Mod Idea: Mars

[gu35s]

Not sure if anyone have gave this idea before and this is my first post and I have less than 10 min to type before this place closes down. hope I can make it. haha.

So the idea is Mars colonization. well a new civilization in mars. So countries start sending people to Mars and they were equipped with the most basic thing they have. A pod with people inside. duh.

I was thinking, depending on country, the first few turns have different results. Like say American will have a ATV scout, Japan has robotic scout, some others have just plain people in space suits, or others will start with a techie that research a bit faster than others.

Then the first research in the tree is "Water". Basically they have to dig down and get water from underground source. Then they have to research conversion to convert mars minerals to something they can use. Build a hot house, tunnels (roads), etc.

Haven't really think deep about it yet, and I most probably won't be able to play it if anyone do make mod since I am using mac. no bts, not compatible xmls, pythons, yada yada yada.

The goal maybe not conquest or war like, or it could if the tech grows to military like robotics or what not. But I was thinking more of cultural or domination or even build a new rocket to return to earth or whatever.

Just an Idea. maybe i ll have to think more into it for more details =\

 

[Popcornlord]

I suggest trying the mods Song of the Moon, Planetfall, or Roanoke, all based on the colonization of a spherical celestial body. Song of the Moon is about the moon (Really?), Planetfall is based off of SMAC (Sid Mier's Alpha Centauri), and Roanoke is about a crash land onto a hostile planet.

 

[gu35s]

Yeah I know of them. I think I have tried a couple of those too, but as I said I use mac so things just don't work as well or not at all.

Although as I said, this was just a throw of idea that has nothing to do with too much sci-fi stuff. Realistically we could go to mars right now, so I thought, "hey, this would be cool in civ4." heh.

Anyway, since the first thing you have to do when you get there is to survive, such as looking for water, that's where the first research starts. "Water Search" or something along the line. Then after that new research branch of "ET Biology Search", "Mineral Conversion", "Improvements", and "Populations".

I don't know if this is possible, but I was thinking that since Mars don't actually have "food", that would means the first rounds would have no population increases other than having Earth send Landing Pods if the people in Mars are able to construct "Habitats" in the city or as improvements. Basically, more habitats more populations. But other than that, there is also "Green Pods" build as improvement which is also requirement for population since they need the O2 and Food. Then for road improvements it would be tunnels, either underground or above ground, that give the astronauts more movement points since they don't have to walk outside. Again, I am not sure if this is possible, but it would be great that improvements also uses the same material which means supply will be hard press and very limited.

As for the culture, that would be how far the team could go for research. So instead of getting food and productions, it would be more like research and exploration. So gaining minerals to convert to useable forms to build living space, food pods, entertainments pods(?), etc.

Then as for resources, there could be large deposit of ice water, or heavy minerals, microbial life-forms which can be found when a certain research is finished and they could culture the life-forms for research points or use it as food. (Humans... we eat anything, don't we =p)

As for barbarians, maybe they would be transformed into "Sandstorms" or "Stellar Radiations" or whatever natural disaster that would later on disappear within a few turns (if that's possible) or just move in a single direction and poof in the fog.

And for longer runs, the habitat would start to drill underground that can support more populations and protections from solar flares, radiations, etc. Well this is a bit more sci-fi than before, but maybe a cloning pod to clone plants or fish or meat that can help with the increase of population. (Maybe gives -4 =6 )

Blah need more thinking, but this should give a tiny idea of what I was talking about. It is not about conquest or anything of the sort. It is more about survival. Well if things goes well and later the colony grew bigger and found aliens or another country, whatever, then if you wanna go to war, be my guest and throw stones and potatoes at them. Or you could use the drilling laser and aim it at the units =p

 

[DarkOpus]

If memory serves, one of the expansions to Civ II had a Mars scenario/mod (still unsure of the difference!). It might be worth trying to get a hold of that. If you want ideas I can recommend Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Blue Mars, Green Mars), they're a great read in themselves, but may provide ample food for thought.

 

[gu35s]

well i am kinda giving ideas for people who would like to mod it.
As for food for thoughts, I kinda grab them from the nasa sites and such.
Though if I have the time and the financial, I'll go see if I can find it. Sounds interesting.

Anyway, hopefully someone would mod it. I would love to see spacesuits walking on the red terrain making mineral mines or microbial farm =p

 

[black baron]

although you said no bts you can get some stuff from bts like the arcology building(basically a dome built around your city) from next war epic or some of the civs, techs, and religions from final frontier on bts. if i could mod more than xml i would try to make this. if i try I'd have to be a joint project(yes i am asking if anyone would like to help me mod this)

 

[gu35s]

err. i want that dome thing XD
Do tell how to incorporate that into the older version of civ4
I have dump in things like blue marble terrains, the better looking stable and some other small things, but I have never tried to put in new buildings and such. It'd be good to know and maybe start a small modding myself.

 

[black baron]

the dome(aka arcology) is part of bts and the arcology has 2 buildings like it but one is required to build the second and the second for the third.

if you want i can add in the other buildings and the new units from "next war"(mind control center, bio-warfare lab, cloning factory, dreadnought, assault mech, automatons, cyborgs, clone workers bio-warfare missile)

to get it to vanilla and warlords should be pretty easy. all i have to do is introduce the tech and buildings. i can have it done and on the download section by tonight!

 

[gu35s]

nice. I'd love to add new buildings to the civ. getting bored of the same old same old after 5 space race...

maybe i ll read some of the tutorials and figure out how to mix the stuff in mac. when i have the time. anyway, thanks for baron.

 

[black baron]

just to be safe I'll make it for vanilla

 

[gu35s]

yeah probably better. I can dump it into customassets later if it works with warlords too. Thanks baron.

Anyway, Ima start reading the xmls and see if I can edit something by myself. tho it would be fun if someone would make the spacesuits people as workers =p

*Hammer* *Hammer* *slip*
"Worker to City, I think the hammer is gonner. Over."
"City to Worker, ANOTHER ONE?? ... over"
"Worker to City, Yes, another one. I told you this suits are stupid. It's hot as hell in here too. Can I take it off? Over."
"City to Worker, NO! IT'S THE WILL OF THE GODS THAT YOU ARE WEARING IT! over."
(Gods a.k.a. players....) *Snickers* Dat looks funneh.

 

[black baron]

the clone workers or cyborgs might work take your pick

 

[gu35s]

cyborgs
=0~~

this so make me want to mod in mac....
any simple appz to edit tech tree or xmls for mac?
or I should read the new unit section. does it apply to mac as well?

 

[black baron]

what? i didn't catch much of what you wanted to say

 

[gu35s]

Just wondering if there is any simple tool to edit Tech tree and/or other XML within civ4 for mac.
I tried the ingame tech tree editor mod theLopez made, it doesn't work with what I have, and the other tech tree editor is window base so I can't use it. *shucks*

Now I am gonna take a read at the customization tutorial to see if there's something I can learn easily with this slow cramp brain of mine.

 

[black baron]

o thats a pain

 

[gu35s]

i give. I can't understand words. my brain cramped. blah. back to playing instead =p
oh, is the dome ready? I would love to add it to the game =3
Maybe someone should make easy cIV editing appz for mac lol.

 

[black baron]

no because when i worked on another mod involving python i scrwed the game up so that civics no work and i have no idea what else got scrwed up

so unless you know a fix you'll have to try and cont. where i left off

 

[gu35s]

@_@
ah well its a good try. thanks anyway

 

[black baron]

I'm board! so i will pick up the idea again!