MOD: Hallowed Ground (based on MarlaMap1.13)

[squeeze truck]

This is my first mod, be gentle.

Download:
here

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Hallowed Ground Mod v0.05
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This mod is based on Marla Sanger's fabulous world map, (v1.13), and the mod cannot realistically be played without it.
This mod is still in development. ie, there is still a whole lot I would like to change


Explanation of changes thus far:

New Resources
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16 new strategic resources have been added, one representing each civ.
One of each new resource has been added to the map directly underneath that civ's designated
starting location. Because the AI always builds its first city directly at its starting location,
it will build its capitol city on top of the resources.
Since there is only ONE of each new resource, these resources cannot ever be traded to other civs.

(the resources offer +2 trade, +2 food, and +2 shields)

But what are they for?
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I'm glad you asked!
The UNIQUE UNITS of each civ have been made available to all civs, but each requires a different
unique special resource to build.
For example, the Romans can build legions only if they have access to both Iron and the "Romans" resource.
Since the Roman resource is underneath Rome, Rome and all Roman cities connected to Rome via roads or harbors
(and have access to Iron) can build legions.

So What?
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In game terms, this means that any civ that controls the "Roman" resource can build legions. So if
the Germans manage to take Rome, Germany will be able to produce legions and Rome will not.
If this happens, Rome is effectively boned, but they will still be able to make swordsmen.

Really? How?
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Simple, you ninny. I also tweaked the upgrade progression to make sure that though the AI will have access
to (for example) both swordsmen and legions, it will use only legions if possible.

The new upgrade paths are:

warrior --> jaguar warrior --> swordsman
spearman --> impi --> hoplite --> musketman
archer --> bowman --> longbowman
charriot --> war charriot
horseman --> mounted warrior --> knight
swordsman --> legion --> immortal
knight --> war elephant --> rider --> samurai --> cavalry
musketman --> musketeer --> rifleman
cavalry --> cossack
frigate --> man-o-war
tank --> panzer
jet fighter --> F-15

So if Gandhi captures Beijing, he can upgrade all his war elephants to Riders. (I consider this an upgrade)
If he then loses Beijing, he can no longer build riders, but he will be able to build elephants just fine.


Other Random Changes
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- Settlers cost 12 shields (as much as radar artillery), and 3 pop. Something has to be done to slow
population growth on this huge map...

- Mounted Warriors require no horses (duh, no horses in America!)

- Impi can now blitz. (they go obsolete too quickly)

- War Charriots speed raised from 2 to 3. (to make them viable after horsemen become available)

- Added new boat, "Ikada" (speed 1, trans 2). This boat is available only to controllers of the "Japanese"
resource.
(I know the English are on an island too, but the English manage to get off their island early, and London
gets an automatic Iron Works. Japan rarely gets off it's island before it's too late.)

- Settlers are now "wheeled", meaning they cannot cross mountains or jungles.
This will slow the growth of the Zulus and Egyptians into Central Africa, the Aztecs into South America,
and the Indians and Chinese into SouthEast Asia and Indonesia.

- Barbarians changed from warrior/horseman/galley, to archer/mounted warrior/privateer.
(...making them much tougher. Australia and S. America are now a real pain to take over.)

[Kuciwalker]

It looks pretty cool.

[squeeze truck]

And dammit, why can't I post this to the FILES forum?

[Jer8m8]

What if the AI moves the settler before building a city?

[squeeze truck]

Originally posted by Jer8m8
What if the AI moves the settler before building a city?

I haven't seen them do that yet. Since the spot they start at gives a +2/+2/+2 bonus, they shouldn't want to move.

Has anyone seen an AI move on its first turn instead of building its capitol city?

[squeeze truck]

Another Idea...

Plans for v1.0:

For my next version I'm planning on civ-specific techs that would allow improvements and minor wonders that confer new special abilities for each civ.
For example, giving Japan early spies, giving China early conscription, giving the Aztecs an early hospital for their capitol*, etc.

I figured out how to create a civ-specific tech for each race that is not able to be traded. This was impossible in CivI and CivII, but it seems to be doable in CivIII.

- Create a new modern age tech at the end of the tree. I named mine "impossible tech", and gave it the maximum research cost of 1000.

- Create another modern age tech with cost=1000, and set its prerequisite to "Impossible Tech". (not feeilng creative yet, I called mine "Japanese Unique".)

- Set the tech as one of the Japanese civ's starting techs. Since CivIII will not allow the tech to be traded to another civ until that civ posesses "Impossible Tech", it will be impossible to trade or steal this tech until the end of the game.

- Create new units/improvements/wonders that require "Japanese Unique" to build, effectively creating Unique Improvements that only the Japanese civ can build.

Since the editor will not allow you to create, for example, ancient techs that require modern techs, it won't be possible to create a forking tech tree this way.

But if you create improvements that require both "Japanese Unique", and resources that appear later, such as saltpeter, it would be possible to create (for example) a Japanese-only minor wonder that would allow Japan to have spies (ninjas baby!) much earlier that any other Civ.

(*When the Spanish found it, Tenochtitlan was larger than any city in Europe.)

[Jer8m8]

If I'm reading right, every civ's tech will have a prereq of impossible tech, allowing it to be traded

[squeeze truck]

The techs will only be able to be traded to civs who posess "Impossible Tech". Since nobody does, the new techs cannot be traded until Impossible Tech is researched at the end of the game.

Since the new techs will effectively be obsolete at the end of the game, this shouldn't matter (much).

Perhaps if one created a chain of, say, 20 Impossible Techs (we'll rename them "future techs") with the civ-specific techs depending on the 20th, the game will expire before anyone gets to #20.