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I originally posted a list of several suggestions in threads in the Play the World forum, I'm being persistent because I think these are good ideas, and even if Firaxis doesn't adopt them I would want to see if others here could join with me to work these out in a game. If there's a different forum where you think this thread would get more needed attention please point it out to me.
I should note that these suggestions are inspired by my play of many other strategy/simulation games, including SimCity/SimEarth, Imperialism, Caesar/Pharoah, Lords of the Realm, Deadlock Colonization/Railroad Tycoon, etc. Except for a few I won't have on this list, I think while they would change the Civilization game dramatically, it would still be close enough to the original game to continue the series. The changes mostly are to boost the aspects of the game dealing with infrastructure (which includes commerce) and culture, to take away the primary military bent still in gameplay despite many changes already made with the intent to downplay it. I dont think these will complicate the game that much either.
I think I have some more suggestions I don't include, which I may remember later.
FEEL FREE to use this thread to add your own suggestions for the game.
1. The city's radius, within the border, as an area for growth of residential, industrial and commercial complexes, similar how its done in Railroad Tycoon; this at first may remind people of the original realtime attempt at Civilization that Sid Meier speaks of, where the player just made 'seeds' for industry, but its significantly different, while trying to keep the same intent, as I'll explain. As you found your city you start a residential complex, and also the main city center, forming the border around it. There is no local economy, so the player has to utilize the land himself. He uses a worker to build a farm on a grassland, a lumber industry on forests, and then other industries. Once the local economy has enough steam of its own (enough wood, etc. to construct them) they spring up naturally on their own as needed for the cities, throughout everywhere with connected trade (roads and harbors). Thus, maybe for the next city the player has, after a few turns, farms appear, and other industries. Most of this theplayer never has to worry about at all. The player has some role in 'seeding' things, but it isnt a matter of just placing a seed on the map, its a matter of taking the right steps in the economy. This would obviously also bring resources into the game, like it was in colonization. No fear about this, the resources produced by factories and gathered from other industries would be shown on the map overlayed on top of the industries easy for the player to see; trading is done automatically through Civilization 3's system (unless a more advanced system is added for other reasons). The point is to have the government initiate change, and then the private economy takes over. Also, residential buildings would also appear other places besides the main city center when population grows. They would appear in single blocks and then combine to double sized blocks like in Caesar or Pharoah as its done there for wealth of residence. This would take care of the constant suggestions for cities that take more than one square. Walls would be built on tiles directly, instead of through a city screen, as well as everything else.
2. Technological research should be based on resource gathering. This would mean, say for the technology 'Cotton Gin', the player would gather 1000 cotton, and have a certain science capita. This would be a large change that would make the individual civilizationos grow and develop their own regional cultures, dependent on the means of production, in a Marxist type fashion. Cultures that appear near spices and incense might develop Mysticism, build temples and monuments, and become a very deeply religious civilization. A culture that has other materials at hand might make it quicker to developing in other ways. Maybe or maybe not technology trading would still have the resource requirement, I havent decided whether this would be good.
3. There are more 'tribes' and the player starts out as a minor tribe of a larger culture, so the main part of the early game will involve trading with this early neighbors, forming alliances (having entire tribes join you by treaty) to consolidate city-states into large nations. The game will permanently recognize areas joined as provinces--mainly just for the perk of the player (like naming landmarks), though other civilizations can ask for entire provinces, or have war goals to only gain back these provinces.
4. Unit management should be taken more seriously, armies as a standard thing rather than just a bonus from playing for a while; taking care of stack movement more naturally. 'Generals' of these armies can also be automated in the same way as governors of cities.
5. Landmasses are generated to be more natural. Look at any civ game map then look at the real world map and you'll see that the real world is much more complex and compacted into unusual shapes. Not just large chunks of land. I think this is important mainly because of strategic reasons (but also for the fun of playing on a natural map!) that effect gameplay. I don't know how it would be done but I would first look at how the game SimEarth manages to create landmasses--it creates craters and uses some techtonic shift system. Fractals may also be helpful here.
6. Take scenarios for the game more seriously, and add many options for scenarios so that they become a major part of the game. For example, the ability to alternate tilesets after every turn or so; between day and night, or between winter and summer, or between all seasons; each tileset with its own advantages and disadvantages. Also, overseas tiles like in Colonization, so it isn't strange to play on a restricted map.
7. Add Fascism to the game (this is minor, it can already be done in a way). In the early game, there is the option between Republic/Monarchy, then Democracy/Communism. Instead, Fascism and Communism should be two late game solutions to catch up in the game--Communism managing corruption and large empires, and Fascism with advantages in productivity and technological advance.
