Enter the Matrix

[computerdude113]

The Matrix for Civ3...

Ok, here's where this idea comes from. I was thinking about the scenerios here and to my knowledge, there aren't any that are made specifically for one of the new play types in PTW, so I thought why not make one? And what better theme then The Matrix (Ok so I lie, I couldn't think of anyother way for this to work ).
Here's my idea. Four "civilizations" and each "tech" be an event, each era be a chapter. This is what I've come up with so far:

The four civilizations:

Man (strong to begin with, but basically gets pumeled in the endgame)

Rebels (middle man for most of the game, but then you get Neo at the end...)

Co-Existors (get both man and machine units)

Machines (opposite of humans, weak in the begining, but when AI rolles around...)

The Eras:
Start is the Modern Age. You go thru events rather then techs there and for all of them. For instance, one of them could be world peace.
2nd era: Second Reniseance (sp). Here is where the Matrix picks up. You possibly start it with AI and build from there. Here is basically the arms race era.
3rd era: Mechanical Revolution (name probably to be changed). Here is where the machines are basically in control, humans almost gone along with co-existors (AKA their units get weaker, but co-existors still have machines). Rebels starting to gain more power.
4th era: Revolution: Ahh, the final showdown. Here is where basically the events of the movies take place. You have Neo, Agents, all sorts of fun stuff! (Don't worry, Neo doesn't come until the end)

As far as units I would need, I could probably pull most of the modern age (aka first age) offa here and CDG. Very possibly a bunch of the Second Reniscance units aswell, I just need a few made. Now the units that truly need to be made: Squiddies (squid-looking sentinals from the sewers), Neo, Morpheus, Trinnity, Niobe, Ghost, Sparks, Link, Agent Smith, Agents. I also need a bunch of machines, like androids would be great. Also, if any of you own it, look at the Second Reniseance episodes on the Animatrix(sp is wrong again, I know) and I could use any and all of the units from the battle scenes. You can also download the episodes at The Matrix Official Website (click enter and then anime, choose the episode you wanna watch).
As far as Neo goes (because I know I'm gonna get this question) he's not going to be SUPERMIGHTY ALL POWERFULL GOD UNIT. He is going to be able to whip on most other units though. He will be able to retreate from battles he's loosing, will be able to pretty successfully defeate Agents, and have a bit of trouble with Smith. All units like Neo, Trin, and Morpheus, will cost a bit to make, discourging you from making more then one of them, especailly Neo.
I will set governments in the begining and lock them in, perminatly making the Humans hate the Machines and Co-Existors. The Machines will hate the Rebels and the Rebels the Machines.

Now for leaders:

Rebels: Morpheus
Humanity: Leader of UN
Co-Existors: Ghandi (I know he's dead, deal with it)
Machines: B166ER (don't argue Smith, it's B166ER)

Map:
I plan on using the most accuriate World Map I can find, adding in all the cities in the game. THERE WILL BE NO SETTLERS! I will place the Machines in the "cradel of humanity" as the Animatrix goes, AKA Saudi Arabia (or was it Sinai, either one, need to go back and double check)
The machines will have a bunch of cities closely packed together, all named Zero-1 (hopefully). If not I'll make up sections of Zero-1 and you'll have to imagine.
As for humanity, I will put in a whole lot of real human cities, hopefully all in the right places. The Co-Existors will mainly be be Zero-1 and the rebels mainly in Austrialia (Movies were shot there). They will also have strongholds throughout the map.

Now for requests:

Units as stated above. I need a bunch of units. Interface (Hello Telgar). Ideas and icons for events. Some I will be able to make, but I will need help. I will use Womok's terrain and will dualy note that in the Readme (I'm saying that I will use it because I dont' belive anyone has been able to contact him in a while). All units I use I will ask and give credit to. Leaderheads. I would like all four of them truly made, but that's ptobably not going to happen so I could probably do them. I'm going to use Ghandi that's in Civ (assuming that I get the others made). If not I'm making a Ghandi too (all static).
I also need help with building graphics and city graphics. Not compleatly sure what I need in the way of building graphics, but for cities I need cities that look like they get destroyed and more worn out as time goes on, starting with modern cities. As for the Machines, if someone could make something that looks like Zero-1 from the Animatrix that would be great!

Now lastly, for the Capture the Princess part, the King units (Morpheus, Ghandi, UN leader, and B166ER [o yah, I need all made cept for Ghandi]) will be made the princesses and your job: CAPTURE THEM!
However now looking back on it, this would make a pretty good stand-alone scenerio w/o the princess capturing.

Anyway, I know that this is a tall order, but I think that it could be really cool if it could happen.

 

[computerdude113]

O, yes, one more thing. There is another guy that I would like created, hopefully by the same person destined to do Neo. A picture is attached. I will tell more about him to anyone who is willing to make him.

And for Neo, could whoever would be kind enough to make him make his run animation him flying, afterall he does fly. Thanks

 

[pesoloco]

The Matrix has you...

Interesting take on the scenario idea. Some neat units could come out of this, like the hovercrafts and those squid-robot things (sentinels I think they call them)

No idea is a bad idea. I voted for this one.

