Mod project: More terrain improvements

[Optimizer]

Civ 5 has rather few terrain improvements, but lots of buildings. This makes the map look rather monotonous, and it makes Workers obsolete in the Industrial era as soon as they have built all Railroads and Oil Wells.

I have an idea to alter some of the city buildings into specialized terrain improvements. Re-using the graphics worked fine in Civ 4, and made the map look much more interesting.

It also becomes more strategic in warfare, as improvements can be bombed and pillaged.

When terrain improvements are built, we must be aware of the opportunity cost; that is the cost of not being able to build something else there, such as a Farm.

Here are some suggestions:

Windmill: Can only be built on Hill, +2 Food
Hydro Plant: Can only be built at riverside, +2 Production
Solar Plant: Can only be built on Desert, +3 Production
Nuclear Plant: Can only be built on a Uranium source, +4 Production, +2 Science
Observatory: Can only be built on a Mountain, +5 Science (We need a modern worker able to climb mountains)
Seaport: Can only be built on Coast, +2 Production

What do you think?

 

[Optimizer]

As I said, I would like certain units to be able to climb mountains. Say that gunpowder units from Rifleman would have the ability.

On the mountains, you could place Resorts, Observatories and Forts.

 

[Szpilman]

Those look good, I like that you've kept the options fresh but not too ambiguous (I think Civ4 ends up with far too many improvement choices for the non-economy-obsessed player, and Firaxis seems to have realized that). Resulting in me just automating the workers.

In Civ5 I gladly manage my workers and will still do so with some fine additions such as yours.

I think Nuclear Plant is better as a building that needs a nearby source. I don't know if having two possible resource harvesting improvements for a resource is a good idea, it might turn out to be though.

Seaport needs to be limited to only one per coast per city. So normally a city would only be able to have one, but if it has access to two different seas (the city doesn't need to have military ship access to both, only cultural borders reaching to it) it should be able to have one on each. In fact a non-coastal city should also be able to have a Seaport if it's borders reach a coast.

Resorts could be built on Coasts as well as Mountains.

 

[Optimizer]

The Observatory could be renamed "Research Station", buildable on Mountains, Natural Wonders and Jungles, providing loads of science.

Infantry, Paratroopers and Anti-aircraft guns should be able to climb mountains.

 

[Thalassicus]

I really like these ideas, especially the solar plant and observatory. I think those are fantastic ideas, gives you something to do with those tiles in the late game.

 

[Shiggs713]

Nice idea's I like them as well. Perhaps hydro plants shouldn't be able to be adjacent to other hydro plants

 

[Decimatus]

We need airfields, listening posts(+5-10vision), stationary AA batteries, mountain mining, fisheries that can be placed on open water, industrial parks, mines/farms/trading posts that level up or come in 3 different variations, etc.

Going to add alot of this in my mod project once I can find someone to do the graphics for them.

 

[Optimizer]

That could be interesting, but let's concentrate on what is moddable.

 

[Cope]

I like these, it's very odd that workers have nothing to do after the industrial era right now.

I would maybe change seaports to +2 gold, and add wind farms for +2 production on coastal tiles.