Would you like a fifth era?

[grapedog]

Different Civ's following different paths would allow for more tech trading. Perhaps you can only trade for a tech in one age once you naturally gain a tech in the other. It would prevent the whole spearmen to tanks tech dump. I mean if you gave spearmen tank schematics they would be using them for their ceremonial fires not for building. I like that idea, different Civ's tech away from each other making Civ's more distinct in their late game...

edit/add: to add to that, i would like to see more middle or early game ages, not future eras.

How tough would it be to make both humans and the AI take longer to reach certain tech's while adding others in the meantime? You could also stretch the span each turn takes to stretch out the fun times. Many times I find the beginning game with warriors and spearmen more enjoyable than the end game with planes and marines and nukes.

[Destroyer]

Why does it have to be the far flung future era???

There are pleanty of modern age, and slightly futuristic technologies that are not touched upon.

Having 4 power stations that all do the same thing, and that are less different that in civ 2 is a bit lazy, for example.

What about the following (no dodgy star trek ideas):

Media (newspapapers) - decrease in corruption
Television -
Internet - increase in research
Hollywood wonder (increases culture in all cities
superconductor - reduces waste
orbital space station construction
Moon Base (perhaps a new map)
spy satelites
EMP weapons

[aneeshm]

Colonial and Prehistoric as non-optional , future era as optional .

[Jethro83]

I support the idea of a future era. But only a near future era. Not distant.

I'm talking about an era where you can build units like mechs and cybers, and research techs like Robotic Warfare or something.

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Destroyer
What about the following (no dodgy star trek ideas):

Media (newspapapers) - decrease in corruption
Television -
Internet - increase in research
Hollywood wonder (increases culture in all cities
superconductor - reduces waste
orbital space station construction
Moon Base (perhaps a new map)
spy satelites
EMP weapons

I like those ideas, though I don't know what EMP is!?!

And btw, I'm talking about only near future, to far into the future would kill the game!

[Jethro83]

Originally posted by ADG


I like those ideas, though I don't know what EMP is!?!

Electro-magnetic pulse.

Fries the circuitry of electronic equipment within its radius.

[Adagio]

Originally posted by LordAzreal
Electro-magnetic pulse.

Fries the circuitry of electronic equipment within its radius.

Cool

[Adm.Naismith]

Five eras and a different tech tree are old hats for anyone who browse The List v.2 and old "Suggestion for Civ 3" thread. Any quick search in apolyton archive should find impressive results.

I vote to add the renaissance era, but with the purpose to push modern era a bit into current/very near future. We know plenty of tech almost available in lab (still not ready for "prime time" show) that can be used without fear to be a science fiction lover (BTW, I like good S.F., as my nickname show quite well for McMaster Bujold readers ).

The whole Civ III suffer a bit IMHO from this design decision to keep the game simple and quite short (small tech tree), with a controlled pace (forced research limit), with the ability for the AI to attack human players on their best strategy (excessive trade of research to gain science leadership or recover in silly quick number of turns).

As the great strategist Velociryx (that IMO prove his skill in SMAC arena over any doubt) pointed out, a lot of design limits forced the human player to few winning strategy (if not only one) and that killed the game (or at least put down it from "greatest" to "good").
Any effort that will bring back some more player tactics, as different research paths, should be considered as an interesting opportunity.

[Master Marcus]

A more complete civ experience through the timeline, like Empire Earth ( i.e. adding prehistoric and furure era ) should be fine - and also extending the end of the Middle Ages or adding the popular Renaissance suggestion - so I would tend to vote for everything feasible. However I would like an emphasis for ancient/medieval/renaissance: actually we don't have much time to use medieval units before Industrial. I've upgraded through the editor the costs of late medieval techs and made 3 other prerequisites before Industrial transition - more enjoyable since then, and still challenging.

The future era should be short, like nanotechs and advanced recycling, thus adding no more than 50 turns ( to 2100 ).

[ahenobarb]

A non-linear tech tree is the way to go. More branches, with no climbing back. That would permit civs to become much more varied over time and present the palyer with a new strategic choice. It would also provide for cultural/anthropological differences as well.

[Master Marcus]

Originally posted by ahenobarb
A non-linear tech tree is the way to go. More branches, with no climbing back. That would permit civs to become much more varied over time and present the palyer with a new strategic choice. It would also provide for cultural/anthropological differences as well.

I agree. With that, we should'nt see the AIs sharing the very same techs all the time. It's quite boring, and sometimes frustrating to see half of your opponents sharing a newly discovered tech within a turn ( of course can be tampered through editor by AI to AI trade rate, but again...).
The existing Civ III's tech tree cannot be drastically changed into a non-linear engine, so I guess that'll have to wait for Civ IV.

[Spiffor]

Personally, I'm don't want any sci-fi in my normal Civ game : I stopped playing the excellent SMAC because of its sci-fi theme which was stranger to me. I found CTP's future eras pretty lame. I always loved Civ as an history game, nothing more.

But I'm a diehard fan of the editor (Go Editor Go !), and I sure would like to see it possible in the editor. Maybe some fanmade eras would hook me with sci-fi ?

[moomin]

Spiff, talking as a representative of the country of Jules Verne, you really should be ashamed of yourself.

Go Sci-Fi already!

[civman2000]

i have to agree with spiffor. The essence of civ does not include the future, and adding one in the middle is too fundamental a change to have just in an XP. THere should be editor capabilities to add ages but any additional ages that are included should be optional.

[ahenobarb]

Originally posted by Master Marcus


I agree. With that, we should'nt see the AIs sharing the very same techs all the time. It's quite boring, and sometimes frustrating to see half of your opponents sharing a newly discovered tech within a turn ( of course can be tampered through editor by AI to AI trade rate, but again...).
The existing Civ III's tech tree cannot be drastically changed into a non-linear engine, so I guess that'll have to wait for Civ IV.

If (more like when) they brush up the editor and give it full functionality, we will probably see a return of the possibility for NO/NO techs that you could add with Civ 2. If you can get that, you can branch your tech tree and keep civs from following someone elses or from trading the tech, but ... we need the real editor first.

Crossing fingers, holding breath