Speculative Futuristic Wonders?
- Thread starter gyrobot
- Start date
Of course, but once the historic wonders are made, maybe implement some speculative future techs from some futurist point of views. Maybe even give one or two SMAC techs/wonders as a shoutout with the original quote.
One of the fun things about call to power was of course seeing what will the future possibly bring.
One of the fun things about call to power was of course seeing what will the future possibly bring.
Well there is the Space Elevator already, so your idea is partially fulfilled (in Civ 4 at least). What other wonders would you recommend, and what would be their bonuses, keeping in mind that they'd have to be pretty good due to the fact that they only have effect over a shorter period of game time.
Not so much wonders but improvements
Cornucopia Vats
Provides 2 Rice, Wheat, Corn, Bananas and Sugar Resources for the city and doubles
production of Rice, Corn and Wheat
Starvation rate is reduced in half (meaning after food storage penalty is applied from deficit (So say I have a starvation rate of 10 per turn, with Cornucopia Vats I only lose -5 to growth)
+1
+1
if not state property "CORNUCOPIA VATS MAY BE MADE FROM PEOPLE!"
Starvation reduction effects does not stack with Meat Vats
Civilopedia: The concept of "Sythetic Foods" stemmed from a great deal of science fiction where the average person is forced to subsist on vegetarian diets due to the overcrowding of earth. However, the true effect of "Soylent" caught on in the 1973 film "Soylent Green" where society is forced to first subsist on soy and lentil crackers before accepting a form of cannibalism via Soylent Green. Despite the claim that humanity would be forced to subsist on such foods in the future. The abundance and choice of food meant that in a way, humanity is unlikely to develop a culture of food made from synthetic chemicals. Despite that, many look at this as a means of substance in long trips out to space, that a reliable means of food can be found. The Cornucopia Vat is a reflection of the production of soylent type foods
Meat Vats
Provides 2 Deer, Cow, Pig, Crab and Fish Resources for the city and doubles production of Deer, Cow, Pig, Crab and Fish
Starvation rate is reduced in half (meaning after food storage penalty is applied from deficit So say I have a starvation rate of 10 per turn, with MeatVats I only lose 5 to growth)
+1
"Yum, meat for all of us"
-2 :Yuck:
+1
For Free Market
Civilopedia: In the future, many believe that there will be less arable land for protein rich animals such as cows or pigs and deer. One popular theory was the development of In Vitro Meat is animal flesh that has never been part of a complete, living animal. Several current research projects are growing in vitro meat experimentally, although no meat has yet been produced for public consumption. The advent of advanced technology in culturing agents changed all that and the Meat Vat was born. Being able to mass produce quality animal meat that is almost indistinguishable from normal meat. The fact that the meat is also not from animals but from a vat meant for the first time in the turn of the century many religious or ethic groups can potentially enjoy meat at last.
Cornucopia Vats
Provides 2 Rice, Wheat, Corn, Bananas and Sugar Resources for the city and doubles
production of Rice, Corn and WheatStarvation rate is reduced in half (meaning after food storage penalty is applied from
deficit (So say I have a starvation rate of 10 per turn, with Cornucopia Vats I only lose -5 to growth) +1
+1
if not state property "CORNUCOPIA VATS MAY BE MADE FROM PEOPLE!"Starvation reduction effects does not stack with Meat Vats
Civilopedia: The concept of "Sythetic Foods" stemmed from a great deal of science fiction where the average person is forced to subsist on vegetarian diets due to the overcrowding of earth. However, the true effect of "Soylent" caught on in the 1973 film "Soylent Green" where society is forced to first subsist on soy and lentil crackers before accepting a form of cannibalism via Soylent Green. Despite the claim that humanity would be forced to subsist on such foods in the future. The abundance and choice of food meant that in a way, humanity is unlikely to develop a culture of food made from synthetic chemicals. Despite that, many look at this as a means of substance in long trips out to space, that a reliable means of food can be found. The Cornucopia Vat is a reflection of the production of soylent type foods
Meat Vats
Provides 2 Deer, Cow, Pig, Crab and Fish Resources for the city and doubles
production of Deer, Cow, Pig, Crab and FishStarvation rate is reduced in half (meaning after food storage penalty is applied from
deficit So say I have a starvation rate of 10 per turn, with MeatVats I only lose 5 to growth) +1
"Yum, meat for all of us"-2 :Yuck:
+1
For Free MarketCivilopedia: In the future, many believe that there will be less arable land for protein rich animals such as cows or pigs and deer. One popular theory was the development of In Vitro Meat is animal flesh that has never been part of a complete, living animal. Several current research projects are growing in vitro meat experimentally, although no meat has yet been produced for public consumption. The advent of advanced technology in culturing agents changed all that and the Meat Vat was born. Being able to mass produce quality animal meat that is almost indistinguishable from normal meat. The fact that the meat is also not from animals but from a vat meant for the first time in the turn of the century many religious or ethic groups can potentially enjoy meat at last.
