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I would use it to defeat midgame tedium by drastically change gameplay for each era. In fact, civ3 already does this a little, by introducing new gameplay elements during each era. Ancient and middle ages are the same, but during the industrial era, new features like mutual pact, pollutions, railroads, and air combat becomes available. During modern era, missiles and nukes becomes available. I propose we take this into new heights.
Ancient Era:
First, I would limit all unit movement to a maximum of 10 tiles outside their borders. And to prevent any diplomatic contact unless their borders are within 10 tiles of one another. This'll prevent everyone (by everyone, I mean the AI of course) from rushing through the ancient era in no time. Not even scouts can move outside the 10 tiles limit. Also, during ancient era, units can't really move very far from the host country.
Middle Ages:
The movement range will be increased to 50. Diplomatic contact restriction will be lifted. Players who get the explorer unit (forgot the technology name, since I never research it), will have their movement range restriction lifted. Making that technology very useful. Oh, during this era, the ai player will be very agressive at anninhlating weak ai players. None of this big bad ai player taking 200 turns to take over 1 weak ai player with only like 2 cities. Also, will make more techs optional, so players can breeze through the middle ages. I'm tired of playing most of my games in the middle ages. (ie, game victories are often determined in this era, for me)
Industrial Era:
All movement range restriction lifted. To simulate the league of nations and the axis and allies, alliance blocs will be formed. The 1st, 5th and 6th player automatically in one bloc, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the second. Human player can choose to be in the bloc (if he's in the top 6), or not. But he cannot choose which bloc to go into. Furthermore, players will only exchange technology within the bloc, never outside their alliance bloc. Oh, players within their alliance bloc will never goto war against each other (unlike the mutual pact fiasco). When one bloc player goes into war, the whole alliance goes into war.
Modern Era:
Superpower philosophy are formed. There will only be two superpowers in the game, the first and second player. Automatic alliance bloc will be lifted. Instead, every nation can choose which superpower to join. Only players of the same superpower bloc can exchange modern techs. The top 6-8 ai players will automatically choose which superpower bloc to join, but the human player can choose himself. Each superpower will have a 'goodwill' rating. Poor goodwill rating results in ally nations leaving the superpower bloc. Good goodwill ratings results in unaffliated nations to join the superpower bloc. Howerver, each superpower bloc will have fundamental allies, that will never leave their super power bloc (the top 2 ai players bordering the superpower nation)
If the human player is a superpower, diplomatic incidents will come into play. Every few turns, a random diplomatic incident will occur, depending on which, the player will have to give up money, workers, or military units. Failure to do so, will result in reduced goodwill, and eventually global war! Thus, a peaceful player needs to constantly give stuffs to other nations, to maintain world peace. (like the US) For the warmonging player, starting a war will reduce goodwill, so if the player has low goodwill, the enemy will be stronger since more nations will join it. But, a high goodwill player, will have more nations on his side (good idea for the higher difficulty setting, getting lots nations on your side before starting war)
If the human player isn't a superpower, he can backstab his host superpower by spending money on the other bloc nations. If enough money is spent, there'll be a council meeting, and the human player will become the superpower. The former superpower will have units and cities ceded to the human player.
Terriorism. Only the weakest nation in the modern era unaffliated with any superpower and has not been pay off by the superpower, is able to launch terrorism. Terrorism will be automatic, with buildings and population destroyed each turn. Its always done against the strongest superpower bloc. Should the terror nation acquire nukes, nukes will be used in terror acts. To wipe out terrorism, the player has to use diplomacy, and use the option (no terriorism please, and pay a sum of money per turn). Another way to destroy terrorism, is to invade the terror nation. Each city captured, has a chance of eliminating terrorism in that nation - but goodwill will be reduced from the superpower player. Once terrorism is eliminated this way, it'll stay gone for the next 10-20 turns.
