NOTE! This is a cross-post as I posted it in a different forum as well.
First off, about the tech tree, I think the way to expand it is to have it in conjunction with the concept they use in Final Frontier of having a 'theme' for your tech. So if your civ is on the coast, you might switch to "Maritime" and that would unlock certain techs. I don't know if there is a way to make a tech cheaper by a flag, but if so, then Maritime civs could research certain techs more quickly at the expense of others. I know in Civ III, they used to do this.
I think it would make each Civ tend to go their own way, sort of like in Alpha Centauri (which this mod is sort of like in a way since you have a high tech people having to start very low level). Some examples of these themes might be:
* Recovery: We had high tech and damnit we'll have it again! Civ's using this would focus on getting old tech working again so they'd have fewer weapons but more powerful ones. They might also have more of a bunker mentality, fewer cities, but bigger ones.
* Downshift: This could be for Civ's without a lot of resources at their disposal except for maybe people so they push to use older techs like gunpowder or steam. This theme is useful if you access to sulfur and coal but maybe no oil.
* Maritime: As mentioned above, Civ's using this would focus on ships, have access to whaling boats and perhaps 'super fisheries' in the sense that the normal work boat gets only a token amount of fish whereas the maritime Civ's work boat creates a fishery that really cranks out the food. Plus they might also have access to the River Port that some mods have. They'd get increased commerce.
* Luddite: Technology brought us ruin. These folks would want to return to a simple life. Sure guys in jeeps with machine guns are bad ass, but up against LOTS of guys with crossbows is a bad thing. Perhaps also allow this theme to have the mobile yurts the one Mongol scenario had to enable them to be semi-nomadic. Either that or they get a lot less penalty for spreading out.
* Mad Scientist: Not sure how high-tech the planet was before, but perhaps they are going to focus on mutations and other bio-secrets that might have been unlocked prior to the war. You could have clones, mutates and 'necrotroops' (basically robocops) plus bio-weapons or just good old fashion chemical weapons.
* Gaian: Theme that is focused on terraforming and using fixing the planet. Similar to the Gaians in Alpha Centauri, perhaps they could use, breed many of the new mutations. Plus, who wouldn't want to have cavalry using giant spiders! =)~ Plus this theme would go for more wind-farms for electricity and bio-diesel.
Anyway, if there is a way, I think certain techs should be available only after certain key ones are made and you have to sort of stick with it. Another thing about having the theme would be that would slow things down since trading techs outside a theme would be pointless since it's not just the knowledge but the infrastructure. Won't do me much good to get a tech for better work boats since I don't have the ancillary tech that allows for shipyards.
I mean if you have scant resources, you can't do everything so you have to sort of pick a path and ride it to the end or pay the price for starting over and I think that would make the Civ's all a little bit more different.
arkham4269 is online now Report Post Edit/Delete Message
For the most part, I only play Rise of Mankind and FFH. In fact, I get so used to being able to terraform via magic and having certain landmarks that it's a bit of a shock to go back to 'normal' Civ.
from Town
from Salvage Center
from Farms with access to Phosphates (map resource)
