My Suggestions

[IcyFrozen]

My suggestions.

Units
Rogue Units
First, bring brack the Privateers of Civ 3. They were a fun unit as they let you cause a little havoc and disrupt your opponents without provoking war. In fact lets expand on that idea. A ground unit called 'Bandits' or 'Brigands' which can be produced by any power but can not be identified to a faction, freely cross borders and attack without provoking war. For fairness purposes they'd naturally have to suck in combat (probally somewhere around a scout), can't capture workers (just scare them off) and they couldn't conquer cities. Both units would make a great mid-game unit for Barbarian states so they can remain somewhat relevant. Perhaps a diplomatic penalty could be incurred if a power produces too many 'rogue units' to help balance out the advatanges of the unit type.

Infiltrators. A Spy-like unit that can cause unrest by staying in an enemy city. Spies lost alot of their usefulness in Civ4, give them a lesser equivalent and then pump Spies up a bit so that overall the option of Espionage is relevant.

Peacekeepers. Either the special unit for a Canadian faction (hey can't blame us for trying) or a unit enabled for the leader of the U.N., basically its pitiful on the offense but gains a massive boost when it gets attacked.

Conventional missiles with less power then the current Nuke that do not provoke the diplomatic resolution. In addition other variants such as chemical warheads (SCUD) could be used as special units for some factions.

Crusaders I'd like to see a religious-based unit for each faction that founds a religion, probally the rough equivalent to the Swordsman unit but with the ability to spread the religion like a Missionary. Maybe just their presence would spread the religion..

New Buildings
Museum
+ Culture, + Chance of producing a Great Artist

Casino
+ Gold Production. Morale Penalty.

New Wonders
The Louvre
Produces a Great Artist. +Culture/every Museum in existence.
Requires 8 Museums.

The Smithsonian
Produces a Great Scientist. +Research/every Museum in existence.
Requires 8 Museums.

New Improvements
Trading Post
Built on the border between two factions. An early improvement which gives a bonus in trade between the two factions.

Radar Station
Provides sight for a large range around it, including out-to-sea and into enemy lands. Gives a bonus for interception with aircraft within its radius.

New Techs
Piracy
PreReq; Sailing
Enables; Privateer unit, Brigand unit, Plunder upgrade (when this unit destroys another unit, gain gold equal to half that units value)

Fanaticism
PreReq; Priesthood
Enables; Crusader unit (if you founded a religion), increases spread of state religion, decreases spread of foreign religions.

Paranoia
PreReq; Nationhood, Radio
Enables; Infiltrator unit, Can build Radar Station.

New Factions
Pirate Nations
Leader: Henry Morgan and/or Blackbeard
Special Unit; A Frigate variant or an early gunpowder unit (Buccaneers?).
Starting Tech; Piracy (see above), Sailing
A faction based around Naval Warfare, similar to the current Vikings. All coastal Pirate cities would be considered connected for trade purposes even if they normally wouldn't be. All Pirate Units would gain the Plunder upgrade (see above). Horrible Diplomatic relations penalties and extremely high maintainenece.
Cities: Tortuga, Port Royale, Trinidad, Vera Cruz etc

Canada
Leader: John A. MacDonald
Special Unit: Peacekeeper (see above)
A faction based heavily on diplomacy, gains a natural bonus to diplomatic relations. Unit maintainence is high. War weariness sets in early and is more pronounced then other factions.
Cities: Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancover, Calgary etc

New Mechanics
Raid
Instead of the option of Conquer or Destroy, lets add a Raid option. Basically your troops plunder the city like mad, destroying most buildings and gaining the equivalent value of the buildings they destroy. This would be useful for factions who are too far away to hold a city but also don't want to destroy the city.

Anyways just some ideas I cooked up.. probally all been mentioned before.

 

[spawnofthejudge]

You should really check out the Beyond the Sword update. Though not even by a long shot are all of your suggestions present in the update, there are some of them that I read and had to go back and look to make sure I wasn't making up the fact that they were coming soon in the latest update.

Other things:

Trading Post is a taken name for a building (UB for Vikings replacing Lighthouse). So while that's an interesting idea, the name would be problematic.


Museum... what would be the tech for this? I like the idea of at some point the Civ care about the history of humanity, but I'm not sure what tech this would naturally go with (Education? Probably later than that...)

Radar Station: Yes! I love this idea.

Pirate Nations: Starting Techs have to all be first tier (no pre-reqs). I'd probably say Fishing and Agriculture, but that's my gut feeling.