I should note that these suggestions are inspired by my play of many other strategy/simulation games, including SimCity/SimEarth, Imperialism, Caesar/Pharoah, Lords of the Realm, Deadlock Colonization/Railroad Tycoon, etc. Except for a few I won't have on this list, I think while they would change the Civilization game dramatically, it would still be close enough to the original game to continue the series. The changes mostly are to boost the aspects of the game dealing with infrastructure (which includes commerce) and culture, to take away the primary military bent still in gameplay despite many changes already made with the intent to downplay it. I dont think these will complicate the game that much either.
I think I have some more suggestions I don't include, which I may remember later.
FEEL FREE to use this thread to add your own suggestions for the game.
1. The city's radius, within the border, as an area for growth of residential, industrial and commercial complexes, similar how its done in Railroad Tycoon; this at first may remind people of the original realtime attempt at Civilization that Sid Meier speaks of, where the player just made 'seeds' for industry, but its significantly different, while trying to keep the same intent, as I'll explain. As you found your city you start a residential complex, and also the main city center, forming the border around it. There is no local economy, so the player has to utilize the land himself. He uses a worker to build a farm on a grassland, a lumber industry on forests, and then other industries. Once the local economy has enough steam of its own (enough wood, etc. to construct them) they spring up naturally on their own as needed for the cities, throughout everywhere with connected trade (roads and harbors). Thus, maybe for the next city the player has, after a few turns, farms appear, and other industries. Most of this theplayer never has to worry about at all. The player has some role in 'seeding' things, but it isnt a matter of just placing a seed on the map, its a matter of taking the right steps in the economy. This would obviously also bring resources into the game, like it was in colonization. No fear about this, the resources produced by factories and gathered from other industries would be shown on the map overlayed on top of the industries easy for the player to see; trading is done automatically through Civilization 3's system (unless a more advanced system is added for other reasons). The point is to have the government initiate change, and then the private economy takes over. Also, residential buildings would also appear other places besides the main city center when population grows. They would appear in single blocks and then combine to double sized blocks like in Caesar or Pharoah as its done there for wealth of residence. This would take care of the constant suggestions for cities that take more than one square. Walls would be built on tiles directly, instead of through a city screen, as well as everything else.
2. Technological research should be based on resource gathering. This would mean, say for the technology 'Cotton Gin', the player would gather 1000 cotton, and have a certain science capita. This would be a large change that would make the individual civilizationos grow and develop their own regional cultures, dependent on the means of production, in a Marxist type fashion. Cultures that appear near spices and incense might develop Mysticism, build temples and monuments, and become a very deeply religious civilization. A culture that has other materials at hand might make it quicker to developing in other ways. Maybe or maybe not technology trading would still have the resource requirement, I havent decided whether this would be good.
3. There are more 'tribes' and the player starts out as a minor tribe of a larger culture, so the main part of the early game will involve trading with this early neighbors, forming alliances (having entire tribes join you by treaty) to consolidate city-states into large nations. The game will permanently recognize areas joined as provinces--mainly just for the perk of the player (like naming landmarks), though other civilizations can ask for entire provinces, or have war goals to only gain back these provinces.
4. Unit management should be taken more seriously, armies as a standard thing rather than just a bonus from playing for a while; taking care of stack movement more naturally. 'Generals' of these armies can also be automated in the same way as governors of cities.
5. Landmasses are generated to be more natural. Look at any civ game map then look at the real world map and you'll see that the real world is much more complex and compacted into unusual shapes. Not just large chunks of land. I think this is important mainly because of strategic reasons (but also for the fun of playing on a natural map!) that effect gameplay. I don't know how it would be done but I would first look at how the game SimEarth manages to create landmasses--it creates craters and uses some techtonic shift system. Fractals may also be helpful here.
6. Take scenarios for the game more seriously, and add many options for scenarios so that they become a major part of the game. For example, the ability to alternate tilesets after every turn or so; between day and night, or between winter and summer, or between all seasons; each tileset with its own advantages and disadvantages. Also, overseas tiles like in Colonization, so it isn't strange to play on a restricted map.
7. Add Fascism to the game (this is minor, it can already be done in a way). In the early game, there is the option between Republic/Monarchy, then Democracy/Communism. Instead, Fascism and Communism should be two late game solutions to catch up in the game--Communism managing corruption and large empires, and Fascism with advantages in productivity and technological advance.
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