LS Civilization Set

[Sword_Of_Geddon]

Really amazing artwork LS...I am very impressed.

 

[TPangolin]

IMO it needs a bit more surface blur in the background. IMO your Sioux one is the best. He looks amazing!

 

[LastSword]

Oh, thanks to both of you. I started enjoying playing in Photoshop. Though, searching for materials is sometimes a true nightmare. It is Sisyphean labor, but this time I try to get rid of weaker leaderscreens (I set Haida's one as bar).

Spoiler :

It will be enough fun for a while. From the "serious" stuff, I am gonna add Diplo Modifiers to civs. Feel free to contribute, list so far:
~Using Hetman "Liberation" will cause penalty within warmongers
~Faith buying City-State with Papal States will cause penalty dependent on Players friendship level
~Ashanti player will literally explodes in anger if somebody else owns the Golden Stool
~Minor penalty for terrain claiming (Tatars)
~Romania will not forgive conquering City-States related to UA

Less importantly, I am looking for Tahitian combat UU options (my research failed so far). Wanted to give it "Admiral ability to change ports", but it may be out of my possibilities. Anyway I have a desire to make them proper (combat UU, second UC) way.

 

[Scapegrace]

Here's an idea, though it's probably more suited to a Hawaiian UU:-

UU: Koa (replaces Knight)
Effectively an infantry version of the Knight (3 Movement rather than 4, but has a +1 Movement promotions) that is slightly cheaper and upgrades to a Musketman. Also has a unique promotion, 'Olohe, which means they ignore Zones Of Control and gain a +5% Combat Bonus for each empty tile in a 1 hex radius, retained upon upgrading.

 

[LastSword]

“We watched as the two strongest Koa warriors, one from each side tried to evade a full blown war in the centre of the battlefield, we already knew the outcome. This was just a ceremony, they would talk, then fight, then we would fight, Koa against Koa, we would soon find out who was the most capable on the battlefield. We had trained our Lua for days, prepared our weapons, we knew no fear, and we wanted nothing less than a fight, a dirty fight, a bloody fight. We were ready.”

They trained their Lua for days. Awww.

Dunno if I wouldn't be eaten alive for using Hawaiian UU for Tahiti (especially considering that there is Hawaiian leader in game).

 

[Scapegrace]

Well, the thing about the Koa is that they might be a warrior caste on the Hawaiian Islands, but it only became a thing after Tahitian invaders landed.

 

[Hoop Thrower]

Maybe some kind of dugout canoe unit? Replacing Trirreme or whatever? It's truly the only thing I've been able to find.

 

[LastSword]

Oh, I think Hawaii with Kamehameha should be treated as separate state even though it seems that Hawaiians are descendants of Tahitian settlers. (well, every Polynesian settlement is a result of migration)
I am gonna do Trireme as Hoop Thrower suggested. I have found Pahi and statement that Tahitian warfare was centered on naval combats (see: Reference).

Anyway, I found out that Changing port is linked to Great Admiral promotion.
"Pahi, trireme replacement, has Great Admiral abilities when in City."
I am not sure, but I would also add ability to build Fishing Boats (5-7 turns; not instant). It would let "control" your cities around the globe.

If you have any ideas for Tibet and Zimbabwe, feel welcomed to post. (current effects are on steam, linked in OP).


The greatest surprise ever, after the year, I finally made a map for Khmer!

Spoiler :

 

[Viregel]

I really like the map - though there's a slight problem with the text. By putting the "Khmer Empire" label not on the actual territory, you're basically saying all of South-East Asia aside from the Khmer Empire is the Khmer Empire. Instead, just change that label to "Asia" and it should look great; put the facts about the Khmer Empire (date, leader, etc) to the side. Also, the land at the bottom of the map has an inner shadow, which appears to confuse me as to which is land and sea. Anyway, great map!

 

[LastSword]

I see you are a fan of Official style. Not my strongest suit. Since I am doing every map from scratch, effects are highly random. Tried to follow your suggestions, results above.

This one is more official-like:

Spoiler :

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

Notice you're missing a lot of the Civilopedia descriptions. I'm happy to help out if you give me a civ name and I'll come back to you with a big load of text, similar to the ones in Vanilla. Anything like that I'm happy to help with if you like, dawn of man texts, unit descriptions, whatever. My writing ability far outstrips my coding!

Awesome mods by the way.

