Filling up the spaces in the tech tree

[aahz_capone]

I don't have PtW yet but I'm looking forward to t and am sure it won't disappoint me, from what I've read.

However, there still are free spaces on the tech tree and sciences that don't do anything. I'm considering filliong them up myself but I don't want to make a mod that changes the game too much, one that might be sanctioned by the higher ups. I also would like your feedback on certain ideas, maybe we could work together on this.

STEEL: I love this idea. A minor wonder called "The World's tallest building". It would act like the collussus in the city built until another civ builds it themselves. Then they would get the commercial bonus. However, you may build it AGAIN, and the original would still get the big culture bonus. However you can't build it twice in the same city (this to deter people constantly building this alone). I think this would be a realsitic simmulation of real life, and with every one build it just gets taller and taller. MAybe after so many built you need a modern science to build another, like synthetic fibers. Hell, I don't even know if this is possible with the editor!!

The Corporation: I was thinking about two options. Either a city improvement called The Mall, which gives two or three gold on the city square. Or the Minor Wonder, which I prefer, called the Mega Mall. this would work like so: It duplicates a luxury you already have one of so you can trade that off and still benefit from it your self. I mean what else does a mall do?

Printing Press: News agency. I'm surprised that this wasn't put in the game, controling the masses thru media is a typical civ thing to do! A news agency would spread you governements propaganda throught you civ, basically slowing war weariness for democratic and republican civs, and making communist and monarchies harder to bribe.

Radio: Media Station. Add on to the news agency, does the same thing only more so because of TVs and radios.

Refinary: This I'm still having trouble with. I thought maybe a petrol staiton that would reset a units movement, but this is completely usless as everyone has RR by now. I really need ideas for this one. Maybe a shiled or two extra on the city square?

Chemistry: how about an apothacary shop? it would make people happy or something, I haven't really figured it out.

Physics: a step between catapult 4.1.1 and canon 8.1.1 the siege engine 6.1.1 I think this is quite feesible.

Now I'm really happy that the swordsmen got an upgrade in PtW, solves a lot of problems. But what about other units?

Longbowman: upgrade to Sharpshooter 8.0.1 This is a radical idea so I don't even know if it will work as planned. The point is that a sniper can wack off a few top dogs in a battalion of marines or infantry, severily imapring their ability to fight, before getting killed himself. I think with a defence of 0 instead he'll get killed always (as they should the sneaky bastards!) and somtimes without firing a round. To add to the chaos, the sharpshooter could be black flagged like privateers. Quit an expenive unit for an expendable one, the upgrade would take place with Replaceable Parts.

Cavalry: OK, this is a longshot, but in the US the cavalry divisions were given turned into aircavalry and given attack helicopters. Why can't we do that? I don't know exactly the stats it should have (maybe 8.6.- ??) but it wouldn't have bombard, however it would move like a jet. So when is attacks it actually hovers there for amoment during the battle then flies back, so it'can't hold ground. Needs oil, rubber and advanced flieght.

Combustion: this is a logical move: The deuce and a half truck. basically a transport on wheels, you can put 2 non-wheeled units inside (like inf or marines) and it has 0.2.3 The point would be to help infantry and marines get to the enemy lines when RR are out and stuff. Worked in WW2!

Like I say, I don't even know if these are possible! But I would like some constructive critisism and tips. Those techs which have no material worth piss me off!! Especially science the civlopedia doesn't even explain them like in civ2 or SMAC! "You got Chemistry!" and blank!

[alva]

Radio has new nifty cool items added allready

I don't mind the 'empty' tech btw, they ad to the psychological part of the game in mp. ( in Sp too, but the AI doesn't so much )

[Minmaster]

i like the land transport idea. it would be like apc. i was thinking as i was playing today itd be cool if there was an easier way for 1 movement point units to penetrate enemy territory faster and safer. this land transport wouldve been great. for example, when i was fighting a war today, and my calvalry was always ahead of my infantry and it made it harder to get position inside enemy territory for an attack or reinforcement. i like to have my defensive unit in the same stack when i fight so that it protects my offensive units. even when there is railroad, moving units inside enemy territory same as unroaded so this land transport unit would come in real handy.

