MOD: Colonization!

[iamjason]

Jason's North American Colonization, v 2.1
http://www.jasonmorrison.net/civ3/
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Play as one of five European powers or eleven Native tribes as you spread across North America. The Europeans start with technological and military advantages, while the Native tribes decide how to deal with the newcomers. Will they band together to defend their homes, or take sides in European politics? Do Europeans technological advantages mean that much when there’s a whole continent to conquer?

Each of the Civs available have authentic city and leader names and begin the game with reasonably accurate starting cities. For game play purposes Europe has been condensed into a few over-productive "islands", mainly because there was no room on the map for the whole Atlantic.

This mod employs a few novel strategies to make a playable but realistic stab at the history of this continent. Resources and trade items have been changed to reflect those of real importance in the region and era and have been placed in the actual locations where they are found. New Units like Conquistadors, Fur Trappers, Canoes, Dragoons and Clippers, add new elements to the game, but I haven’t created new icons and animations, just re-purposed unused ones. The Tech Tree and improvements and wonders have been altered as well, but there are no Civilopedia changes as of yet.

 

[iamjason]

The Civs: Europeans

Spain -- Easy
Gunpowder, Monotheism, Magnetism, Monarchy; Militaristic, Religious, Expansionist
The Spanish start out with plenty of Conquistadors (their unique unit) and Settlers jumping at the chance to make their fortune in the New World (5 Conquistadors, 2 Musketmen, 2 Settlers). They also start with a Frigate and a Galleon that just happens to be on the verge of landfall. Spain’s real strength is conquest, and one great strategy is to go after the Aztecs before they can build up plenty of very mobile defenders.

England -- Easy
Gunpowder, Monotheism, Magnetism, Monarchy; Industrious, Commercial, Expansionist
England is ready to Colonize rather than conquer, but they have a competent military and growing sea power (4 Settlers, 1 Worker, 3 Musketmen, one Trapper). They start with a Galleon and a Privateer. The British unique unit, the Man-O-War, allows you to rule the seas but does not seem to be of much use against enemies lurking in the forests.

France -- Moderate
Gunpowder, Monotheism, Magnetism, Monarchy; Scientific, Industrious, Expansionist
France is also set for colonization but is focused on the fur trade as well (2 Musketeers, 3 Settlers, 3 Trappers). They start with a Galleon. The unique Musketeers weren’t historically active in New France, but Trappers were not useful enough as a replacement. So Trappers can be built by all northern Civs and the Musketeers remain.

Netherlands -- Difficult
Gunpowder, Monotheism, Magnetism, The Republic; Scientific, Expansionist, Commercial
The Netherlands look to make a tidy profit through colonization and trade, but don’t have the population or military resources of other countries (3 Settlers, 2 Musketmen). They start with two of their unique sea unit, the Merchantman.

Russia – Difficult
Gunpowder, Monotheism, Magnetism, Monarchy; Scientific, Expansionist
The Russians look to strike a claim in North America through footholds in Alaska but are at a definite geographic disadvantage (2 Trappers, 2 Musketmen, 1 Settler). They start with a Caravel. The Russians have another disadvantage in that their unique unit, the Cossack, is not immediately available.

The Civs: Native Americans

Aztec -- Easy
Bronze Working, Ceremonial Burial, Masonry, Mathematics; Religious, Militaristic
The Aztecs occupy Central Mexico and have the most advanced Native civilization. Their large cities, road system and unique Jaguar Warriors also contribute to their success. The Aztecs also usually benefit from being left alone early by European AIs. Their large cities allow them to get a jump on building Ancient wonders, and they are associated with Chichen Itza, Colossal Olmec Heads, Temple of the Sun, and The Calendar.

Apache -- Moderate
Warrior Code, Pottery, Ceremonial Burial; Militaristic, Commercial
The Apache represent the Tribes of the American southwest. They were also some of the last to oppose the Europeans in battle. They can build both Mounted Warriors and Expert Riders, and are associated with the Ghost Dance Wonder

Nez Pierce -- Moderate
Ceremonial Burial, Pottery, Horseback Riding; Industrious, Religious
The Nez Pierce represent the native tribes of the Pacific Northwest and Columbia River basin. They took to horseback riding readily, and some traditions hold that they possessed horses since crossing over the Bering straight 10,000+ years ago. They start with Canoes and can build Mounted Warriors and Expert Riders.

