These Fractured States of America - Development Thread

[OzzyKP]

A Word .doc?

It is a .rar file. Which is the next stage of evolution for .zip. You probably need to get WinRar to unzip it.

Keep in mind that the scenario is pretty primative at the moment. All I've done so far is set up the civs (mostly) and placed them in appropriate starting locations on the map.

Things that still need to be done:
- Add UUs and UBs
- Set up, tweak & customize map
- Add cities and starting units
- Create/add new tech tree
- Add new techs
- Add events
- Create new traits
- Add fancy new diplomacy system
- Add new fort/borders system

My copy of BTS is broken at the moment though So it'll be a bit until I get back into it. And honestly there is a lot that is beyond my skill level, but I'll struggle through as best as I can. I've definitely not given up on this mod.

 

[OzzyKP]

Alright, I now have a working copy of BTS! Hopefully I'll do a little work on it this weekend.

 

[OzzyKP]

Bob, did you get the file to work? What do you think so far?



btw, for those of you who want to help but don't have any scripting or modding experience, one thing that would help a lot is thinking up a tech tree, units and buildings for the mod. I posted a list of ideas earlier, but there is a lot more to add for a complete tech tree. I'm not a military expert so I don't know what units would be good to include. Any help would be appreciated.

I need help with:
- Tech Tree
- Units
- Wonders
- Buildings

Brainstorming and organizing all that (which units go with which techs, which techs have which pre-requisites, etc) would help A LOT.

 

[Bob III]

I now have Winrar, and shall be testing today. =)

 

[Bob III]

Ok. First off, I like the map. I think it will work well. The only change I would make would to add a hill or a forest here and there in the Great Planes, to increase the playability and look of the area. (Yes, I know, Great Plains)

I would suggest is that the first thing you would work on would be adding in/changing the names of Civs. It will make it easier to see what needs to be done to improve general playability. Plus, if anyone wants to start testing the scenario now, two Civs aren't much to play with. (EDIT: It might also be good to modify the years so that the scenario begins when you want it to, and then just have it go slowly. Also begin with techs around Rifling+?)

Finally, I love what you're doing here. All the ideas you have listed so far (borders from forts and cities, not culture and new diplo-system, etc.) are all things that would improve the scenario, giving it a unique flavor. But, I would add those last, concentrating on the basics first.

Brainstorming to come.

 

[OzzyKP]

I haven't done anything with the map yet except place rough starting positions. I am a bit of a map nerd, so I'll be doing a lot more tweaking for realism and playability. And, ideally, I'd like to extend it a bit south so we have a bit more Mexico and maybe a Carribean island or two. I'll take a look at the Plains too.

What did you mean about the Civ names? That was, I thought, the one thing that I had actually done so far. Leaders, Civs, Colors, and flags should all be finished. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

As I posted above, the things yet to do are:
- Add new units
- Add new buildings
- Add UUs and UBs
- Set up, tweak & customize map
- Add cities and starting units
- Add new techs
- Create/add new tech tree
- Create new traits
- Add new fort/borders system
- Add fancy new diplomacy system
- Add events

Roughly in the order I'll be tackling them. But again, help with tech tree, units & buildings is much needed. At long last I have BTS working and patched. I've got a long holiday weekend so I'm gonna tinker around with this mod a bit more.


Edit: I think we have a pretty good solution out there for the forts with this mod. It'll need to be tweaked a bit, but it looks like the hard stuff is already done.

 

[Bob III]

When I said Civs, I meant putting them into the game. I didn't phrase that very well.

Your list seems to be in good order, best of luck with all these great ideas.

I might not be able to help out quite as much as I originally hoped, because I've began a project of my own (Settlers of Catan Scenario/Mod). So I might not be available as much in the near future, but I'll still be around.

 

[lamppost4]

Maybe this map will help. I found it here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1569070) while browsing the forums this morning.

 

[OzzyKP]

Hmm, link doesn't work..

 

[OzzyKP]

Ah, ok, you just added an extra 0 onto the end. I figured it out. Looks nice, but a bit too small, and a bit too large a scope. I just want a bit of Mexico, I don't need the whole continent.

