Naokaukodem
Millenary King
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2003
- Messages
- 4,298
I wonder really if this would be feasable within Civ4. Anyway, here it is for the people who are good in programmation (i'm not), ambitious and don't have a project for now:
The idea is to simulate the formation, the changes and the death of the civilizations. It's a kind of morphing that affects civilization identity, culture.
First, there would be only some entities on the map affected to culture "colors": original civilizations. The more the better. But their culture could mix with others to form other culture "colors". When two culture meet, they begin to mix and form another "color" located between the two cultures. But at 4000 BC, no land would be free of population, so the culture could expand beyond the frontiers of a civilization and reach and influence entities that are not a civilization, like nomads, isolated villages, barbarians, city states and so on. Those could turn being a new part of a civilization if they are enough colored the same. It is the contrary of a civil war: it is a kind of union, an accretion, like the one that made the planets of the Solar System with dust. The more the culture of a civilization is influent, the more it will herit of new cities and villages around without the need of a settler. What is interesting also is that it can act on non-civilization entities as well on true civilizations: it is the culture convertion, which we know well from Civ3 and Civ4, but which would work differently here, would be more located and logical.
Second, the "colors" are difficult to erase. They remain strongly through the ages. If a civilization is conquered, its "color" would remain and influence the new invader's "color", and form a new one. This "color" would change with the time, in favor of the former "color", or in favor of the invader one if the invader construct culture buildings for example. This is a civilization mutation. If the conquered cities can rebel, they would have been influenced by the invader and would have been changed for ever. Maybe a change in the name of the civilization the player control would be necessary. This way, the frontier of a civilization would change also. Indeed, not all the cities would rebel and return to the player. The player's civilization geography would have been changed also. This is civilizations' mutation.
[Random Idea: An empire like the Ottoman Empire could fall under the pressure of foreigners, and see its priority changed, like the agressive and expansionist one. Well, I found an idea that could translate this and make necessary the change of name and nature of the civilization. All simply, the player could change his civilization's traits during the game. It may have the consequence to change the name of its civilization also, but he would not have an infinite choice but a limited one, limited by the different names his civilization really took in History that would be implemented in the game and proposed to him as a change, with specific traits in front of each name. This would be another way to see a civilization change.]
Third, as we saw above, an empire can fall under the pressure of other entities. Those entities can be civilizations, but also barbarians and maybe also villages or city states alliances. First, the more the player's empire would be big, the less it would be easy to maintain it culturally, because of all the neighbours that would have strong cultures. If one want to conquer the others, he could not stand the strenght of the foreign cultures if he does conquer too fast. Conquer is easy, maintain is more difficult. The more the conquests will be late, the more the culture to convert will be strong. So the more the empire will be big, the more the encountered culture "colors" will be strong. At a point, it would become very difficult to enlarge his empire efficiently with durability. (Additionnally, barbarians strenght would grow with time. The same effect tells that the later barbarians and the farest ones will be stronger, and counter your empire growth.) If a conquered culture is too strong, it rebels. Like the "color" subtiles variations of your former civilization that would claim its right to independance. Your empire can explode and finally disappear/change name. But you have means to go against those rebellions: military power. This creates the civil wars / independence wars. That can be interesting. Additionnally, a "civil war" can incit other "civil wars", so it may be countered quite quickly.
How do you guys think this system/idea is? Is this a good one?
Would it be fun to play?
How difficult would it be to program? Would it be possible to do? Will you try to do it?
Thanks a lot!
The idea is to simulate the formation, the changes and the death of the civilizations. It's a kind of morphing that affects civilization identity, culture.
First, there would be only some entities on the map affected to culture "colors": original civilizations. The more the better. But their culture could mix with others to form other culture "colors". When two culture meet, they begin to mix and form another "color" located between the two cultures. But at 4000 BC, no land would be free of population, so the culture could expand beyond the frontiers of a civilization and reach and influence entities that are not a civilization, like nomads, isolated villages, barbarians, city states and so on. Those could turn being a new part of a civilization if they are enough colored the same. It is the contrary of a civil war: it is a kind of union, an accretion, like the one that made the planets of the Solar System with dust. The more the culture of a civilization is influent, the more it will herit of new cities and villages around without the need of a settler. What is interesting also is that it can act on non-civilization entities as well on true civilizations: it is the culture convertion, which we know well from Civ3 and Civ4, but which would work differently here, would be more located and logical.
Second, the "colors" are difficult to erase. They remain strongly through the ages. If a civilization is conquered, its "color" would remain and influence the new invader's "color", and form a new one. This "color" would change with the time, in favor of the former "color", or in favor of the invader one if the invader construct culture buildings for example. This is a civilization mutation. If the conquered cities can rebel, they would have been influenced by the invader and would have been changed for ever. Maybe a change in the name of the civilization the player control would be necessary. This way, the frontier of a civilization would change also. Indeed, not all the cities would rebel and return to the player. The player's civilization geography would have been changed also. This is civilizations' mutation.
[Random Idea: An empire like the Ottoman Empire could fall under the pressure of foreigners, and see its priority changed, like the agressive and expansionist one. Well, I found an idea that could translate this and make necessary the change of name and nature of the civilization. All simply, the player could change his civilization's traits during the game. It may have the consequence to change the name of its civilization also, but he would not have an infinite choice but a limited one, limited by the different names his civilization really took in History that would be implemented in the game and proposed to him as a change, with specific traits in front of each name. This would be another way to see a civilization change.]
Third, as we saw above, an empire can fall under the pressure of other entities. Those entities can be civilizations, but also barbarians and maybe also villages or city states alliances. First, the more the player's empire would be big, the less it would be easy to maintain it culturally, because of all the neighbours that would have strong cultures. If one want to conquer the others, he could not stand the strenght of the foreign cultures if he does conquer too fast. Conquer is easy, maintain is more difficult. The more the conquests will be late, the more the culture to convert will be strong. So the more the empire will be big, the more the encountered culture "colors" will be strong. At a point, it would become very difficult to enlarge his empire efficiently with durability. (Additionnally, barbarians strenght would grow with time. The same effect tells that the later barbarians and the farest ones will be stronger, and counter your empire growth.) If a conquered culture is too strong, it rebels. Like the "color" subtiles variations of your former civilization that would claim its right to independance. Your empire can explode and finally disappear/change name. But you have means to go against those rebellions: military power. This creates the civil wars / independence wars. That can be interesting. Additionnally, a "civil war" can incit other "civil wars", so it may be countered quite quickly.
How do you guys think this system/idea is? Is this a good one?
Would it be fun to play?
How difficult would it be to program? Would it be possible to do? Will you try to do it?
Thanks a lot!
