Some resources to become obsolete?

[RedWhiteArcher]

I wondered. After the cavalary will go obsolete we will have no use for horses? No other uses for horses?
What other strategic resources could become obsolete with time?

[ixnay]

Well, I'd imagine that if you are advanced enough, you could make quite a profit trading all of your horses to lesser civilizations that need them..

[Akron]

Good point, horses probably will go obsolete. I wonder whether at that point the ai will stop accepting horses in exchange for their more valuable goods. Iron and coal won't go obsolete, though, since they are required for steel.

[SerapisIV]

Now when they go obsolete for your civ, would you still be able to trade the obsolete resources to less advanced civs?

[Akron]

I would assume so, as they probably won't just disappear off the map.

I wonder, though, when you get a new technology, such as mobile warefare, and don't have the resources to make tanks, whether your cavalry become obsolete then or later when you can make tanks. Hopefully, its the latter so that you don't get penalized for discovering a new technology. Also, if you lose a certain resource required by say tanks, you should be able to go back to cavalry, even though they won't be as effective. Otherwise, defense will be too dependent on resource aquisition.

[RedWhiteArcher]

Well, I'd imagine that if you are advanced enough, you could make quite a profit trading all of your horses to lesser civilizations that need them..

Yes but I mean that in the end everybody will not need them in that case.

Also, if you lose a certain resource required by say tanks, you should be able to go back to cavalry, even though they won't be as effective. Otherwise, defense will be too dependent on resource aquisition.

That is actualy a very good idea.

Maybe horses could give some other bonus as well as having strategic value. Otherwise they could just take space on the tile.

[Lemmy]

from what i understand resources are depletable, they don't exist forever (sorry, no link).

so you won't be able to profit from them forever by trading it to lesser advanced civs.

[Akron]

Thinking about this, there also must be some more modern units that don't require resources, or a civ that is getting killed and only has 4 cities left will have no chance. Some units, such as partisans and fanatics, should require no resources to build. It wouldn't be right in the modern age for someone not to be able to produce any modern defensive unit, just because they don't have the resource required to make mech. infantry or riflemen.

[Akron]

Originally posted by Lemmy
from what i understand resources are depletable, they don't exist forever (sorry, no link).

so you won't be able to profit from them forever by trading it to lesser advanced civs.

I think this will work like in SMAC. There, you may have had a nutrient bonus to begin with, but at some point in the game, that bonus may randomly disappear. Similarly, at somepoint in the game, another resource may randomly appear within one of your city's radius. I don't think that there will be any time limit on the resource's use, just this randomness. IIRC, resources in civ 3 can also appear randomly.

[Crouchback]

Originally posted by Akron
Thinking about this, there also must be some more modern units that don't require resources, or a civ that is getting killed and only has 4 cities left will have no chance. Some units, such as partisans and fanatics, should require no resources to build. It wouldn't be right in the modern age for someone not to be able to produce any modern defensive unit, just because they don't have the resource required to make mech. infantry or riflemen.

There are probably a number of units we still don't know about that don't require a specific resource, like spearmen which just need bronze working. But then I'm still a bit dubious about the idea of saltpetre as a strategic resource required to make gun powder. Too much of what we think we know about Civ3 is mere speculation wrapped in wild guesswork.

David

[Crouchback]

Double post, but since I've got the space:

Horses should effect happiness in a civilization as well. They can always be raced after all, thereby making bookies very happy indeed and us poor punters deeply miserable.

David

[Akron]

Originally posted by Crouchback
Too much of what we think we know about Civ3 is mere speculation wrapped in wild guesswork.

You're absolutely right.

But this anticipation and speculation is what makes this part of the game development so interesting.

As for horses being a luxury, that's an interesting solution. I'd say that just giving it a tile bonus for later in the game after its lost its strategic value would also do.

[RedWhiteArcher]

from what i understand resources are depletable, they don't exist forever (sorry, no link).

Thats not the reason for not being able to trade them forever, in the end everybody will have horses obsolete and if I remember correctly when one resource dissapear, another one generates on another tile.

Also I don't think that horses, and other "living" resourses should be depletable. The do reproduce. Only the ores and oil should be depleteble

[Crouchback]

Originally posted by RedWhiteArcher
I don't think that horses, and other "living" resourses should be depletable. The do reproduce. Only the ores and oil should be depleteble

No they shouldn't be depleted, but close all the stud farms and stables and they'll soon die out. However, I live in the South of England where if my arthritic grandmother threw a stone she'd still hit a riding stable. That is despite the British army driving their tanks all over the best bit of farm land round Stonehenge.

David

[red_jon]

Originally posted by Crouchback


No they shouldn't be depleted, but close all the stud farms and stables and they'll soon die out. However, I live in the South of England where if my arthritic grandmother threw a stone she'd still hit a riding stable. That is despite the British army driving their tanks all over the best bit of farm land round Stonehenge.

David

I live in the South of England and can't think of one riding stable here.