More Luxuries

You're producing some top-notch icons for these resources, great job!

I agree with lockstep that real-world accuracy can/should always be stretched to support a cool gameplay idea. I quickly realized that this should be a fundamental, guiding principle when I was coming up with concepts for my own mods.

I had an idea for integrating coffee with religion -- what if you included coffee as one of the resources that monasteries pump up? They may seem like somewhat of a weird fit with wine and incense, but the earliest credible evidence, according to Wiki, of knowledge of coffee and its effects can be traced back to monasteries. This would also buff monasteries a bit -- I don't know if monasteries are "weak," but personally I pretty much never pick them, and increasing the variety of attractive options is always a plus in a strategy game.

I think looking at the Mesoamerican's use of chocolate in religious ritual is a great idea. Here are some factoids skimmed from the Wiki article that could spark some ideas: The Aztecs associated chocolate with the goddess of fertility. It was believed to fight fatigue (I think the Aztec and Mayan people's version of the chocolate drink could definitely be grouped with coffee and tea -- I have no idea what the balance of this would be like but a belief that adds +1 hammer to each coffee, tea, and chocolate would be unique and fun. I personally think something like "Vitality Ceremonies" or "God of Vigor," along the lines you suggested, sounds nice). Finally, cocoa beans were used as a form of currency by the Aztecs -- if you really wanted to get detailed with incorporating the new luxuries into the religion system, what about ones that are more specialized in scope, such as one that only focuses on chocolate and adds the unique bonus of +1 Gold and +1 Faith? "Cocoa-Bean Currency."

I like the idea of referencing "Peace Pipes." I haven't looked at the possibilities of modding beliefs in a while, but if there were a balanced, interesting way to make this belief affect happiness, that could be cool. Again, I think that would require putting a more detailed overall focus on modding the belief system, which you may decide isn't appropriate for the scope of this mod. I think it would be cool, though.
 
Here's the jade one (went with the mine instead of quarry):

jade_screenshot.png


I think it might be dark enough; right? Or should it be greener? I'll check out some images later.

I just stuck with mines instead of the quarry, since quarries are already distributed all over the map via stone and marble. One extra regular luxury wouldn't have made much of a difference.

If I work ebony in as well, i'll change Religious Idols to Ivory, Ebony, and Jade, and keep Stone Circles as is. Then, for gold and silver, I'll try and think of some other religious bonus, maybe something revolving around the idea of currency, donations, offerings... or God of Prosperity... or " " of the Gods... Fallen Stars... Gifts from the Earth... Divine Radiance... Splendor of the Gods or Glory of the Gods... I don't know, lol.

- - - -

Thanks, GutFeeling!

Yeah, I'm definitely a believer in gameplay over absolute realism. A very realistic game isn't always a fun one or balanced.

Those are some interesting ideas I'll consider. Yeah, I learned a lot about the new luxuries as I was trying to make some short and sweet Civilopedia entries for them, haha.

And, any of these additional things that I modify would be in separate, add-on mods.

- - - -

I'll continue working on this tonight. I'll insert these two new luxuries into AssignStartingPlots, remove tin, and release a new version.

I'll also upload it to Civfanatics.
 
The Farm Crash Bug was just squashed in the hotfix. :beer:

That got me into the mood to pick up where I left off a couple days ago. :D

So, I think my final number will be 8. With amber and jade, the total so far is 6.

Ebony will definitely be one of them. The last one will be either coral or olives.

I'm a little torn as I don't really want another plantation resource, AND, I would really like another sea resource. But, at the same time, olives were pretty important in history (Inawordyes helped convince and remind me a little more of that) while I can't shake the feeling that coral is a bit of a stretch to include, as it's not really as important.

