Lost Worlds Mod Beta Thread

[Vuldacon]

King Arthur... no hurry as I am putting together another Update for this Year and probably will not have it until toward the end of this year.
Still you could try the game out as it is now. Be sure to get the EFZI2 Elite not Complete

 

[Blue Monkey]

If I can do anything to help with PCXs ... I still have the files for what we were working on back then as well as a lot of other images to work from for techs, wonders, splash screens etc.

 

[KingArthur]

If I can do anything to help with PCXs ... I still have the files for what we were working on back then as well as a lot of other images to work from for techs, wonders, splash screens etc.

Awesome, I could use some help. I'll PM you a link to the latest version and a modest request.

 

[Blue Monkey]

I can't currently play civ - don't have the computer with proper OS set up atm while redoing work area. But I can certainly look at the scenario files and take it from there.

EDIT: our old project subforum is still there, including the "devs only" section. Just sayin'

 

[KingArthur]

Ah well. I was going to ask if you could put arrows on the adviser pcxs which probably needs you fire up Civ3.

 

[Blue Monkey]

I don't think so. It's likely to just be a separate pcx file. If you mean the tech tree screen, that I can model from a fullsize screenshot. & As a matter of fact, i've got "steam pipe" graphics almost completely finished for use instead of arrows. With matching frames for the tech boxes.

 

[KingArthur]

Ok People of Earth I have a quandary I need your help to solve.

I have freed up two Civ spots by jiggling the continent of Europe.

This stemmed from a shift in the timeline back to the dawn of the 19th century and balancing issues (Europe needed to be beefed up to face the might of Russia and the Ottoman Empire).

So out go Spain and Italy which are absorbed by Napoleonic France and the Kontinental Allianz respectively.

Which two civs should go into the Mod. I have some suggestions but please feel free to suggest more. My suggestions however are based on the free land available on the map.

Vote or nominate your favourite!

Moon
Automaton (Robot) Civ "evolved" from first probes from Earth sent by ballistic flight. Leader would of course be V'Ger (brownie points if you get the reference).

Mars
An H.G Wells inspired War of the Worlds Martian Civ. Tripods Baby!!

Pellucidar
Korsars (Pirates) of Pellucidar
Xexots (Bronze Age level Civ) of Pellucidar

Earth
Abyssinia
Zulu
Great Zimbabwe (fictional)
Dogon (not fictional but their manifestation will be)
California (fictional in this timeline)
Texas (will need some rejigging of Mexico and expansion beyond historical borders)
Mongolia (something to suppress Russia or China bloat)
Aztlan (fictional Aztec original homeland civ)
Ruritania (fictional eastern european civ)

Other
Planet Mongo (which would need modification to the map to fit somewhere between Mars and the Moon). Who doesn't love a bit of Flash Gordon!

VOTE HERE:
https://linkto.run/p/WV1P09RK

 

[KingArthur]

I can't currently play civ - don't have the computer with proper OS set up atm while redoing work area. But I can certainly look at the scenario files and take it from there.

EDIT: our old project subforum is still there, including the "devs only" section. Just sayin'

Let's reform the Secret Society. See you in the smoking room for Brandy and Cigars (or coffee if that's what you still prefer).

 

[Blue Monkey]

Given the excellent Selenites & Tharks ( which were made at Balthasar's request iirc) I'd vote for those two civs.

As an alternative how about a "Lost Kingdom" non-player civ?* Cherrypick some of the more unusual pre-gunpowder units from all over. Limit their ability to expand (no settlers?). Instead give them a few small easily defended starting locations sitting on rare resources, along with some unusual and highly desirable small wonders.


* Something analogous to the Malacca Pirates in Rambuchan's Mughal Empire scenario.

 

[KingArthur]

Given the excellent Selenites & Tharks ( which were made at Balthasar's request iirc) I'd vote for those two civs.

As an alternative how about a "Lost Kingdom" non-player civ?* Cherrypick some of the more unusual pre-gunpowder units from all over. Limit their ability to expand (no settlers?). Instead give them a few small easily defended starting locations sitting on rare resources, along with some unusual and highly desirable small wonders.


* Something analogous to the Malacca Pirates in Rambuchan's Mughal Empire scenario.

Hi Blue, Selenites and Tharks are already in. A Lost Kingdom is a cool idea though

 

[KingArthur]

Ok, I've filled the 2 spare civ spots:

The Secret Society and Vril-Ya (both were in Balthasar's original mod).