Sioux -- Moderate
Ceremonial Burial, Warrior Code, Pottery; Militaristic, Expansionist
The Sioux represent the Great Plains tribes. They quickly adapted to horseback riding and held off against European/U.S. aggression very effectively. They can build both Mounted Warriors and more powerful Expert Riders.

Cree -- Moderate
Currency, Pottery, Ceremonial Burial; Industrious, Commercial
The Cree ranged from the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains and from the Great Plains through much of Canada. They were good traders and are one of the largest native populations today. They can build Mounted Warriors and Trappers and have Canoes.

Chippewa -- Moderate
Warrior Code, Ceremonial Burial, Currency; Commercial, Expansionist
The Chippewa occupied the area around the Great Lakes. They were good traders and sometimes got into conflict with other native tribes. They start off with Canoes and can build Trappers, Mounted Warriors, and Expert Riders.

Iroquois – Moderate
Pottery, Ceremonial Burial, Code of Laws; Expansionist, Religious
The Iroquois were a confederation of tribes whose laws influenced the U.S. Constitution. They took sides in the fight between the European powers and later the U.S. They can build Mounted Warriors and Trappers. They are also associated with eh Great Serpent Mound Wonder.

Cherokee -- Moderate
Warrior Code, Pottery, Currency; Industrious, Scientific
The Cherokee represent the tribes the inhabited the Appalachian Mountains and the Southeast. They attempted to adopt European-style farming and culture but were still pushed off their territory, forced to walk the Trail of Tears. Likewise, their success in the game hinges on how long they can expand and advance with out facing a technologically superior enemy. They can build Mounted Warriors.

Arawak -- Difficult
Pottery, Currency; Religious, Commercial
The Arawaks inhabit the Caribbean islands and may have been the first natives The Europeans made contact with. They would rather trade than fight, and start off with Canoes. Their main disadvantage is widely spread, sparsely populated island territory. If the Spanish arrive on one island, don’t expect to get your reinforcements quickly from cities on three others.

Micmac -- Difficult
Pottery, Currency; Commercial, Scientific
The Micmac occupied eastern Canada and were great trading partners with the French. They adopted many European ideas and many married Europeans. Their real disadvantages are low populations growth and early contact with Europe. They start with Canoes.

Ute -- Difficult
Ceremonial Burial, Pottery; Industrious, Religious
The Ute represent the native tribes of the Rocky Mountains and Great basin. Their greatest disadvantage is rocky, desert terrain and lack of trading routes, but both can be made up for by a long period before European interests turn to them. They are associated with the Pueblo City Bonito Wonder.

 

[iamjason]

Game Changes:
* The tech tree has been greatly altered to allow European civs a big advantage. The Middle Ages correspond with the sorts of advances that allowed European colonization of North America. Thus, astronomy, invention, chivalry and gunpowder were moved back to Ancient Times, where gunpowder becomes the necessary advance to reach the next age; monotheism, engineering, magnetism, and monarchy now begin the Middle Ages. Also, fuedalism has been replaced with a new advance, mercantilism, which is now necessary to develop banking. Magnetism and Navigation have been rearranged to fix the perplexing original arrangement.
* Roads only allow 2 moves instead of 3, reflecting trails and poor dirt roads.
* Roads have already been set up along major rivers, allowing rivers to connect cities for trade.
* An attempt has been made to simulate the spread of disease among Native Civs by placing their starting cities on Flood Plains.
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New Government:

Tribal - Communal corruption, but suffers the same penalty as Anarchy and Despotism when it comes to food, shields and trade per tile. Tribal governments have no military police but may draft up to 6 citizens and have low war weariness. Production cannot be hurried.
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New Units:

Scout - Scouts can only be built by Native civs. They cost one population, treat all terrain as roads, and can build roads. They also now have a defense of 1.

Bowman - Available only to Native civs, have an ADM of 2,2,1 and require Warrior Code.

Mounted Warrior - Available to all Native civs except the Aztec and Arawak. Have an ADM of 3,1,2 and require Horseback Riding.

Expert Rider - Available to the Sioux, Apache, Cherokee and Nez Perce, have an ADM of 4,2,3 and require Chivalry. These units represent the skilled riders armed with firearms obtained from Europeans who held on in the Plains.

War Party - Available to native civs and has hidden nationality. Has an ADM of 3,1,2 and requires Bronze Working.

