New Harbour System [IMPLEMENTED]

[raystuttgart]

Hallo guys,

I have now ported another of my old prototypes from my old abandoned mod PttT (Path to the Throne).
From time to time I feel like I should save some of them from being completely lost ...

New Harbour System

Game Concept:

• Ships need space (in Harbour) - the bigger the Ship, the more space it needs (varies from 1 to 6)
• Harbour Buildings increase the available Space (in Harbour) - higher upgrades give more
• Once the Harbour is full (or has not enough available space) new Ships can not enter anymore.
• Thus players need to consider a bit more and properly plan their Ship routes or even Ship acquisition

Other:

• AI can handle it. (It has easier rules for it though.)
• It is all completely balanced in XML (Civ4UnitInfos.xml: Ships, Civ4BuildingInfos: Harbour Buildings)
  
• It can easily be completely deactivated in XML by a single setting (GlobalDefinesAlt.xml: ENABLE_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM --> 0)
• Harbour Space (needed and available) are visible in Colopedia, Mouse-Overs and in Cities

Spoiler :

PttT had a "Space Port Sytem", that played a bit different than "Airports" and "Seaports".
The WTP version I have now created is a simplified / streamlined version of it.

In Colopedia of Ships:


In Colopedia of Buildings:


In City Screen: Used (Available) Harbour Space, colour coded


Mouse Over a Ship: Shows how much harbour space it needs


When you try to enter a Harbour that is full:


Mouse-Over City Billboard: shows available Harbour space

 

[raystuttgart]

@Kendon
If you find some time, could you maybe check the new XML text entries I have created?
Maybe my English could be improved a bit.
Thanks in advance.

• TXT_KEY_UNIT_HARBOR_SPACE_NEEDED
  
• TXT_KEY_BUILDING_MAX_HARBOUR_SPACE_PROVIDED

• TXT_KEY_CITY_HARBOR_STILL_FREE
• TXT_KEY_CITY_HARBOR_ALMOST_FULL
• TXT_KEY_CITY_HARBOR_TOTALLY_FULL

• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM
• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM_PEDIA

 

[XSamatan]

That's great stuff!

 

[raystuttgart]

@Kendon
Please read my comment to your text change here.
A word like "needed" really fits, because the Ship needs that space in the docks.
It is the text that should e.g. be displayed like in this picture.

 

[Kendon]

@Kendon
A word like "needed" really fits, because the Ship needs that space in the docks.
It is the text that should e.g. be displayed like in this picture.

I understand better now. I changed it to "Dock Space Needed" because I think of a harbour as having several docks, some for small boats and some for ocean-going ships.

Different ships are going to need the appropriate number of available anchor symbols to dock and unload.

Another option is "Wharf Space Needed" because that's more specific to the physical structure. It's good to suggest the image of the big ship tossing down hawsers and tying up, rather than simply entering a harbour which is usually a diverse and complicated space. I like to see actions in my mind.

 

[raystuttgart]

This one here seems to be generally liked.

Thus I will also merge its sibling prototype from PttT "New Barracks System" into WTP.
(Do not worry, it will only affect stationing of Military Units in Cities and Forts*. Civil Units will be unaffected.)

* Technically Monasteries will also be affected, since they also offer a small defensive Bonus.
(But generally most people never stack lots of Military in Monasteries anyways.)

 

[ConjurerDragon]

This one here seems to be generally liked.

Thus I will also merge its sibling prototype from PttT "New Barracks System" into WTP.
(Do not worry, it will only affect stationing of Military Units in Cities and Forts*. Civil Units will be unaffected.)

* Technically Monasteries will also be affected, since they also offer a small defensive Bonus.
(But generally most people never stack lots of Military in Monasteries anyways.)

At least after Alamo they did so less and less...

 

[raystuttgart]

New Harbour System now also considers Improvements that act like Cities.
(It is limitted though and can not be abused. 2nd level improvements double the Space.)

 

[raystuttgart]

@Kendon:
Could you write these English GameConcepts texts for this feature please.
Once they are written, I will take care of the German versions.

• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM
• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM_PEDIA

It does not hurry though, can easily wait until the new year.

