Wondering about wonders

[defiler]

Now that we now the names of some of the wonders that we will possibly get, anyone would like to speculate a little about then and their function ?
Promethean Wonder - The creation of a flawless genotype - Probabilly it will be like our old Cure of the Cancer, reflecting on a solid health bonus
Stellar Codex - A science bonus, probabilly an star map of the region around the new planet with possible potential new worlds
Ectogenesis Pod - The name indicates a device to allow a gestation outside a human body, probabilly an equivalent of Woman's Suffrage from old Civ on Space Age, although the bonus prob will be health or growth relatede
Drone Sphere - Maybe an nod to SMAC Punishment Sphere, maybe an equivalent of lower riots, although with health replacing happiness that makes little sense
Markov Eclipse - Can be anything, although my guess would be something that could lower sea levels, like the Solar Shade from SMAC
Nanothermite - I would say a militar wonder, probabilly something that increses your units power, can also be the equivalent of a Manhatan Project.
ByteGeist - A science bonus, with the creation of the first AI, may also be an equivalent to old SMAC Self Aware Colony, with a reducing cost for maintaince.

Also on the same topic, what other Sci-Fi wonders would you like to see ? I would love to see an Space Elevator, would be totally plausible with the satellite layer

 

[bhavv]

Bring back weather paradigm > drill boreholes > supply crawlers for food!!!!

 

[ahte]

ByteGeist being a corruption of Zeitgeist would suggest some kind of cultural bonus, which I imagine is likely to either be a percentage bonus to culture (Sistine Chapel) or a free virtue (Sydney Opera House).

Has it been confirmed if these wonders will take up a hex like the warpgate, or is the warpgate unique?

 

[KrikkitTwo]

ByteGeist being a corruption of Zeitgeist would suggest some kind of cultural bonus, which I imagine is likely to either be a percentage bonus to culture (Sistine Chapel) or a free virtue (Sydney Opera House).

Has it been confirmed if these wonders will take up a hex like the warpgate, or is the warpgate unique?

No confirmation either way yet.

 

[AriochIV]

There are at least 20 wonders in the tech tree, so there are lots of possibilities. And that probably doesn't include the 3 affinity-specific World Wonders that appear to be unlocked by Affinity Level rather than technology.

The only World Wonders (that take up a hex) that we know of are the ones associated with a victory condition -- the Exodus Gate, Emancipation Gate, Transcendance jello-brain, and Contact communications array. The other wonders that we've seen are on the borders between hexes (like the Pyramids or other Civ V wonders), rather than taking up a hex.

 

[DarkestOnion]

I'm curious to see the stats on The Panopticon (if it is a Wonder) myself. It might simply be the name of the ARC UA though (Super-spies!)

 

[SupremacyKing]

I'm curious to see the stats on The Panopticon (if it is a Wonder) myself. It might simply be the name of the ARC UA though (Super-spies!)

I'm pretty sure it is really a wonder. I'm guessing it either makes your spies stronger or perhaps give you x free spies.

 

[Martinus]

Markov Eclipse - Can be anything, although my guess would be something that could lower sea levels, like the Solar Shade from SMAC

Pretty sure that's not it - it would be a bad design decision to have a wonder that just globally changes the "rules" while not giving players who would be hurt by it any way to stop it (as building it yourself does not stop the effect, obviously). Plus they said in one of the interviews that there will be no planet-wide terraforming.

Nanothermite - I would say a militar wonder, probabilly something that increses your units power, can also be the equivalent of a Manhatan Project.

This sounds to me like a Worker bonus wonder. Thermites are "worker" insects.

 

[AriochIV]

This sounds to me like a Worker bonus wonder. Thermites are "worker" insects.

Termites. Thermite is an explosive.

 

[Martinus]

Oh. That's a weird name for a wonder. Are we sure it does not say "termites"?

 

[Zet]

Markov was a mathemathician best known for Markov chains which are used to model complex systems. I'm guessing that the wonder is Supremacy related.

