the face of mars e.t.c

Some are already changed (by Jaraxle), but i don't know if they trigger at all, and it's really a BIG heap of text, it's incredible.

I'm working on the civilopedia, hopefully I'll get the leaders and nations done.

that would be .

Rosswell was the ruler of the Martian empire until the earth year 2074.

[...]However, trouble was looming in the horizon for the Martian empire, and his sons Kra'wall and T'challa wanted to grab power for themselves. He managed to set up a triumvarite. However, a bullet found itself in one his son's heads, and a civil war exploded.

This does not fit the current entry for Kra'wall, we'll have to merge this in a good way.

 

[General Pilates]

Do you mind shortening the civil war?
It would else not match the entry for Sayuri Kim...er... maybe the date in there should be moved, 2030 is a bit too early for the whole timeline.

Hmm. 2050?

This does not fit the current entry for Kra'wall, we'll have to merge this in a good way.

Yeah. I haven't managed to get a good look at Krawall, so that was mostly some speculation. I'm not so good with dates, maybe you could fix them? Since it's your backstory.

 

[Vortilex]

Kra'Wall's entry is meant to be flexible. In the event that he's the Alien leader, it was either Roswell or T'Challa who was assassinated. In the event that Roswell's the Alien leader, it was either T'Challa or Kra'Wall who was assassinated. In the event the T'Challa's the Alien leader, it was either Roswell or Kra'Wall who was assassinated. At least, that was my intention when I was writing Kra'Wall's entry. The Alien Empire still needs an entry, if memory serves me right. I'm working on the techs right now. How's this for a quote for rocket systems: "When in doubt - C4!" - Jaime Heinemann (I don't know how to spell it, he's the Mythbuster with a mustache)

 

[General Pilates]

Kra'Wall's entry is meant to be flexible. In the event that he's the Alien leader, it was either Roswell or T'Challa who was assassinated. In the event that Roswell's the Alien leader, it was either T'Challa or Kra'Wall who was assassinated. In the event the T'Challa's the Alien leader, it was either Roswell or Kra'Wall who was assassinated. At least, that was my intention when I was writing Kra'Wall's entry. The Alien Empire still needs an entry, if memory serves me right. I'm working on the techs right now. How's this for a quote for rocket systems: "When in doubt - C4!" - Jaime Heinemann (I don't know how to spell it, he's the Mythbuster with a mustache)

Hyneman.

 

[The_J]

Yeah. I haven't managed to get a good look at Krawall, so that was mostly some speculation. I'm not so good with dates, maybe you could fix them? Since it's your backstory.

Not really my story, nearly every text is written by other people here, latest the big bunch from Vortilex and now yours .

Kra'Wall's entry is meant to be flexible.

That's nice .
Will hopefully not confuse anyone.
But the "relationship" is then still not right, but that should not be a bigger problem .

How's this for a quote for rocket systems: "When in doubt - C4!" - Jaime Heinemann (I don't know how to spell it, he's the Mythbuster with a mustache)

Has not really anything to do with rocket science, but i love it.




Patch E
- Spelling fixes
- Terraforming: mars grass -> terra; hills/peaks will not be terraformed stay
- Improvements now can also be build on terraformed terrain
- New text for hubble V2 + ESA (by general Pilates)
- Fixes missing ethnic robot unit art
- New infantry art by the_coyote
- Fixed an inconsistence in hovercraft movement


Not really a big one, but that improvement problem bothered me, and the missing ethnic art could break games, because the original unit as a insanly high scale, so the from the missing art resulting red blob covers 1/4 of the map or so, that's not really playable then.

 

[General Pilates]

Couldn't the C4 quote be better for Pyro ammunition?

Also, I think that there really needs to be a counter to genesis weapons. I lost 14 cities to a crazy spamming china. Maybe the MOD? Mars Orbital Initiative? or maybe I've just missed a SDI. I never checked.

 

[General Pilates]

Does Tundra terraform?

also, the entry for Terraforming in the Concepts section.

Terraforming


The concept of terraforming

Terraforming is the process of turning a uninhabitable planet, into a planet suitable for at least plant and animal life. Although the ultimate goal is to make the planet suitable for humans, this is not possible due to insufficent technology.

Terraforming in the Mod

In the Mars, Now! Mod, terraforming is a process which changes the terrain features, randomly, over time. All cities start with a terraforming capability, although it is small. Building some wonders, and buildings, will speed up the terraforming process more and more. Eventually cities will be terraforming land around them at a fast rate, converting the martian soil, desert, and snow, to more productive land, at least food wise. Hills will not be terraformed because it will make players lose production.

Terraforming yields

Different terrain types will be terraformed into different terrain, or have different terrain deatures added to them.

Mars soil will have Mars grass added to them, which provides an extra point towards food in that tile. Further terraforming on that tile will turn it into Terraformed land, which provides a +3 food yield on that tile.

Desert will be terraformed into water, as it originally was billions of years ago. Desert will not be terraformed when there are cities and improvements on the desert tile.

Snow tiles will be terraformed into Terraformed land, providing you with the +3 yield.

Speeding up Terraforming

The only possible way to speed up terraforming is to build buildings, and wonders, which are specifically made for that purpose. Buildings like a gravity generator, or a space park, are examples like this. Hills however, can be created by construction ships artificially, although construction ships cannot make flatlands from hills.