National Epics and Second Civ Ability

[AntSou]

National Epics

A National Epic would be an improvement available to every Civ, like the Plaza, that would unlock a minor Civ-specific second ability. This bonus would apply to the city in which it is built. Certain adjacency requirements would have to be met, depending on the Civ.

National Epics can be captured by other civs, and retain their bonuses.

It would personalise certain cities, mainly capitals, giving them greater flavour.

E.g.

Greece - Must be built adjacent to Plaza. Unlocks the ability to build a second Theatre Square in this City.
Hungary - Must be built adjacent to a river in the Capital. Movement cost on tiles adjacent to this river is equal to the current's Age roads.
Japan - Counts as a District. Districts in this City receive +1 Adjacency bonus for each adjacent district rather than +0.5 and +3 for every two adjacent districts.

Etc

 

[Sirsquier]

Cool idea

 

[ehecatzin]

Aztecs - must be build on a lake. Entertainment district project generate Great General points.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

What would these look like graphically?
I think it sounds like an interesting idea but I'm thinking more on the lines of every Civ has their own national epic quest in a game, instead of building one. Once you reach that quest you can gain a lot of era points that would surely let you go into a golden age and have those special abilities from then on.
For example as inspiration above: The Aztecs need to build five lake improvements with a captured builder. From then on Bread and Circus projects generate Great General points.

 

[steveg700]

What would capturing a national epic from another civ represent?

 

[AntSou]

What would capturing a national epic from another civ represent?

Cultural Domination? Most of these would be built in one of the first cities in your empire, probably the Capital. It would be nice if the captured Capital/City retained some flavour of its previous owners. Even better if each National Epic was graphically unique.

What would these look like graphically?
I think it sounds like an interesting idea but I'm thinking more on the lines of every Civ has their own national epic quest in a game, instead of building one. Once you reach that quest you can gain a lot of era points that would surely let you go into a golden age and have those special abilities from then on.
For example as inspiration above: The Aztecs need to build five lake improvements with a captured builder. From then on Bread and Circus projects generate Great General points.

That would work as well. The only problem is that those bonuses are empire wide. I would prefer if they applied to the Capital only. I actually considered a second civ ability some weeks ago but ended up changing my mind.

The problem I see in a second empire-wide Civ ability is how much of a pandora box it might be in terms of game balance. So I think it would be easier to design something that affected only one city, whether that be an Epic improvement or an Epic Quest. It would still provide a nice bonus to look forward to, but it would be limited.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Cultural Domination? Most of these would be built in one of the first cities in your empire, probably the Capital. It would be nice if the captured Capital/City retained some flavour of its previous owners. Even better if each National Epic was graphically unique.

That would work as well. The only problem is that those bonuses are empire wide. I would prefer if they applied to the Capital only. I actually considered a second civ ability some weeks ago but ended up changing my mind.

The problem I see in a second empire-wide Civ ability is how much of a pandora box it might be in terms of game balance. So I think it would be easier to design something that affected only one city, whether that be an Epic improvement or an Epic Quest. It would still provide a nice bonus to look forward to, but it would be limited.

I'd be fine if the bonuses only work for the capital city or a the city with the Govt. Plaza to balance things out.

If the epic would be a buildable improvement what would one look like exactly say for Egypt or China?

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

National Epics

A National Epic would be an improvement available to every Civ, like the Plaza, that would unlock a minor Civ-specific second ability. This bonus would apply to the city in which it is built. Certain adjacency requirements would have to be met, depending on the Civ.

National Epics can be captured by other civs, and retain their bonuses.

It would personalise certain cities, mainly capitals, giving them greater flavour.

E.g.

Greece - Must be built adjacent to Plaza. Unlocks the ability to build a second Theatre Square in this City.
Hungary - Must be built adjacent to a river in the Capital. Movement cost on tiles adjacent to this river is equal to the current's Age roads.
Japan - Counts as a District. Districts in this City receive +1 Adjacency bonus for each adjacent district rather than +0.5 and +3 for every two adjacent districts.

Etc

Nice idea . Anything that further personalises your Civ is great .

 

[AntSou]

If the epic would be a buildable improvement what would one look like exactly say for Egypt or China?

I think that such Epics would have to be mainly monuments. Symbolic structures rather than practical ones, which link to a Civ's Ability, Culture and Character. Well known symbols, but not quite of wonder status.

Another advantage of monuments is that they are often stone, often are or attempt to replicate ancient/classic structures, and also tend to be fairly simple. So you could actually have such Epics available to be built much earlier than their true time period without it breaking immersion. E.g. Washington Monument. It is at once THE Washington monument, but also very much just a typical looking, if oversized, obelisk.

Here are some examples:

Egypt - Sphinx
France- Bastille Monument
America - Washington Obelisk
Arabia - Kaaba

I think you can kind of get what I mean by the examples above.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

I think that such Epics would have to be mainly monuments. Symbolic structures rather than practical ones, which link to a Civ's Ability, Culture and Character. Well known symbols, but not quite of wonder status.

Another advantage of monuments is that they are often stone, often are or attempt to replicate ancient/classic structures, and also tend to be fairly simple. So you could actually have such Epics available to be built much earlier than their true time period without it breaking immersion. E.g. Washington Monument. It is at once THE Washington monument, but also very much just a typical looking, if oversized, obelisk.

Here are some examples:

Egypt - Sphinx
France- Bastille Monument
America - Washington Obelisk
Arabia - Kaaba

I think you can kind of get what I mean by the examples above.

I like the idea behind it, but I'm still not sure if calling it National Epic is the right word, but instead call it a National Wonder so it's basically like an improved unique infrastructure that only your civ can build once. I have some ideas that aren't just monuments but also aren't wonders in game.

Egypt already has a sphinx but they can get the Great Sphinx.
France gets a buffed up Chateau in Versailles.
America can build Mt. Rushmore and gains more tourism if it's in a national park.
Arabia is fine or maybe the House of Wisdom.

Edit: England could get the British Museum back as theirs.