evolution of SMAC

[Gammaray fan]

SMAC's system of SE and its system of civ-specific bonuses should be EVOLVED to make it into CIV3. By EVOLVED, I mean that civ-specific bonuses should be changed so that they are EARNED throughout the game.
To implement this simply, there could be a checkerbox list of civ attributes that a player selects (like SE) through his/her actions.
EXAMPLE:
Civ attributes:
offensive ground
offensive sea
offensive air
defensive ground
defensive sea
defensive air
farming/irrigation bonus
road/railway bonus
mining bonus
trading bonus
building bonuses (granary, marketplace, university, temple etc.)

A player would start the game with bonus 'points' (there would be a lot less points than bonuses so a player could not get all of them)
A player could use his points and select one of the bonuses after he/she had performed the action that enables them to select a certain bonus.
EG. 50 squares of irrigation for farming bonus, granary in 5 cities for a granary bonus, 20 trade routes for trade bonus etc.
IN ESSENCE, this is a simple way to implement EARNABLE civ bonuses!

[Grumbold]

Another interesting idea and it doesn't rely on practical science, minor techs or exclusively unique civ gimmicks. Showing commitment to a certain approach by building lots of a certain unit, improvement or building would be a very good way of highlighting areas where that civ should improve in efficiency or effectiveness. If all civilisations eventually get the basic bonuses available for 5 libraries or 50 irrigated squares, so what? The people most focussed on that approach will have had the bonus longer and be nearing another milestone.

[SerapisIV]

I like the ideas a lot or at least something similar, something where your gameplay decides your Civ specific bonuses and units, not just because you happen to have picked the American civ versus the Russian civ. These ideas have been thrown around a bit before, we can only hope Firaxis at least considered them. I don't mind if the idea was playtested and scratched, but it seems with what little info we've gotten from Firaxis, it seems they haven't gone that far. Hopefully it'll all turn out alright.

[tniem]

I've supported earnable civ bonuses for a long time, this is the first proposal I have seen that would make this possible. I certainly like the idea and would love to see it in Civ III.