Canoes - Available to native civs, Canoes have an ADM of 1,1,3 and can carry one ground unit.

Trappers - Fur trappers require furs, have an ADM of 1,2,1, hidden nationality and treat all terrain as roads. In addition, they can build road and colonies. They are only available to the northern Civs.

Explorer - Explorers now have an ADM of 1,1,2, are stealthy, and treat all land as roads.

Conquistador - Available to the Spanish. Has an ADM of 4,2,2 and requires Saltpeter.

Merchantman - Available to the Dutch. Has an ADM of 1(4),2,6 and a bombard of 4. Can carry 6 units.

Dragoons - Replaces Knight. Has am ADM of 5,2,2 and requires Horses, Iron and Saltpeter.

Militia - Replaces Swordsman. Represents untrained citizens armed with their own weapons to defend their homes. Has an ADM of 2,2,1 and is cheap to build, but costs one population.

Clipper – Faster sailing vessel, requires Navigation, Iron and Lumber. Has an ADM of 4(6),2,8 and can hold 6 units.

Machine Gunner - Complements Infantry, which now have a lower defense value. Machine gunners have an ADM of 4,10,1 and require Mass Production, Iron and Oil.

In addition, movement and bombard rates of other sea units have been increased.
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New City Improvements:

Trading Post – Increases Luxury trade, requires currency. Also allows trade over water.

Oral Tradition - Requires Code of Laws, gives a 50% science bonus and reduces war weariness. Native Tribes used storytelling to record history and folklore and communicate information without the use of written language.

Commercial TV/Radio - Requires Electricity, generates 4 happy faces and 4 culture. This improvement won't show up until late in the game, but given its importance in North American (and world) history, it seems odd not to have it. Replaces City Walls, which have had very little use historically in North America.

In addition, marketplace needs magnetism, courthouse requires monarchy, libraries require the printing press and lumber, and aqueducts require engineering.
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New Wonders:

Chichen Itza - Same as Pyramids, but requires a temple in that city. Meant to represent the giant pyramidal temples the Aztecs and Mayans were fond of.

Colossal Olmec Heads - Same as Colossus, but requires gold. Some have suggested using the Statue of Liberty to replace the Colossus, but this wonder should stay in the Ancient Era. Although they didn't serve the same purpose as the Colossus, they represent an advanced culture with a large trading network.

Great Serpent Mound - Requires Ceremonial Burial and Tribal Government and creates an Oral Tradition in every city on the continent. Completely replaces Great Lighthouse, which has no native analogue.

Temple of the Sun -- Same as Oracle.

Pueblo City Bonito - Same as Great Wall, also allows that city to grow to size 3. Meant to represent pueblo building in general, which were high population density and easily defended from barbarians. Requires Tribal government.

The Calendar - Same as Copernicus's Observatory, but requires an Oral Tradition in that city. The Aztecs had great stone calendars that were more accurate than Europeans’.

Ghost Dance - Same as Sun Tzu's Art of War but requires Warrior Code and Tribal Government and is made obsolete by Military Tradition. This wonder is not a landmark but represents a tribe uniting and pooling its resources to defend its land and way of life. The U.S. military suffered several losses against comparatively poorly-armed tribes.

Colonial Capital (small wonder) - Same as Forbidden Palace but costs less to build.

Governor's Estate - Same as Hanging Gardens, meant to represent the royally-appointed governor or viceroy's ability to dole out gifts to landowners and other colonists. Requires Lumber.

Ben Franklin's Library - Same as Great Library, Requires Lumber.

The Ivy League - Same as Newton's University, requires a University in that City.

Mexico Cathedral - Same as Sistine Chapel. Located on the Zocalo, Mexico City's main square, this structure represents the power and splendor of the church in the new world.

Gateway Arch - The Arch must be near a river, requires Free Artistry, and doubles city growth rates in all cities. Located in St. Louis, it is the gateway to the American West, symbolizing the waves of population migration across the continent. Replaces Shakespeare's Theatre and is made obsolete by Ecology.

Golden Gate Bridge - Same as Leonardo's Workshop, but also produces +1 Trade in all tiles, must be on the coast and requires Steel. This bridge in San Francisco increased trade in the city but also proved the U.S.'s ability to mobilize huge amounts of materials across the continent.

CN Tower - Similar to Bach's Cathedral, but requires Electricity and 4 cities with Commercial TV/Radio; Creates Commercial TV/Radio in every city. The Toronto tower is the largest freestanding structure in the world and acts as a broadcast antenna.

