Possible new civilization game: make our own!

[ShiroKobbure]

Well I have been watching this thread. And from the looks of it, Steph will be doing this almost by himself. I can't do much, I wish I could. I cannot help with the coding, I don't know anything about it, but I can make graphics.

My requests?
-Be able to use Civ III files, units leaderheads etc.
-Turn base
-More or less work like Civ III
-The ability to have buildings produce units instead of resources (Total War)
-Religion
-Custom number of eras and era graphics
-No culture groups

 

[Ondskan]

I'm surprise by two things... The lack of ambition of some here...

And your difficulty to differentiate between game mechanism and a scenario

Hi. I'm just curious, did you read my proposals?

I thought they were perhaps even a bit to ambitious!

The changing of tiles as seasons move back and forth and the different bonuses to units against other units.

 

[Steph]

I read them. Changing of tiles poses just one real problem: having the same graphics with season variations, that's a lot of work for the artist, but is not difficult to implement.

Bonus vs unit is a must have, although it will probably be done in a different way.

 

[Ondskan]

Great. And I think there's already some artwork here that people will be happy to give for the project.

Besides. Most of the artwork would be re-used.

For example when northen grasslands freeze, they just turn into tundra.
This would add new strategic depth, forcing you to limit growth in a city if you don't want starvation in it later...(obviously starvation should increase dissent in the city).

This would also give more importance to the grannary as a form of food storage during really cold or dry periods.

 

[Steph]

Well, if it is seasonal, then it can be used only in scenarios, not in 20 years turn epic game.

The graphics here will not be reusable for the maps directly.

The unit graphics will be reusable.

 

[Ondskan]

Well the game will I hope be divided into 4 or perhaps better 3 ages.

During all these ages there were/are periods of substantial difference in temperature.

If the world starts at lets say BC 6000 the world will be in the middle of a retriving ice age. So during the time the now many tundra areas would slowly turn into grassland while the central jungles and grasslands would slowly turn into plains and desert. (At least in Africa)

In the next age, say darkage-industrial period you'd experience a small iceage during the middle of the middleages.


After the industrial age the game would become seasonal and later monthly and then weekly. Experiencing the differences in seasons.

How does that sound?

 

[Mad Man]

I liked the ability to have my military travel to foreign cities with out killing everyone in it like in civ4 also the ability to take pows or surrender would be interesting.

 

[ShiroKobbure]

eras should not be something that is hard coded, people should be allowed to have 1 or 7 eras, depending on their scenario. And the graphics allowed to change for each one.
Also the ability to have events, such as civs appearing at a set year in the game.

 

[Deth McBones]

I see what Steph is talking about when he says that he needs advice on mechanisms and not scenarios. I think Ondskan is really asking for a mechanism kind of like the Civ III global warming, only much expanded. This would probably be a little tough to control, but would be interesting to implement. Perhaps the 'scenario.stph' would have values close to how volcanos erupt or how resources disappear implemented into the 'terrain change,' and even a prerequisite, to enable the before mentioned era-specific changes. Ondskan, correct me if I'm wrong.

As for aforementioned ambition, , I'm glad to see you are trying to really create something really great, and I'm sure once we start seeing what you have in mind we'll throw some really big stuff at you.

And, several ideas for the tech tree. First up: please make the prerequisite have an OR option. This would allow modders to have several different cultures access the same tech mid-tree, which would be a boon. Secondly: someone mentioned Empire Earth's (or a similar game's) tech progression, which is quite expansive (I loved EE2), and with that large number of eras, an idea comes to mind. Why have three or four hybrid eras where a modder has to squeeze in tons of techs when you could just have mini-eras? Just allow the option of creating less or more eras and the modders will either use more or less eras according to their preference.

I'm trying to think outside the box here, but perhaps I'm still sticking too close to Civ III. Darn, why does it have to be THE turn based strategy game of all time?

EDIT: Darn. My first real crosspost.

 

[Graceheart the Leopard]

Will this be freeware (like Freeciv and C-evo) or copyrighted?

 

[jewmpaloompa]

And, several ideas for the tech tree. First up: please make the prerequisite have an OR option. This would allow modders to have several different cultures access the same tech mid-tree, which would be a boon.

I was just about to post something just like this also don't limit the number of prerequisites for a tech... that has always bugged me... same thing with units... if I want a unit to require all of the resources then by gum I should get that unit...

Secondly: someone mentioned Empire Earth's (or a similar game's) tech progression, which is quite expansive (I loved EE2), and with that large number of eras, an idea comes to mind. Why have three or four hybrid eras where a modder has to squeeze in tons of techs when you could just have mini-eras? Just allow the option of creating less or more eras and the modders will either use more or less eras according to their preference.

