[WIP] Project Civ: A Quality-Oriented Civ Pack

[turingmachine]

Hmm does that use the yield per kill unit tag? How does that work for non universal yields? Faith, gold, culture, and science all only have one pool to add to, but food and production have localized city pools.

 

[hangman]

Teotlism

I've got the aztec serpent... I don't like using this. I'd rather use a stylised sun, but that's what their civ logo does. Advice needed.

There aren't any universal symbols for mesoamerican religion, but there are a good number of deities in aztec codices that you might be able to use. I tried finding some art for Ometeotl, a dualistic "life force," for lack of a better term, but it was regarded by the Aztecs as very abstract and therefore was rarely depicted.

This is the only depiction I could find. I can't verify the source though.

 

[Irkalla]

Also, I'm considering tweaking the Phoenicians a bit to have a bit of a less ambitious trait. Since I have shelved Portugal and highly suspect they'll be featured in the rumoured second expansion, I'm going to kind of roll the two things into one joint. I will be transferring the lost ambition over to their unique units, both of which will be replacing the same unit.

Leader: Hiram
Unique Ability: Hi-Ram and the Masters of Naval Commerce (need a good name though) - Each copy of a luxury resource renders +1 happiness (Max. +3 happiness per luxury type.) All naval units begin with Sentry promotion.
Unique Unit: Explorer - Fairly weak naval melee unit. Can only enter Coast tiles. Can enter Rival territory. Can disembark to an Colonist. Replaces Scout.
Unique Unit: Colonist - Fairly weak land melee unit. Can found cities on other continents. Ignores terrain cost. Replaces Explorer.

The way this will work is that the replaces scout part is just an illusion. Two new unit classes are created, one for each unit type, having a default unit of nothing. The Phoenicians get unique units for each of these unit classes, and in additon gets a third unique for the scout class, Nothing.

If your city is landlocked, you can build Colonists, but not Explorers; If your city is coastal, you can build Explorers, but not Colonists.

There aren't any universal symbols for mesoamerican religion, but there are a good number of deities in aztec codices that you might be able to use. I tried finding some art for Ometeotl, a dualistic "life force," for lack of a better term, but it was regarded by the Aztecs as very abstract and therefore was rarely depicted.

This is the only depiction I could find. I can't verify the source though.

Interesting.

 

[killmeplease]

Each copy of a luxury resource renders +1 happiness (Max. +3 happiness per luxury type.)

it will encourage Phoenicians to trade their luxuries less (e.g. not trading luxuries for gold)
what an anti-immersion trait?

i also very like a somebody's idea of giving them a naval great merchant UU (fast moving and with a centry promotion from their trait - isnt it cool?)
(they can also receive a free one at discovery of sailing)

another trait ideas
- double (triple?) gold from meeting CSs
- gold from meeting civs
- double influence from trade missions
- +2 gold per merchant specialist

 

[killmeplease]

Hitties trait: "hittie federation"
- +1 happiness per puppeted city; puppeted cities pay 15% less maintenance

 

[Irkalla]

it will encourage Phoenicians to trade their luxuries less (e.g. not trading luxuries for gold)
what an anti-immersion trait?

i also very like a somebody's idea of giving them a naval great merchant UU (fast moving and with a centry promotion from their trait - isnt it cool?)
(they can also receive a free one at discovery of sailing)

another trait ideas
- double (triple?) gold from meeting CSs
- gold from meeting civs
- double influence from trade missions
- +2 gold per merchant specialist

Hmm, maybe something like...

"Free great merchant upon researching mathematics, +66% great merchant generation, retain happiness boost even when last copy of resource traded away, all naval units get sentry."

Nope, I got that idea from the netherlands. Um....

"Receive double gold if first to meet a city state; receive half otherwise. Receive Golden Age progress boost each time a commerce or maritime building is built in the capital. All naval units receive Sentry promotion."

