[Freeciv-Dev] Re: History educational idea

[Tobias Brox <tobiasb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I take it you want to help me in my quest =)

To fill out some historical informations?  Yeah, some bits here and some
bits there - but first we'll have to decide where and how to put this
information, and how much it should be.  

The idea about stating why is a good one ... but I think my vision about
separating clearly the more technical game information and the history
might break a bit with it.

And how much?  Well, as previous stated - this shouldn't be a complete
history reference, this shouldn't even resemble the real history
course, this should just be a game.  Just some few 4-8 lines about each
thing, including when and where they appeared in real life, and by whom.
And of course the history text must provide enough information so it
becomes clear why it behaves the way it does.  I also think it might be
smart to put up URLs as "further reading".  Maybe they should be clickable
as well, fire up an external browser, but I guess it might be a bit
complex (different configurations, etc).

> Cities? wow =) now that would be cool.... but very hard. I think that
> would have to be a seperate project =). How much on each city? a
> paragraph?

As above.  Just some few 4-8 lines about each thing, including when and
where they appeared in real life, whom created the city and where it is
now (i.e. Holmgard was Swedish, but now it's Russian (Novgorod).  Helsinki
was founded by the russians if I'm not mistaken.  Now it's Finnish. etc) 
It should also contain the number of inhabitants in year 2000, and
a list of which of the in-game "wonders" that can be contributed to this
city, and maybe some more major historical events - and links to the web
as well.

> also.. in freeciv each city is not like how it turned out in
> life. I mean... Melbourne (Australian im sorry) started off next to the
> sea... what would happen if it started inland? would the text still be
> true? Good idea none the less =)

My idea was to clearly distinguish information about real life and real 
history and information related to the game, so that the game doesn't
match the real thing doesn't matter.  Anyway, maybe it might be an idea to
add some notes to the ruleset about the cities, so it will suggest coastal
citynames to costal cities, etc 

By the way - I guess almost all cities are located either nearby the sea
or by some larger river.  If we want a game with historical correctness,
we should seriously consider either simple trade bonuses for beeing
located by the sea or a large river, or it should be made _a lot_ easier
to make sea/river-going trade routes.  Shipping has always been a lot more
important to international trading than railways, roads, airplanes and
space ships, and I guess it will be so in quite some few years ahead as
well :)  Anyway, as far as I've understood it, it has always been a
greater priority to get as much up to civilization as possible than to be 
historical correct.

> > A good thought, I think.  I'm a bit annoyed about defending against a 
> > "modern" army by forts and city walls ... after all, those things have 
> > almost nothing but historical significance in the modern military.
> 
> Yeah.... and it takes a howitzer to get over a wall =) and yet armours and
> catapults can't fire over them =)

In the modern times, underground shelters has taken over the role of the
forts - and they can resist both catapults, armours, artillery (just look 
at Grozny - as far as I've understood the situation the russians are
attacking it over and over again by artillery - but it doesn't help very
much, the rebels just go underground) and even bombers. They even said we
were safe from a nuclear attack when I was in the service.

> p.s. (hello tobiX, long time no play, give me a mail if ya want a
> game  =)) 

Not this weekend ... but maybe next week.

-- 
Tobias Brox (alias TobiX) - sysguy - +4722925871 - http://www.funcom.com/
If an _urgent_ email is not acted upon within 10 minutes, you might try
a _short_ mail to sms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx