Idea for a special kind of multiplayer game

Kristjan · January 8, 2001, 16:17

For a some time I have thought about a multiplayer game with following characteristics. The goal is to force players to co-operate more, make the game more like the real world around us and make war the very last option. Right now wars are too easily declared and fought in Civ, a real war requires the mobilization of society in much higher level than in Civ.

1) Majority of units are settlers as well. That removes the illogical part from Civs military production -- even with small population, one is able to build practically indefinate number of units. Units production must be dependent on population. However, some units are not settlers -- these are units that require minimal manpower to be operational -- aircraft for instance. These units are much more expensive than "manned" units.

3) Trade from terrain is reduced greatly. I have always wondered, HTF a gold mine could speed up scientific research... Even if all houses in the village were built of gold, that should great not a single extra clever idea in the minds of the men of learning... All right, I understand that the state gets some money from taxes and with advanced economy, more deals are made and more taxes paid... But right now the great amount of trade received from terrain makes no sense for me.

4) The cost of caravans is reduced greatly, even maybe to one row. The caravans should be the main option to make money or light bulbs.

5) The map is relatively small.

6) There are no AI players as they are utterly unable to use settler-military units. Interesting, what will Barbarians do...

Ideas of lesser importance:

1) Guerilla warfare is in the beginning of the tech chain. Guerilla wars were fought in Antique world as well. BTW, what about the situation when Partisan becomes obsolete? Do the successors of it appear in nearby terrain when a city is captured?

2) Some changes with existing units. Removing Explorer for instance as it has no use with Scout. There is a cheap and non-settler Scout unit, that is also alpine, from the the very start of the game. The original Settler unit is cheaper than now, I suggest that 2 rows.

3) Some interesting extra techs and units. The idea is to use all possible space for tech and units, it should make the game more interesting. All participants are asked to express their thoughts about possible new units & techs.

Waiting for comments.

Kristjan

Henrik · January 13, 2001, 15:13

Sounds very interesting.
Why not make fighter planes able to stay out for one turn defending your bombers against enemy fighters?
I like the idea that every unit is a "settler", this will also make the units whitout settling capabilities more powerfull since they are the only ones to be able to use the "Fortify" Comand.
Would later mechanized divisions (Mech. Inf, Armor) be counted as settlers too?
[This message has been edited by Henrik (edited January 13, 2001).]

Kristjan · January 13, 2001, 16:09

> Why not make fighter planes able to stay out for one
> turn defending your bombers against enemy fighters?

This is a good idea. Another idea about aircraft is to create a special anti-aircraft unit that has fighter capabilities but ground domain for deployment in fortresses because SAM is available in cities only.

> I like the idea that every unit is a "settler", this
> will also make the units whitout settling
> capabilities more powerfull since they are the only
> ones to be able to use the "Fortify" Comand.

Actually I did not think of fortify... But in terrain, every 'settler' unit can build a fortress instead of fortify.

> Would later mechanized divisions (Mech. Inf, Armor)
> be counted as settlers too?

I am not sure about that. I am thought of that but I must admit that I have no idea. It seems to me that they should not be settlers, but expensive. Certainly cannon, artillery and howitzer should not be settlers.

I will try to make a version of Rules.txt for that kind of game when at least four persons are interested in this idea.

Kristjan

Kristjan · January 13, 2001, 16:50

> 1) Guerilla warfare is in the beginning of the tech
> chain. Guerilla wars were fought in Antique world as
> well. BTW, what about the situation when Partisan
> becomes obsolete? Do the successors of it appear in
> nearby terrain when a city is captured?

After a little testing, I am sorry to say that this is impossible to implement unfortunately. That means, we may have several types of Alpine units of course, but the unit that appears when the city is taken, is always Partisans, obsolete or not. So no units will appear until Communism.

I have another fellow from Estonia to participate, that makes it three of us. Anybody else interested?

Kristjan

Henrik · January 13, 2001, 17:14

You might also add a heavy version of both the tank and the bomber (they wouldn't make the normal unit obsolete but work as a more expensive and powerfull version (in the bombers case you might make it slower too).
These heavy unit would require thier own techs ofcourse.
Also if we decide which nations to play from the beginning we might use reall flags (this would ofcourse only change the look but I think it would be cool).
Using the trick explained on this page (http://sleague.apolyton.net/Guides/sldt_landseaair.shtml) we might have sea-mines inplemented (using an empty graphic so that they are unseen)
[This message has been edited by Henrik (edited January 14, 2001).]

Henrik · January 14, 2001, 10:34

I now someone who might be interested. I will ask him.

Henrik · January 16, 2001, 11:20

He wasn't interested, sorry.

GNGSpam · January 16, 2001, 14:31

In the new diplogame, Capo's on Wenseday night, we are using a "Sam Battery" unit. 0-5 with AEGIS enhancement. This gives it no attack but a defense of 10 against planes, far better then any land unit. It allows for the equivlant of the SAM city improvement to be carried along with your advancing units. It cannot attack however, since SAMs dont really hunt planes down and we wanted to avoid having SAMs attacking Marines. Also its 5 defense, while not bad, isnt good enough to replace Mechanized Infatry or Marines on defense. It keeps the unit in its place, a forward defense against planes, mostly to be used in fortres squares on front lines.

Henrik · January 16, 2001, 15:16

Early anti-air like german 88's could be targeted (was to) and fired on both planes and tanks.

GNGSpam · January 16, 2001, 18:43

That was Flak, not SAM missles. SAM missles, as the acronym suggests, is Surface to Air Missle. Therefore SAMs cannot, nor ever have been able to be fired upon land units. If you wish a Flak unit, ok, but we have a SAM battery.

GNGSpam · January 16, 2001, 18:44

And it wasnt used to fire on tanks, it was relativly ineffective against tanks. Flak was used on infantry though, and quite effectivly.

Henrik · January 17, 2001, 01:46

Actually the 88's where actually used in some tanks (the Tiger II i beleive)!

And I know that it isn't the same thing as a SAM.
[This message has been edited by Henrik (edited January 17, 2001).]