 

[modmod]

Hmm - I personally do not plan to use it.

Reason: ships needs mainly the BAY in first hand, not neccesary the docks.
There can be many ships in the bay to anchor or patrolling or ships block the way in, mainly military. While use just small boats to get limited goods or put personel to shore/ docks.

 

[raystuttgart]

Hmm - I personally do not plan to use it.

No problem, I made it optional in XML.
(One single setting to deactivate it.)

But I personally love this new feature.
I had lots of fun with it in my first tests.

It requires much more strategic planning ahead.
(Harbours, Trade Routes, Ship acquisition, ...)

-----

While use just small boats to get limited goods or put personel to shore/ docks.

For a small pirate ship in the carribean that is just resupplying a bit of water and food from an island, maybe.
Bur for a real trade ship like a Galleon or Indiaman loading 40+ tons of goods in a colonial city for trade in Europe, no chance.

What I talk about has nothing to do with "pirate movie romantic", but with "actual historic colonial trade reality".
(Mass shiping of goods from colonial harbour cities with several thousands of people and slaves.)

And in these cities, docking space was really limited especially if the Cities grew bigger.
Ships that could not enter the harbour could simply not be loaded / unloaded efficiently.

-----

Reason: ships needs mainly the BAY in first hand, not neccesary the docks.

Ships also need docks when they want to efficiently load and unload for mass trade.
In a city that does lots of trade, dock space is a key factor for trade.

How should a galleon be properly unloaded or loaded with tons of goods, if it is floating half a mile outside the city in a bay?
If you have ever been in any trade harbour you will know that this is not the way it works and docks inside the city harbour are needed for that.

------

Maybe it is not immersive for you, but for me it really is.
You imagine something totally different than I do.

When you play WTP, you may think about "pirate movie romantics".
When I play WTP, I think about the creation of a "colonial trade empire".

But as I said, feel free to deactivate it.

 

[nci]

How does this system work for native villages?

 

[raystuttgart]

How does this system work for native villages?

It only limits harbour space in European settlements.
(Native villages are not checked and AI also has easier rules for its settlements.)

Main reason for excluding Native villages:
Performance

 

[Kendon]

@Kendon:
Could you write these English GameConcepts texts for this feature please.
Once they are written, I will take care of the German versions.

• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM
• TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM_PEDIA

It does not hurry though, can easily wait until the new year.

Here's the Harbour English text. I can't put it into ConceptInfo in GitHub because the last change there was so large (1.22 Mb). The barracks is written too, in its own thread.

"In a harbour ships need enough space to anchor along the wharf for loading and unloading - the bigger the ship, the more space it needs (varying from 1 to 6 anchor symbols). [PARAGRAPH:1]Harbour buildings increase the available space by setting up more docks - higher upgrades offer extra berths for bigger ships.[PARAGRAPH:1]Once the harbour is full, or doesn't have enough space available for an arriving ship, new ships have to anchor offshore, waiting until other ships make space by heading back out to sea. Thus players need to consider a bit more and properly plan their ship routes, or even to make different choices when it comes to ship acquisition."

Pedia

"A harbour is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked.[PARAGRAPH:1]Harbour is often used interchangeably with port, which is a man-made facility built for loading and unloading vessels and dropping off and picking up passengers. Ports usually include one or more harbours, such as Alexandria Port in Egypt.[PARAGRAPH:1]The harbour is the water area of the port, directly adjacent to the berths where ships load and unload, and passengers embark or disembark. In the harbour ships can be at a long anchorage at the pier or at anchor. There will be special places for anchorage within the harbour territory."

 

[raystuttgart]

This here is just the name of the pedia entry:
(No long texts possible)
TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM

This here is the actual long text inside the pedia :
(What you see after you clicked the entry)
TXT_KEY_CONCEPT_NEW_HARBOUR_SYSTEM_PEDIA

I will combine your 2 text passages to the long text inside the Pedia entry.
I will commit it later today.

 

[raystuttgart]

@Kendon:
Your texts are commited now.
Thanks for taking the time.

 

[raystuttgart]

Small improvement to the Mouse Over in City Screen: