[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#3672) [sug] Sharing techout in Teamgamees

["Per I. Mathisen" <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 9 Mar 2003, Arnstein Lindgard wrote:
> > Technology is applied knowledge. It isn't just the dry bookly knowledge,
> > it is experts, know-how, organizational systems, scientific paradigms and
> > so on. To lease a technology to another nation means making the other
> > nation capable of building the _products_ of the technology, instead of
> > actually getting the knowledge behind the technology.
>
> I'm not convinced this is possible. Proliferation of tech seems
> unstoppable.

Well, for me, the first question is: Is this a feature that will make the
game more fun? If yes, then next: find an in-game rationale for it.

Now, is it a fun feature or not?

If yes, can you come up with a better rationale for it? You can change the
name and the implementation to fit as long as the implementation remains
simple and the fun doesn't go away. I'll go along with it.

> On Sun, 9 Mar "Alan Horkan" <horkana@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Perhaps there could be some way to buy Units from your allies with
> > their permission so that it would not be a bribe that would break the
> > treaty?

This is a possible angle to the "tech lease" idea. Instead of leasing
technology, you buy the necessary equipment for units and buildings that
you don't have the necessary technology to build yourself.

Example: All of the third world buying weapons from the Sovjets and/or the
US during the cold war, equipping their own military units with said
weapons.

Example: The British in 1940-1 in the lend/lease arrangement with the US,
getting weapons practically for free, equipping their own units with these
weapons.

Hmm... we could call it a "Trade treaty" instead?

That leaves the question of payment. It wouldn't be a big problem to
require cities that produce something that depends on a "trade treaty"
technology to pay one gold per shield produced per turn to our trading
partner(s).

> That is a wonderful idea. Furthermore, after buying a random number
> of units from another nation, you could get:
>
> "Game: Your experts have successfully reverse-engineered the
> technology required for AEGIS Cruiser!"

In the "tech lease" patch, this is implemented by halving tech cost for a
technology which we have available through a "tech lease" treaty.

> Think of all the fun we could have with a more intricate system of
> diplomatic relations. The nation selling units could make up
> outrageous excuses for stopping the sale of units, of fear that
> the recieving nation will understand the technology. At the other end,
> you could complain that the selling nation is exploiting you...

Yes, a lot of fun can be added in the diplomacy part of the game. However,
right now I'm concerned only with getting the first patch completed,
tested and committed, so that AI diplomacy can go in...

> Reading comments in the happypenguin award forums and so on, it seems
> many people really want diplomacy. It was always much fun when Civ II
> players said "Our words are backed with nuclear weapons!!" and all
> that yada yada.

Really too bad the AI doesn't know how to use nukes yet.

> It's a bit awkward to move caravans around, nobody seems to do it.

Yes, I too strongly dislike this micromanagement.

  - Per