Using chatGPT to mod Terra Fantasia

[Ozymandias]

After seeing @Meteor Man's jaw-dropping thread "next door" on "Using chatGPT to mod Civ3" I asked it to compose a Ciiv3 Civilopedia Entry on Masonry without telling it what either "Ciiv,3" or a "Civilopedia Entry" is - and it did, albeit while seeming to conflate different Civ games (e.g., stating that Masonry allows you to build a Quarry.)

For Terra Fantasia, I've been struggling to find plausible technological advancements to immunize my "Warlords Of The Air" - a short-lived age of LTA aircraft being relatively survivable in the face of incendiary bullets (for the record, I was leaning towards a thin, inner lining of asbestos) so I asked:

"how could ww1 zeppelins been made impervious to british incendiary bullets?"

It replied:

Spoiler how could ww1 zeppelins been made impervious to british incendiary bullets? :

During World War I, German Zeppelins were vulnerable to incendiary bullets fired by British anti-aircraft guns, which could set them ablaze and cause them to crash. There are several ways in which Zeppelins could have been made impervious to these bullets:

Reinforce the hull: Zeppelins were made of lightweight materials such as aluminum and duralumin. To make them impervious to incendiary bullets, the hull could be reinforced with stronger materials such as steel or titanium.

Install a gas cell protection system: Incendiary bullets caused damage by igniting the hydrogen gas that kept the Zeppelin aloft. To prevent this, a system could have been installed that would protect the gas cells from being punctured by bullets. This could involve placing the gas cells in a more secure location within the Zeppelin, or using materials that were more resistant to puncture.

Install a fire suppression system: In the event of an incendiary attack, a system could be installed that would suppress any fires that broke out. This could involve installing automatic sprinklers, or using chemicals that would quickly extinguish flames.

Increase altitude: The higher a Zeppelin flew, the less accurate British anti-aircraft guns would be. By flying at a higher altitude, Zeppelins could have made it more difficult for British forces to shoot them down.

Ultimately, the most effective way to make Zeppelins impervious to incendiary bullets would have been to develop a completely new technology that did not rely on flammable gases for lift. However, given the technological limitations of the time, the options outlined above would have been the best available means of protecting Zeppelins from British anti-aircraft fire.

I have plenty of other similar, hypothetical questions regarding the likes of formations of elephants armed with small cannon attacking similar formations; ditto Terror Bird Riders against Horse Cavalry. Granted, in TF, I'm mostly looking for plausibility over some sort of 100% accuracy, so - to Carry On with my British question - I believe it's fair to say that I'm, "In for a penny, in for a pound."

 

[Ozymandias]

My next question was, "If terror birds had not gone extinct, and humans could ride them, what would a battle between them and horse mounted cavalry (with both sides armed with spears) be like?"

I'm going to skip over the caveats it made about the animals having gone extinct 2.5 MYA, and simply jump to the gist:

Spoiler Combat between spear-mounted terror-bird riders and horse-mounted spearmen. :

Terror birds were large, flightless birds that lived in South America during the Cenozoic Era. The largest species, Titanis walleri, stood up to 9 feet tall and weighed up to 1,000 pounds. They had large, hooked beaks and powerful legs with sharp claws, which they likely used to hunt small mammals and other prey.

If terror birds were ridden into battle, they would have been formidable opponents due to their size and strength. Their hooked beaks could have been used to deliver devastating blows to enemy soldiers, and their sharp claws could have been used to strike at horses. However, their lack of armor and relatively thin legs may have made them vulnerable to enemy spears.

On the other hand, horse-mounted cavalry would have had the advantage of speed and mobility. Horses are faster and more agile than terror birds, and could have been used to maneuver around them and strike with spears. Additionally, horses are much larger and stronger than humans, which would have made it easier for them to carry heavy armor and weapons.

In conclusion, while it's impossible to know for sure what a battle between terror birds and horse-mounted cavalry would have been like, it's likely that both sides would have had their advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, the outcome of the battle would have depended on factors such as the terrain, the tactics used by each side, and the skill and experience of individual soldiers and riders.