Last concept, over-research ill effects!!! What's this? Hehe, if any nations, including the ai, over-researched, will have a chance of generating what I call, sci-fi horror scenarios. Say, if you put so much points into research and it only takes 4 turns to get a tech, you have 13% chance of randomly generating a ill effect. Research at 17 turns, is the safe zone. Increase that amount, and the chance of ill effect increases. Ill effects are randomly generated, and consists the following:
1) In an effort to increase bio-technology, human kind greedly created the T-Virus as a means of healing, and war. Unfortunately, immoral research into such technology results in a general poplace exposure, and a subsequent world-wide spread of the virus. Human beings are getting turned into zombies one by one. Initial release will result in 25% - 50% of all cites and military units turned into zombies. Non superpower nations will have 50-90% of their assets turned into zombies. To survive this horror, all zombies in the world must be eliminated. Each zombie city will automatically build zombies. Each unit wounded in combat, has a chance of turning into zombies (lower the health, greater the chance). Anti-zombie medicines can be developed to prevent units turning into zombies. But, any city captured will always become zombie-cities. Zombie-cities can never be captured, only razed. (anyone excited about march 15? I am!
)
2) Research into space technology, attracted ill-intent aliens. The aliens has a base in mars, and will begin launching attacks agasint Earth. Every few turn, ufo drops from orbit, and launch attacks against random cities. There are two types of attacks, direct attacks and infiltration attacks. Ufo type determine which kind of attacks. In a direct attack, the city defenders are engaged and if destroyed, the city will be razed. In a infiltration attack, the city is engaged. If the defending unit is wounded, there's a chance of the city being turned. A turned city, will still remain under the control of the original player, but will contribute NOTHING. All military units in it cannot be moved. Player must launch special forces against the infilitrated nation to regain control of that city. As time goes by, the aliens will launch stronger and stronger ufos. To defeat the aliens, the player (only the human player), must destroy one of each alien ufo type. At which point, the player can research a new unit. The new unit can be 'launched to mars'. The more units launched to mars, the greater the chance of Earth defeating the aliens at Mars and survive this horror chapter of Earth history.
3) Oh no, human scientists accidently opened a portal to another dimension. Before they can close it, a dimensional alien Battle Citadel and 3-6 Dragon Dreadnaughts warped in and is killing everyone!
Ancient Era:
First, I would limit all unit movement to a maximum of 10 tiles outside their borders. And to prevent any diplomatic contact unless their borders are within 10 tiles of one another. This'll prevent everyone (by everyone, I mean the AI of course) from rushing through the ancient era in no time. Not even scouts can move outside the 10 tiles limit. Also, during ancient era, units can't really move very far from the host country.
Middle Ages:
The movement range will be increased to 50. Diplomatic contact restriction will be lifted. Players who get the explorer unit (forgot the technology name, since I never research it), will have their movement range restriction lifted. Making that technology very useful. Oh, during this era, the ai player will be very agressive at anninhlating weak ai players. None of this big bad ai player taking 200 turns to take over 1 weak ai player with only like 2 cities. Also, will make more techs optional, so players can breeze through the middle ages. I'm tired of playing most of my games in the middle ages. (ie, game victories are often determined in this era, for me)
Industrial Era:
All movement range restriction lifted. To simulate the league of nations and the axis and allies, alliance blocs will be formed. The 1st, 5th and 6th player automatically in one bloc, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the second. Human player can choose to be in the bloc (if he's in the top 6), or not. But he cannot choose which bloc to go into. Furthermore, players will only exchange technology within the bloc, never outside their alliance bloc. Oh, players within their alliance bloc will never goto war against each other (unlike the mutual pact fiasco). When one bloc player goes into war, the whole alliance goes into war.