Raid: Too powerful. Units with this promotion would make way too much money for kills. I'd say a money count of 1/8 the cost would make more sense, or possibly 1/4. But half is way too much money; you could basically shut down your economy and let the raiders make all the money you need. I feel that isn't the goal.

Overall, I liked some of your ideas (come up with a UB and starting techs for Canada!), and I also think you'll be relatively pleased with Beyond the Sword.

 

[IcyFrozen]

Yeah i noticed the stats for BtS after I posted. it looks good.

I think Raid makes sense, the point being that Pirates/barbarians/Vikings rarely support their economies through domestic means. They prefer to take what resources they require from poorly defended neighbours.

Anyways, some updates;

New Tech
History
PreReq; Education
Enables; Museum Building. Fossil Record Wonder.
Reveals; Fossils

Fundamentalism
PreReq; Priesthood
Enables; Crusader.
Effects; Cities with only your state religion gain +3 Happiness.

Inquisition
PreReq; Monarchy, Fundamentalism
Enables; Inquisitor

New Resources
Fossils
Revealed by History.
+ Research with Quarry(or Dig if a new improvement is available)
Appears as several bones on the ground.
(Mines should have a very small chance to discover Fossils like ores)

New Wonders
The Fossil Record
PreReq; History Tech; 3 Fossil Resources
Generates Great Scientist
Fossils and Library generate additional Research

The Human Genome Project (knocking of Alpha Centauri)
PreReq; Genetics; 8 Labratory
+2 Health all Cities on Continent
+1 Specialist all Cities on Continent

New Factions
Canada
Leader(s); Sir John A. MacDonald (Expansive, Diplomatic), Trudeau (Charismatic, Diplomatic)
Starting Techs; Hunting, Fishing
Unique Unit; Peacekeeper (Replaces Infantry) 15P, 1M, +25% vs Gunpowder Units, +75% when defending.
Unique Building; Rink (Replaces Coliseum); +1 Happiness, +1 Happiness per 20% Culture, + 20% Income

Pirate Nations
Leader(s); Henry Morgan (Aggressive, Tyranical), Edward Teech (Financial, Tyranical)
Starting Techs; Fishing, Hunting
Unique Unit; Buccaneer (Replaces Musketman). 9P, 1M Amphibious, +25% to Withdraw if losing. (Can be transported by any naval unit)
Unique Building; Pirates Court (replaces Courthouse); -25% Maintainenece, -25% Unhappiness.

New Trait
Diplomatic - Gives a +5 boost to Diplomatic relations with other Factions; + 1 Trade Route per city. Double war-weariness penalty.

Tyranical - All your Melee, Naval and Gunpowder units begin with the Plunder upgrade. Double Production of Naval Units.

New Upgrades
Plunder - If this unit destroys another unit gain gold equal to 1/4 its cost. If this unit Pillages an improvement gain gold equal to its cost.

Fanaticism - +20% vs City or Unit if controllers state religion is different then yours.

New Units
Crusader 6P, 1M Starts with Fanaticism upgrade. Encourage (Religion) - (Religion) more likely to spread to cities with Crusader (cumulative). The Religion is always your state-religion.

Inquisitor 0P, 2M Persecute - Consumes Inquisitor unit to remove the presence of one selected non-state Religion from city.

 

[Khan Quest]

Way to go IcyFrozen! Two posts to your name and chock full of great ideas!

 

[IcyFrozen]

New Techs

Diplomacy
PreReq; Nationalism
Enables; Diplomat (see below)
Generates a Great Ambassador (see below)
Universal small bonus to Relations with other factions (+1)

Anti-Biotics
PreReq; Medicine
Generates a Great Physician (see below)
Immunity from Plague (see below)

Sanitation
Prereq; Engineering
Enables; Sewer System (see below)
Generates a Great Physician (see below)
-10% Unhealthiness and Unhappiness from Crowding.

National Wonders

Way of the Warrior
PreReq; Hunting. 10 Melee Units. 1 per faction.
Minor reduction in production time for Melee units.
Minor reduction in upgrade costs for Melee units.
Increase chance of generating a Great General.

National Museum
PreReq; City must contain a Museum. 1 per faction.
Generates either a Great Artist or Great Scientist upon completion.
Reduced cost for Culture Build. (ex. 20% would cost equivalent to 15%)

Washington Memorial
PreReq; Nationhood. Must have eliminated another Faction. 1 per faction.
Generates a Great General.
Reduced effect of War-weariness on all Continental Cities.