 

[Kenric af Grashen]

sounds a good idea and would be cool but i don't have enough time to help (what with personnal projects and getting a job) but i sure hope some people do

 

[computerdude113]

YAY! People have replied , this got thrown down the list SO fast, anyway...

Yah, this is gonna be a lot of work. If someone could direct me to a relly nice world map I can get started. Again, the real help is gonna be needed when making the units. The stroy line I can pretty much get together on my own (me being a HUGE Matrix fan).

I would really love to get this mod started. If I had even a bit more support, that would be great! Anyway, enought begging.

Follow the white rabbit...

 

[computerdude113]

Asked Kal-el if I could use his Huge DyP map for this, hopefully he will say yes.

As for cities, this is what I was thinking graphic wise...
All the human civs have the same looking city graphics until the Machine Revolution (when the humans have been captured and are enslaved, basically you're now playing in The Matrix) in which the Human and Co-Existors get to keep going their seprate way and the Rebel cities become hovercraft (prob the Logos as small city and Neb as med city. Zion-type city is Metro and I kno it's not exactly right, how else am I gonna get Zion in. Here they get settelers whcih are hovercraft, "making" new hovercraft.) Hovercraft will cost 4 pop, so best off not gettin them unitl it's zion-like anyway.

I was also thinking, is there a way to make only one of a unit. My thought being that that's the only way you can have one of a unit reliably. By this I mean I give the rebels some a few units in the begining that would upgrade throughtout the game and would eventually become Morpheus, Trin, Neo, Niobe, and Ghost.
Also, Smith would upgrade from something too.

I was thinking of pre-placing them in the game, but then comes me thinking of how to make it so you can only upgrade them, not buuild more. One thought was make it outrageously expensive to upgrade them, and not having a unit that would allow you to rush production of them, but I need some unit to rush production. My next thought, which might work, is to make them require a resource that's not in the game. IE I make a resource and just not put it anywhere. Would this prevent them from being upgraded at all or would it do what I want it to do, make it impossible for a city to build the unit but make it possible for the unit to be upgraded?
If it works as I want, then YOU GET A WHOLE NEW STRATEGY to the game, keeping a SINGLE unit alive thru the whole game for the final showdown ! Imagine that!

If someone knows if my idea will work, tell me. I'm SO not in the mood to go and test this, but if I must, I must.

That's it for now!

 

[Bane Star]

As I'm modding I figured out the 'continuos unit' answer: Its quite simple, You Put a Completely prohibitive cost to produce a unit, and 'rush build' it with its prior unit.

Neo the computer nerd, (Leader Unit) waits around your map until you invent the tech required to 'exit the matrix' which allows the production of Neo the One, Set city with Neo the nerd to Neo the One, Turns to build? 500+, rush build with Neo the Nerd, turns to build? 1. Next turn, you have the new and improved Neo the One, Later in the game you have Neo the realiser, Neo the Smith beater, Neo the Flyer, Neo the Inquisitive, Neo the Computer generated graphics Kung Fu Crazed Smith-a-Thon fighter..... , Each one has better stats, better abilities, and costs MORE to build, Only the appropriate Race has the ability to build, and the MUST all be a LEADER Unit, so you can use them to Rush build the Next version of Neo.... Panimayish?

The Idea came easy enough for a Fantasy Roleplay version: Hero Level 1 is starting game unit, but cannot be built normally, You gain 'experience' - read techs - as a Leader, and use him/her to Rush build Hero Level 2, etc etc, Provided you dont go getting him killed, you can keep upgrading him lvl by lvl until you have something ultra powerful, If he dies... Ooops, no more hero.

Another Idea: you might use in Matrix ( i dont know how personally) But the 'princess' is a capturable unit that is 'transported' via another troop but has no movement right? and you can give her 'stats' right? Well whats to stop you from having a High value 'Chip/ring/weapon/thing' that can be picked up by units and gives the unit the HP & Defence value to armies/units/towns..

Hope this sparks your imagination to make your game or life a better one....

 

[computerdude113]

Not only is that a GREAT idea for overcomming my problem, it made me laugh too! That's great! I think I'm gonna do that. Thanks.

As for the unit pickup thing, it's a good idea, but not compleatly sure how it would work. Like making a non-moveable unit that has a load ability and having it load onto another unit? Like amking armor and putting it somewhere and having it "loaded" onto another unit?
That's a good idea, but I'm not sure how that would work effectivally game wise let alone graphics. If I figgure it out or if you do, let's tell eachother .
Thanks again

 

[Badi_Dea]

Hello, kinda new here - but have been lurking for a while...

Your mod sounds like a cool idea - how you will pull it off, well, good luck.

I would like to help a bit - if I could.

Just as a taste of some of my junk, here are possibilities for the Machine touns.

 

[Badi_Dea]

and - 'squiddy'

i will make him into a unit - when i learn how... (any good tuts you know of?)

 

[computerdude113]

OMG where the F have you been!
THOSE ARE GREAT!
As far as tuts go, what program did you use to make it? If you used Rhino NeOmega has a very nice tutorial around here somewhere, but honestly I know of none off the top of my head. Sry.
But getting back to you. THOSE ARE GREAT!
THANKS SO MUCH!!