Or you could make it closer to say civ4 in which there is a continuous tech tree and basically different areas that constitute an era... You could even allow multiple different tech trees really.... at very least if you do use eras I agree with bones on their function...

I think the really point is that your coding should be open ended enough to allow modders quite a bit of freedom...

 

[wolf_brother]

I'm surprise by two things... The lack of ambition of some here...

And your difficulty to differentiate between game mechanism and a scenario

Well... we're all here on a civ3 forum; obviously we all want something that's civ3 - but better. Less limitations, more expansions, etc. I think the biggest thing everyone wants is a smarter AI.

Edit
Heck, just having more AI strategy options, that the AI actually understand and use, would be a huge breakthrough.

 

[Graceheart the Leopard]

My first suggestion: A cool soundtrack for the game. In the other freeware Civilization games I have (Freeciv and C-evo) are okay, but their soundtrack only constists of units moving,artillery fire, etc., and not background music.

My second suggstion: Every leader (or at least, country) gets their own diplomacy theme (and a default peace/war theme in case we don't want to add new diplomacy themes for new civs we mod in).

While my second suggestion is optional, I recommend that you at least add in a soundtrack to the game.

 

[Kyriakos]

I am a bit worried that so many changes in all aspects of the game will take longer to implement, and in the end the game will not be at all like civ3. The success of freeciv was due to the fact that it aimed at being a better civ2. It allows for more nations, and have other things such as borders, but the basic game is civ2. Perhaps this project should have an analogous aim.

 

[ShiroKobbure]

I feel the same way as Varwnos, I want a better Civ 3. With more freedoms and some of the new concepts of Civ 4 (religion, and vassals)

 

[jewmpaloompa]

I feel the same way as Varwnos, I want a better Civ 3. With more freedoms and some of the new concepts of Civ 4 (religion, and vassals)

That's just the thing CIV3 has been done... Steph gave Take Two a very reasonable offer and was declined... I for one welcome a newer, better civ game... if you really wanted to, I am sure one could mod a civ3 look alike in Steph's game...

 

[JSnider]

I'd really like civ3*CtP squared, with slightly enhanced graphics. Random events don't exist in civ3 but available in CtP/CtP mods, revolts ditto .... and on and on. Civ4 mods fine, civ4 game cartoonist in look. So I am looking for a game that allows for maximum redesign capability with a good solid play system underneath. For AI I'd like to be able to set play parameters at the start of the game in more areas then 1 (civ3), terrain as indicated before, units tied to support from a given location with an area or operation, resources that are more meaningful and tied into unit/bldg support and country growth, economics that have ups and downs .... and so on.

 

[19Delta]

If we try to make a more improved civ 3 copy then wouldn't we be opening ourselves up to some kind of legal troubles from 2k/firaxis?


I like what someone said about the tech tree. Again, I'm going to draw from Supreme Ruler 2020, but I really liked the way the tech research was set up in that game. You had techs that were just prerequisites that you would need to research some other kind of tech. You had techs that gave you some kind of bonus. For example, if you researched GPS, then you would get a 4% bonus to your military efficiency, so your units would fight better. If you researched vehicle fuel cells, then your country's petroleum usage dropped by 10%. Then there were the unit techs. If you researched advanced tank designs, then you would open up the options to research each individual vehicle (M1A2, K2, T-80, etc). Each civ had their own tech tree as far as units were concerned, but they could trade the knowledge and be able to build those units. I played a game as S. Korea. I started out only being able to build traditionally Korean units, but over time, I traded for the knowledge of other country's units and now I have Merkava IVs, M1A3s, and Chinese Type 98s rolling around on the Korean peninsula and I have Iowa class battleships flying the Korean flag. I think that something similar to this would be great to see implemented in this game.

 

[cubsfan6506]

I will say this I think it is important that you don't get ahead of yourself and keep the goal in reachable site. For instance instead of haveing 30 or so civs right away you could maybe start out with a lower number but witha plan to add on more civs later in an expansion pack of sorts.

 

[jewmpaloompa]

I will say this I think it is important that you don't get ahead of yourself and keep the goal in reachable site. For instance instead of haveing 30 or so civs right away you could maybe start out with a lower number but witha plan to add on more civs later in an expansion pack of sorts.

This is more an idea for a scenario... not a game concept... What would be cool is if we could add an unlimited number of civs... at least more then 31...

19Delta- I seriously doubt even if this was a civ 3 copy anyone would get in legal trouble... we just wouldn't be able to call it something like "civ 3: unloaded"