Events

[Kyriakos]

Are there any plans to include an event file? I am thinking of civ2-styled events, but other choices can also be considered. They would add a lot to history-based scenarios.

 

[Jimmyh]

I don't have civ2 installed, do you have any examples?

 

[Kyriakos]

In civ2 there was an event file with some simple commands. For example if a city was taken you could set an event to play, either to create some rebel units somewhere, or even just post a text of the event.
In civ2 you could even have variables for who the attacker and defender were, to make the event fire only if someone specific took a city.
Same went on for units, if unit x was killed you could have an event about it, particularly useful when a king unit dies and you can have a revolt

 

[Jimmyh]

http://freeciv.wikia.com/wiki/Civilization_II_events

I guess we could either implement some thing like this, or go with some thing that uses python/lua or is that to advanced/complicated for some people?

 

[Kyriakos]

I think for a free game it is best to limit the demands it has on modders as much as possible.
However i do not know if python/lua would allow for a lot more variables/types of events.

 

[Takhisis]

Hmm, a few things (more than a few now that I've finished writing) that could be eventable (could this be made open-ended?)
I'd say that we could make it that tile [x,y] becomes a tile with the characteristics such-and-such to be changed or not. For example, we could make it

<tile 273,14><terrain=unchanged><units=Horse Archer;Huns>
(overly simplified, of course)​

So we can simulate the Huns coming in from the East by adding a Horse Archer. Well, repeat for several Horse Archers on the same tile or on different tiles.

Also can be used to 'thaw' tiles after an Ice Age.

Or we could 'enforce' blockades by simply making a lot of warships turn up around an enemy port.

Enforced diplomatic changes (alliances, wars, peace treaties, etc.) also come to mind.

Appearance/disappearance of resources, like the drying up of the Maghreb gold mines.

Making an entire city appear as a new power player would come in handy.

Same for a religion&#8230; Islam, anyone? Instead of having to program and cripple the Arabs so that they develop the Islam tech at exactly the right turn, why not simply make it turn up at the desired turn?

I guess we could either implement some thing like this, or go with some thing that uses python/lua or is that to advanced/complicated for some people?

Well, I don't know a thing about programming so I wouldn't be able to say.

 

[ShiroKobbure]

@ Takhisis, I would really like to be able to make barbarians appear at certain times.

I would also like to have civs appear at certain times, such as the USA, in an epic world map, it is strange for them to be around in the ancient times, or for civs like the Confederate States or states in China or India, that may not be important enough for an epic game, but would be nice to have them in certaint eras.

 

[WildWeazel]

I guess we could either implement some thing like this, or go with some thing that uses python/lua or is that to advanced/complicated for some people?

It would, but it doesn't have to be either/or. Why not implement something like Civ2 events in a Python/Lua scripting module? The default event script could be one that reads a text file similar to those used for Civ2 and sets up a few pre-defined events accordingly. That way, if someone just wants some events similar to those in Civ2, no further work is needed. If they know Python/Lua, then they could do much more.
Of course, opening up the game to custom scripting adds another layer of complexity to the design, but I think that's the sort of thing that would really make it an answer to the limitations we keep running up against in Civ3.

 

[WildWeazel]

I would also like to have civs appear at certain times, such as the USA, in an epic world map, it is strange for them to be around in the ancient times, or for civs like the Confederate States or states in China or India, that may not be important enough for an epic game, but would be nice to have them in certaint eras.

What do you think of defining custom rebel/faction civs that could appear with sufficient triggers? Instead of splitting off into say, "Roman Empire Rebels" as in Total War, you could create a whole other civ "Eastern Roman Empire" or "Gallic Empire" that would only result from revolting Roman cities. Many of the more localized civs that we talk about not belonging in a full epic game- even America- could be rebel civs that may or may not appear over the course of the game, depending on how history plays out.

 

[ShiroKobbure]

What do you think of defining custom rebel/faction civs that could appear with sufficient triggers? Instead of splitting off into say, "Roman Empire Rebels" as in Total War, you could create a whole other civ "Eastern Roman Empire" or "Gallic Empire" that would only result from revolting Roman cities. Many of the more localized civs that we talk about not belonging in a full epic game- even America- could be rebel civs that may or may not appear over the course of the game, depending on how history plays out.

