How far does moddability stretch ?

[SonicX]

They've already said this will be the most moddable game of all times, and I'm willing to believe that, but I wonder to what extent things are moddable.

This mainly is because I'm a sci fi fan and I'd like a newer version of Master of Orion II that doesn't suck or a really nice Civ based Star Trek mod.

But then, you'd need to be able to do the following things :
- Flatten the map to create a star chart, thus removing the zoom-out globe
- Have a lot more tile types to represent planet types, stars, clouds and such
- Create larger maps without slowing the game down, as planet and stars would be further apart.
- Create units like you could in Alpha Centauri in game.
- Create different city view as they'd represent populated planets rather than cities
- Setting unique tech advances only viable for one race
- Setting unique buildings only viable for one race

Would any of this even sound possible to mod ?

 

[Sub]

A lot of that stuff can be done, yes. Just so you know though, they said it will be the most modable Civ game of all time, not the most modable game of all time.

 

[vbraun]

Every thing looks good except this one:

- Create larger maps without slowing the game down, as planet and stars would be further apart.

First of all your asuming larger maps will slow the game down, which we are not sure about yet.

Their are probably better ways to account for the distance in space then making the map larger.

 

[SonicX]

Every thing looks good except this one:


First of all your asuming larger maps will slow the game down, which we are not sure about yet.

Their are probably better ways to account for the distance in space then making the map larger.

I'm not sure, as you wouldn't put stars (thus cities) in a 3 tile radius from one another.

Another thing I forgot to mention :
- Hurting units should not only decrease it's hit points, but also effect other area's instead like losing torpedo tubes (bombard function), losing movement cost (disabled warp engines) or losing strength occasionally.

 

[SonicX]

A lot of that stuff can be done, yes. Just so you know though, they said it will be the most modable Civ game of all time, not the most modable game of all time.

You mean there are other games besides civilization ?

 

[vbraun]

I'm not sure, as you wouldn't put stars (thus cities) in a 3 tile radius from one another.

You could change how big a city raidus could get so you could put them within 3 tiles of each other.

 

[warpstorm]

If you are going to mod it that far, you ought to go all out and make a whole new game. I know I'd buy a MOO game that didn't suck.

 

[SonicX]

Well, I had planned on making it a online text based game, but if Civ III provides me with a good platform, why shouldn't make good use of it.
Ofcourse, one might just buy GalCiv II, but I have doubts about that game as the previous one certainly didn't give me the addiction feel (was quite boring actually)

 

[Slax]

- Create units like you could in Alpha Centauri in game.

If you mean a "Unit Workshop" approach where components may be changed on a unit (or ship type), I'd bet this will be impossible without some tricky work-arounds.

 

[vbraun]

I think you guys fail to recall the lack of hard-coded stuff, meaning basically anything is possible. Infact in one of the early articles they mention that someone might make an RPG based on the Civ4 engine.

 

[apatheist]

First of all your asuming larger maps will slow the game down, which we are not sure about yet.

That's about as safe an assumption as one can make. Larger maps mean more cities, more units, more civs, more paths from point A to point B, etc.

 

[frekk]

I think you guys fail to recall the lack of hard-coded stuff, meaning basically anything is possible. Infact in one of the early articles they mention that someone might make an RPG based on the Civ4 engine.

They could just mean you can do something like have heroes with experience levels in the game or something, which is not really all that much.

It can't be "anything possible" ... there has to be limits of some kind. Can you turn it into a 3d shooter or a racing game? There's got to be some kind of limitations of some kind. I'm curious what they are too. Like, can you write up some really simple supply line rule to add, for instance.

 

[SonicX]

That's about as safe an assumption as one can make. Larger maps mean more cities, more units, more civs, more paths from point A to point B, etc.

Not really, they'd be generally emptiers than regular Civ III with food, rood and "hammers" on basically each tile.
I still thinking of a road system in space ... could use Freelancer style speedports, or some wormhole tech

Oh well, it was just a to ask whether it was possible, I don't think I could it by myself though, perhaps some other sci fi fans will jump on the "MoO III, the good version" or "Star Trek Civ" train

 

[frekk]

IIRC, there was a space mod in civ2 over at Apolyton that had most of the things mentioned in the initial post. It had planets against a space background. I think they just changed the graphics for the water to space with stars etc.

Theoretically, you could also do unique tech paths (and thus unique buildings) for every race right now as well, you just wouldn't get eras.

 

[apatheist]

Not really, they'd be generally emptiers than regular Civ III with food, rood and "hammers" on basically each tile.

That doesn't matter. I wasn't comparing it to Civ3. A larger Civ4 map will be slower than a smaller Civ4 map, all else being equal. All else won't be equal, of course, but what won't be equal (number of civs, for instance), would just tip it even further in the direction of slowing the larger maps.