 

[killmeplease]

i like the second
though i think they should receive something about merchants
maybe +2 GA points per turn / +2 gold from merchants? (plus naval sentry and double CS gold)
so it will encourage the player to enable merchant specialists.
and so receiving great merchants, and it would be cool if GM was an UU, fast moving naval unit, also receiving a sentry promotion from the trait. Maybe combine these two UU concepts, make phoenician GMs be able to disembark onto the land and create a colony?
the only problem there are no merchant buildings in the early game
so maybe phoenicians should be given a merchant UB. say, a lighthouse or a temple with merchant slot(s).

possible trait name "auspicies of Astarta". i heard they were used to place her statue at a ship's bow

 

[Irkalla]

i like the second
though i think they should receive something about merchants
maybe +2 GA points per turn / +2 gold from merchants? (plus naval sentry and double CS gold)
so it will encourage the player to enable merchant specialists.
and so receiving great merchants, and it would be cool if GM was an UU, fast moving naval unit, also receiving a sentry promotion from the trait. Maybe combine these two UU concepts, make phoenician GMs be able to disembark onto the land and create a colony?
the only problem there are no merchant buildings in the early game
so maybe phoenicians should be given a merchant UB. say, a lighthouse or a temple with merchant slot(s).

possible trait name "auspicies of Astarta". i heard they were used to place her statue at a ship's bow

I really dislike focusing on Great Merchants, because they're not particularly useful. They don't help your economy -- You've either got one or you don't. They do help with city states, but is that worth raising your GP target? Is it worth the unhappiness produced and food consumed for all those turns?

My answer is: "Less so than other great people." Not to imply they're useless, though.

 

[killmeplease]

I really dislike focusing on Great Merchants, because they're not particularly useful. They don't help your economy -- You've either got one or you don't. They do help with city states, but is that worth raising your GP target? Is it worth the unhappiness produced and food consumed for all those turns?

My answer is: "Less so than other great people." Not to imply they're useless, though.

specialists dont produce extra unhappiness, they just are counted separately.

yes in the game merchants arent very useful but for the phoenicians you can make them to be. i think it would fit them very good? player will run merchants, then receive GM, scout a coastline with him, finding other civs and city-states, and finally establishing a trade mission (or creating a colony?)

btw, if merchs will produce GA points, they'll improve great people generation rate by making GAs more frequent.

so heres my idea of trait/UU/UB
trait: (auspicies of Astarta) sentry for naval units, merchants generate +2 additional gold and +4 golden age points per turn (so final yields are 4 gold 4 GA points); double gold meeting city states
uu: merchant ship (replaces GM): strength 8, move 5, double trade missions (wont it be too strong?)
ub: boat master (replaces lighthouse): +15% to naval units production, 1 merchant slot

 

[Irkalla]

specialists dont produce extra unhappiness, they just are counted separately.

yes in the game merchants arent very useful but for the phoenicians you can make them to be. i think it would fit them very good? player will run merchants, then receive GM, scout a coastline with him, finding other civs and city-states, and finally establishing a trade mission (or creating a colony?)

btw, if merchs will produce GA points, they'll improve great people generation rate by making GAs more frequent.

so heres my idea of trait/UU/UB
trait: (auspicies of Astarta) sentry for naval units, merchants generate +2 additional gold and +4 golden age points per turn (so final yields are 4 gold 4 GA points); double gold meeting city states
uu: merchant ship (replaces GM): strength 8, move 5, double trade missions (wont it be too strong?)
ub: boat master (replaces lighthouse): +15% to naval units production, 1 merchant slot

I think I've got it. Some of this stuff may not be reasonably possible, I warn.

UA: Gold boost (last 6 turns worth?) each time an economic building or wonder is built in the Capital. Earn Great Merchants 50% faster. Naval units gain +1 Visibility Range.

UU: Colonist - Excellent at exploring and colonizing overseas, this Unit is not slowed by rough terrain, but is vulnerable to attack. Defends at double strength, can enter Ocean, and has +1 Visibility Range when embarked; can enter rival territory. Replaces Scout. (Rival territory and defensive embarkation mutually exclusive, pick one.)

UU: Maritime Trader? Trading Caravan? - This Phoenician Unique Great Person replaces the Great Merchant. While providing the same economic bonuses as a normal Great Merchant, the Maritime Trader can also perform trade missions within the borders of Major Civilizations, producing gobs of gold for both Civilizations and providing diplomatic bonuses with the target Civilization.

 

[Irkalla]

Think I've got the mississippians down. It's basically which UB you want.

Trait: Great Father of Waters - Rivers in friendly territory act as road and can form trade routes.

Unique Unit: Raptor / Falcon Warrior (a slight fictionalization) - Replaces swordsman. Generates food and production in the capital for kills. Requires no iron.

Unique Building: Chunkey Field - Replaces Circus. Provides 1 culture in addition to circus bonuses. Requires no horses.

Alternative Unique Building: Mound - Replaces Amphitheater. All River Tiles yield +1 culture.

 

[SuperWaffle247]

I like the Mound better. The bonus is more interesting to me, and mounds really do sit at the front of my mind when it comes to this Civ.

