Upcoming Mod - Destiny Reborn

[Gojira54]

Destiny Reborn is an epic mod that is the culmination of every unfinished epic mod I’ve worked on – Optimator, Phoenix, and X. Each of the previous was killed either due to the release of an expansion or the mod being developed beyond what the editor and game limits can handle. Each of the previous has also taught me quite a bit about what I can make this mod do.

At this point, it is safe to assume Civ3 will have no more expansions, and I have made sure that I’ve studied all the tutorials and limitations before doing anything. I am also developing the Mod, like I develop the IT projects at work – by documenting and diagramming everything before I build anything. I’ve also downloaded and installed new software to help me with this process (Gimp, Dia, Raz).

Initially there will be a mod, but I do plan at least one mapped scenario version after the mod is complete. The Scenario will make use of more resources and Landmark Terrain.

The focus of Destiny Reborn will be one of plausible alternate history – things that either did or could have realistically happened over time.

Civs will be flavored by many things. Culture Type, Traits, Governments, and Resources all add a different and dynamic dimension to the gameplay. Not only will each Civ have a different style of gameplay, but each game with the same Civ may require a change of tactics, based on the available resources and terrain.

Instead of drastically rewriting the tech tree, I am using the Civ3 tree as my guide and base, adding to it as I go. The Ancient and Modern ages have the most additions to the basic tree. Each age has at least one religious tech added to the basic tree. Each culture group and trait has at least one tech that only they can access in each age.

I have tried to use every feature available in C3C, even those not easily modded. Every unit that came with Civ3, PTW, and C3C – including all scenarios, extras, and Easter Eggs.

Some basic features that are being designed for the game:
- expanded time frame (stone age to future)
- culture-specific techs/buildings/units
- trait-specific techs/buildings/units
- government-specific buildings/units
- more civ-specific units
- 50+ resources
- religions
- all Civs start off with no techs
- Completely new resource graphics (or at least new as of right now)
- Fermentation
- Trade Monopolies
- Drug Trades
- Farming
- Nature as Barbarians
- Sacrifice
- Teleportation (unused C3C feature)
- Fire-Based units
- Animal-Based units
- Death-based units
- Cults
- Alternate Unit trees
- Scalable workers
- Scalable settlers
- Slavery
- Rules heavily tweaked
- Unit-generating improvements
- New bonus grassland

I will provide more details later, as they are developed or asked about.

X-mod had plenty of great ideas, but the mod hit the improvement limit before I even got to the Industrial age. This mod will most likely hit that limit too, but I can’t let it go over. So, the focus is going to swing back to units. Optimator had 600 units before I stopped making it when C3C came out with the much improved rules, features, and AI. I also wanted to avoid having such a large download for this mod. Considering the timeframe, that was huge. 4 years have passed, and I have 2 servers with an insane amount of capacity, and most of us now have better internet speed. I don’t know that I will hit 600 units, but I might. If the unit is good and fits the semi-reality theme of the mod (and doesn’t have a better version out), then I will find a way to make it fit.

So now I open it up to you. If you have any questions, ask. I will post any answers and new developments as they come up. You may want to look at the X-mod thread for some of my ideas that were to be used there and are here, but keep in mind they may have changed with this mod.

Eventually, I will turn this over to the public to help develop and build as an open-source type of mod. I am doing this mainly because I have a baby girl due in February, and I doubt I’ll have much time to work on this after that. Until then, I am cranking this out. If you want to get involved in the dev team, let me know.

 

[Gojira54]

Starting and Ancient Tech tree:

Spoiler :

Last updated 2006.11.28

 

[Gojira54]

Middle Ages Tech tree:

Spoiler :

Last updated 2006.11.28

 

[Gojira54]

Industrial Tech tree:

Spoiler :

Last updated 2006.11.28

 

[Gojira54]

Modern/Future Tech tree:

Spoiler :

Last updated 2006.11.28

 

[Virote_Considon]

Virote reporting for duty

 

[CC-2224]

I am doing this mainly because I have a baby girl due in February.