Empire State Building - Same as Adam Smith's Trading Company. The New York City landmark smashed records when it was built and was a testimony to the power of U.S. capitalism, right before the depression.

The Internet – Requires The Laser and 3 Research Labs. Allows you to gain any advances known by two Civs, +50% research output and adds +1 Trade in all trade-producing tiles. Also creates 2 happy faces in all cities.

 

[Elucidus]

Hey bud, that looks like an outstanding mod, is it complete? I notice you have a webpage, do you have a forum for your mod. If not I would be happy to host it for you. You would of course have full control over your forums. Check out our forums here. We are trying to bring together mod-makers from all over to one place, so people just starting out have a good resource for information. Let me know, or send me an email.

 

[Yoda Power]

I like it, bur isnt it more like a scenario than a mod

 

[Elucidus]

I think it is a little of both. It is a map, so it is a scenario, but it isn't a standard scenario because it has modded rules. A lot of modded rules it sounds like.

 

[thamis]

As a great fan of Colonization I just LOVE you! Great thing, I'll try it right now!

Have you considered adding units? I've seen many good colonial / early industrial units out there:

- Colonial Musketman
- Iron Frigate
- Napoleonic Soldier

... and more I just can't think of.

Anyway, I'll try it!

 

[thamis]

Bug:

You didn't include the new units in the ZIP. They all gotta be there or it won't run.

 

[iamjason]

You didn't include the new units in the ZIP. They all gotta be there or it won't run.

Not a bug. Someone didn't read their readme.txt

Since I haven't created any new graphics, you just have to copy and rename several folders and .INI files already included in Civ 3. I say copy and rename because that way you don't have to switch back everything to play a regular game.

To run: Copy the scenario .bic file into your scenarios folder, then go to /Program Files/Infogrames Interactive/Civilization III/Art/units/ and copy and rename the following folders and .ini files:

Rider --> Expert Rider
Galley --> Canoes
Musketeer --> Conquistador
Galleon --> Merchantman
Swordsman --> Militia
Impi --> War Party
Knight --> Dragoons
Infantry --> Machine Gunner
Immortal --> Trappers
Privateer --> Clipper

So you already have everything you need!

I know, I know, this duplicates some unit graphics and Malitias didn't really have swords, but it's the best I can do without firing up Lightwave or whatever and making custom 3D modules and then figuring out what format Firaxis used, etc. If anyone out there has the spare time and software, I'd love to have custom units.

I will look into making custom leader graphics and Civilopedia entries. That's next on my list.

Also, I'd love to get suggestions for more colonial/native units. Eventually it would be great to have a unique unit for each native Civ, too, but so much of what I read about native American military tactics is too broad to apply only to the Sioux and not the Cree or Apache. That's why more than one Native Civ can build Expert Riders (which match up pretty well against Dragoons, BTW) I think the French unit (Musketeers) is especially weak, since they had nothing to do with the New World. On the other hand, when I had trappers as their UU, they were a little too weak.

 

[thamis]

Well, yea, but dude, don't you think you as MOD maker should do the work?

You can just include these new folders in the ZIP.

 

[BAP]

Agree with Thamis. There a lot of great units people have made that will fit with this mod. If you do the changes yourself, more people will play your mod, which I assume, is the reason you are posting it. Great idea though.

 

[thamis]

As a great fan of COLO, I have some ideas on this MOD. I'll help you, if you want me to.

1) Independence
The goal should be independence. Now, I thought that the best way to do it would be SS victory. The SS parts are the Fathers of Independence, and you need to build them all in order to gain independence.

2) Tech Tree
Therefore, the tech tree must be modified greatly. I think we shouldn't stop in 1789 (like COLO did), but maybe in the beginning of the Industrial Age. Most colonies didn't gain their independence so soon. This would involve making more techs, more units and more buildings.

3) Other Victory Conditions
Of course Conquest and Cultural Victory should remain. The others are stupid, though.

What do you think?

 

[Elucidus]

Thamis that is an outstanding idea, IMHO. That would work so well to, it is scarey.

 

[thamis]

Oh, and how can you take away Adam Smith's Trading Co?!?!

I mean, Adam Smith is one of the Fathers of Independence! The Empire State Building has nothing to do with colonization, has it?

Is this colonization or are you making this an all-American mod?