Yes, it "dodged" a bit, but what human couldn't have? - Plus, it gave me far more ideas than I had come up with, after pondering this question for a decade or so.

 

[Ozymandias]

Next up: "Describe a battle between two armies equipped only with elephants carrying light cannon." -

Spoiler "Describe a battle between two armies equipped only with elephants carrying light cannon." :

A battle between two armies equipped only with elephants carrying light cannon would be a unique and chaotic spectacle. The elephants would serve as the primary means of transportation and weapons platform for the soldiers, with the light cannon mounted on the backs of the elephants.

As the two armies approached each other, the sound of thunderous footsteps and trumpeting elephants would fill the air. The soldiers on the elephants would be armed with bows, spears, and swords, but the light cannon would be the most potent weapon in their arsenal.

The battle would likely begin with both sides attempting to maneuver their elephants into the best position to unleash their cannon fire. The elephants would charge towards each other, with the soldiers on their backs firing arrows and throwing spears at their opponents. The cannons would be loaded with round shot, which would be effective against both soldiers and elephants alike.

As the elephants closed in on each other, the cannons would start to fire. The sound of the cannon would be deafening, and the smoke and dust kicked up by the explosions would make it hard to see. The elephants would become agitated by the noise and commotion, and many of them would start to panic, causing chaos on the battlefield.

Despite the chaos, the soldiers on the elephants would continue to fire their weapons, aiming for the opposing elephants and soldiers. The goal would be to cause as much damage as possible and to break the enemy's morale.

As the battle raged on, both sides would suffer heavy losses. The elephants would be particularly vulnerable to cannon fire, and many of them would be killed or wounded. The soldiers would also be at risk, as the cannons could easily mow down groups of men.

In the end, the outcome of the battle would depend on which side could maintain its composure and hold its ground. The side that could keep its elephants under control and continue to fire its cannons and weapons would have the advantage. The battle would be a brutal and terrifying spectacle, with death and destruction on a massive scale.

Is anyone else seeing this inherent potential for any and every type of significantly non-historical game, from Alt Fiction in general to fantasy to Sci-fi to ... Terra Fantasia?





P.S. HEY! @Blue Monkey! ...

 

[timerover51]

Next up: "Describe a battle between two armies equipped only with elephants carrying light cannon." -

Spoiler "Describe a battle between two armies equipped only with elephants carrying light cannon." :

A battle between two armies equipped only with elephants carrying light cannon would be a unique and chaotic spectacle. The elephants would serve as the primary means of transportation and weapons platform for the soldiers, with the light cannon mounted on the backs of the elephants.

As the two armies approached each other, the sound of thunderous footsteps and trumpeting elephants would fill the air. The soldiers on the elephants would be armed with bows, spears, and swords, but the light cannon would be the most potent weapon in their arsenal.

The battle would likely begin with both sides attempting to maneuver their elephants into the best position to unleash their cannon fire. The elephants would charge towards each other, with the soldiers on their backs firing arrows and throwing spears at their opponents. The cannons would be loaded with round shot, which would be effective against both soldiers and elephants alike.

As the elephants closed in on each other, the cannons would start to fire. The sound of the cannon would be deafening, and the smoke and dust kicked up by the explosions would make it hard to see. The elephants would become agitated by the noise and commotion, and many of them would start to panic, causing chaos on the battlefield.

Despite the chaos, the soldiers on the elephants would continue to fire their weapons, aiming for the opposing elephants and soldiers. The goal would be to cause as much damage as possible and to break the enemy's morale.

As the battle raged on, both sides would suffer heavy losses. The elephants would be particularly vulnerable to cannon fire, and many of them would be killed or wounded. The soldiers would also be at risk, as the cannons could easily mow down groups of men.

In the end, the outcome of the battle would depend on which side could maintain its composure and hold its ground. The side that could keep its elephants under control and continue to fire its cannons and weapons would have the advantage. The battle would be a brutal and terrifying spectacle, with death and destruction on a massive scale.

Is anyone else seeing this inherent potential for any and every type of significantly non-historical game, from Alt Fiction in general to fantasy to Sci-fi to ... Terra Fantasia?





P.S. HEY! @Blue Monkey! ...