Though, if I can't get the coral terrain graphics to work or look good enough, it'll be an easy decision to use olives. Or, maybe I'll just increase the total to 10, and also include some flower resource to represent perfume/fragrances. (:crazyeye: oh, what have I started here? haha)

- - - - - -

After observing and playing around with the default terrain improvements and resources I was thinking this:

For coral: I could use the base files of whales, since it only uses a boat to represent the improvement, but change it to a snapshot instead of an animated graphic for the resource. Another thing with the whales, it doesn't have the circling seagull, which I would like to add to it. Also, hopefully any resources placed using this whale file as a base makes it look like they're underwater. I tested out placing some resources in the sea; the mined ones usually are halfway submerged while things like deer or citrus trees look like they're right on the surface. So, each resource has something which controls the illusion of height.

OR, I could just use the pearls one and try and remove the trellis thing that appears (or should I actually use it instead? What is it, something for divers to grab onto when they come back up for air after searching the sea floor?).

For ebony: This is the one that's going to be troublesome. If anybody could help and/or give me some tips, I'd greatly appreciate it. If I can't get the camp to work, I may have to settle for another plantation. I want to use the camp that's used for both deer and truffles, as the fox camp has their skins drying out on racks. I didn't check the ivory one, though. I assume that one would be the same as deer.

Anyway, I have to somehow prevent the deer models from spawning, and instead, have it place the static images of ebony trees. I don't mind the clearing of forest or jungle when the resource is placed, as it'll help it stand out. The camp should work easy as it just throws some small buildings on the side of the main resource area and clears a few more forests.

Another option would be to maybe utilize the citrus resource again, but try and make the trees less plentiful. Then, change the improvement type to a camp instead of a plantation and cross my fingers, haha.

Here are some additional icons I messed around with for these:

Spoiler :

Coral:
coral%2520luxury.png
Ebony:
ebony%2520luxury%25208.png
Olives:
olive%2520luxury%25201.png
- and also an unused Ebony:
ebony%2520luxury%25206a.png


coral%2520luxury.png

I really like the color combination of this one and the water effect behind it. I was originally going to use a necklace that had "shark tooth" shaped pieces, but this beaded bracelet fit much better and is easier to recognize at the smaller size.

ebony%2520luxury%25208.png

I really like this one as well. I had some trouble finding some nice ebony masks that would also look well at a smaller size. Then I saw a picture of a chessboard and the idea of the knight piece instantly jumped into my head and I began working on this. I think this shape is instantly recognized at smaller sizes, as the knight piece is so iconic. In history, the earlier fancy sets had black pieces of ebony (or brown pieces of rosewood) and white pieces of ivory.

olive%2520luxury%25201.png

This one was the easiest one to create and I think it works well. I also considered putting the olive wreath around the edges in the background, but I decided not to clutter the icon and maintain its simple elegance. Plus, simple works well when viewing the icons on the game map.

ebony%2520luxury%25206a.png

This was my first shot at the ebony icon before the idea of a chess piece popped into my head. Even before I got the other idea, I just wasn't too crazy about this one. The idea was really cool, and I played around with some other shapes of Egyptian cat statues (or, Bastet) but they weren't working well within the circular icons and when viewed smaller. Also, the gold distracts from the ebony, even when I desaturated the yellow. I like that the chess piece is solid and all dark, and the icon is somewhat dichromatic.
 
Hey, Pouakai, that would be a pretty nice idea for another mod.

Gazebo, yeah, I thought so too, but I had difficulties getting the coral resource to work correctly. I'll throw the files up here if anybody wants to give it a try and is better with textures and models.

- - - - - -

I scrapped coral and used olives instead. I'm kind of happy with that too, as it didn't feel right including coral over olives. I still have to work out the ebony resource. I believe that will be the last one, for a total of 8 new ones.

Here's some olive trees, slightly stumpy with thick trunks (some even lean a bit), fittingly near the coast:

olives_screenshot.png


I used a painting I've found of them and just warped, mirrored, and such to each one to differentiate them.
 