 

[JokerJace]

Markov Eclipse - Can be anything, although my guess would be something that could lower sea levels, like the Solar Shade from SMAC

I think the emphasis with this one is on Markov. A Markov Eclipse certainly being a probabilistic structure used to make predictions. An advancement of the Markov Chains Zet mentioned.

 

[defiler]

Interesting, didn't know about the Markov Chains
That makes lots of sense, I see the Markov Eclipse as maybe an equivalent of the Colossus, Machu Picchu or Big Ben, an economy bonus by predicting the fluctuations of the Energy Market, or, a defensive wonder like the Great wall, Kremelin or Himeji Castle, predicting where the enemy could attack before head.
Also, I remember an aquatic structure, maybe a wonder, outside Cidadela coast in one of Gamereactor screenshots, maybe its the equivalent of the Great Lighthouse giving naval bonus or even an Colossus equivalent, generating energy (money) from the ocean, an giant tidal generator maybe

 

[JokerJace]

Interesting, didn't know about the Markov Chains
That makes lots of sense, I see the Markov Eclipse as maybe an equivalent of the Colossus, Machu Picchu or Big Ben, an economy bonus by predicting the fluctuations of the Energy Market, or, a defensive wonder like the Great wall, Kremelin or Himeji Castle, predicting where the enemy could attack before head.
Also, I remember an aquatic structure, maybe a wonder, outside Cidadela coast in one of Gamereactor screenshots, maybe its the equivalent of the Great Lighthouse giving naval bonus or even an Colossus equivalent, generating energy (money) from the ocean, an giant tidal generator maybe

I actually think it won't be a building visible on the map but a logical / abstract concept that only one civilization will grasp. Or mabye something similar to a super computer that specializes on computing probabilities. So I rather agree with your first guesses about economy / military.

 

[AriochIV]

Oh. That's a weird name for a wonder. Are we sure it does not say "termites"?

Pretty sure, yes.



The more I look at the bottom item on the list, the more I'm convinced that it says "Cynosure." Cynosure is a laser cosmetic surgery company. I wonder if some of these names might be placeholders.

 

[defiler]

That screenshot made me think
How much of those are World wonders and how much are National Wonders
Headquarters obviously is the replacement for the palace, hence 2 civs have it listed.
I would say Spy Agency is the same of Inteligence Agency in civ5, and the Panopticon being the World Wonder

 

[Josephias]

The more I look at the bottom item on the list, the more I'm convinced that it says "Cynosure." Cynosure is a laser cosmetic surgery company. I wonder if some of these names might be placeholders.

I knew I had heard Cynosure in other context, and after some little research, just got it:

Cynosure is other name for Ursa Minor, that is the Polaris/North Star constellation. It also means (due to association with this star) "one who guides", or "one who is center of attention"

Spoiler :

moving off topic, this last meaning is probably what is intended with the cosmetic surgery company, but when you see the ethimology of cynosure, from greek literal meaning "dog's tail", it is a name that could backfire

BE-related, seems a nice name for a wonder, maybe related with charting the galaxy around planet, or finding a way to define the path back to earth (for warpgates)... being just a Word, it could be so many things...

 

[Tagma]

Thinking of the Markov Eclipse and Bytegeist and Cynosure and so on... from a RP perspective, I love the idea of wonders which the other affinities literally are not able to comprehend, let alone imitate!

 

[AriochIV]

It does seem the Firaxis boys did some serious research. These are unusual and intriguing references.

 

[Martinus]

ByteGeist being a corruption of Zeitgeist would suggest some kind of cultural bonus, which I imagine is likely to either be a percentage bonus to culture (Sistine Chapel) or a free virtue (Sydney Opera House).

"Zeitgeist" is a German word for "spirit (literally, "ghost") of the time". It is a word - like "Schadenfreude" - so I fail to see why it would have to give a cultural bonus.

"Bytegeist" in this context would mean "spirit/ghost of bytes", which reminds me of "ghost in the machine" concept. So I think it is some sort of AI-related wonder, which could give all kinds of bonuses.