 

[iamjason]

I mean, Adam Smith is one of the Fathers of Independence! The Empire State Building has nothing to do with colonization, has it?

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm a big Adam Smith fan! I'm probably one of the few people who actually read all 900 pages of Wealth of Nations. But the fact of the matter is, Adam Smith didn't really have much of a Trading Company, and in fact most of the great Trading Companies (Like the Dutch East India Co., etc.) were much more mercantilist theory put into practice than capitalist experiments.

So having Adam Smith's Trading Company as a wonder would be kind of like having John Maynard Keynes' Military Aerospace Contractor. Just because the theories of the former had something to do with the creation of the latter doesn't mean it makes any sense. Also, Adam Smith was a British writer and I tried to keep with North-American wonders if possible.

Notice I did put in the advance of Mercantilism, which is necessary to develop Banking, after which point Smith and his theories appeared in real life. I think a major failing of Civ has always been the inability to express economic systems, or divide them from political systems. For example, it's quite possible to be a communist country led by a despot or a democratically-elected president. You can also have a Republican form of government with nothing more than a simple agrarian economy, meaning you really shouldn't get all sorts of bonuses.

As for the purpose of this Mod/Scenerio (which is which?), the meat of the game is the colonial period, where you start, but I tried to make it interesting to play well into modern times, just because I found myself wanting to play it longer. If you don't want to play past colonial times, you don't have to.



Another fun Adam Smith fact: Did you know that Smith considered his Wealth of Nations as just part of his larger philosophy, which was outlined in the Theory of Moral Sentiments. In it, he said morals come about due to man's ability to put himself in the place of the other. Many people think his whole point in wealth of nations is that the best system has everyone working for only their own self interest. But Smith assumed human empathy as part of what's in one's own best interest. He also did not advocate taking government out of all aspects of economic life, but said government was necessary for large, long-term projects like road building, education, defense, etc.

 

[Benz]

hmmm! That looks great at first sight.

However, it is centered onto north america only. It would have been nice if you included the South america. Conquered mostly by the spanish and the portugueses. French and Dutch also have took some little territories.

Therefore, the Incas are missing.

 

[iamjason]

I know, I know, no Incas. I actually created the N America map first, then did the colonization changes. Does anyone know of a good S America map? I haven't really seen any...


thamis, I've been thinking about that spacechip part = founding fathers idea a lot. I'm not sure if I'll use it though. I still like being able to play as the native civs, and independence doesn't quite make sense for them. I could make a revolution mod, though, and use it there... make the Canadians, Americans, Mexicans, Texans, Cubans, Dominicans, etc. the playable civs and make the race to independence the main goal for victory.

Also, upcoming changes for the next version:

* Another fake European 'island' for explorers to allow immediate contact between the Europeans
* Magentism requirement for Wines, since they were introduced by Europeans
* New building Church and change Cathedral to require Theology and a church present. Adding new building Newspaper, Commercial TV/Radio now requires Radio and a Newspaper present. Adding Plantations, which have a mixed effect, should be interesting.
* Adding Cocoa, Sliver, Copper, and Arctic Game and new resource graphics for all new resources.
* Mining and Irrigation now require Gunpowder so natives can't use them, but AI will build roads now.
* Tax Collectors and Scientists now generate 2 gold/science.
*Will add native equiv of tax coll and scientist (trader and shaman?)
*Will rearrange tech tree a little better, rename eras. (Pre-colonial, colonial, industrial, modern). Check out Printing Press, Music Theory, Education for demotion. Some new colonial techs?
* Civpedia Entries, wonder splashes.

 

[thamis]

Yes, and include new unit graphics. There are tons of graphics for all the units you invented.

Then I'm gonna play it.

 

[iamjason]

Just an update: The changes and updates I promised will come soon, I've been busy with work and whatnot. Though, to judge by the traffic on this thread lately, maybe not that many people are dying with anticipation.

Also, for anyone who's interested, there's a "North American Division" Mod here based on my N. America map at http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37247

Does anyone have any other comments for me? For example, is the map size too large? It plays fine on my middle-of-the-road system (Athlon 1.4 GHz), but is anyone getting too much slowdown?

 

[SKILORD]

A suggestion: divide the European civs into the competeing factions (within nations) that actually existed: ie: Virginia Company and Hudson bay Company, Viceroyalty of New Spain, etc.

just a suggestion, my MOD has a list of Hudson bay citieds if you folllow through....