[Idea] Land gatherbots

[Elirector]

There was a mod for Civilization 5 or 6 that had this idea. You could mine minerals outside your area of control. It wasn't a bad idea.

I think it was first implemented in civ spin-offs Alpha Centauri and Call To Power

 

[raystuttgart]

... and would just be more feature creep.

What is "feature creep" for you ?
Should we stop adding new features ?

There is no problem that needs solving.

Indeed, there is no "problem" to be solved.
But it could make e.g. "Monasteries" and "Forts" more interesting.

... we can already send a settler and a miner.

This feature idea was never intended to replace that.
But in fact there might be places on the map where founding a colony is not always a good strategy.

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Hardly any feature we suggest is really because there is a "problem".
It is always just the simple question "What is fun for you?".

 

[Tugboatspotter]

What is "feature creep" for you ?
Should we stop adding new features ?

I didn't say that. Sorry, I love the mod, but probably best if I stop commenting for a while, since I just seem to get your back up with every comment.

 

[raystuttgart]

... but probably best if I stop commenting for a while, ...

No need for that.
But you should know me good enough that I comment back.

... since I just seem to get your back up with every comment.

No, not really.
Everything is ok.

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I just wanted to know what "feature creep" was intended to say.
How do we define what is "feature creep" and what is not?

Because basically almost every feature we add could be called "feature creep" ...
There are no real problems in WTP that we desperately need to solve.

 

[Tugboatspotter]

But in fact there might be places on the map where founding a colony is not always a good strategy.

My concern would be about what could potentially be lost.

I think the founding of small isolated colonies works great. There is already strategy to found these colonies and prepare the supply routes. I feel this hugely enjoyable part of the game could be damaged.

 

[raystuttgart]

My concern would be about what could potentially be lost.

Just a matter of balancing ...
Nobody ever said that the "Expeditions" should or would be as efficient as a Colony.

e.g:
1. They would get less Yields per Turn. (Balancing of Profession)
2. They would need Equipment that costs money. (And Professions inside the City do not.)
3. They need time to walk to the spot and back. (And could be attacked by an Enemy)
4. They do not get bonusses from Liberty Bells, Health, ...

I would only use them in situations where founding a colony would not make sense.
(e.g. around a Monastery or Ford or too far away from your main colonies to later defend.)

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Yes, the Colonist in the City needs Food.
But that is easy to consider in balancing as well.

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Everything else would be really bad strategy.
Because the Colonist would be more valuable inside the City.

In real gameplay you might maybe have 3 or 4 of these Expeditions in late game.
Compared to probably 30+ Cities if you play wide.

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Summary:

It is always the same ... players always assume the worst ...
Suddenly this new feature completely unbalanced and overpowered features will destroy all logical gameplay ...
After they get the feature and could try it, then they suddenly love it ...

 

[Nightinggale]

Nobody ever said that the "Expeditions" should or would be as efficient as a Colony.

I think I stated the opposite already. The unit will spend time moving around (downtime in production) and won't get production modifiers from the colony. This mean they will on average produce less than if the same unit would produce the same yield on the same plot from a colony. The unit is less protected too. It should intentionally always be a worse solution than using colonies. However there are situations where it's attractive to not place a colony or perhaps even impossible. It might also be something somebody does until a colony is founded in the area.

 

[modmod]

I like the base idea.
It can also solve the long standing issue withthe 2 plot radius, when you need 3 plot distance between cities, and those third can became cc. non-producing territory.

Also agree with:

• It should be less effective than gathering in city radius
• Make it possible only inside cultural borders
• Connect it with forts/ monasteries

Not sure about (needs some further thinking - an avait commets about):
1. Build improvements by those expedicions
2. What kind of equipments/ yields (like food) needs for that
3. To limit it for just bonus materials-plots (think about rivers: both large/ small original -> if there nearby a bonus, like gold (gold-"wash" from rivers), or like fur rich animals nearby wandering)
-> but this give a new idea about goodies based on bonuses

 

[Mr. ZorG]

let's say the function has already been implemented. I have built a fort and gold (or any other resource) is mined within its cultural boundaries. however, a colony of another European is located nearby. and sooner or later its cultural boundaries will swallow the cultural boundaries of the fort (this is what is happening now). what will happen to gold mining?

 

[raystuttgart]

what will happen to gold mining?

Your Expedition (the Unit in Profession for it) will stop mining, because the "mining" has become invalid - because the Plot is not yours anymore.
It simply can / will not mine anymore - something like that is extremely simple to implement.
That is why we have all those calls to "canDo..." methods in the beginning of all "do..." methods.