 

[Sword_Of_Geddon]

Notice you're missing a lot of the Civilopedia descriptions. I'm happy to help out if you give me a civ name and I'll come back to you with a big load of text, similar to the ones in Vanilla. Anything like that I'm happy to help with if you like, dawn of man texts, unit descriptions, whatever. My writing ability far outstrips my coding!

Awesome mods by the way.

Civilopedia is the one thing missing of LS' excellent work, that would be awesome.

 

[LastSword]

Notice you're missing a lot of the Civilopedia descriptions. I'm happy to help out if you give me a civ name and I'll come back to you with a big load of text, similar to the ones in Vanilla. Anything like that I'm happy to help with if you like, dawn of man texts, unit descriptions, whatever. My writing ability far outstrips my coding!

Awesome mods by the way.

That's very nice from you.
You can do whatever civ you like. If you can't decide, I think starting from Set I is logical (Khmer ~> Hetmanate ~> Haida). I would be grateful if text comes with a clue where it should be put.


I am gonna change Zimbabwe traits a bit:
UA: Can meet other civilizations and City-states through Trade-Routes links. Receives +30 Gold and exchanges city locations when meeting other civilization.
UU: Rozvi Warrior: pikeman/ ignore terrain cost / temporary combat bonus when your land Trade Route is plundered.
UB: Zimbabwe: (Caravansary or Castle, leaning to Caravansary) / Triggers WLTK if city is connected by Trade Route with a Civilization that has desired Resource / +50% Land trade route range.

 

[Gyra Solune]

I kinda think it'd be neat if you could like...actively have a range of sight with trade units for Zimbabwe, or even better, give them the capacity to see the flow of everyone else's trade routes in revealed territory. That'd be great for trying to set up cities along streams of trade to capitalize upon them and getting some of that cash for yourself.

 

[LastSword]

Adding sight to trade units was something I considered. Should be easily done and still not make UA strong. The flow thing, if I understand correctly, is out of my possibilities.

Spoiler :

No more people interested in making Civilopedia entries? 30 civs is a work for a team.

Haida:

Spoiler :

 

[Gyra Solune]

Oh yeah, I am wondering - for the Mughals, how separate are the Great People? Is it empire-wide or on a city-by-city basis - i.e, if I make a Great Scientist in the capital, does that increase the cost for Scientists in another city?

 

[Scapegrace]

Idea for UB reworking for Zimbabwe:-

UB: Zimbabwe (replaces Castle)
Triggers "We Love The King" Day in the City in which it is built if an International Trade Route to or from that City is connected to a City with the desired resource. Land Trade Routes to and from the City generate +1 Gold for each Cattle tile worked by it.

And a more interesting, less combat-oriented UU:

UU: Banyami (replaces Great Merchant)
Cannot be used to create a Customs House. However, it can be sent to a city owned by Zimbabwe other than the City is spawned in and Issue a Decree instead. This grants a boost of +100% to either Growth, Production, Gold, Culture, or Science per turn for 20 turns, in addition to a much smaller flat Gold bonus.

I selected this as the unique unit because the Rozwi Empire used specialist administrators called banyami to travel between cities alongside the rozvi regiments themselves, acting as tax collectors, decision-makers, and enforcers of central policy. The fact that they were always on the move is represented by their inability to settle down and build a UI in the country to retire to. The king's herds must be seen to, after all.

What d'you think? I know it's something of a radical departure from the previous UU, but I think it might be an interesting one. No idea how you'd code it, though, that's your problem. =]

 

[LastSword]

Oh yeah, I am wondering - for the Mughals, how separate are the Great People? Is it empire-wide or on a city-by-city basis - i.e, if I make a Great Scientist in the capital, does that increase the cost for Scientists in another city?

Empire-wide. Let's say that GE, GS, GM works like GA, GM, GW now except it is not displayed so nice. In addition GE, GS, GM chosen by you (Liberty finisher, Tower of Pisa) will not increase cost of any GP.

Idea for UB reworking for Zimbabwe:-

UB: Zimbabwe (replaces Castle)
Triggers "We Love The King" Day in the City in which it is built if an International Trade Route to or from that City is connected to a City with the desired resource. Land Trade Routes to and from the City generate +1 Gold for each Cattle tile worked by it.

And a more interesting, less combat-oriented UU:

UU: Banyami (replaces Great Merchant)
Cannot be used to create a Customs House. However, it can be sent to a city owned by Zimbabwe other than the City is spawned in and Issue a Decree instead. This grants a boost of +100% to either Growth, Production, Gold, Culture, or Science per turn for 20 turns, in addition to a much smaller flat Gold bonus.