 

[JA_Lamb]

Hi Irkalla. Re: The Spartans any progress of their Art? Can we dl?

 

[Irkalla]

Tibet may now be considered Cut. Another mod team asked us if they could "have" it, and showed that they had more progress and ideas very much in parallel to mine. So I've let them have it.

You'll see it sooner from them than you would have from us.

Hi Irkalla. Re: The Spartans any progress of their Art? Can we dl?

I'm not understanding the question here.

 

[Irkalla]

Going to make some changes to Sparta and move them into Alpha, which means they'll be on the Steam Workshop.

Here is the expected changelog for Sparta Alpha 1.

• Walls of Sparta [Playstyle Shift; QoL Changes]
  • Trait kicks in only after producing a Great General. [QoL Buff, Playstyle Shift even more so to Militaristic end of Spectrum.]
  • Free Units now gain free Experience and Promotions.
• Syssitia Hall [Nerf]
  • Culture changed from +3 to +2. [Nerf]
• Phalanx [No Change]
  • No Changes
• Graphics [Awesome!]
  • Unit flag for Phalanx. [Awesome!]
• Scripting [Nothing much changed, just making sure we leave as small a footprint as possible, especially late game.]
  • Changes to make lookups more efficient.
  • Reorganize conditions to run at little code as possible.
  • Balance conditions so a few as possible are checked later game, which means more conditions will be checked for early game.
  • Player now receives notification when free unit given.
  • Try to declare as few variables as possible. Nickels and dimes here and there, ya feel?

 

[Irkalla]

Sparta is now public on the workshop!

Also included in the attachments for those who'd rather not use steam workshop.

Be sure to rate and report bugs and stuff.

But yeah guys. Back in the saddle again!


Link to video.

 

[Falk]

I just downloaded your two civs. Haven't played them yet but I already know I'll like them.

For me, Firaxis-like quality is most important when using mods - which is the reason I didnt try any CiV mod yet... Yours look very promising.

Btw, do you happen to know the Civ 4 mod Thomas' War? It was quite similar to what you're doing, mainly adding new civs without throwing Firaxis' basics over board like so many mods do. I mention it because that mod might serve as a source of inspiration.

 

[Irkalla]

I just downloaded your two civs. Haven't played them yet but I already know I'll like them.

For me, Firaxis-like quality is most important when using mods - which is the reason I didnt try any CiV mod yet... Yours look very promising.

Btw, do you happen to know the Civ 4 mod Thomas' War? It was quite similar to what you're doing, mainly adding new civs without throwing Firaxis' basics over board like so many mods do. I mention it because that mod might serve as a source of inspiration.

For me, personally (and I know I might catch holy hell for this, but,) Civ 5 is my first foray into Sid Meier's Civilization franchise.

So no, I'm really not that familiar with Civ 4 or its mods. I'll check it out and see if I can glean any design philosophy from it.

Also, I'm proud to see that you dig our stuff. I'm sorry to be throwing stuff out there in Alpha state, but we (I, mainly) need to know what sort of bugs there are with the mechanics I've developed, with much help from this community.

I've really been wondering what the players think, so thanks for your input.

 

[Falk]

and I know I might catch holy hell for this, but

Oh yes, what have you been doing in the past 20 years? Life without Civ? Yikes!

I've started a game as Eannatum now - I used the early Pottery to get a shrine and Stonehenge and will go for a culture victory. I'm playing on Emperor and I think, it should work out pretty well. Eannatum's early game is quite strong.
Alternatively one could also use the early religion and the Ziggurats for a wide strategy with "super-temples" that give you a ****load of bonuses.

One thing I noticed:
The Vulture' description isn't displaying ingame. It says "TXT_KEY_etc."

 

[Irkalla]

Oh yes, what have you been doing in the past 20 years? Life without Civ? Yikes!

Playing Age... age...

And empire ear... emp..

One thing I noticed:
The Vulture' description isn't displaying ingame. It says "TXT_KEY_etc."

Feature. Working as intended. But nah, just an oversight by me. I'm letting oversights and do-overs kinda stack up so I can hit them all in one update.

I've started a game as Eannatum now - I used the early Pottery to get a shrine and Stonehenge and will go for a culture victory. I'm playing on Emperor and I think, it should work out pretty well. Eannatum's early game is quite strong.
Alternatively one could also use the early religion and the Ziggurats for a wide strategy with "super-temples" that give you a ****load of bonuses.

Eannatum's late game is pretty strong too, the 25% GP bonus starts to get really strong then. That's why I'll be hitting it next update.