Press Core
PreReq; Diplomacy, Mass Media. 1 per faction.
Generates a Great Ambassador.
All cities with Broadcast Towers gain +1 Happiness

Treatment Plant
PreReq; Sanitation, Recycling. 1 per faction.
-1 Unhealthiness to all Continental Cities.
+3 'What Smells?' Unhappiness penalty to the city that builds the Treatment Plant.
Increased Chance to resist the Plague.

Wonders

The Philadephia Project
PreReq; Fission, Combustion. Coastal City only.
Upon completion the player plays an additional turn immediately.
City that produces this wonder suffers a permanent -3 Unhappiness and Unheathiness penalty.

New Units

Dilpomat
PreReqs; Diplomacy, Can only be built in a city with a University.
0P, 2M
Build Embassy - Must be preformed in a foreign city, creates an Embassy under your control. Consumes the Diplomat.

Doctor
PreReqs; Medicine. Can only be built in cities with a Hospital and University.
0P, 2M
Cure - Removes Plague from the city and all units within the city. Consumes the Doctor.

New Buildings

Embassy
PreReq; Can only be built by a Diplomat or Great Ambassador, must be built in a foreign city. 1 per city.
City is visible (as though it had a religion you founded). You may view the cities display screen but not make changes (so you can see what buildings exist there, whats being produced, what resources are available etc)
You gain a relations boost (like +5) with the faction that controls the city and all Espionage done in that city or nearby cities gain a bonus to success.
City suffers a slight unhappiness penalty (-1 'Outsiders among us!')
Embassy is automatically destroyed if city is conquered (by any faction) or destroyed. If the civ which controls the city destroys the Embassy it provokes a War Reaction.

Sewer System
PreReq; Sanitation
-10% unhealthiness and unhappiness from crowding in this city.
+2 Health
Increased chance to resist the Plague.

Clinic
PreReq; Created only by Great Physician.
+1 Health
City is immune to Plague.
Units heal 10% faster in this city.

New Great People

Great Ambassador
0P, 2M
Negotiate - Consumed to create a trade pact with a faction, start or end a war with that faction etc. Other faction must comply for the minimal period for the agreement.
Join city - The city gains +3 Culture, Income and +1 Research
Join Embassy - You must control an Embassy in the city. Consumes the Great Ambassador, gain a +3 Relations bonus to the faction that controls the city as long as the Embassy exists.

Generated by; Completion of UN and Press Core; Learning Liberalism, Nationalism, Diplomacy and, of course, randomly.
Names; Colin Powell, David Loyd George, Vittorio Orlando, Georges Clemenceau, Henry Kissinger etc.

Great Physician
0P, 2M
Miracle Cure - Removes Plague from city and all nearby cities as well as all units in and around those cities. Consumes the Great Physician.
Join city - The city gains +3 Research, Health and +2 Income.
Create Clinic - Creates a clinic, consumes the Great Physician.

Generated by; Completion of Red Cross; Learning Medicine, Anti-Biotics, Sanitation and Refridgeration
Names; Hipocrates, Ernest Duchesne, Alexander Flemming etc.

New Effects/Events

The Plague
Any city with unhealthiness has a chance to develope the plague. The chance of developing the plague is determined by how unhealthy the city is. The plague spreads to nearby cities (even if their healthy) and then to nearby cities and so on. It will also spread if an infected unit ( a unit thats been in an infected city) moves into a city.

Cities have a chance to resist the plague. 10% if they have learned Medicine. 5% if they have learned Refrigeration. 5% if they have learned Sanitation. +5% if they have built a Grocer in the city. +5% if they have built Sewer System in the city. +10% if they have built a hospital in the city. +10% if you have constructed the 'Treatment Plant' National Wonder.
+2% for every point that the city is 'healty'/ +3% if there is a hospital.
If you have built a Clinic in a city is immune to the Plague, if you have developed Anti-Biotics or you are immune to the Plague entirely,
Your cities will not generate it and it will not spread into your cities.
If you trade Anti-Biotics to a civ that is suffering from the plague you gain a permanent +2 'You saves us from the plague!' relations bonus.

When one of your cities is infected by the plague your population slowly decreases to a minimum of 1. Also all units in the effected city take random collateral damage (they may be destroyed). You will also suffer a large unhappiness penalty in effected and nearby cities and a -1 'You have the Plague!' relations penalty to all uninfected civs.

The plague will resolve in a city (and all units in the city) or infected units outside a city after a random period of time (gradually increasing odds each turn) That city can only become re-infected if an infected unit moves into the city. If the city is cured by a Doctor, Great Doctor, Duration etc the Plague will not spread back into the city. Future Plagues may however.



Next on my list of ideas; Natural Disasters, technologies related to them, etc.

