[Freeciv] Re: Big cities vs small cities (was: smallpox syndrome)

[Reinier Post <rp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Jan 05, 2001 at 02:27:24AM +0100, Michael Hasselmann wrote:
 
> ...by the given means there's actually no way to really defend yourself
> once you've got attacked. If it goes to war size matters (surprise
> attacks are secondary), and not strategy (which is okay for real time
> action, but in the same time it is quite poor for a so-called
> "turn-based" strategy game like Freeciv).

I agree that size is important, but technology level, skill in coordination of
units, and motor skills (how fast you can pop up and click down the dialogs to
control units) are more important.  

 Continueing this thought, I would be interested in a rather peaceful way
> to end the game - as a true alternative - although I can't figure out
> how it would fit in or what it could look like. But this is another
> topic :-)

I think this can be done by introducing more different scores (entries in he
Demography report) and playing until the first player reaches a preset top
score.

> > My proposition:
> > Maximal science production should be very small,
> > for example 20% for Despotism, 30% for Monarchy,
> > 40% for Republic, 50% for Communism and Democracy.
> > But each settler in the city (for cities bigger that 3)
> > can be set as a "researcher", and is collecting large
> > amount of science (for example 0.5 science point from
> > every trade point surplus in Despotism and Monarchy,
> > 0.75 in Republic and Communism, 1 in Democracy).

This is already possible (we have 'scientists') but the parameters that
control their use may need to be changed - I never use them.

> Sounds interesting. In fact, I had the same in mind (to put big cities
> in a better situation as they are now) when I suggested to additionally
> increase the trade- and production output per city size. At the same
> time we probably have to think about new defense mechanism (e.g.
> auto-attack as soon as unit appears)

Cities have an auto-attack option.  Have you tried it?

> > Had Great Britain loss its science power
> > after II WW?
> 
> Another difficult statement/question...

I think the demise of the British Empire is easy to explain in Freeciv terms.
But it may be interesting to introduce a notion of 'colonialism' where you can
benefit from foreign cities without actually controlling them.

> ciao Michael Hasselmann
 
-- 
Reinier Post