One concept we've kicked around in our mod is the possibility of one of our lifeforms (our version of religion) to evolve from cyborgs into a massive living machine-city. Tied to this lifeform is its tendency to completely strip the land around it in a non-sustainable way (strip mines that generate huge value but decline over time).
One idea that could extend this concept would be that these cities can pick up and move. That would make these lifeforms essentially locusts.
(I could also see this concept in fantasy mods -- floating cities -- or even in prehistory mods -- nomadic people).
Anyway, I'm interested in feedback on how this might work in terms of gameplay and AI implementation. My very basic thoughts were:
1. Have a unit that the AI builds for production. Maybe it's only available when the terrain around is completely terraformed to "useless" (via some kind of feature count or bonus or something).
2. When the unit is built, the city's current stats are transfered to a holding location (prolly the unit itself) and then destroyed.
3. The unit then behaves like a settler: it looks for the ideal place to settle. Because its old terrain is now worthless, it won't settle there.
4. Upon settling, the data of the old city is transferred to the new one.
The above all seems doable, but I"m not sure how it might play out. By mid-late game most good areas are already settled, tho maybe at that point the AI would settle (no pun intended) for a mediocre location better than its starting point. Also, perhaps this particular civ is so virulent that it destroys rather than conquers other civs, leaving plenty of open space for settling.
Feedback? Thoughts? I'm more interested in gameplay and mechanics than code, though the latter would be great if the idea itself seems viable!
One idea that could extend this concept would be that these cities can pick up and move. That would make these lifeforms essentially locusts.
(I could also see this concept in fantasy mods -- floating cities -- or even in prehistory mods -- nomadic people).
Anyway, I'm interested in feedback on how this might work in terms of gameplay and AI implementation. My very basic thoughts were:
1. Have a unit that the AI builds for production. Maybe it's only available when the terrain around is completely terraformed to "useless" (via some kind of feature count or bonus or something).
2. When the unit is built, the city's current stats are transfered to a holding location (prolly the unit itself) and then destroyed.
3. The unit then behaves like a settler: it looks for the ideal place to settle. Because its old terrain is now worthless, it won't settle there.
4. Upon settling, the data of the old city is transferred to the new one.
The above all seems doable, but I"m not sure how it might play out. By mid-late game most good areas are already settled, tho maybe at that point the AI would settle (no pun intended) for a mediocre location better than its starting point. Also, perhaps this particular civ is so virulent that it destroys rather than conquers other civs, leaving plenty of open space for settling.
Feedback? Thoughts? I'm more interested in gameplay and mechanics than code, though the latter would be great if the idea itself seems viable!