 

[IcyFrozen]

Yeah i cant wait anymore to do Natural Disasters

Before i start though i think the Plague and Natural Disasters would be be placed as 'options' in the options menu, so that they can be deactivated should a player choose to do so.

Without further ado..

New Events/Effects

Natural Disasters. There are 6 Natural Disasters; Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Meteor Strike and Tsunami, each with its own effects and conditions.

Natural Disasters a fairly rare and only have a base 1% chance of any Disaster happening on any given turn. This chance would increase due to excessive pollution being generated,on a global scale (probally to the effect of +1% per 10 units of polution) and use of Nuclear Weaponry (+1% per Fallout Square, +10% the turn following a Nuclear Detonation, decrease by -1% per turn until the effect is at 0 and removed)

Any city which suffers population damage from a Natural Disaster suffers a -3 'We fear for our lives!' Unhappines penalty for 10 turns after the effect. This effective is accumulative but only for each type of Natural Disaster which effects the city. (for example a Hurricane which hits a city which has generated 3 Tsunamis all of which hit the same city will still generate only a -6 penalty), damage from the multpile disaster still occurs as normal however.

If the UN is active and a Civ suffers a disaster a 'disaster relief' vote becomes available. All Civs get +2% Maintainence for 3 turns, Civ effected by the disaster gains +5% Income for 5 turns. All civs that vote for 'disaster relief' gain +1 Relations bonus with all Factions and +5 with the effected Civ, if the vote passes. Civs that vote against relief get a -1 Relations penalty and a -3 with the effected Civ, regardless of outcome.

Earthquakes
Earthquakes are centered on a randomly determined tile. Earthquakes effect all tiles within 10 tiles of the centered, or epicenter, tile. Eartquakes have 3 degrees; minor, moderate and major. Earthquakes have a small % (getting larger by degree) to destroy any improvements within the radius. Also if there is a city within the radius there is an equal chance per building within the city, that the building is destroyed. Also all Units take minor collateral damage (getting larger by degree) and the population of each city drops by 1 point.

If an Earthquake's epicenter is in an ocean or within 2 tiles of an ocean tile the Earthquake may also generate a Tsunami.

Volcanic Eruption
A random mountain tile, erupts. Volcanoes have 3 degrees; minor, moderate, Major. In a moderate eruption all units and cities within 1 tile of the volcano are destroyed. In a major eruption all units and cities within 3 tiles of the volcano are destroyed. In addition collateral damage, possbily improvement/building destruction occurs to tiles within 5 tiles of the volcano with the likelyhood increase by the degree of the eruption.

Future eruptions are more likely to occur at previous volcano sites, amking occurences of new volcanoes steadily rarer, but not impossible. Mountain tile is replaced by a Volcano tile.

Tornadoes and Hurricanes
These disasters have 2 Degrees; Minor and Major. The degrees determines the amount of damage done to objects in the part of the funnel. Both disasters are represented by funnel clouds with are based in one tile. They move (usually in a generally straight line) causing damage to things within their path. Units that come within their path are either destroyed or take collateral damage, improvements/buildings have a chance to be destroyed and some population lose occurs if the disaster hits a city, all depending on the degree of the disaster.

The difference between the two disasters is location and duration. A tornado will appear over land, generally in continents with great distances between oceans and lasts for a short period of time (1 to 3) turns and moves 3 tiles/turn. A hurricane starts overwater and lasts for a long period of time ( upwards of 30 turns) and moves slower (2 tiles).

Hurricanes have a chance to generate a Tsunami each turn and may generate multiple Tsunamis per a single Hurricane.

Meteor Strike

Essentially a Meteor Strike occurs without warning. A random tile is determined as the center of impact, in that tile all improvements/units/cities are destroyed and the terrain becomes a wasteland tile. All tiles within 5 tiles of the center have all improvements destroyed, collateral damage to units and possability of building destruction and population reduction in cities.

This is the rarest of Disasters.

If a Meteor Strike occurs in the Ocean it causes a Tsunami.

Tsunami

All Coastal/River/Flood Plain tiles within a certain number of tiles of the epicenter have all improvements destroyed. Units on those coastal tiles or in the ocean itself take damage. Cities in the coastal squares have a chance for building destruction and population reduction. All cities within the effected coastal tiles also suffer a -5 Flooding Unhealthiness penalty for the following 10 turns (this is not accumlative if multiple Tsunamis occur (see Hurricanes)).

Tsunamis generated by other disasters use the other disasters epicenter when it is generated as its own.

