[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Trading/Resources in FreeCiv

[Morgan Jones <morgan.jones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 21/08/2003, you wrote:

> On Fri, Aug 22, 2003 at 12:05:30AM +1300, Morgan Jones wrote:
>> Take for instance the oil terrain special. Obviously oil is an
>> important resource throughout history, but it takes on an entirely
>> new level of significance in the era of the combustion engine. The
>> default setting for oil is 4 production.
>> 
>> Perhaps this could be changed to, for example, 2 production. Then
>> when a player has researched an appropriate tech (Refining would be
>> a good candidate) this allows them to build say, an Oil Refinery.
>> This can only be built in a city that is adjacent to an oil tile
>> (using spec_gate) and when built provides the city with 2 further
>> production shields, bringing the total to 4.
> 
> This seems pretty harsh.  By the time combustion is an issue, I
> don't really see anyone building a city improvement for the sake of
> getting just 2 extra shields per oil tile their city is adjacent to.

I agree, an improvement that only gave you +2 production at that stage
of the game would indeed be crap.  I was only trying to give an
example of how the system could work, any actual values would have to
be well thought out for game balance first.  Perhaps a 300% bonus to
production would be more inviting?  :)
 
What I'm really trying to say is that gen impr looks like it will open
the floodgates on what's possible in the game, and a reasonable
trading/resource system is made possible.  We only have to experiment.

> Wouldn't it be better to just say that certain resources like oil,
> iron, etc. produce more shields when you have a particular tech
> (iron working, combustion, ...) and the tile is mined?

True.  Will you be able to attach improvement style effects to techs
under gen impr?  If so then yes this probably would be a better
solution.  

The reason I like this idea is that it means that certain cities could
rise and fall in importance as time progresses.  Say you've got a port
city that has access to lots of forest.  With a well configured
ruleset this city would be great for churning out triremes and
frigates.  But later with the advent of the Steam Engine, iron becomes
the essential material and the naval production base might have to
move elsewhere.

As a radical idea you could introduce a special like uranium which
gives you absolutely nothing until the discovery of Nuclear Fission.

I think it would make a good modpack anyway.  I'll have a go at it
once we have 1.15.0. 

   -Morgan