The problem with this is that Elephants will not stand cannon fire and run away. Also, if the Elephants are carrying cannon, the infantry should have some firearms, probably a mix of muskets and pikes. The cannon would not be using round shot, as grape shot would be equally effective and give you a higher probability of casualties.

The British did use elephants to tow cannon and carry mountain guns, but never tried to fire anything from them. They were used extensively for tiger hunting in India, but they were trained to stand the fire of heavy hunting rifles. See the accounts of using them in Sir Samuel Baker's Wild Beasts and Their Ways. You can find copies for download on Project Gutenberg and archive.org. Otherwise, I can send a copy to you.

 

[timerover51]

After seeing @Meteor Man's jaw-dropping thread "next door" on "Using chatGPT to mod Civ3" I asked it to compose a Ciiv3 Civilopedia Entry on Masonry without telling it what either "Ciiv,3" or a "Civilopedia Entry" is - and it did, albeit while seeming to conflate different Civ games (e.g., stating that Masonry allows you to build a Quarry.)

For Terra Fantasia, I've been struggling to find plausible technological advancements to immunize my "Warlords Of The Air" - a short-lived age of LTA aircraft being relatively survivable in the face of incendiary bullets (for the record, I was leaning towards a thin, inner lining of asbestos) so I asked:

"how could ww1 zeppelins been made impervious to british incendiary bullets?"

It replied:

Spoiler how could ww1 zeppelins been made impervious to british incendiary bullets? :

During World War I, German Zeppelins were vulnerable to incendiary bullets fired by British anti-aircraft guns, which could set them ablaze and cause them to crash. There are several ways in which Zeppelins could have been made impervious to these bullets:

Reinforce the hull: Zeppelins were made of lightweight materials such as aluminum and duralumin. To make them impervious to incendiary bullets, the hull could be reinforced with stronger materials such as steel or titanium.

Install a gas cell protection system: Incendiary bullets caused damage by igniting the hydrogen gas that kept the Zeppelin aloft. To prevent this, a system could have been installed that would protect the gas cells from being punctured by bullets. This could involve placing the gas cells in a more secure location within the Zeppelin, or using materials that were more resistant to puncture.

Install a fire suppression system: In the event of an incendiary attack, a system could be installed that would suppress any fires that broke out. This could involve installing automatic sprinklers, or using chemicals that would quickly extinguish flames.

Increase altitude: The higher a Zeppelin flew, the less accurate British anti-aircraft guns would be. By flying at a higher altitude, Zeppelins could have made it more difficult for British forces to shoot them down.

Ultimately, the most effective way to make Zeppelins impervious to incendiary bullets would have been to develop a completely new technology that did not rely on flammable gases for lift. However, given the technological limitations of the time, the options outlined above would have been the best available means of protecting Zeppelins from British anti-aircraft fire.

I have plenty of other similar, hypothetical questions regarding the likes of formations of elephants armed with small cannon attacking similar formations; ditto Terror Bird Riders against Horse Cavalry. Granted, in TF, I'm mostly looking for plausibility over some sort of 100% accuracy, so - to Carry On with my British question - I believe it's fair to say that I'm, "In for a penny, in for a pound."

That reply on Zeppelins is so bad I will not dignify it with a detailed reply. Besides that, why insult a machine?

The easiest way to avoid incendiary rounds setting the hydrogen on fire is to use helium. The problem with that for Germany is that at the time, the U.S. controlled the world's supply of helium from the natural gas wells in Texas and Oklahoma, and refused to sell to Germany. Helium is also quite a bit more expensive than hydrogen. The U.S. Navy's zeppelins and blimps used helium. No fire problems.

 

[Ozymandias]

The problem with this is that Elephants will not stand cannon fire and run away. Also, if the Elephants are carrying cannon, the infantry should have some firearms, probably a mix of muskets and pikes. The cannon would not be using round shot, as grape shot would be equally effective and give you a higher probability of casualties.

The British did use elephants to tow cannon and carry mountain guns, but never tried to fire anything from them. They were used extensively for tiger hunting in India, but they were trained to stand the fire of heavy hunting rifles. See the accounts of using them in Sir Samuel Baker's Wild Beasts and Their Ways. You can find copies for download on Project Gutenberg and archive.org. Otherwise, I can send a copy to you.