Further suggestions, that may be more bonus or strategic than luxury:

- Rubber
- Silicon
- Corn
- Rice
- Potato
 
Big update: Front Page

- - - -

Scrapped the olive graphics above and went with a warmer hue to match its primary terrain. I also used the default tree leaves texture instead, and only created unique tree trunks which are thicker and bend more. I also updated the pillaged graphics for it and created a brand new one.

I decided to just use a plantation improvement with ebony instead, until I figure out how to make a camp improvement work with it (If anybody knows how, please let me know!). I went with a cooler and darker hue for this one to differentiate it more from cocoa and citrus, and also to make the trees contrast the forests and jungles it's within, since I didn't include any fruit graphics on it which usually help a luxury stand out.

- - - -

(Also, this post isn't really a list of the changes. For that, see post #1.)

I increased the hard-cap on total resources from 45 to 75, so more than 5 resource types can be modded into the game without breaking things.

Also, I went ahead and included another change I had, which I was going to save for the deluxe version and my other projects. I added 6 more plot list indices if modders are interested: fresh water plains, dry plains, flat tundra forests (without including flat open tundra), and a combo list which contains both flat open tundra and flat open desert. The last two lists already existed, but weren't utilized by luxuries: flat open tundra (by itself) and flat open grassland (without separating into wet and dry).

The combo list solves an issue with the marble resource, without having to add a quinary plot list index and update many lines of code within the file. It also helps other resources like copper, silver, and gold cover more terrains; which is good for the system because these mined resources are very versatile. It helps add more luxuries to both of the harsher terrains' (desert and tundra) regional luxury lists too, which helps a lot since the regional luxury cap has been dramatically increased.

The other lists just help control placement a little more tightly. So, for example, instead of having ivory just place itself on its primary index of flat open plains, instead it will first search the terrain using its primary index of flat open "dry" plains and then if any still need to be placed it'll move on to its secondary index of flat open "fresh water" plains. This helps to make things a little more efficient so the ivory doesn't block-out any other potential luxuries which prefer a fresh water plains.

Another example is with Furs. In the default game, its primary index is flat open tundra "including" flat tundra with forests. There isn't any flat open tundra index by itself. Furs are much better on forests, since open tundra is lacking and camps don't remove the forest. So, now, furs first looks for flat forest tundra as its primary and if it still needs to place more it uses the new flat open tundra as its secondary. This way, other luxuries and things which, for example, are mined and remove forests anyway can use flat open tundra as their primary. Again, it's a little more efficient.

- - - -

EDIT: Oh, I also tweaked GetRegionLuxuryTargetNumbers() and changed it so that increasing the default number of civs by 2 doesn't initially decrease the target number of luxuries to place in each region by -2. Instead, it'll only decrease it by -1, as it already does each time you add 2 more civs to the total. For example: on Standard, 8 civs x 6 per region = 48 regional luxuries. On default settings, increasing it to 10 civs would make it 4 placements per region for a total of 40. With the tweak, it becomes 10 x 5 = 50 instead, which is closer to the initial intended total. This may have been done to avoid going over the initial number, but it doesn't really matter and won't hurt the random luxury total since it has a minimum value it always places.

In fact, I have to test things further, but I believe GetWorldLuxuryTargetNumbers() may be somewhat useless and is just something leftover in the file. Because it seems that when random luxuries are placed, it always is over the intended total anyway and defaults to minimum values.

For example:

For Standard size / Standard resources, the target is 60.

Regional luxuries are placed and roughly equate to 8 x 6 = 48. A luxury is placed at each city state, so that's another 16. 48 + 16 = 64. The target would now be -4. There's also a random number added based on the total number of civs, but it still doesn't make a difference. In this case, a random number from 0 to 7 would be added in.

So, before a single random luxury is placed, the target is usually over the limit. Random luxuries always default to a minimum value of at least 3. I say "at least" because depending on the loop number, it can be very slightly higher. In this case, on Standard, the first type placed within the loop will place 4 instead (5 loop target - 1 loop = 4); the rest will all total 3.