Congratulations !

Destiny Reborn is an epic mod that is the culmination of every unfinished epic mod I’ve worked on – Optimator, Phoenix, and X.

If this actually makes it out of production it will be likely to rival Anno Domini and Rhyes of Civilization. But completing it by February ?!? Don't kill yourself.

- Rules heavily tweaked

New rules! Gimme!

 

[Gojira54]

Congratulations !

Thanks! I can't wait

If this actually makes it out of production it will be likely to rival Anno Domini and Rhyes of Civilization. But completing it by February ?!? Don't kill yourself.

I don't intend on completing this by February - that is when I will let everyone else take it over. I hope to have a functional alpha by then. some art, text, and units will probably not be in, but hopefully everything else will.

Oh, an about the new rules - I am working on a spreadsheet that documents every single rule available for editing from the editor. It will have a column for the default values of the rules, as well as the modded values. I'll provide the spreadsheet without as a utility for all modders once I am done with it, as well as one with the DR settings to the DR modders and players.

I am also working on new art for the game (tnt, goody huts, etc.)

 

[Blue Monkey]

1) You are probably aware of my interest in things Indian. I enjoy alternate histories such has "Years of Rice and Salt" That show the Indian hegemony spreading. Any help I can give you there will be forthcoming.
2) I offer any research type help I can give you (ie, locating concept art) as well.
3) Also anything I can do as far as mapping.

 

[Gojira54]

Thanks guys, for your support! I'll definitely need your expertise as the development progresses.

I've uploaded the tech trees as they are now. I am not done with them, so they can and will change, but this should give you some idea of what I am trying to accomplish. Your ideas and suggestions are welcomed of not sorely needed. Some of the techs I won't budge on, but others I am really unhappy with and would like to change.

 

[Quinzy]

i personally think bronzeworking should lead to ironworking. its been presumed, due to the evidence, that iron was first encountered in the mid bronze age, and that sponge iron was the first iron produced. it was used then to make cast iron.

in a personal mod, i'm setting up cultures like so:
european, asian, middle eastern, tribal, and south american.

 

[Gojira54]

Agreed on the bronzeworking. I had done some research on this for another browser game I am working on, and have bronzeworking as a prereq to ironworking there - don't know why I missed it here. May add tinworking as well, if I can fit the resource in.

I don't like the default culture groups, but the only way I will ever be happy with them is if I could add more of them - which I can't. Since each culture group in DR will have a specific tree, it will be important that they are balanced. One Idea I have been kicking around is changing the American group to Tribal, and moving USA from Tribal to European, and Zulu to Tribal. Similar to your change I suspect, but keeping Mediterranean.

 

[Gojira54]

Here is a very early screenie of the Koreans. You can see my new (and unreleased) tnt and barbarian village, as well as my chosen terrain and city sets, though I will be modifying both in the future. Several resources are visible, too. The Barbarians you see are just fillers for now.

Spoiler :

 

[T.A JONES]

Dammit I like you terrain model. Sad thing is I was just getting a liking to mine. Actually ours are the same except for the mountains and hills. Your grassland forests seem a little lusher, but that could be me.

Anyway the resources are cool also. They look set to flavour the distinct eras in resource development, or so im guessing by the Pandas and Rhinos that are illegal to hunt now. Are the exoctic animals all needed resources specific to a Zoo improvment Or do you turn them over from bonus resource when they were hunted for food(ancient-middle) to luxery resource?(ind-mod) when they were sold as hides ,jewlry the sort until blackmarket

Sorry Im sure if thats even possible, but I was just curious. I like the wide range you have shown. Do reveal in time if thats you way you prefer. .

 

[CC-2224]

The resources, terrain and city graphics are very impressive!

