[Freeciv-Dev] Re: non-smallpox idea

[Josh Cogliati <jjc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Nov 23, 2001 at 06:36:53PM +0100, Gregor Zeitlinger wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Nov 2001, Josh Cogliati wrote:
> > On Thu, Nov 22, 2001 at 02:52:07PM -0500, Daniel L Speyer wrote:
> > Summary:
> > How about having a knowledge data file as well.  Basically it would be a
> > count of how much experience you had in a given area.  There would 
> > be a listing of different knowledge types:
> > Trade,
> > Construction,
> > Navigation,
> > Metalworking ...
> > Then the buildings and the units would contribute to it.
> > For example a Marketplace could contribute two trade points per turn,
> > and building a trireme would contribute one navigation point.
> > Also each technology would have knowledge point requirements as well.
> > So Navigation would require 5 navigation points, Trade might require 6 
> > trade 
> > points and so on.  
> but it makes smallpox stronger, not weaker.
It can make ICS stronger if you set up the ruleset that way.
However it can make ICS weaker.  For example if you want to keep ICS players
caravans from helping build wonders:
give 1 trade point per marketplace per year and 
require 20 trade points to get trade.  
Marketplaces are quite useful for large cities, but are worse than useless
for small cities.  This forces the ICS player to waste production and upkeep
on marketplaces.  

This would allow you too choose a goal, like
keep ICS players from getting republic easily.
Make a library knowledge point and make 15 required for republic.
Give 1 per turn per library. 

Or how about keep ironclads from ICS:
1 library point per library per turn
100 library points to get Steam Engine.
The ICS player gets nothing from building libraries but Steam Engine.
The nonICS player get the research bonus (which is pretty useful if you 
are getting 4 or 5 research from a city) and Steam Engine.

Knowledge points do not automatically weaken ICS, but they can if the
ruleset is setup to weaken it.   Basically it allows the ruleset designer
to force players to have some improvements which eliminates the main advantage
of having lots of small cities (i.e no improvements required).

If you really want to hurt ICS use the variation I discussed at the bottom:
multiply per turn bonuses by a class of citizen.  
Make library points multiply by the number of scientists in a city.
Then you can't get them in a city smaller than 4 since you can't have 
scientists.

It would definatly take a bit of work to balance the ruleset, but 
it offers quite a bit of power to the ruleset designer to require 
improvements or building units.


-- 
Josh Cogliati
jjc@xxxxxxxxx
This message created in Linux, the choice of a GNU generation.