Civilization IV Colonization : Why a mod?

[M07]

Thwarted promises

The idea of creating a game about discovery and colonization of a new continent is the best idea for strategy management game fans who wanted to practice on this kind of game.
Limited to a very specific time space (about 300 years / 15-18th century) Colonization could only delight the conquest game fans, founders of new nations.

This game promised to replicate what the Europeans had lived in the discovery of the new world, full of wonderful natives and new resources.

Bet missed.
If the game seems fun, spent few games there is no surprise anymore, and start to be boring..
Colonization is oversimplified. His unfinished AI strikes our last hopes and it turns out, finally, much more for children than for adults.

A major overhaul

To recover a higher quality level, the game needs an overhaul on the following points (among many others):
# AI reviewed completely - smarter general behavior,
# an advanced diplomacy between the king, Europeans, natives,
# military missions, exploration and trade imposed by our king,
# various war strategies for a more aggressive AI - direct attack, indirect, crop destruction, maritime blockade, boarding merchant ships, supremacy of the seas,
# commercial interaction more advanced and complete with Europe and the native,
# management of innovative automated transportation, easy and changeable at will,
# a developed and evolved trade between native, European and Europe,
# pirates disrupting the europeans trade routes,
# a game more oriented "multiplayer" (ability to finish a game in less than 3 hours)

The game should be focused on managing and war, which is why it is important to get a AI as subtle and clever than a human could be.
It seems essential to provide, in solo or multiplayer games, diversity and rebounds.

Many of you seek a more mature and interesting game.

Now, you know what our objective is. We are really interesting about your vision and see if we have common objectives.

One step forward
We have created the Dawn of a New Era (DoaNE) mod to share this adventure with you.
The Fratelli Marconi team is working to follow the cape described above.

WARNING: DoaNE is perpetually under construction and improvement. The version you download is, in no way, a final version.

 

[Ariete]

QUOTE # military missions, exploration and trade imposed by our king

so i've to fight the fench-indian war at all cost, sire?!
(cool point)

 

[M07]

so i've to fight the fench-indian war at all cost, sire?!

It is what I like with missions. Your king will help you with military units to attack one nation, even if in the real life, the other player is your friend (and you don't want to attack him), you will be forced to attack otherwise you will receive high penalties.
I am waiting for this feature since a long time.

 

[Ariete]

it surely add more realism, despite the players nerves could jump but it's a cosistent simulation of the reality!
if well balanced, could also not be so annoying for those players who dislike too much this kind of interferences in own independent strategy, but as the reality imposes, it needs also obey orders.
compensation by the king could be more high if the colony you're going to attack was a your closer friend, more high the value of friendship, more high the compensation. colony you attack could have less resentment in the future relations if the war started for king's whim, always counting / in relation with your personal attitudes during the war (if you occupy colonies, raid them, ... ).
minor balancing about the exploration mission and trade impositions by the crown, but always a reward when a supreme will interfere with your own plans, after all, also the king has to mantein good sentiment in his own colonies, at least of who is the chief / admin.
as you said, you can't go against your king, because your colonies are part of his territories, so very high penalties if player disobeys, depending about the kind of mission he refused, and/or maybe how much you refused (obviously not the war, the request of war is peremptory), instead, i suggest a, even if minor, militar intervention too: it's a sort of mutiny, and in that period, they could also cut your head.
great point M07!

 

[M07]

compensation by the king could be more high if the colony you're going to attack was a your closer friend, more high the value of friendship, more high the compensation. colony you attack could have less resentment in the future relations if the war started for king's whim, always counting / in relation with your personal attitudes during the war (if you occupy colonies, raid them, ... ).

I didn't think about it, it is good thing to have a relation between the friendship and the compensation. Good idea.

If you have some ideas about compensation and penalties players could have, I would be interested.
Compensations :
- gold
- units
- less taxes

Penalties :
- Debt
- more taxes
- lose the game for high difficulties ?

 

[Ariete]

yes, thought

gold could be for trade orders, as well less taxes on that good and the king can also provide specialists concerning that kind of good. then here you can articulate as you prefer, over that sent (part of the start bonus), king sends more free specialists if goal had full success, by paying a certain amount if goal was achieved just partially, etc ... as well the amount of gold and the less taxes system

units for military tasks, as well an amount of certain goods to arm the colons (blades, rifles, that for cannons)

scouts for exploration goals, maybe missionaries too, or missionaries for religion objectives (maybe, over by the king, these imposed orders could from also by the church)

king could finance also buildings in the colonies, armory (or upgrade for it) if for war goals, specialist house of that good if trade goal, as well levels for the harbour,.. (as well church for chappel, curch, cattedral)


about penalities

sure debts, more taxes, increse the number of requests (because he's irritate) and more ridiculous requests (..because he's very irritate .. )

if you don't declare an imposed war to another faction, king send some units of his REF. you can't no fight the french indian war, knowed in europe as the 7 years war
in my oint of view, it's a serious disobedience.
but! if you repulse the royal expedition, you can claim to hadn't done it, so the king close an eye. this could give the last chance for the undisciplinated players
REF military intervention could happen also after several refuses, and not just one, for balancing, depending how much the king makes his requests!


... continuing to trip, always thought, as make 2 main war system, i mean, first from the motherland, where the other american colonies, those faction who are already fighting for independence, could join to the same cause, so an alliance, the second beetween the other factions now independent, the civil war basically, but here it would need a new upgrade stage for everything, units too.


.. yes .. it would need always some good herb too
ciao

 

[M07]

Very interested ideas, thank you for having sharing them.
I like the fact that the king could come in our territory.
We "just" need to develop now