And the cities, if you send them to me I'll turn them into city graphics

ME

 

[Pleb]

I've been supposed to be working on the Star Wars MOD, but I like the look of this mod.

 

[computerdude113]

lol, YAY!
I have a question for you... do you make your units using a 3D progrma? How do you make your units (The Stormtrooper is great BTW). If you do use a 3D program, do you think you could try and make an Agent? Those should be the easiest to make from the start, because they don't need to look like anyone particular.
Thanks!

 

[computerdude113]

Ok, Kal-el has allowed me to use the DyP map and resources, so we're good with those. A great thanks goes to him and his DyP team.

It has begun...

 

[Badi_Dea]

Well, before we can actually start, there needs to be some planning set forth. For instance, there are two ways this scenario can progress – 1. the entire game is set in the matrix, all the players are single characters, these single characters contribute to a goal of stopping the machines. – OR – 2. the game could focus on the begging of the war between humanity and robots, and the matrix would be like a victory condition, working in much the same way that the spaceship victory does, researching each part of the matrix, and integrating it into the whole, when the matrix is finished (perfected) the game is over. As you can probably see, I am a fan of the 2nd side of things, civ3 is not an RPG, it is a game of strategy and war, this makes the 2nd option more feasible while still having continuity through the victory condition of building the matrix.

 

[computerdude113]

You know what, that's a great idea! I like it alot. Now here's my question, can you physically change the appearence of the parts. If you can, that would be great! But what should we do it as?

How's this for an idea (dont need to use it, just an idea, one of many),
We make the human player the Rebels. You play against the Machines and the Humans. The humans are a fairly weak civilization, and the Machines are really pretty strong. They have agents, squiddies, ect... The game moves between the Real World and the Matrix. This happens thru eras. The first, third and fourth could be in the Matrix and the second could be in the Real World. Each era has a few things you need to build (space parts) that are parts of a bigger peice, mby something that will lead to the distruction of the Matrix (would really help if I could get that drawing turned into a unit). Anyway, something like that,

What do you guys think?

More ideas would be very usefull.

 

[Badi_Dea]

i think that it would be confusing for the player. as far as the eras go, maybe it could be:

1: human tech (only the humans have access to this tech)
tech focused on creation of machines to do differnt things.
2: machine tech (only the machines have access to this tech)
tech focused on creation of new and better machines.
3: war tech (all players have access to this tech)
reached when the war starts at the end tech to start building the matrix (spaceship)
4: resistance tech (all players have access to this tech)
humans reaserch tech for defeating the robots, while robots make tech to finish the matrix (spaceship)

basically it would be WAY to confusing to go in and out of the matrix, simply because the matrix is so ratically different, there is no sentinels in the matrix...

the map would have to be altered every time you went in or out of the matrix.
basically i think that sticking to the way civ3 is played, as a strategy game would be alot easier, not to mention less confusing that trying to turn it into an rpg.

btw: i made squiddy with 3DS Max 4, and i looked unter the tuts section, its really confusing...
Pleb, can you help me with this?
and for the cities, i would like to make some better ones - i just threw thoes up to give ya the idea i had...

here is a top view of squiddy, i need this to magically become a ingame unit ...

 

[computerdude113]

As far as your ideas for the techs, that would be great, cept for the fact that you can't specify what civs get to research what techs, so I'm not sure that would work. My idea was to have one single era be the Real World, this would be shown by city graphics and units. The city graphics would be delapitated cities and then you could have the squiddies. Remember, it's the same world, just now there's only one real Human city. The rebel cities would be hovercraft (here they would get hovercraft "settelers" to make new hovercraft) and Machines would get a settler unit aswell. Not sure what though.
The next era you would be back in the Matrix and all squiddies and stuff go away, all real world units that is, and the city graphics would go back to real city graphics.

As for the rebel cities, I was thinking about them. How about like drop places, like the twon could be like a TV repair shop, next one be i dunno, like a hotel room, (represented by a hotel) and the last one is an abandoned building.

Anyway, personally I don't think it would be too confusing, but hey, whatever. We'll decide later

As for city graphics, be my guest, have a ball making them
and the squiddie is AWSOME! Keep up the great work

 

[Badi_Dea]

I am trying to understand how you are trying to invision this.

The next era you would be back in the Matrix and all squiddies and stuff go away, all real world units that is, and the city graphics would go back to real city graphics.

How would all the squiddies and other units go away? i dont think that is possible with the editor.

As far as your ideas for the techs, that would be great, cept for the fact that you can't specify what civs get to research what techs

You can if you make a tech that is to be reaserched require a tech that is farther down the tech timeline. (ex: bronze working requires iron working)
than all you would have to do is to give the player that tech that it needs to do that reacerch. the problem is that there is nothing keeping the ai from trading the tech.

Cities :
Machine - Town - City - Metro - & Human - Town - City - Metro

 

[Plexus]

Awesome! Those are very well done!

BTW: I'd like to help, if possible.