I selected this as the unique unit because the Rozwi Empire used specialist administrators called banyami to travel between cities alongside the rozvi regiments themselves, acting as tax collectors, decision-makers, and enforcers of central policy. The fact that they were always on the move is represented by their inability to settle down and build a UI in the country to retire to. The king's herds must be seen to, after all.

What d'you think? I know it's something of a radical departure from the previous UU, but I think it might be an interesting one. No idea how you'd code it, though, that's your problem. =]

@Zimbabwe (building).
1. 50% extra land Trade Route length - vs - +1 Gold from Cattle (only Cattle? or Sheep, Cattle, Horse)
You know I even like the idea (assuming that by Cattle you meant Sheep, Cattle, Horse). Extra trade route length would be crucial for in-land cities in order to be able to send caravans further (obtain WLTK). On the other hand, zimbabwean aspect of intercontinental trade is already represented in UA, while the fact that cattle was important part of economy/agriculture is not. One bonus is used in Arabian UA, second in polish UB.
2. Castle - vs - Caravansary
Zimbabwe was a defensive building. However, linking Trade Route bonuses with building exclusively related to Trade Route has sense. For sure it increases the chance that AI will make use of it.

I am gonna think about it.

@Great Merchant. You may not know, but first UU was Great Merchant of Zimbabwe, with unique bonus on birth chosen by player (extra Trade Route, +10% gold from city connections, etc. economic bonuses). It was my first UI and playing with buttons (nightmare). I am not gonna made unique GM by any chance in any civ. It is automatic design flaw.
~GM can't compete with GS (and GE) in this game. Simply as that, I don't believe I am ever gonna see thematic (<- important word, because somebody might make GM boosting science ) GM, I would like to pop, which will be not insulting my balance taste. Anyway, the only GM I saw sense to pop was/is GMoV, but it was a result of other design flaw, "one city challenge". Anyway I edited Venice and removed this abomination.
~It was the case why I removed the GM from Zimbabwe. Back then, I dreamed about making GM separate with GS, GE. Well, now I can do that, but Mughals have taken it (autoplagiarism, blah, blah, blah).
~In case of zimbabwe there is an extra point: my devotion to combat UU (even so weak as scout). I have made some unique civilians as main unique unit, Missionairy (just to prove myself I can do something like that, magic after all), Settler (will be fixed with Trireme UU soon) and GM. It doesn't feel right.
~Finally, your idea. 100% Food/Prod/Gold/Cul/Science. If yield is chosen randomly, completely waste of GP. Prod, Gold, Science and Culture is something you wouldn't even like to use. What is left? Food. Yes, food. If you think about it, adding some Food/Population effect might be a way for GM to compete with GS/GE. Market is available earlier than Workshop/University. Popping one-two GM might be a valid investition in early medieval to create a mega city.

So my suggestion is that if you ever consider unique GM, the food related bonus might be the way to go. Eventually, something funny and thematic to entertain a player (difficult task to be honest; it can't be one-time click bonus). I will give you an example:
Great Merchant starts with luxury resource assigned (not added to your empire), your task is to find a city, which desires this resource and move to it (adjacent tile, rival territory promotion): Bonus (gold probably) and your Great Merchant has next luxury resource... travel continue.

 

[Gyra Solune]

...I actually really like that idea for a Great Merchant! It's a neat sort of variant on how trade routes work while offering a differing challenge in how to utilize them. I don't know how you'd find out how that city desires the resource though, unless the intent is to have spies basically running around and peering into cities for what they want for WLTK, which can be interesting in its own right, but prospectively annoying.

 

[LastSword]

...I actually really like that idea for a Great Merchant! It's a neat sort of variant on how trade routes work while offering a differing challenge in how to utilize them. I don't know how you'd find out how that city desires the resource though, unless the intent is to have spies basically running around and peering into cities for what they want for WLTK, which can be interesting in its own right, but prospectively annoying.

Both Resource and list of cities info would be available at Unit selection. At least it is how I imagine it. Visiting city would trigger WLTK, bonus dependent on distance from previous city (first city is where GM born) and some other details.
No intent to actually make it. Neither I have valid civ nor hyped about idea. Tibetan Merchant of Silly Road.

About 20th of June I should update all civ sets (changing Zimbabwe, Tibet and Tahiti). Then I am gonna work on my little Colonies, planning to do 2-3 wonders related (East India Company/Navigation and Marco Polo Expedition/Currency).