New Modern Technologies. Opinions please?

[MensSana]

I have posted this before, but would really like some opinions so that perhaps we could make some difference here, if somebody think it is worthwhile.

Well. I have played all the games from Civlization I to the latest IV, and have a couple of viewpoints regarding the spaceship victory, or mostly not the spaceship victory per se in Civilization IV but the tech tree!

The tech tree looks great up until the final technologies from rocketry and upwards. Before that the tech tree is quite balanced, but then all the spaceship components are crammed together in the last couple of technologies!!
I would want a spread of technologies so that we can piece together the spaceship with a number of technologies, and then it is the future!!!
To build such a spaceship we would not only need simple things as fusion or genetic, but more advanced stuff as antimatter technologies, or shield technologies or hydroponic plants and stuff. Future things so that we can build the spaceship. I guess that firaxis squeezed in all those thing so that we could win before 2000 but deadlines can be changed.

These technologies can be used not only for new spaceship parts, but also for new units (combat droids, workrobots etc) and new city improvements (VR Theatre etc) and new wonders (Mission to mars etc...)

 

[MensSana]

Please take a look at this picture
http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=120712&stc=1&d=1143105685


...where I have suggested the necessary modern technologies.
What units should be added?
What city improvements?
What world wonders??

 

[senwiz]

I like it.

A few more and you can add another age to the game. I have always found the end portion to be a bit light, IMO. I'm sure there are other things that could be added, or taken from other ages to allow for another one.

 

[Albatoonoe]

They need to divide the modern era. More changed than any other era happened in the last century.

Possibly dividing it into the World Wars and Cold war to Modern era, but I'm not sure what to call them. The Cold War/Modern era should probably hold some SS techs, considering the Americans landed on the moon in....'69 was it? I don't remember.

A tech age would be easy. Look at Empire Earth. They had two future erasand a lot of stuff in both of them. Just take a look at what people want for the future, what scientists are trying to make, and some science-fiction. It would be the simplest method.

The Future era should be optional, possibly. It would be cool, but some people wouldn't like it. and I don't want to hear them complain.

 

[MensSana]

I am glad you like it.

I just posted those technologies I thought are missing to send a manned mission to alpha centauri, but you are right. We should expand to include a separate technological era. Perhaps we should call it space era??
Suggestions are welcome.
Even suggestion about new technologies are welcome so that we can create 5-6 more technologies to make the era complete.

There are a lot of science-fiction books that one can create technologies from, but which to include?


/MensSana

 

[MensSana]

Ok. I have now added 6 new technologies. Most of them you can find information on through wikipedia. Artifical awareness is more like an enhanced artifical intelligence, where an intelligence does not need to be reasoning and aware, whereas the awareness is more like an intelligence which thinks of its place in the world etc....

I have not yet added all improvements, wonders etc, but would like your opinion.

 

[ToV]

Battledroids seem just a little bit too sci fi. In one popular science magazine, it was saying how the future armies would have really good bullet-proof armor, plus a lot of build in equipment.

One thing you can consider is having the robotics tech increase factory production, because of automation.

 

[FascistRepublic]

Also, the modern age lacks the Laser. That be a good insert.

 

[Mewtarthio]

They need to divide the modern era. More changed than any other era happened in the last century.

Possibly dividing it into the World Wars and Cold war to Modern era, but I'm not sure what to call them. The Cold War/Modern era should probably hold some SS techs, considering the Americans landed on the moon in....'69 was it? I don't remember.

The increased pace of technology is simulated by the reduced number of years per turn, allowing you to research more techs per decade. Sure, a lot happened in the small period of time called the Modern Era, but just as much if not more happened in the much larger period of time encompassed by the Classical Era.

A tech age would be easy. Look at Empire Earth. They had two future erasand a lot of stuff in both of them. Just take a look at what people want for the future, what scientists are trying to make, and some science-fiction. It would be the simplest method.

Didn't they just add generic robots and lasers for the Digital Age? And for the Nanotech Age, took every Digital unit and appended "II" to its name?

The Future era should be optional, possibly. It would be cool, but some people wouldn't like it. and I don't want to hear them complain.

An option to stop the tech tree at a certain point would be nice anyway (say you want to play up through the Middle Ages only).