He had Vril-Ya start on the moon which I've replicated. Vril-Ya are just your typical civ with a superiority complex who build flying saucers to conquer other planets.

The Secret Society start on Earth with city spots representing areas where they are trying to plot uprisings to disrupt the old world order e.g. Zululand, Paraguay, Apacheria, Haiti, Sudan. Their shtick is the building of small wonders (representing uprisings/rebellions) which auto-produce weak units every 2 or so turns (possibly with zero upkeep) - Blue Monkey's inspiration. They also start with various strong units that use the enslave ability to spawn others but apart from that not recommended for human play (yet).

 

[dragonprobably]

I want to make a Xenomorph Unit and hope to get to it sometime soon. Still Adding to EFZI2 Elite... Key Locations, Improvements, Units and Game Testing it all.

A Xenomorph sounds cool - would love to see that. And I will take EFZI2 Complete for a spin soon.

Oh yeah CivArmy did a Xenomorph unit: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/sci-fi-unit-alien-the-8th-passager.110093/

 

[KingArthur]

Unit Lines for the new civs added - screenshots below. The discerning viewer will note the deliberate absence of the Secret Society...

Earth civs have a lot more variety but for conciseness I have only presented the Europeans.

 

[KingArthur]

Oh yeah, I didn't mention the inclusion of the Zeta Reticulans (Zetans) / Invaders of Mars. What Lost Worlds scientific romance Mod wouldn't be complete without the appearance of an H.G. Wells inspired War of the Worlds?

If anyone has suggestions for the missing units (grey boxes) please post them. At this point I can overcome the balance issues by either making these units stronger, cheaper or by reducing the prerequisite resources. Zetans don't really need cavalry as they will have early access to a huge space gun with which they can even travel to the Earth in cylinders*.

*"This was a common representation of space travel in the nineteenth century, and had also been used by Jules Verne in From the Earth to the Moon. Modern scientific understanding renders this idea impractical, as it would be difficult to control the trajectory of the gun precisely, and the force of the explosion necessary to propel the cylinder from the Martian surface to the Earth would likely kill the occupants". [Wikipedia].

But why let facts spoil a good idea...

Proper (human) space travel will be via an enclosed sphere first invented to explore the depths of the ocean but adapted with the latest propulsion system that generates thrust by ionizing the air with a high voltage. With the benefit of a cavorite coating the ionocraft becomes more efficient and faster.

 

[KingArthur]

Complete Civ list. Which one would you play as first?

Civ Name
The Amoz
The Confederacy
The Mahar
The Secret Society
China
Iron Khanate
Japan
Siam
Australia
Canada
France
Gran Colombia
Kontinental Allianz
Mexico
Nordic Union
Portugal
Russia
The Commonwealth
USA
Great Old Ones
Helium
Zetans
Selenites
Tartarus
Thark Horde
Vril-ya
Barbary States
India
Mali
Oman
Ottoman Empire

 

[dragonprobably]

What is Kontinental Allianz?

Also, I can't wait to play as The Great Old Ones.

 

[KingArthur]

What is Kontinental Allianz?

the kontinental Allianz is basically the allied European countries against napoleon. Think Holy Roman Empire but neither holy, Roman or an empire.

Prussian/Austrian/German dominated hence the google translation of continental alliance. Previously I had separate euro civs but they were far too weak in comparison to their neighbours: the ottomans and Russia.

 

[dragonprobably]

Think Holy Roman Empire but neither holy, Roman or an empire.

So like the actual Holy Roman Empire?

Jokes aside, that sounds very cool. You could probably use the Hussar and Napoleonic Infantry in the game for them since they fit in so well with the theme. It'd also be very fitting if someone could make some of the Clanker machines from the Leviathan trilogy for their Robot Infantry, Land Ironclads, etc.

 

[KingArthur]

So like the actual Holy Roman Empire?

Exactly that

Jokes aside, that sounds very cool. You could probably use the Hussar and Napoleonic Infantry in the game for them since they fit in so well with the theme. It'd also be very fitting if someone could make some of the Clanker machines from the Leviathan trilogy for their Robot Infantry, Land Ironclads, etc.

That would be really cool.

 

[Vuldacon]

KingArthur...That's quite a unit line up you have there

I definitely appreciate the difficulty of obtaining the units wanted and especially for the desired unique units.

I like the way you are going about developing the Game... Very thorough and organized

What position do you have the Moglin in? ... or is that a secret?