Aussie_Lurker
Deity
1) First up, though the introduction of Resources to Civ3 was an excellent step forward, the appearance/disappearance rate issue was MUCH too random!
2) Any resource (luxury, bonus and Strategic) should, theoretically, have the chance to pop up anywhere on the map-with some exceptions (for instance, you couldn't find cows in the oceans for instance).
3) In reality, the chance a resource has of 'appearing' should be based on both its relative scarcity and the prevailing terrain. For instance, iron has a greater appearance chance than oil, which has a greater appearance chance than uranium. This base chance of 'appearance' is influenced-up or down-by whether it is in appropriate or inappropriate terrain. Appropriate terrain would add about +10-+20% to the Appearance chance, wheras inappropriate terrain might take off the same amount. eg. Uranium might have a base appearance chance of 10%, but in jungles, this chance might increase to 30%, wheras it might be 0% in the sea/ocean.
4) The chance of a resource appearing can also be increased through the 'terraforming' action of 'Prospecting'. Each turn, you can select 'prospecting' sites within your territory (or the territory of an ally or RoP nation). For every 10% the Public Works budget that you assign to prospecting increases the 'appearance chance' of ALL resources, within a given radius of your prospecting site, to increase by (x%)-up to a maximum value for each resource type.
5) It should, theoretically be possible to find a resource even if you don't have the tech to use it. Basically for every era you are in, prior to the one where the resource is first used, you lose 25% to the chance of finding that resource. For instance, finding uranium in the middle ages would incur a -50% chance to its appearance chance (and -75% in the ancient age). Having the tech, however, would give you a +5-+10% chance to find the resource
6) The size of a resource find should be related to its appearance chance-for instance, if the resource only has a 15% chance of appearing then, even if you do find it, it will rarely ever be above a size 2 resource (out of a max. size of 10). A resource with a 75% chance of appearence, however, will usually be between size 7-8, and never less than size 3!
7) A tech that requires a resource you possess will gain a research bonus based on the total amount (i.e. size sum) of that resource you possess. For instance, trying to get iron working would be much easier if you happen to have iron in your possession-the more you have, the easier it will be to get the tech!
8) Certain improvements and Techs should be able to mulitply the size of a given resource-even above the normal maximum size of 10 (but perhaps no greater than 20). eg. Having a stable improvement-which would require you to have horses within your city radius-would have a multiplying effect on the size of ALL horse resources within your civ.
9) The value of a resource, in internal and external trade, would be based on 'Relative Scarcity', "Resource Size', and 'Number of that resource known to exist' For instance, 3 known sources of uranium, in the world, would make uranium much cheaper, in trade terms, than if there was only 1 known source. Of course, this value would also be affected by 'relative Purchase Power' of each civ, the distance between the trading civs capitals, how popular the trading civ is with the buyer AND how useful that resource will be to the buying civ.
10) ALL resources, should be bannable. This turns them into Contraband which, with the right 'infrastructure', you can trade to other nations (even if you have no trade pacts with them) at a price many times higher than if it were legal! It will reduce your international reputation, however. It also increases the influence of the Criminal element within your civ (and the civs you trade to!)
11) The chance of a resource disappearing will depend on the following factors: Relative Scarcity,Size of that particular resource, the number of sources of that resource that you possess, the # of cities in your empire (the more cities, the greater the chance of disappearance), the total 'amount' you are currently trading to other civs (# of resource trades*size of each resource trade), the # of units you have which depend on that resource-on a regular basis (eg. oil for mechanized units), the # of improvements which specifically rely on that resource!
12) For a luxury resource, the size of a particular source increases the number of people that the source can make happy. Of course you don't HAVE to take full advantage of this potential-a choice which can extend the life of that resource.
13) For bonus resources, its size increases the food and shield value of the resource-again, you can choose not to take full advantage of these bonuses to extend its useful life!