Modern Era:
Superpower philosophy are formed. There will only be two superpowers in the game, the first and second player. Automatic alliance bloc will be lifted. Instead, every nation can choose which superpower to join. Only players of the same superpower bloc can exchange modern techs. The top 6-8 ai players will automatically choose which superpower bloc to join, but the human player can choose himself. Each superpower will have a 'goodwill' rating. Poor goodwill rating results in ally nations leaving the superpower bloc. Good goodwill ratings results in unaffliated nations to join the superpower bloc. Howerver, each superpower bloc will have fundamental allies, that will never leave their super power bloc (the top 2 ai players bordering the superpower nation)
If the human player is a superpower, diplomatic incidents will come into play. Every few turns, a random diplomatic incident will occur, depending on which, the player will have to give up money, workers, or military units. Failure to do so, will result in reduced goodwill, and eventually global war! Thus, a peaceful player needs to constantly give stuffs to other nations, to maintain world peace. (like the US) For the warmonging player, starting a war will reduce goodwill, so if the player has low goodwill, the enemy will be stronger since more nations will join it. But, a high goodwill player, will have more nations on his side (good idea for the higher difficulty setting, getting lots nations on your side before starting war)
If the human player isn't a superpower, he can backstab his host superpower by spending money on the other bloc nations. If enough money is spent, there'll be a council meeting, and the human player will become the superpower. The former superpower will have units and cities ceded to the human player.
Terriorism. Only the weakest nation in the modern era unaffliated with any superpower and has not been pay off by the superpower, is able to launch terrorism. Terrorism will be automatic, with buildings and population destroyed each turn. Its always done against the strongest superpower bloc. Should the terror nation acquire nukes, nukes will be used in terror acts. To wipe out terrorism, the player has to use diplomacy, and use the option (no terriorism please, and pay a sum of money per turn). Another way to destroy terrorism, is to invade the terror nation. Each city captured, has a chance of eliminating terrorism in that nation - but goodwill will be reduced from the superpower player. Once terrorism is eliminated this way, it'll stay gone for the next 10-20 turns.
Last concept, over-research ill effects!!! What's this? Hehe, if any nations, including the ai, over-researched, will have a chance of generating what I call, sci-fi horror scenarios. Say, if you put so much points into research and it only takes 4 turns to get a tech, you have 13% chance of randomly generating a ill effect. Research at 17 turns, is the safe zone. Increase that amount, and the chance of ill effect increases. Ill effects are randomly generated, and consists the following:
1) In an effort to increase bio-technology, human kind greedly created the T-Virus as a means of healing, and war. Unfortunately, immoral research into such technology results in a general poplace exposure, and a subsequent world-wide spread of the virus. Human beings are getting turned into zombies one by one. Initial release will result in 25% - 50% of all cites and military units turned into zombies. Non superpower nations will have 50-90% of their assets turned into zombies. To survive this horror, all zombies in the world must be eliminated. Each zombie city will automatically build zombies. Each unit wounded in combat, has a chance of turning into zombies (lower the health, greater the chance). Anti-zombie medicines can be developed to prevent units turning into zombies. But, any city captured will always become zombie-cities. Zombie-cities can never be captured, only razed. (anyone excited about march 15? I am!
)2) Research into space technology, attracted ill-intent aliens. The aliens has a base in mars, and will begin launching attacks agasint Earth. Every few turn, ufo drops from orbit, and launch attacks against random cities. There are two types of attacks, direct attacks and infiltration attacks. Ufo type determine which kind of attacks. In a direct attack, the city defenders are engaged and if destroyed, the city will be razed. In a infiltration attack, the city is engaged. If the defending unit is wounded, there's a chance of the city being turned. A turned city, will still remain under the control of the original player, but will contribute NOTHING. All military units in it cannot be moved. Player must launch special forces against the infilitrated nation to regain control of that city. As time goes by, the aliens will launch stronger and stronger ufos. To defeat the aliens, the player (only the human player), must destroy one of each alien ufo type. At which point, the player can research a new unit. The new unit can be 'launched to mars'. The more units launched to mars, the greater the chance of Earth defeating the aliens at Mars and survive this horror chapter of Earth history.
3) Oh no, human scientists accidently opened a portal to another dimension. Before they can close it, a dimensional alien Battle Citadel and 3-6 Dragon Dreadnaughts warped in and is killing everyone!
) space combat with fighters etc., capture ships, and hyperspace routes (Actually, I've figured out how to do this already.)?
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