Yes that is what I would like. Although one way to do it is by events.

example: 1776 America civ breaks off from x,y,z British colonies

Another way would be to set "possible civs" on a map.

"Possible civs" would be civs that do not start in the game, but would appear when enough discontent appears in cities. Lets say Ireland is a possible civ, it is not in the game, but if there is a lot of discontent of population on the island of Ireland, than England, France or whatever civ held the island would face a rebellion, and if it is not solved in time, the cities would become Ireland.
Maybe there could be an option of support or suppression. Support would make the new civ a vassal or ally automatically, suppression would make people in those cities more unhappy.

 

[Takhisis]

@ Takhisis, I would really like to be able to make barbarians appear at certain times.

Yes, I was gonna motion for barbarians being more than a simple pest, in archipelago maps you can suddenly find three dozen Horsemen sitting on a none-tile island which casually contains the only Uranium not in the AI's hands so you have to send in three Carriers just to land it
Maybe they could get new units (perhaps units buildable by their closests Nation(s) and/r their own ethnicity? Desert barbs could come in camels while barbs near the Japanese are rebelling ashigaru or Buddhist monks, in 1300s Yucatán they come with Atlatls, and so on…

It would, but it doesn't have to be either/or. Why not implement something like Civ2 events in a Python/Lua scripting module? The default event script could be one that reads a text file similar to those used for Civ2 and sets up a few pre-defined events accordingly. That way, if someone just wants some events similar to those in Civ2, no further work is needed. If they know Python/Lua, then they could do much more.
Of course, opening up the game to custom scripting adds another layer of complexity to the design, but I think that's the sort of thing that would really make it an answer to the limitations we keep running up against in Civ3.

If it were up to me I'd make it run on a relatively simple text file (.xml if you like it) where you have

<turn number=t>
<tile=2x,3y><add=units=Irish,Rebel;Irish, Rebel; etc. etc.>
<turn number=t+1>​

and so on and so on. Basically, turn number, list of tiles, then things to add/remove, also whether to change allegiance, change the terrain type, etc. etc. Could be very comprehensive and all in a text file editable with Notepad!
Also could include tileless (Global) events such as a new civ appearing or an existing one disappearing, etc. etc.
With a bit of tinkering it could also have global conditions set, such as 'when all oil is exhausted, we get an arbitrary -35% to all production' etc. etc. i'd make it as open-ended as possible.

What do you think of defining custom rebel/faction civs that could appear with sufficient triggers? Instead of splitting off into say, "Roman Empire Rebels" as in Total War, you could create a whole other civ "Eastern Roman Empire" or "Gallic Empire" that would only result from revolting Roman cities. Many of the more localized civs that we talk about not belonging in a full epic game- even America- could be rebel civs that may or may not appear over the course of the game, depending on how history plays out.

Yes that is what I would like. Although one way to do it is by events.

example: 1776 America civ breaks off from x,y,z British colonies

Another way would be to set "possible civs" on a map.

"Possible civs" would be civs that do not start in the game, but would appear when enough discontent appears in cities. Lets say Ireland is a possible civ, it is not in the game, but if there is a lot of discontent of population on the island of Ireland, than England, France or whatever civ held the island would face a rebellion, and if it is not solved in time, the cities would become Ireland.

And/or just plain add a civ? Time the event, have the starting setup include X civs, and then set in an event for Ireland becoming a faction?

Maybe there could be an option of support or suppression. Support would make the new civ a vassal or ally automatically, suppression would make people in those cities more unhappy.

I'd make complex social mechanics like that optional, not packaged with the 'vanilla' game. If there is one at all. Maybe we could work on two or three mods to come in with teh project to show off different potential facets, possibilities, etc. of modding offered?
Global AoE edition, um… an Ancient Scenario (I've always wanted to do Punic Wars, also a one with pre-Columbine Americas -includes timed events like the arrival of longships to Greenland/Vinland!) and obviously a XX-century one?

 

[Takhisis]

I'm not sure what to make of this, but in the AoE scenario with Virote I think we could have Spain and the HRE start as one big Hapsburg possession and then have the player choose which half of the Empire to keep while the other half becomes a new (initially allied) faction&#8230; would this be feasible?