Code: 
		local world_size_data = self:GetWorldLuxuryTargetNumbers()
		local targetLuxForThisWorldSize = world_size_data[1];
		local loopTarget = world_size_data[2];
		local extraLux = Map.Rand(self.iNumCivs, "Luxury Resource Variance - Place Resources LUA");
		local iNumRandomLuxTarget = targetLuxForThisWorldSize + extraLux - self.totalLuxPlacedSoFar;
		local iNumRandomLuxPlaced, iNumThisLuxToPlace = 0, 0;
		-- This table weights the amount of random luxuries to place, with first-selected getting heavier weighting.
		local random_lux_ratios_table = {
		{1},
		{0.55, 0.45},
		{0.40, 0.33, 0.27},
		{0.35, 0.25, 0.25, 0.15},
		{0.25, 0.25, 0.20, 0.15, 0.15},
		{0.20, 0.20, 0.20, 0.15, 0.15, 0.10},
		{0.20, 0.20, 0.15, 0.15, 0.10, 0.10, 0.10},
		{0.20, 0.15, 0.15, 0.10, 0.10, 0.10, 0.10, 0.10} };

		for loop, res_ID in ipairs(self.resourceIDs_assigned_to_random) do
			local primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, luxury_plot_lists, current_list, iNumLeftToPlace;
			primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary = self:GetIndicesForLuxuryType(res_ID);
			if self.iNumTypesRandom > 8 then
				iNumThisLuxToPlace = math.max(3, math.ceil(iNumRandomLuxTarget / 10));
			else
				local lux_minimum = math.max(3, loopTarget - loop);
				local lux_share_of_remaining = math.ceil(iNumRandomLuxTarget * random_lux_ratios_table[self.iNumTypesRandom][loop]);
				iNumThisLuxToPlace = math.max(lux_minimum, lux_share_of_remaining);
			end
 
The new version looks great! Can't decide what I like more: the beautiful icons and terrain graphics, or the updated README description/features. ;-)

Even for those who are hesitant to add pure "flavour" stuff, the unique luxuries for Large/Huge maps plus the numerous bug fixes/efficiency improvements should make your mod tempting.

Should you decide to release an "Optimized Luxuries" (unique luxuries/fixes/tweaks only) version, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that Firaxis incorporates it into the basic game.
 
Thanks for adding the variety and making it also available here on CivFanatics. :)
Could you tell me if it's compatible with this map script called "Tectonic" on the Steam Workshop?
Thanks in advance. :)
 
Some thoughts about the no. of luxuries on diffent map sizes: It seems you wanted to feature all 28 (terrain) luxuries on maps with 18 civs, so you set the no. of luxuries to 22 for Huge maps with 12 civs, which in turns means 6 random luxuries (assuming the no. of City-State luxuries is 3 for all map sizes). But 6 random luxuries result in 12 total luxuries for Duell maps which seems somewhat excessive. I suggest to set the no. of random luxuries to 4 for Duell maps, 5 for Tiny/Small/Standard/Large maps and 6 only for Huge maps. (4 random luxuries for Huge maps would be appropriate for an "Optimized Luxuries" mod variant which gets by with the G&K/BNW luxuries.)
 

Attachments

  • Zwischenablage01.jpg
    Zwischenablage01.jpg
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cleaner, thank you, and I looked into that map script (a small portion of it is actually based off of my old map script, cool!) and everything should be fine with it.

- - - -

lockstep, yeah, that's basically why I threw the extra random in, haha. The old standard of 5 I used before the update worked well enough in that it kept all the totals equal to the default game, only Duel and Huge received an extra one.

You're right, though, it gives that pesky Duel map 2 extra luxuries over the default total, which is probably pushing it. I'll create a check for the map size, and have the random total be set off of that. Using your numbers, it'll keep the total luxuries intact again and equal to the default total on each map size. Only Huge will get the extra 2 (which doesn't hurt because it's so immensely huge compared to the other sizes) so that it still works out nice with increasing the civ total up to the regional luxury cap of 18.
 
