Strategic Resources

[Schuesseled]

Yeah, but I meant that it would seem that for example China can never have access to, say, bananas, because the icon isn't on their tech tree and bananas don't show up, can't be used, etcetera. Of course, that isn't true, but if it was removed from the tech tree and all that, just because the game knows you don't have that resource at the moment, it would seem that it is true.

Confusing? Probably.

They were talking about the resoruce summary at the top of the screen not the tech tree, weren't they?

 

[need my speed]

Oh? Well, if that's the case, then it would be logical to only show the resources a civilization has.

 

[stealth_nsk]

One of the great problems with resources is to balance them so:
1. Lack of one resource is not catastrophic.
2. But resources are still valuable target.

Civ3 had problems here - lack of oil or iron was deadly. Civ4 is more relaxed here - copper and iron are mostly interchangeable and you could build defensive units without resources at all.

For Civ5 they seem to make a model with basic units not requiring any resources (am I correct, what there's a unit in bronze working?) and very strong units requiring resources. For example, longswordsman (which, I assume requires iron) has the same strength as much later (again, that's not for sure) musketman - 16.

 

[CTH]

third icon on iron workings could be a forge

 

[Schuesseled]

For Civ5 they seem to make a model with basic units not requiring any resources (am I correct, what there's a unit in bronze working?) and very strong units requiring resources. For example, longswordsman (which, I assume requires iron) has the same strength as much later (again, that's not for sure) musketman - 16.

That was my first guess, although we don't really know.

Warriors don't req. resources, but how useful will they be against tanks

my hope is that muskets rifles and infantry also dont req. resources. But who knows.

 

[Ahriman]

Its a bit tough to have too many resource requirements because there seem to be so few units.

If I had to guess I would say:
Chariot, horseman, knight, cavalry = require horse resource
longswordsman, cannon = require iron resource
tank = require oil resource
modern armor = require aluminium resource

My ideal system would have a lot more units:
eg spearmen would have no resource requirement, but axemen (at same tech) would be higher strength but need copper resource.
Foot knights would be high strength with needing iron resource, but halberdiers at the same tech would be lower strength but need the iron resource.
Knights would need iron and horse resource, but a mounted infantry unit at the same tech would need only horse resource.
Heavy tank would be high strength but need 2 oil resource, light tank at same tech would need only 1 oil resource.
Or infantry, motorized infantry; the latter is the same but +1 movement and requires oil resource.

And so forth.

Mods....

I can see scope for mods significantly increasing resource yields, so factions have differentiated army types based on their resource access. Some big naval vessels might require timber resource, you could have oil powered or nuclear vessels (latter with +1 movement speed) depending on resource access. There could be regional Auxiliaries resources in a scenario that allowed construction of a limited number of localized forces (Balearic slingers, Cretan archers, Numidian horsemen, etc.)

I think the resource system is going to be very exciting for mods.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

What I think WON'T be in

Almost definitely not:Rubber/Saltpeter

Probably not: Copper/Timber

Probably: Uranium/Aluminum/Coal

Almost Certainly: Iron/Oil/Horses

Coal/Stone/Marble would primarily be there as civil bonus resources (although Ironclads would be good.)

 

[Ahriman]

Agreed.

Something else to think about; we have no sign of health in the city screen or any other screen.

Potentially, health may be out entirely. Does this mean then that deer, wheat, cows, etc. are just tile yield boosters?

 

[Schuesseled]

and if they are just yield boosters, do they they count as luxury resources, does eating wheat instead of rice make you happier?