Clockpunk mini alt history development thread

[steampunk1880]

I found a neat pic that could be used as a button for an astronomical clock (specifically http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock the face of that thing) but I don't know what I could do with it. Does anyone have ideas about what any such building should do? I had the idea that perhaps it might provide points for the discovery of things in the astropedia a-la Galactic Era but that would have to be implemented much, much later assuming that points towards a total is how the discovery tab in the astropedia would work at all. Maybe it would be better slightly increasing the probability of discovering something that you have the technology to discover.

 

[Hydromancerx]

 

[steampunk1880]

Quick suggestion, might Clockwork Golem be renamed to Clockwork Automaton or just Clockwork Soldier to make it sound less magical?

 

[rightfuture]

I like the idea of calling it clockwork automaton.
Clockwork soldier should be a more modern unit.

 

[hotrodlincoln]

I believe there is already some coding on this kind of tech tree splitting, i believe it was WalterHardwood . . or Dan (the guy that does the broadcast (something like that) or someone, i cant think of the names now, they used to be CFC members, but Firaxis asked them to join the team when Civ4 was starting out. Now i believe they are still part of the CFC members because all the Firaxis people that "were" there except for Dale i believe are now gone from Firaxis??

The Master Of Mana mod has something along these lines. When you get a religious "founding" tech, it just gives you that religion, but not the holy city. You have to accumulate a number of faith points before you get the holy city, which you get randomly. Once you manage to get the holy city, a line on the tech tree is opened up to you, one for each different religion they have. When you don't have the holy city, these techs are colored red, and can not be researched.

 

[Koshling]

The Master Of Mana mod has something along these lines. When you get a religious "founding" tech, it just gives you that religion, but not the holy city. You have to accumulate a number of faith points before you get the holy city, which you get randomly. Once you manage to get the holy city, a line on the tech tree is opened up to you, one for each different religion they have. When you don't have the holy city, these techs are colored red, and can not be researched.

That actually sounds like quite a nice system.

 

[hotrodlincoln]

http://www.masterofmana.com/

Here's the link for their website if you want to download the mod and see how they did what they did. The forum link is there too if you want to get in contact with the devs about using some of their work in the mod.

 

[Epona222]

I don't know that it should belong under Clockpunk, but I would love to see Babbage's Difference Engine as a World Wonder. It screams clockpunk with every gear and crank-handle, even if one of the designs did end up being built IRL. Maybe if not under clockpunk it could be fitted in somewhere else?

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

I don't know that it should belong under Clockpunk, but I would love to see Babbage's Difference Engine as a World Wonder. It screams clockpunk with every gear and crank-handle, even if one of the designs did end up being built IRL. Maybe if not under clockpunk it could be fitted in somewhere else?

I believe one has been built in Lego as one of the 'punk groups.

 

[Epona222]

I believe one has been built in Lego as one of the 'punk groups.

G'wan, you know you want to - Babbage's Difference Engine - World Wonder, requires clockpunk tech (maybe also replaceable parts tech? or some other engineering or mathematics type tech, maybe a slightly later one to place it in line with early 19thC techs) + clockpunk resource, requires 7 step reckoner manufacturies, gives +2 great engineer points, 1 free engineer specialist, and some beakers and hammers. Edit: Oh and obsoletes at computers, naturally!

 

[steampunk1880]

The difference engine was a glorified calculator. The Analytical Engine is the fully programmable touring complete mechanical computer. Both are associated with steampunk in my mind largely because of the prototypical steampunk novel The Difference Engine by William Gibson. Long time ago I had the idea that alternate punk timeline stuff would be obtained by a wonder and not a tech and the Analytical Engine wonder would kick off the Steampunk age. It would get a huge boost to its construction by the presence of mechanical calculator goods (resources now i guess) which were to be produced by step reckoner manufactories. I'm not entirely sure about the direction alt timelines are going now with the standalone tech and the culture resources but since I'm not currently contributing anything but ideas, I don't really have the right to complain about what Hydro does or doesn't do with them. (Tried my hand at making a few buildings. It was really hard and unfun getting a finished product and in the end I only spat out one.)