Re: The Future

The main problem with games that go into the future is that they become cheesy and outdated pretty quickly. There are a lot of futurist theories out there, and nobody really knows how the world will evolve. If the game gets it wrong, people will spend their retirements laughing at it, saying "Boy, we sure were foolish back then, thinking that nuclear bombs would be modified for digging canals--Ah! My dentures have achieved sentience and are rebelling against their human oppresors! Run!"

 

[ToV]

Also, the modern age lacks the Laser. That be a good insert.

Realisticly, Lasers are not practical for military purposes, at least not in the time frame of the game. It's fine for industrial use, though.

 

[Ramalhão]

There are some good ideas. This new age could be called near future. Some new ideas: scalar electromagnetics and UFO phenomena (enable SETI Program).

 

[JesusOnEez]

Battledroids seem just a little bit too sci fi. In one popular science magazine, it was saying how the future armies would have really good bullet-proof armor, plus a lot of build in equipment.

One thing you can consider is having the robotics tech increase factory production, because of automation.

There was a recent TV program here in the UK that showed "battledroids" are being prototyped and tested.

Scary as that is, we're not as far away from this as you may think. They're obviously not self-controlled...AI hasn't advanced enough, but RC droids will probably be on the battlefield within the next twenty years.

ED-209, here we come!

 

[MensSana]

I quite agree, that most games out there when they predict the future they make it cheesy, or focus mainly on weapons, but if the future is balanced, I guess that we could add a Mod that would enable these future technologies. Because it is cheesy just to think that you can launch a spaceship to alpha centaury just with the technologies that are available in the original Civ4. I guess that some technologies can be outdated in a number of years, but a Mod can always be changed afterward to better reflect history.

 

[MensSana]

Perhaps battledroids will not be available in the future. It depends how godd our AI will be, if they will be....
Maybe I should change the battledroids with cybermarines? sounds a bit tachy.

Suggestions??

 

[MensSana]

Also I would like some suggestions for creating.....

1) New technologies and what they should be attached to
2) City improvements and attached to which technology
3) New units
4) New great wonders


As suggested Robotics increase factory productions, so I can add that, or increase factory production with the introduction of nanotechnology??

 

[MensSana]

I do not particulary like the UFO Phenomena technology, sounds a bit too much like science fiction, SETI could perhaps be introduced upon Artificial intelligence.
But scalar electromagnetics?? What do you vision to be available there?

 

[Ramalhão]

I do not particulary like the UFO Phenomena technology, sounds a bit too much like science fiction, SETI could perhaps be introduced upon Artificial intelligence.

Well, there are a lot of historical references to UFOs, so it can't be really science fiction . At least this tech would enable SETI Program, a world wonder. I don't have a better idea for it in Civ4, maybe something similar to Civ3 (increased science output).

But scalar electromagnetics?? What do you vision to be available there?

Google it, you'll find several sites mentioning what it could bring to us. It's in an initial stage, but it promises a lot of new discoveries.

As suggested Robotics increase factory productions, so I can add that, or increase factory production with the introduction of nanotechnology??

I think nanotechnology should increase factory production, as it could bring a better use of raw materials. Also, metals could be purer than now, increasing the resistence of armored units or bringing new armored units. A better helicopter and a better tank could be useful .

Also I would like some suggestions for creating.....

1) New technologies and what they should be attached to
2) City improvements and attached to which technology
3) New units
4) New great wonders

It would be great to have a lot of good ideas here. Maybe firaxians visit this thread and put these new things in C4W .

 

[JesusOnEez]

I think nanotechnology should increase factory production, as it could bring a better use of raw materials. Also, metals could be purer than now, increasing the resistence of armored units or bringing new armored units.

Some of the techs seem a little strange to me, as the reality of a Spaceship to Alpha Centauri is a long way off, as is cryogenics. Also, The Space Elevator is currently in planning and small (mile high) prototypes have been tested. The initial plan is to get it running by about 2027 I believe, but this is dependent on the introduction of carbon nanotubes for strength of the "rope" (for want of a better word).

So, I think nanotechnology should be a pre-req for The Space Elevator, as no carbon nanotubes equals no Space Elevator in the real world.

My 2 cents.

 

[MensSana]

Good idea regarding the space elevator, and I could not agree more. I remade the whole tech tree I showed before, with every unit city imporvement, and wonder, as well as, put the space elevator under nanotech.

Also changed so that nanotechnology increases the factory output by 50%

 

[kernok]

i like this big idea mensSana
Civ is a great game but it miss some "near futur" stuff