And for my own amusement;

Godzilla
50P, 1M
Godzilla, a massive dinosaur-like reptile, is generated in a random Ocean tile. It randomly moves about the map. Any improvements in its cell or adjacent cells are destroyed. Godzilla will also attack any units which are adjacent to him. Godzilla has a large Health score and heals some damage at the start of each turn.

When Godzilla is active the U.N. gains the 'Hunt Godzilla' vote option which suspends all conflicts and prevents factions from attacking each other for 10 turns or until Godzilla is destroyed.

If Godzilla is destroyed then is a small chance 1% per turn that it will reappear in a random Ocean tile.

heh heh (For compyright purposes this might need to be changed to 'Giant Monster', 'Sea Monster' or something similar.

New Techs
Seismology
PreReqs; Scientific Method
Enables; Seismology Institute, Disaster Shelters, FEMA, Early Warning System
10% reduction in Population damage from Earthquakes
10% reduction in happiness penalties from Eathquake damage.

Volcanology
PreReqs; Scientific Method
Enables; Volcanology Institute, Disaster Shelters, FEMA, Early Warning System
10% reduction in Population damage from Volcanoes
10% reduction in happiness penalties from Volcano damage.

Meteorology
PreReqs; Scientific Method
Enables; Meteorology Institute, Disaster Shelters, FEMA, Early Warning System
10% reduction in Population damage from Tornadoes and Hurricanes
10% reduction in happiness penalties from Tornado and Hurricane damage.

Oceanology
PreReqs; Scientific Method
Enables; Oceanology Institute, Disaster Shelters, FEMA, Early Warning System
25% reduction in Population damage from Tsunamis
25% reduction in happiness penalties from Tsunami damage.

New Buildings
Seismology Institute
PreReq; Seismology
25% of Warning of impending Earthquake each turn for 10 turns prior to Earthquake within 50 tiles of city with Institute.
25% reduction in Population damage from Earthquakes.
Immediately warns player of an Earthquake anywhere within 50 tiles of city with institute. If player has researched 'Satelites' this is expanded to anywhere on the map.

Volcanology Institute
PreReq; Volcanology
25% of Warning of impending Volcanic Eruption each turn for 10 turns prior to Eruption within 50 tiles of city with Institute.
25% reduction in Population damage from Volcanoes.
Immediately warns player of an eruption anywhere within 50 tiles of city with institute. If player has researched 'Satelites' this is expanded to anywhere on the map.

Meteorology Institute
PreReq; Meteorology
25% of Warning of impending Hurricane or Tornado each turn for 10 turns prior to Eruption within 50 tiles of city with Institute.
25% reduction in Population damage from Hurricanes and Tornadoes.
Immediately warns player of a developed Hurricane or Tornado anywhere within 50 tiles of city with institute. If player has researched 'Satelites' this is expanded to anywhere on the map.

Oceanology Institute
PreReq; Oceanology
25% of Warning of impending Tsunami each turn for 10 turns prior to Tsunami within 50 tiles of city with Institute. Cannot predict Tsunami's generated by other Disasters.
25% reduction in Population damage from Tsunamis.
Immediately warns player of a developed Tsunami anywhere within 50 tiles of city with institute. If player has researched 'Satelites' this is expanded to anywhere on the map.

Disaster Shelter
PreReq; Seimsology or Volcanology or Meteorlogy or Oceanology.
25% reduction in population damage from all Disasters.
25% reduction in happiness penalties from all Disasters.

Breakwater
PreReq; Oceanology, City must be Coastal.
50% to prevent all Tsunami effects on this city.
25% reduction in Population damage from Tsunamis.

New National Wonders
Early Warning System
PreReq; Seimsology, Volcanology, Meteorology, Oceanology
10% to prevent a Disasters effects on Continental Cities.
25% reduction in population damage from all Disasters.
25% reduction in happiness penalties from all Disasters.

Coastguard
PreReq; Sailing, Oceanology
Reduced damage from Disasters to Naval units.
All Naval units gain the 'intercept' option when in one of your cities.
(Intercept - The naval unit fortifies in a city but automatically wakes and moves to intercept enemy naval units as they enter your waters (as marked by your borders). If they can intercept they will automatically engage the enemy, if not they will become available for orders during your following turn.)

New Wonders
FEMA
PreReq; Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, Oceanology
Prevent all population loss and unhappiness from disasters from your Civ.
25% reduction in population loss and unhappiness to any Civs with a Permanent, Alliance, Mutal Defense or Open Borders agreement with you.
+10% Maintainence.

 

[Mewtarthio]

Wow! What a group of posts! Great to see a new member with such a slew of ideas! I'll go through them all later.