[candybo]

Love the "Tallest Building" idea. I think Joanie would, too. And imagine the back and forth on that in MP! As for most of the others, its the usual "more of this, or less of that" premises. Could go either way. On Chemistry, tho, I think it should allow a new process, say combining two resources to get a third or something. Or maybe a new worker skill, say chemomining, wherein a worker can build an "advanced" mine on a tile, say strictly mountains, which then expends the worker. That would be a great, historically logical use for slaves...


One other thing... I agree that, as has been said a kabillion times, if we just got rid of infinite RR, a lot of "troop movement" issues wouldn't be issues. I feel it should be harder to do SoDs, not easier...

edited to add to..

[aahz_capone]

So how do I implement this "tallest building thing" ? Can the editor take wonder abilitie from one civ to another and back again? Am I just dreaming? The things like siege engine and news agency I can make easy, but the rest is rather complex.

[Zero-Tau]

Originally posted by aahz_capone
Chemistry: how about an apothacary shop? it would make people happy or something, I haven't really figured it out.

Here's an idea: How about some sort of laboratory? Once built in a city, the city can be set to produce "Research" which turns shields to science beakers at a rate of 4 to 1, similiar to wealth. However, each turn there is a chance that such a city may have a lab accident, causing effects similiar to a nuclear meltdown (though not quite as severe).

How about it? And before anyone asks, I don't think this is possible with the editor.

[Destroyer]

I think any additional science or trade bonuses are useless in the later stages of the game.

Printing press should decrease war weariness. Radio media should decrease coruption. But less war weariness is silly. Think about Vietnam.

Entertainment Network (tv) should increase culture dramatically. Hollywood wonder should build one of these in every city in your empire.

[alva]

hollywood is not culture

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by aahz_capone
Cavalry: OK, this is a longshot, but in the US the cavalry divisions were given turned into aircavalry and given attack helicopters. Why can't we do that? I don't know exactly the stats it should have (maybe 8.6.- ??) but it wouldn't have bombard, however it would move like a jet. So when is attacks it actually hovers there for amoment during the battle then flies back, so it'can't hold ground. Needs oil, rubber and advanced flieght.

Cavalry divisions were turned into armored cavalry divisions not air cav.

ACK!

[Destroyer]

Originally posted by alva848
hollywood is not culture

Anti culture perhaps.

[mrmitchell]

Excellent Land Transport idea. But how about like sea trans, units riding land trans can't immediately fight as soon as they get off? (Unless you have another new unit, something like Minutemen=just like marines on the ground maybe a little less powerful because of their historical time period) We don't want any unit(s) becoming too powerful.

(Minutemen were militia in IIRC Massachusetts during the American Revolutionary War. They were named that way because they said they'd be ready to fight the Brits in a minute, and they practically were.)

[aahz_capone]

Originally posted by Zero-Tau


Here's an idea: How about some sort of laboratory? Once built in a city, the city can be set to produce "Research" which turns shields to science beakers at a rate of 4 to 1, similiar to wealth. However, each turn there is a chance that such a city may have a lab accident, causing effects similiar to a nuclear meltdown (though not quite as severe).

How about it? And before anyone asks, I don't think this is possible with the editor.

This is not a bad idea. To put it in context with the time of chemistry discovery, we could call it the Alcamists guild. I think the chance of an explosion which should creat pollution like a nuke, but just damadge units and kill citizens could happen when a city goes into riots, like how nuke plants go boom!

Anti-culture? cultural warfare.... build hollywood and you can launch cultural strikes or something, americanize the world! Yeah, I think the radio media should decrease corruption now that you mention it, but it still shouldn't be able to be built without news paper stand.

[Zero-Tau]

Originally posted by aahz_capone


This is not a bad idea. To put it in context with the time of chemistry discovery, we could call it the Alcamists guild. I think the chance of an explosion which should creat pollution like a nuke, but just damadge units and kill citizens could happen when a city goes into riots, like how nuke plants go boom!

Actually, I was thinking that there should be a small chance all the time, but an accident only causes the destruction of one building, citizen, or military unit. All these cases should be non-applicable if the city contains less than 3 buildings/citizens/military units, respectively. (This is to avoid severing a small edge city.) This only applies if the city actually produces "Research". Just having the lab creates no risk.

If in civil disorder, though, the lab may be destroyed the same way a nuclear plant is destroyed. Ouch!