group actions and announcements

Pitboss

Prince
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Messages
308
Location
Belgium
It's not that I don't like to see the leaderscreens, but there are many occasions that it's just not needed and you might feel like if you were clicking away pop-up's. That's why I propose to group those messages and to keep them out of the leaderscreens. The more announcements or actions are the higher the number on the group icons will go.

A few groups could be :

  1. Diplomacy
    • Declaration of Friendship (& those who don't like it)
    • (Prolongation of) Open Borders
    • Shakedowns (money, resources)
    • start and end of peace treaties / non agression periode
  2. Science
    • * Research Agreements
  3. Economics
    • * Prolongation of trade Agreements
  4. Religion
  5. Military
  6. Civil
    • celebrating the king
    • starvation
    • urgent building requests
    • resources found
    • resources lost (pillaged, captured, etc.)
    • etc.
 
It's a good starter for a more elaborated idea.

Now I see there's a problem with leader heads : you shouldn't see them automatically. For example, who is going to who ? Is it you who go into the court of the leaders, or them coming into your court ? I don't think leaders should have time to meet you in person each time. They should appear only on rare cases. For example, if you go personnaly into their country and ask for an audience.

For most of the deals you should see only messagers. They would come into your court if it is them who ask for something, and you should send emissaries if it's you who have to ask them something. If you send emissaries, a screen with a frozen representation of themselves should appear, and you would give your emissaries the right orders and deal propositions.

Maybe (but it is just an suggestion or suggestion of option, as the current model is a handy shortcut of it) your emissaries would put a certain time to reach the aimed king, and you may want to send escorts with them, aka a warrior unit for example. Maybe emissaries would appear near the capital as civil units, and you could aim them to the aimed territory, only emissaries could enter enemy territory if there's not a right of passage. As soon as the emissaries enter the borders, the leaderhead appears. Or not. (if the leader is angry to you, you may only see one of its representants)

If it's the other leaders who send you messagers, then you don't see the leaderheads. Except if the kings are moving to you in person exceptionnally. If they do so, you could ambush them or play them a trick. Note that it should not be easy, because the king would bring all his army with him, and anyway he would do so only if he is very happy to you.

I think this idea could be a good starter as to give the player something else to do than war, and point the game less on the side of war.
 
I do agree that the leaders seem to have nothing else to do then to answer the "Civ skype". The argument could be made that the king delegates some powers to avoid the repetitive tasks. Which would lead you to a "meet the ruler at his palace" versus "talk to your local diplomat".

The segway you mention is also interesting. It sounds a bit like you're activating some of the selectable features. Like the "king" and "princess" options but with new roles.

Being able to do assassination attempts on emissaries to avoid them to go call for assistance would make it more realistic. As long as you leave carrier pigeons out of the equation. And would become outdated by the rise of spies and internet.
 
Top Bottom