 

[Hydromancerx]

@steampunk1880

You should try again at modding. You were doing well. I would be happy to help or guide you. Feel free to post your code.

All the "punk" techs and resources should be in the game so feel free to add your stuff. Most of what I added was based on your ideas anyways. I still have some wonders to o to enable the rest of the "punk" resources, but they would not do much good yet without any buildings or units to make anyways.

 

[Schwarzbart]

Maybe Clockpunk is also the place where "analog" computers like the Mechanical Meton Calander from ~150-100 BC can be placed in.
source of the existance of this device
http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc2010/abstracts/EPSC2010-901-1.pdf

 

[Epona222]

The difference engine was a glorified calculator. The Analytical Engine is the fully programmable touring complete mechanical computer. Both are associated with steampunk in my mind largely because of the prototypical steampunk novel The Difference Engine by William Gibson. Long time ago I had the idea that alternate punk timeline stuff would be obtained by a wonder and not a tech and the Analytical Engine wonder would kick off the Steampunk age. It would get a huge boost to its construction by the presence of mechanical calculator goods (resources now i guess) which were to be produced by step reckoner manufactories. I'm not entirely sure about the direction alt timelines are going now with the standalone tech and the culture resources but since I'm not currently contributing anything but ideas, I don't really have the right to complain about what Hydro does or doesn't do with them. (Tried my hand at making a few buildings. It was really hard and unfun getting a finished product and in the end I only spat out one.)

Well whatever alt-timeline tech it belongs in, it ought to be in the game IMO. To my mind it fits with Clockpunk because it was to be operated with gears and a crank-handle which is clockworks based tech, but I'm not fully up on all the various alternate tech sub-genres. If it ends up in the game anywhere, under whatever alt-timeline thing, I'll be happy.

 

[anunknownman]

here are some medievil clockpunk inventors(wonder why no one knows their inventions)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Jazari
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_von_Kempelen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Vaucanson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci

 

[Vokarya]

Maybe Clockpunk is also the place where "analog" computers like the Mechanical Meton Calander from ~150-100 BC can be placed in.
source of the existance of this device
http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc2010/abstracts/EPSC2010-901-1.pdf

Too early for Clockpunk. Clockpunk is at the very tail end of the Medieval era. You'd need a different alt-timeline for that.

 

[Thunderbrd]

I'd like to suggest that we include a new unit under Clockpunk:

Repeating Crossbowman
2 pts less powerful than normal crossbowmen or heavy crossbowmen, whichever would be more appropriate for the dating.
BUT has 3 free first strike promos to make up for it. (They fire off most of their ammo right at the beginning of the fight but are weaker in an extended battle.)

This would lead to a whole line I'll suggest later if others agree this is a good idea.

 

[Hydromancerx]

I'd like to suggest that we include a new unit under Clockpunk:

Repeating Crossbowman
2 pts less powerful than normal crossbowmen or heavy crossbowmen, whichever would be more appropriate for the dating.
BUT has 3 free first strike promos to make up for it. (They fire off most of their ammo right at the beginning of the fight but are weaker in an extended battle.)

This would lead to a whole line I'll suggest later if others agree this is a good idea.

I like this idea. I will have to write up the stuff for it (buttons and graphics too).

 

[Thunderbrd]

Ok, then, it should upgrade into a Shotgunner at some point during the wild west era, a Gunner at WWII era, a 60-Gunner at Modern, and a Laser Cannoneer at a more futuristic point. All would maintain similar balance to comparative units and ultimate first strike capability as the Repeating Crossbowmen, but would be accessible without the need for Clockpunk later on.

Another facet of these troops, that you can probably note already in the concept as stated above, would be that they would take a bit longer than other units to have an upgrade that keeps them relevant to the cutting edge.

 

[anunknownman]

just an idea: maybe we should add some units based on leonardo da vinci's invention to name some: tanks,helicopters,parachutes,robots etc.