 

[Swissempire]

I've been following this for a while(okay, a few hours, but still) and I think its a fantastic idea. I offer my services wholly to the project. Now, I have been tweaking with the Civics for a little bit, and this is what i've come up with:

Government
Dictatorship
Theocracy
White Male Suffrage
Universal Male Suffrage
Woman Suffrage
Populism/Popular Power

Society
Frontier
Tribal
Industrial
Pious
Plantation
Progressive

Labor
Tribalism
Slavery
Immigrant Labor Force
Industrialized Labor Force
Emancipation
Yeoman Jeffersonism
Unionization

Economy
Traditionalism
Hacienda/Plantation Economy
American System
Industrialism
Progressivism
Socialism

The idea was to represent the different stages/possibilities within each country and within the timeline-even for the future. I don't know what to do with Science though, haven't given it much thought.

I think there is a better solution to the Canada problem too. And I'll try to get to working on a tech tree.

I'm off for the night. Toodles

 

[OzzyKP]

Awesome!!

I'm so very glad to have you on board.

Some thoughts I had for various civics, briefly:

Government
Dictatorship - Mexico, -75% war weariness, +25% military production, -25% diplo points, +1 happy per military unit
Theocracy - +2 happiness from state religion, +1 happy state religion temple, no non-state religion spread
White Male Suffrage - Most civs start with this, +1 unhappy to nations without, +50% war weariness
Universal Male Suffrage - +2 unhappy to nations without, +50% war weariness, cannot choose slavery civic
Woman Suffrage - +3 unhappy to nations without, +1 free specialist, +100% war weariness, +25% diplo points
Populism/Popular Power

Political Parties?
Populist Party - No Pinkertons, +10% corporation cost
Know-Nothing Party - no immigration, increased emigration rate, free military units, -25% war weariness, -50% diplo points, no non-state religion spread
Whig Party
Republican Party
Democratic Party
Progressive Party - Less emigration, +25% corporation cost,

Society
Frontier - +2 XP in all cities, increased likelyhood of outlaws, +1 happy from saloon
Agricultural - +1 food for farms, Homestead Act event
Industrial - +2 unhealthy per city, +
Pious
Plantation - +100% GP points,

Social Structure, or ideology?
Polygamy
Sharecropping
Manifest Destiny - Increased production of forts, increased railroad production,
Monroe Doctrine - -50% diplo points


Labor
Tribalism
Yeoman Jeffersonism - +20% food (widespread subsistence farming), -25% production, +2 happiness, -50% growth rate of towns, Homestead Act event
Slavery - Allows pop-rushing, chance of capturing black units, can conscript slave units
Immigrant Labor Force - Increases immigration (using immigration mod),
Industrialized Labor Force - +25% production, makes strikes more likely (an event)
Emancipation - +1 unhappiness for civs with slavery, chance that enslaved foreign units will convert to your control
Unionization - No strikes (or should there be more strikes now that there are unions?), Less emmigration

Economy
Traditionalism
Hacienda/Plantation Economy - +1 food, +1 production & +5 commerce plantations, +2 commerce farms, +1 happy X farm building
American System - No foriegn trade routes, +50% railroad build speed, +50% build rate of commerce buildings, reduce inflation (can that be done?), no foriegn corporations function
Laissez Fair - +1 trade route, -25% corporation maintenence, unlimited merchant placements
Progressivism - Less emigration, +25% corporation maintenence,
Socialism - Corporations have no effect,

Science
Traditionalism
Eugenics & Racialism - +2 XP,
Technology
Pure Science - unlimited scientist placement,

 

[OzzyKP]

OK, I've been putting some time into adding units this weekend. I think units bring out the richness of the era and the different cultures represented, plus there are some great examples out there, but I don't want to overboard with units. I know a lot of mods seem to put twice as much effort into units and having a million options instead of other elements of the game. Sometimes I think players can be overwhelmed by the choices. So I want to provide flavor, provide choices, but not go overboard.

Most of my research and focus has been on the Civil War era so far. The mod concludes with WW1, so I should probably have some units from that time as well, but I haven't put much thought into that yet. Suggestions are welcome.