In general, I'm leaning entirely towards Combining Arms, with an exemplary use being @Wotan49's Musket and Pike Units.

 

[Ozymandias]

That reply on Zeppelins is so bad I will not dignify it with a detailed reply. Besides that, why insult a machine?

The easiest way to avoid incendiary rounds setting the hydrogen on fire is to use helium. The problem with that for Germany is that at the time, the U.S. control the world's supply of helium from the natural gas wells in Texas and Oklahoma, and refused to sell to Germany. Helium is also quite a bit more expensive than hydrogen. The U.S. Navy's zeppelins and blimps used helium. No fire problems.

I would suggest that a thin aluminum (or, as my first thought went, asbestos) coating, either along the entire bottom side of the "aeroship" (asbestos) or, more likely, along the bottom sides of the gas cells of the "aerocraft."

The difficulty with helium is its scarcity: to the best of my knowledge, there is only one source - an underground "pocket," as helium is lighter than air - and that's in North America.

So I'd like your (and anyone else's) advice about this "conceit:" that the reason that there is only one pocket left today is that the Terra Fantasians used up all the rest (if I do go this route, I don't think that I would have Helium as a Strategic Resource, as I wouldn't want any Civ to go for an entire part of an Era, which is all but centered around these beasts.

(As an aside, I've always refused to have Saltpeter, as Saltpeter for gunpowder was usually made from a combination of charcoal, sulfur, and urine; and I'm leaning towards the same for Coal.)

- And do kindly keep your mind attuned to many (indeed; yes; as yet unasked) hypotheticals about, "Wooden Ships and Iron Men."

 

[timerover51]

I would suggest that a thin aluminum (or, as my first thought went, asbestos) coating, either along the entire bottom side of the "aeroship" (asbestos) or, more likely, along the bottom sides of the gas cells of the "aerocraft."

The difficulty with helium is its scarcity: to the best of my knowledge, there is only one source - an underground "pocket," as helium is lighter than air - and that's in North America.

So I'd like your (and anyone else's) advice about this "conceit:" that the reason that there is only one pocket left today is that the Terra Fantasians used up all the rest (if I do go this route, I don't think that I would have Helium as a Strategic Resource, as I wouldn't want any Civ to go for an entire part of an Era, which is all but centered around these beasts.

(As an aside, I've always refused to have Saltpeter, as Saltpeter for gunpowder was usually made from a combination of charcoal, sulfur, and urine; and I'm leaning towards the same for Coal.)

- And do kindly keep your mind attuned to many (indeed; yes; as yet unasked) hypotheticals about, "Wooden Ships and Iron Men."

Oz, the problem is that those ideas add weight to the Zeppelin, which is deliberately built as light as possible in order to achieve its lighter-than-air status. Asbestos would do nothing to stop the incendiary bullets from penetrating the gas cells, and even a thin aluminum coating is going to be quite heavy. Besides that, a thin aluminum coating is not going to stop incendiary bullets, many of which were fired from above the gas case. Without helium, there is no way to make a zeppelin fire-resistant. Also, one of the other weapons that was used against zeppelins in World War 1 was aerial-launched rockets. Then there were the planes carrying a 37mm infantry gun. The zeppelin was and is an enormous target to shoot at.

 

[Ozymandias]

Oz, the problem is that those ideas add weight to the Zeppelin, which is deliberately built as light as possible in order to achieve its lighter-than-air status. Asbestos would do nothing to stop the incendiary bullets from penetrating the gas cells, and even a thin aluminum coating is going to be quite heavy. Besides that, a thin aluminum coating is not going to stop incendiary bullets, many of which were fired from above the gas case. Without helium, there is no way to make a zeppelin fire-resistant. Also, one of the other weapons that was used against zeppelins in World War 1 was aerial-launched rockets. Then there were the planes carrying a 37mm infantry gun. The zeppelin was and is an enormous target to shoot at.

Well, that settles that! Our imaginary ancestors used up the rest of our imaginary helium! (Flippant tone aside, my many thanks, Old Comrade, Old Friend )