Re: [Freeciv-Dev] suggestion about science.

[Lindqvist Marko <caz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 I seem to disagree with almost every part of your mail.  Sorry if this
mail is a bit harsh, but I'm afrait I can't find any more polite way of
saying things (in english).


On Mon, 8 Feb 1999, Martin Willemoes Hansen wrote:

> Hi Freecivers!
> 
> I was thinking about how Science is handled in Freeciv.
> Now you are selecting what new science you would like
> to discover, but aint that a litlle unrealistic? Would
> a people now what new science was ahead and go for it?
> No most science gets discovered by accident!
> 

 Maybe we can add possibility to gain tech 'by accident', but
I don't think accidents need funding. So normal civ research
(where players spend money) should be based on some kind of
need. People don't know exactly what is ahead, but they
do have some goals. We just use names of the final products
since somehow we have to name different techs.
 I admit that there is some techs which are unrealistic to research any
way, mainly in ceremonial burial - monotheism branch. For realism they
should be always discovered by accident, but I'm afrait that would be a
bit too unbalanced.


> Maybe in a new Freeciv rules version of Freeciv we 
> could make the leader chose between one of the 
> following science directions:
> 
> 1. Military science.
> 2. Peacefull science.
> 
> Maybe that could be splitted up in more realistic 
> goals. Somebody who works with science properly know
> better than me.

 It's splitted in more realistic goals right now. In the beginning
of the game you have at least these directions to choose from:

 Better weapons - some of your people may try to improve stone clubs
somehow while others research alternative materials. They discover Bronze
Working.

 Happier people - Your wise men realise that one big reason to unhappiness
is unhandled sorrow after death of close ones. They decide that there
should be some way of handling these feelings and continue living. They
discover Ceremonial Burial.

 Faster units (to explore world) - From the very beginning of the research
it's obvious that horses will play major role in this new technology,
since they are fast. Sad news is that horses don't talk, so thay can't be
used as is. Test of gaining horses speed by eating it's meat is failure.
Finally somebody realises that horse can carry a man. After that it's
simply a matter of researching ways of controlling horses. Finally your
men can claim that they master Horseback Riding.

 Better way to remember things, storing information - Alphabet
 Easier way to build - Masonry
 Way of storing food - Pottery

 
> Ofcourse one cant discover flight right away but 
> instead writing, the wheel or something else and follow
> the hirakracy.
> 

 I think that with certain rules created random hierarchy would be most
realistic. So you would always know what you are going to get immediately
if you research certain tech (goals of your research), but can't make any
long term plans through the whole tech tree. 



 Caz