I figure we go with seven different unit flavors.

- Union
- Confederate
- Canada
- Mexico/Rio Grande
- Native (Apache, Cherokee, Chinookan)
- Sioux (a separate flavor since bernie14 has made so many amazing units)
- The Rest (Oregon, Texas, California, Deseret, Vermont)

To start with I figure the basic land units should be:

Infantry
Militia
Early Rifleman
Advanced Rifleman
Infantry
Grenadier
Sharpshooter
Mounted Rifles (extra movement, but fights on foot)
Gatling Gunner
Maxim Gunner

Cavalry (probably need like one more here)

Early Cavalry
Advanced Cavalry
Bushwhacker (guerrilla forces)

Artillery

Early Field Artillery
Advanced Field Artillery
Early Siege Artillery
Advanced Siege Artillery
Coehorn Mortar

Other Units
Colored Union Soldiers (more than just flavor unit)
Colored Confederate Conscripts (more than just flavor unit)
Buffalo Soldiers (wasn't formed till after the Civil War)
Settler (Covered Wagon)
Worker
Pioneers (An explorer/fort maker)
Railroad workers (I want something special for making railroads)
Chinese Railroad Workers
Buffalo Hunters (maybe? or maybe just an event)
Pinkertons (maybe? or maybe just an event)
KKK (maybe? or maybe just an event)
Abolitionist

Unique Units
Oregon: Mountain Man (upgraded version of Pioneer)
California: Californianos (upgraded version of Early Cavalry)
Deseret: Mormon Battalion (upgraded version of Early Rifleman)
Texas: Ranger (upgraded version of Early Cavalry)
CSA: ?
USA: ?
Vermont: Green Mountain Boys (upgraded version of Early Field Artillery) perhaps?
Canada: Mountie (upgraded version of Advanced Cavalry)
Rio Grande: ?
Chinookan: ?
Apache: ?
Cherokee: ?
Sioux: ?
Mexico: ?

Plus some foreign units (British, French, etc) that can be gifted to you if you spend diplo points on them.

 

[OzzyKP]

Awesome!!

I'm so very glad to have you on board.

Some thoughts I had for various civics, briefly:

Government
Dictatorship - Mexico, -75% war weariness, +25% military production, -25% diplo points, +1 happy per military unit
Theocracy - +2 happiness from state religion, +1 happy state religion temple, no non-state religion spread
White Male Suffrage - Most civs start with this, +1 unhappy to nations without, +50% war weariness
Universal Male Suffrage - +2 unhappy to nations without, +50% war weariness, cannot choose slavery civic
Woman Suffrage - +3 unhappy to nations without, +1 free specialist, +100% war weariness, +25% diplo points
Populism/Popular Power

I realize the unhappy penalties to other civs seem pretty extreme, this will require a lot of balancing, but I want to try it out first. I want to try and emulate the steady progression toward further democratization during this period. Those happy penalties are pretty strong incentives. I guess it'll depend on how many civs we end up having. Too many might cripple the system, but we'll see.

Plus if there is a lot of war, then the war weariness penalties will balance out as well. Dictatorship has a nice counter to the unhappiness, namely their military garrison bonus. I figure at the beginning of the scenario Mexico will have a pretty nice army (compared to the western breakaway republics at least) but they will be bogged down trying to keep their cities happy from high happy penalties. This will also demonstrate the state of Mexico at the time being in a state of internal turmoil and upheaval.

The reason a lot of the small western civs were able to break away was because Mexico was too distracted just trying to keep order at home to go and hunt down a few people in California and such. Plus they didn't care too much about their northern territory. So I'll start it with most of that land being owned by Mexco (through forts) but very lightly garrisoned, and a larger Mexican army in the south that is tied up with keeping order or the whole country goes to hell, heh.

I need to boost Theocracy more though since it doesn't currently have enough happy bonuses (or bonuses in general) to compensate for the happy hit from the democracies. For the record I'll start Utah as a white male suffrage civ, but I'll still be designing theocracy with them in mind to switch to at some point.

