Civilization Traits

[Andrewspriggs]

I don't know...it really does seem off... I like the idea, but if you have balanced players, it would simply be TOO easy to get all of the benefits.

However, to fix that, I think that you guys should consider modeling this system based on international statistics.

For example, if at 1329, Spain is BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE at food production, etc., then Spain should get a bonus. HOWEVER, if at 1594, the world has changed dramatically and Italy is the best farming nation, it should get the bonus. The bonuses increase for as long as one nation holds its power in history.

Because, in actual history, nations get power and then fade out, even though they may not have been DEFEATED, per se, but they lose their advantage.

For example, when Marco Polo did his thing, Italy got the glory for world exploration, but when Christopher Columbus did HIS thing, Italy faded out and Spain came into power.

Spain was a world power for a while, then England became a world power, then America beat England (but was not yet a major world power). France (with Napoleon) almost conquered Europe (so, it took the 'war benefits' from England)...and then the world stabilized.

So, what I'm kind of saying is, these bonuses and abilities should be given to the FIRST civ that achieves them, and then TAKEN AWAY by future civs.

[FrostyBoy]

pg, it will not be possible to level up everything, we will make sure that it is too damn hard to achieve.

I wanted to make it unlimited, but that would mean we would have to keep coming up with different bonuses; maybe after level 5 it will increase something at very small %'s?


Sandman, we will not let the War trait overpower the other traits.


I believe that with this experience system, civilizations will truly become more unique; for example, in one of your games, there could be a civ that has a very high agricultural experience level and a high seafaring experience level. You will notice that 1. They produce far more food than anyone else and 2. controls the sea's. This is a poor example of course, but you get the idea.

You could either focus your strengths in one or two areas, or focus on all of them, but you may only get half way trying to do all experiences in one game.

Also, keep in mind that this feature will make your games even more different each time you start a new game. In Civ3, you knew what the English had strengths in, but in Humanitas, you won't.

[Sandman]

I'm always nervous about really broad traits like 'war'. I mean, that's a huge area in itself, and you could easily branch it out into offense, defence, infantry, cavalry, artillery, fortifications, quality, quantity, etc.

[Harry Tuttle]

Very cool Snoopy. I assume this could be used as a way to identify eras too?

[pg]

I hope these things are relative. Like LDiCesare said it would favor big civs now by a lot since eventually they would level up everything. Personally it'd be better to work comparatively and as a % of the civ's total actions, etc. So if one tiny civ uses diplomacy to stay alive and that is basically all it does it should be the best in the world. Which would allow it great skills and options which would make it use diplomacy even more. Also would this be limited or could you keep improving? If it is limited and not comparative and relative, etc eventually everyone will likely be highest level anyways.

[Kinjiru]

I wouldn't have thought that any of the level 1's would force you on a warmongering path.

[FrostyBoy]

Its just an example of how the record system works

[alms66]

Originally posted by Sn00py
So for example, if you killed 10,053 of Babylonians spearmen back in 5 A.D, the Babylonians may come back to you two thousand years later and say "Remember those 10,053 men you killed back in 5 A.D.? Well prepare to be nuked."

Well isn't that silly?...

[FrostyBoy]

Thanks for the suggestions, we will look into those.


We are also looking into building a sort of database record system, where every single action taken in the game is recorded. So that later events in the game are effected by what happened before, or a foreign leader can bring back an event that happened thousands of years ago.

So for example, if you killed 10,053 of Babylonians spearmen back in 5 A.D, the Babylonians may come back to you two thousand years later and say "Remember those 10,053 men you killed back in 5 A.D.? Well prepare to be nuked."

[DeathByTheSword]

i agree level five should be something like a great wonder only for one civ...thus you have to specialize

EDIT: i mean the first the reaches level 5 i the only one that can get to level 5

[LDiCesare]

That's interesting but your conditions favor big civs. There should be some kind of exclusivity or sense of proportion, like: Have a port in 50% of your cities, have a port in all your cities, circumnavigating the globe (and maybe being the first to do so).

[jimmyh]

Since civilization is all about rewriting history we are not going with the static trait system of civ3. Instead we are having an experince system, just like you would in any rpg game.

So to give you an example, there are a number of categories, but not limited to these:
Agriculture, Seafaring, War, Scientific, Commercial, Industrial,
Construction, Diplomatic, Entertainment, Religious, Exploration.

In each cat there are 5 levels and upon eaching a level you gain certain bonuses to your civ, so in agriculture you gain levels by irrigating the land, seafaring you explore the sea...etc etc.

So, using Seafaring as an example.

Seafaring Level Requirements:
---------------------------------------
Level 1: Built 3 Ports, Have 2 Existing Ships and Destroyed 3 ships
Level 2: Built 7 Ports, Have 15 Existing Ships and Destroyed 10 ships
Level 3: Discovered Navigation, Have 25 Existing Ships Built 10 Ports, Destroyed 20 Ships
Level 4: Built 2 Major Ports, travelled around the globe, Destroyed 40 ships, Have 50 Existing Ships
Level 5. Built 10 Major Ports, Have 100 Existing Ships

and an example of the rewards.

Seafaring Awards:
-----------------------
Level 1: All Ships have +1 Movement
Level 2: All Ships have +2 Defence
Level 3: All Ships have +1 Movement and Ships are 1/2 the cost to build
Level 4: All ships have + 2 Defence, +2 Attack, +2 Movement, can build Elite status ships
Level 5: All ships have + 2 Defence, +3 Attack, +3 Movement, All Ports have no running cost and can build Imperial status ships.

This is all just an example and is subject to change.