Well improvements/buildings would be okay, as opposed to wonders, IMO. I mean, wonders are much more specific and refer to actual specific individual monuments/buildings. Having it more generalised takes a lot of the unrealistic guesswork out.
Louis XXIV
Le Roi Soleil
I'm OK with near future wonders. I'm always hesitant to project too far for technology (mech walkers being an example that makes me uneasy). It's one thing to pick something on the drawing board (especially for buildings and wonders), it's another to cherry pick science fiction.
Space Elevator is a good example of something that could be real in the near future. Transporter would not.
Space Elevator is a good example of something that could be real in the near future. Transporter would not.
Ahriman
Tyrant
Hmm. I think Space Elevator is an ideal example; futuristic, but possible with only incremental increases in current science.
Some possibilities for speculative future techs (some of these rather less incremental than others)
Superb recycling and energy efficiency.
Vat-grown food.
Mission to Mars.
Asteroid belt mining, or Lunar mining.
Space tourism.
Laser weapons.
SDI.
Un-manned remote-controlled combat vehicles.
Genetic manipulation (screening for disease genes), artifical trait selection.
Genetically tailored bioweapons.
Fusion power.
Nanotechnology.
VR simulations.
Cybernetics.
Deep-drilling mining.
Weather control, geo-engineering.
I'd also like to see the Information Revolution become slightly more important. Computers and the Internet have been kinda lame in Civ.
Some possibilities for speculative future techs (some of these rather less incremental than others)
Superb recycling and energy efficiency.
Vat-grown food.
Mission to Mars.
Asteroid belt mining, or Lunar mining.
Space tourism.
Laser weapons.
SDI.
Un-manned remote-controlled combat vehicles.
Genetic manipulation (screening for disease genes), artifical trait selection.
Genetically tailored bioweapons.
Fusion power.
Nanotechnology.
VR simulations.
Cybernetics.
Deep-drilling mining.
Weather control, geo-engineering.
I'd also like to see the Information Revolution become slightly more important. Computers and the Internet have been kinda lame in Civ.
The Cosmic Kid
Warlord
On the other hand, it'd be a break in game consistency to have one era be wonderless. Stepping back, we can understand why it might be wonderless, but that's not good for immersion. I think the best solution is some modest speculation; as others have said, the Space Elevator is an ideal example.
frekk
Scourge of St. Lawrence
Idunno ... I hope they don't put too much into developing near-future stuff, because frankly, I rarely even make it to early tanks before the game is won or lost. Most of my games end in the late middle ages or colonial period.
The later the game era, the fewer people are playing it. Almost every game played (except scenarios, and those games played by people who start in a later period) plays ancient, classical, and medieval, but after that the number of games featuring any particular age drops with each successive era. In other words, many many more Stonehenges have been built in games than Space Elevators.
The later the game era, the fewer people are playing it. Almost every game played (except scenarios, and those games played by people who start in a later period) plays ancient, classical, and medieval, but after that the number of games featuring any particular age drops with each successive era. In other words, many many more Stonehenges have been built in games than Space Elevators.
Ahriman
Tyrant
With a lot of mods (especially Rise of Mankind) I really enjoy playing starting in Industrial Era with Advanced Start.
Rise of Mankind is particularly good for Advanced Start because of the superior settler versions, who create cities that already start with all the basic buildings intact.
So with those mods, I play the late-game way more than the early game.
frekk
Scourge of St. Lawrence
Sure, but I think if you were able to count all the games ever played, only a tiny proportion of them would be using late-era starts. Not saying nobody does it.
The Cosmic Kid
Warlord
At the same time, this should not be an excuse to skimp on late-game development. Don't you hate it when RPGs and other long games get noticeably shoddier towards the end?
Ahriman
Tyrant
Probably true.
I don't disagree that its more important to have earlier ages play well than a future age. But I think its possible to do both.
Spoiler :
frekk
Scourge of St. Lawrence
True, but civ tends to be a bit top-heavy when it comes to the late eras so I don't think there's much danger of that ... well, at least not from lack of features.
Balance tends to be an issue, though. It's rare I get to the modern era without being way behind or way ahead. But if things were balanced so as to create an equilibrium until then, I wouldn't be able to enjoy an earlier victory. Quite a conundrum.
mjs0
The 4th X
Yeah, this is one of the trickier balance issues...
One approach I came up with some time back but never pursued was to investigate in Civ4 whether there could be a way to split the game up into shorter era-based competitions and based on the state of the world at the beginning and end of an era assign a winner for that part of the game. The measure of success would be relative so tripling the 'score' of the worst civilization would be a bigger achievement than doubling the 'score' of the leader.
How to calculate a notional score based on the situation in the game would of course be a big part of the balancing, but I know I would have fun trying to rally my civilization from a poor position if I had an achievable goal to aim at.
This would obviously be an option not the default game...but if done right it could give a player a reason to play on to the end, even when outright victory appears impossible, in an attempt to be the most improved player in the majority of the six or seven eras.