I also figure the mod will have a lot of happy buildings and bonuses. Plus, since I'm taking culture borders out of the game altogether I'm going to link culture (and culture buildings) more directly to happiness. Plus I figure the creative trait will affect happiness instead of borders.

(some comments from you guys (assuming anyone is even out there) would be nice too, btw).

 

[Bob III]

I'm out here... I'm liking everything you've got going so far. The Civics seem to be in line, with close-to correct bonuses.

My only question right now... What religions will definitly be included?
My Guestimated List
Mormonism
Catholocism
Protestantism (Divided more? Like into Lutheran/Baptist/etc?)
Native (For the Native American tribes, maybe more than one)
Judaism/Islam/Hinduism/Buddhism? (it may be good to put in other non-dominant religions, maybe spreading as an event? Because only Christian religions almost doesn't completely represent the identity of the US)

 

[OzzyKP]

As of now there I have:
Mormonism
Catholicism
Mainline Protestant
Baptist
Native
Judaism

This is actually one part of the mod already done at this point, so the religions have been added and they have their cool icons and such. I haven't done anything with their buildings or tech or anything else, but the art and basic XML is hooked up. I think that is pretty much what I want to stick to. Although I was talking to Swissempire the other day, and he suggested possibly including Haiti as a playable civ. I haven't finished the map yet, and I'm not sure if I'll go down that far into the Carribean (probably not) but if so, then maybe Haiti would be cool to include and maybe I'd add Voodoo.

 

[OzzyKP]

Progress update: I've got the map mostly finished. I just need to add resources and such and it should be done. I extended the map south to include more Mexico and Cuba. And further east to include more New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces. I think it looks pretty nice.

I've put some time into brainstorming for the tech tree. I figure there will be four eras in the mod:
Antebellum (pre-1850)
Civil War (approx 1850-1870)
Gilded Age (approx 1870-1900)
Progressive Era (approx 1900-1920)

Most civs will start with antebellum techs, the natives will lack many of those techs. I"ve also given some thought to buildings, wonders, unique features (like FfH2). Everything is in flux of course, and I still have to do the XML and need art, but please give me some input on the ideas. And suggest effects for some of these.

Wonders

Brooklyn Bridge
Panama Canal (the map doesn't reach down to panama, so i might just figure out a way to teleport ships to either side of Mexico)
Statue of Liberty
Washington Monument - (being built at start of scenario)
Library_of_Parliament (Canada)
Alamo (around at start of scenario)
Monticello - (around at start of scenario)
Independence Hall - (around at start of scenario)
United States Capitol
Lincoln Memorial
Ellis Island
Hull House
Grand Central Station
Broadway
Hollywood
Yellowstone National Park

Features:

Grand Canyon
Niagara Falls
Devil's Tower
Redwoods?
Dinosaur National Monument
Everglades
Smokey Mountains?
Old Faithful
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Giant_(Ontario) ?
Mayan Ruins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoth_Cave_National_Park AND/OR http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsbad_Caverns_National_Park

I've also worked out some good lists for Great People. Everything is pretty American-centric so far. So I'd love for people to suggest some Canadian and Mexican great people, wonders, features, buildings, etc. The focus is mostly on the United States, but not exclusively. I want to give due attention to the two other big North American powers.

 

[Bob III]

I really like (once again) all the ideas you've spit out so far.

When will the next version be available for testing?

 

[OzzyKP]

It'll be a bit. I want to try and get the tech tree up and hook up the units I have added so far. Right now the units aren't working right, they crash the game when I open world builder in the mod, and I get several XML errors I need to figure out. Once I get that stuff figured out I'll put up another version for testing.

I'm going to New Orleans for a conference the next few days so I won't be able to work on the mod for a bit, be patient.

 

[OzzyKP]

Request for Help

Ok, it looks like my initial release isn't fully working afterall. If you go into World Builder the game crashes.

I'm not sure what I did, and I worked on that stuff months ago. But whatever problem there is, is still in my current version and it is annoying since I can't use World Builder.

So, can someone download the last public version and look through the XML to let me know what the error is?