Barathor said:
cleaner, thank you, and I looked into that map script (a small portion of it is actually based off of my old map script, cool!) and everything should be fine with it.
Click to expand...

Thanks once more for checking the script. :) What a fun coincidence that it's somewhat partly yours. :)
I don't want to be a bother, so what would happen if I used a map script that's not compatible? Right now I wonder for example also if the PerferctWorld3 script works, especially the improved version here or on the workshop here. :think:
 
This is awesome Barathor, I had been waiting for it to be updated before playing CiV again, and it made the game better. I am also really glad to see that my suggestions did have an effect (Olives and perhaps Jade as well, though you may have already been planning it before my post).

Did you have plans to continue working on this in the way of adding more luxuries? Because how I look at it is that there is room for at least four more, because in its current state with the placement, that would provide a full 22-civ game, with each having its own luxury. As before, I do not expect you too, and while it would be cool, I'm not necessarily asking, but over the past day or two I started thinking, if you did intend to raise the number at least to [a possibly final] twelve, for some more historically-significant items that could be considered as luxuries, enough to fill those spots. Some more suggestions, hopefully they'll help in the case that you do decide to continue adding more and can't think of any or need helping choosing:

Spoiler :
  • Lapis Lazuli - Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious stone, prized since antiquity for its intense color - a mix of calcite, sodalite, and pyrite, which gives it a distinct blue and yellow color with streaks of white. It was mined as early as the 7th millennium BC in modern-day Afghanistan, and was notable among ancient Egyptians, the stone being used in amulets and ornaments such as scarabs, and even used in for the eyebrows on the funeral mask of King Tut[ankhamun]. Several other Mesopotamian civilizations, such as Babylon, Assyria, Akkad, and Sumer, also used lapis for seals and jewelry - lapis lazuli was important enough to the ancient Sumerians to be referenced and referred to multiple times in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest-known story in human history. In addition to jewelry, in Mesopotamia and Iran it was used vessels, and powdered lapis was used by Cleopatra as eyeshadow, while lapis artifacts can be found in great abundance all through the Middle East - a notable example being the Statue of Ebih-Il which was found in Syria at the ancient city-state site of Mari.

    By the end of the Middle Ages, lapis lazuli began to be imported into Europe, where it was ground up and made into ultramarine, considered the finest and most expensive of all blue pigments while also being the most complex of the mineral pigments. Used throughout 6th- and 7th-century Zoroastrian and Buddhist temple cave drawings in Afghanistan and Chinese and Indian paintings and murals from the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 17th centuries, it is perhaps best-known and most well-recognized for its use during the Renaissance where it was considered the finest blue that could be used by painters and was used by the most important artists of the Renaissance and Baroque, including Massaccio, Perugino, Titian, and Vermeer. Often used for the central clothing of the figure, it was reserved primarily for depictions of the Virgin Mary in the 14th-16h centuries, and during the 17th and 18th centuries was used by Vermeer in both Girl with a Pearl Earring and Lady standing at a virginal.
    -
    Lapis Lazuli, like Jade is considered a gemstone, and so could fall under the Gems luxury. However, also like Jade, it was notable and worthy in its own right, and its blue-yellow-white mix would provide a very visually distinct appearance in-game. It could also feasibly be shorted due to ultramarine being considered as falling under the Dyes luxury, though for the same reasons as above - and the two of them together provide a luxury that is a both a mix but at the same time distinct from either. For the luxury icon, perhaps something resembling these (I'm not sure where you usually get your pictures from, so feel free to skip over):
    Spoiler :

    All taken from this page, the small icons (as the bigger pictures have the stock icon watermark over them). My personal favorite is the second.

    146956808.jpg

    147098138.jpg

    175917255.jpg
  • Perfumes - You yourself suggested this one on Page 2 Barathor, so I don't think that I need to write out its importance and worthiness as you already understand the impact that it has had and its qualifications as a luxury. I am aware that it would be a plantation luxury, which I know you're attempting to avoid due to to it's current overabundance at 6/8 (soon to be 5/8, when you can get the camp to work for Ebony). Still, that being said, you'd think that perfumes would have been included in the base game already, and they're definitely a top consideration, plantation issue aside.