14) Commodities and Commodity Trading: This should probably be abstract-with the total amount of 'bonus' shields and food a city can recieve, from internal trade, being about +10% of the total 'Surplus' food and shields that exist within your internal trade network-if that city is connected to the trade network by a road-+20% if its connected by rail. This applies ONLY to cities on the same continent. A city on another continent can still recieve the benefits of these cities, but only if its connected up, somehow, by a harbour/commercial port. The city recieves +5% of the surplus if the connection is a harbour, and +10% if its connected by a commercial port.
15) As mentioned in other threads, a city gains income based on the number of 'surplus' shields and food it possesses.
15a) If you didn't want to implement commodities trading in an 'abstract' fashion, then an alternative method would be to have a simple 'vectoring' system. In this system, you enter your city screen and click on the number of surplus shields/food that you wish to put in your trade 'pool'. This trade pool could then be accessed, via the trade screen-where you click on a city and then indicate the number of shields/food you want the city to have from the pool. The number of shields/food you could assign to your trade pool (and the number you could assign to a city) would be tech level dependant, and the nature of your trade infrastructure-for instance, you can assign more if you are connected via rail than road-and more via road than by harbour. Under this system, a city would only gain income for the surplus food/shields it has allocated to the trade pool-NOT the total amount of surplus it possesses!
16) Under the non-abstract system, your 'commodity' pool would appear in your trade/diplomacy screen-you could offer a certain number of this pool as part of a trade deal with another civ. Again, the maximum you can tade is both tech and trade-network dependant! Shields/food traded to another civ become unavailable to you, and instead ends up in the other civs 'Trade Pool'-which it can allocate accordingly. The base value of such trades will depend on the 'purchase power' of the seller-with the cost to the seller being dependant on the tarrif rate imposed by the buyer.
16a) Under the abstract system, external commodity trades would occur automatically, whenever you trade a resource with that civ. The maximum amount of a commodity that you trade to them (and vice versa) would be equal to x% of your total surplus-though you could go into the trade screen and reduce this amount. The values and costs of such trades, however, would still be based on the same factors as descibed in (16).
For more info on tarrifs and commodity trading, see http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85846
Anyway, sorry for the length of the post but, as always, any thoughts and constructive criticisms would be appreciated
!
Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.
2) Any resource (luxury, bonus and Strategic) should, theoretically, have the chance to pop up anywhere on the map-with some exceptions (for instance, you couldn't find cows in the oceans for instance).
3) In reality, the chance a resource has of 'appearing' should be based on both its relative scarcity and the prevailing terrain. For instance, iron has a greater appearance chance than oil, which has a greater appearance chance than uranium. This base chance of 'appearance' is influenced-up or down-by whether it is in appropriate or inappropriate terrain. Appropriate terrain would add about +10-+20% to the Appearance chance, wheras inappropriate terrain might take off the same amount. eg. Uranium might have a base appearance chance of 10%, but in jungles, this chance might increase to 30%, wheras it might be 0% in the sea/ocean.
4) The chance of a resource appearing can also be increased through the 'terraforming' action of 'Prospecting'. Each turn, you can select 'prospecting' sites within your territory (or the territory of an ally or RoP nation). For every 10% the Public Works budget that you assign to prospecting increases the 'appearance chance' of ALL resources, within a given radius of your prospecting site, to increase by (x%)-up to a maximum value for each resource type.
5) It should, theoretically be possible to find a resource even if you don't have the tech to use it. Basically for every era you are in, prior to the one where the resource is first used, you lose 25% to the chance of finding that resource. For instance, finding uranium in the middle ages would incur a -50% chance to its appearance chance (and -75% in the ancient age). Having the tech, however, would give you a +5-+10% chance to find the resource
6) The size of a resource find should be related to its appearance chance-for instance, if the resource only has a 15% chance of appearing then, even if you do find it, it will rarely ever be above a size 2 resource (out of a max. size of 10). A resource with a 75% chance of appearence, however, will usually be between size 7-8, and never less than size 3!
7) A tech that requires a resource you possess will gain a research bonus based on the total amount (i.e. size sum) of that resource you possess. For instance, trying to get iron working would be much easier if you happen to have iron in your possession-the more you have, the easier it will be to get the tech!