 

[Gojira54]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

Most of the resources are Strategic. When you have as many resources as I do in this mod, Bonus ones tend to get lost in the shuffle. I also want every resource to serve multiple purposes. The only luxury resources are those that have been consistent luxuries throughout time (like gems, grapes (as fruit and wine), gold, etc.).

Unfortunately the game mechanics do not allow resources to change type over time, but you can simulate this effect by allowing a resource to be a prerequisite for a wonder that generates income and happiness, then have that wonder expire once a certain tech is reached. This is an idea I am playing around with for this mod (but not certain it will be included yet).

All of the resources you see will be available on my next resource release - I have a few more I am working on. Most in this mod are already either originals by me or modified by me. All will be so before I am done with it.

The Tnt file is all original, as is the barbarian hut you see in the upper right (actually a modified conversion from another game). The Goody huts are a mix of original, Firaxis, and other CivFanatics artwork originally intended for other things (resources, filler, improvements). The new mine is a Dark Elf improvement from mrtn converted. The Cities are a conversion by Red Alert. They are by far the best out there, IMHO. The only issue is they cast pinkish shadows. I will clean that up a bit for this mod.

I am experimenting with adding some terrain elements from Cordy and Ares De Borg to the mix, but this will require quite a bit of work from my end. Simply replacing files won't work as many tiles show multiple terrain types. Cut n' Paste, clean up pixel-by-pixel, then play with color settings until it looks right. I already do this with my other files, but a 50x50 pixel resource image is much simpler than all the terrain images in the multiple terrain files....

 

[Virote_Considon]

I still think you should have the great zoo, rather than the resource expiring wonder

 

[Gojira54]

The Great Zoo will most likely be included - its just not final yet. I've decided the UN and Space Race Victories will not be in this mod, which clears some improvement slots... The only problem with the Great Zoo is that it will take up SO many improvement slots - one plus one for each pen. No matter what happens, the Great Zoo wonder will be in, its the pens that are still questionable.

I figure you can win by total conquest, domination, culture, or wonders. Those are IMO the most rewarding wins anyway.

 

[Gojira54]

I am debating what to do with the fourth, unused starting tech slot.

One idea I am thinking of is adding a new Trait - one that all civs will have in one form of another. For example Puritanistic Vs. Rogue mentality. Rogue mentality will allow slavery, drug trades, public executions, etc., while Puritanistic Civs would build shelters, churches, rehabs. I fell in love with this idea, until I realized the problem with too many improvements.

So what I think I might do instead is assign every civ a third trait from the already existing trait pool. That would add more dynamicism to the gameplay without requiring any extra improvement slots. It's just not as cool.

Like the Great Zoo, however, I'd like to find a way to introduce something new to the mod in that fourth slot - provided there is room for it.

 

[CC-2224]

The Great Zoo will most likely be included - its just not final yet. I've decided the UN and Space Race Victories will not be in this mod, which clears some improvement slots... The only problem with the Great Zoo is that it will take up SO many improvement slots - one plus one for each pen. No matter what happens, the Great Zoo wonder will be in, its the pens that are still questionable.

IMO the Great Zoo would be an excellent wonder to include. To make it work, you might have to organize the zoo into sections requiring 2 resources.

I am debating what to do with the fourth, unused starting tech slot.

One idea I am thinking of is adding a new Trait - one that all civs will have in one form of another. For example Puritanistic Vs. Rogue mentality. Rogue mentality will allow slavery, drug trades, public executions, etc., while Puritanistic Civs would build shelters, churches, rehabs. I fell in love with this idea, until I realized the problem with too many improvements.

This is definitely an idea that you should try to implement, though it would take a lot of buildings. You could try to implement it using units and governments, as well as techs specific to this trait.

So what I think I might do instead is assign every civ a third trait from the already existing trait pool. That would add more dynamicism to the gameplay without requiring any extra improvement slots. It's just not as cool.

Yes, it would make the game more dynamic, but it would take away much of the originality and fun your first idea offers.