    Roses would be the obvious choice for appearance and luxury icon (a cotton recolor would probably provide the best results), but you could also go a little more unique and perhaps provide a mix of red and white bushes (if that's possible to do in the game) to represent both roses and jasmine, as both are commonly-used flowers for perfumes.

  • Maple - Refer to my first post for the arguments used in Maple's behest. The reason why I'm bringing them up again is because I realized a few days after I posted it, and after reading the later messages, that, if it were possible, Maple would perhaps actually be best-suited as a lumbermill or camp resource (the same as Ebony), due to the fact that while maple syrup is a food good and could be seen as a plantation luxury the same as Citrus, Cocoa and Olives, Maples are all-purpose, and the wood and even maples themselves are used more widely and for more luxurious things such as what I laid out in the description. Plus, even if the focus was more on the syrup than the maple, it would make more sense visually for maples to be cut and shaped and even tapped at camps (or a lumbermill, if you wanted to disclude the syrup altogether, though I am aware of the problem presented by lockstep in regards to your consideration for Ebony as a lumbermill resource) rather than a plantation, as that's generally how its done in real life as well (correct me on this if I'm wrong). Once you find a way to work out Ebony to be able to assign them to a camp resource, Maple is a as good and valid a luxury as any that could receive the same treatment, and the maple syrup is what sets it apart other hardwood trees such as oak.

    I had looked up maples for icon art ideas, and then I looked up maple syrup specifically when I saw a myriad of maple leaf-shaped maple syrup bottles, such as the one I just linked to. I personally think that would be quite interesting, as it represents the iconic maple leaf, while also being a bottle of the iconic maple syrup. If you search for it you'll find a bunch, so if you were to go in that direction, I'm sure there are better icon options than the one I linked (I linked it as an example because it was a stock photo with the watermark over the bottle).

  • Coral - Bringing this up because you had decided to scrap it for olives, and it is definitely a worthy candidate for further luxury additions since the resource that prevented it is already included (I was half-tempted to write out a small message along the lines of "ESPECIALLY CORAL" when I mentioned them in the list of the other possibilities in my first suggestion post, but I erased it before posting). I wasn't sure if you were also having any difficulties with the tile art itself, so my suggested solution: Take the Great Barrier Reef tile art (as it is a coral reef, after all), and just modify it? Make it smaller (if possible), change some of the colors maybe, and then all you'd need is a boat to put overtop of it, and then you'd have a coral resource. And since you already have the icon ready to go, there wouldn't be as much work as compared to the other suggestions above.

As before, I hope that, in the case of lapis lazuli, I provided good insight into why it could be considered a potential candidate, and also for the others that my in-game design ideas are sound enough, though please, feel free to correct any mistakes or improvements that could be made to said suggestions.

After writing this, I look at the workshop page and saw your comment about not adding any more luxuries. While I feel a little dumb now for not checking there first, I hope that somewhere down the line this write-out and these suggestions are not in vain, and perhaps, hopefully, I've given you a spark that will lead to the creation of more resources. :)
 
Thanks for those suggestions! Well, I said the same thing when I created the first 4 luxuries, so we'll see what happens. :D But, I'm pretty sure I'm satisfied with the total of 8.

I have some really cool plans for pantheon beliefs. I almost have everything worked out on a spreadsheet I'm using. Well, I DO have everything flavorfully worked out, I'm just tinkering with the actual yield values now and balancing things. Every luxury will be utilized, every bonus resource, and the early strategic resources Horse and Iron (which works nicely now that it comes earlier)! I'm removing 2 of the old beliefs (one of them being Oral Tradition, unsurprisingly!) and adding 7 new ones.

I'll try and release this during the weekend if I get the time to finish it and polish it.
 
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