8) Certain improvements and Techs should be able to mulitply the size of a given resource-even above the normal maximum size of 10 (but perhaps no greater than 20). eg. Having a stable improvement-which would require you to have horses within your city radius-would have a multiplying effect on the size of ALL horse resources within your civ.
9) The value of a resource, in internal and external trade, would be based on 'Relative Scarcity', "Resource Size', and 'Number of that resource known to exist' For instance, 3 known sources of uranium, in the world, would make uranium much cheaper, in trade terms, than if there was only 1 known source. Of course, this value would also be affected by 'relative Purchase Power' of each civ, the distance between the trading civs capitals, how popular the trading civ is with the buyer AND how useful that resource will be to the buying civ.
10) ALL resources, should be bannable. This turns them into Contraband which, with the right 'infrastructure', you can trade to other nations (even if you have no trade pacts with them) at a price many times higher than if it were legal! It will reduce your international reputation, however. It also increases the influence of the Criminal element within your civ (and the civs you trade to!)
11) The chance of a resource disappearing will depend on the following factors: Relative Scarcity,Size of that particular resource, the number of sources of that resource that you possess, the # of cities in your empire (the more cities, the greater the chance of disappearance), the total 'amount' you are currently trading to other civs (# of resource trades*size of each resource trade), the # of units you have which depend on that resource-on a regular basis (eg. oil for mechanized units), the # of improvements which specifically rely on that resource!
12) For a luxury resource, the size of a particular source increases the number of people that the source can make happy. Of course you don't HAVE to take full advantage of this potential-a choice which can extend the life of that resource.
13) For bonus resources, its size increases the food and shield value of the resource-again, you can choose not to take full advantage of these bonuses to extend its useful life!
14) Commodities and Commodity Trading: This should probably be abstract-with the total amount of 'bonus' shields and food a city can recieve, from internal trade, being about +10% of the total 'Surplus' food and shields that exist within your internal trade network-if that city is connected to the trade network by a road-+20% if its connected by rail. This applies ONLY to cities on the same continent. A city on another continent can still recieve the benefits of these cities, but only if its connected up, somehow, by a harbour/commercial port. The city recieves +5% of the surplus if the connection is a harbour, and +10% if its connected by a commercial port.
15) As mentioned in other threads, a city gains income based on the number of 'surplus' shields and food it possesses.
15a) If you didn't want to implement commodities trading in an 'abstract' fashion, then an alternative method would be to have a simple 'vectoring' system. In this system, you enter your city screen and click on the number of surplus shields/food that you wish to put in your trade 'pool'. This trade pool could then be accessed, via the trade screen-where you click on a city and then indicate the number of shields/food you want the city to have from the pool. The number of shields/food you could assign to your trade pool (and the number you could assign to a city) would be tech level dependant, and the nature of your trade infrastructure-for instance, you can assign more if you are connected via rail than road-and more via road than by harbour. Under this system, a city would only gain income for the surplus food/shields it has allocated to the trade pool-NOT the total amount of surplus it possesses!
16) Under the non-abstract system, your 'commodity' pool would appear in your trade/diplomacy screen-you could offer a certain number of this pool as part of a trade deal with another civ. Again, the maximum you can tade is both tech and trade-network dependant! Shields/food traded to another civ become unavailable to you, and instead ends up in the other civs 'Trade Pool'-which it can allocate accordingly. The base value of such trades will depend on the 'purchase power' of the seller-with the cost to the seller being dependant on the tarrif rate imposed by the buyer.
16a) Under the abstract system, external commodity trades would occur automatically, whenever you trade a resource with that civ. The maximum amount of a commodity that you trade to them (and vice versa) would be equal to x% of your total surplus-though you could go into the trade screen and reduce this amount. The values and costs of such trades, however, would still be based on the same factors as descibed in (16).
For more info on tarrifs and commodity trading, see http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85846
Anyway, sorry for the length of the post but, as always, any thoughts and constructive criticisms would be appreciated
!Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.
!
