This map follows in the style of maps such as Civilization Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald. It also has influences from the Civilization World style maps as well. This map is my attempt to make a "better" Civilization map and addresses what I consider to be flaws of current popular Civilization maps. It also incorporates concepts from the games Civilization 2 and 3 which I have played to death.
The basic idea is that you manage a new Civilization at the dawn of the (first) Stone Age. Starting from there, you expand your civilization, research new technologies, and engage in war with other players. Along the way, you will also have options to manage your government and construct Wonders of the World which grant special bonuses.
Specs and Basic Information
Players: 2-7 (higher is likely better.)
Terrain: Jungle, 256x256 fictional
Terrain by: Tempz
Typical Game Length: 60+ Minutes
Territories, Income and Technology
Beacons represent resources or territories and are captured by making a building next to them and destroying all other player's buildings near them. The neutral beacons are marked with buildings which indicate the relative strength and technology of the AI barbarians around them. From easiest to hardest:
- 2x Blank Beacons
- 2x Pylon Beacons
- 2x Cybernetics Core Beacons
- 1x Forge Beacon
- 2x Citadel of Adun Beacons
- 2x Templar Archive Beacons
- Larger, Varying AI City-States
For most of the starting locations, with the exception of the forge beacon, the beacons are placed such that easier ones are closer to the civilization's start and the more difficult ones are further away.
A countdown timer will run at the top of the screen. It is the amount of time left in the "year". Yearly, civilizations generate income and technology points. Each beacon gives 100 minerals per year, or 150 if the beacon has a Marketplace (Academy) next to it. The various government types also give a varying flat income bonus. Subtracted from this are your maintainence, corruption, and unit support costs. (explained later)
Technology (and age advancement by extension) is gained by owning certain buildings. These buildings are marked with green and orange numbers in their names. The green number specifies how many technology points the building adds each year. The orange number specificies the maximum of that building type which will provide technology. Of course, you can build more, but they will not add additional technology. The red number in certain technology buildings is the yearly maintainence cost for the building, which is subtracted from your income. Maintainence is a concept that I have not seen in a Civilization map and it creates a dichotomy between building a strong military or rushing advanced technology. A civilization that is having trouble keeping up with maintainence costs has the option of researching at reduced rates of 50% or 0%, a simplified version of the "tech slider" in Civilization 2/3.
The technology system is mathematically planned to require a minimum of 4 years between each age at the maximum tech rate.
Corruption and Unit Support
Corruption and Unit Support are concepts added to curtail large militaries and exponential rates of expansion. Of course, if two civilizations are identical except for one having more beacons, the larger one will do better, but it should not completely blow the other civilization out of the water.
The corruption a civilization experience increases as the amount of territory it controls goes up. I have not decided exactly what penalties high corruption will impose. The different forms of governments will better suited to controlling different amounts of territory, which will give an incentive to get more advanced forms of government and make the size of your empire an important factor for choosing a government type.
Unit support is upkeep imposed for controlling a large military. Each government type will allow support for a certain amount of units for free, and then will have to pay a fixed amount for every 10 units above the limit, rounded up. In other Civilization maps, there is usually not limit or units simply "rebel" and are given to the AI. The system here allows a player to have a large and powerful army but at a cost.
Governments
There are various government types which become available throughout the ages which add gameplay options and flavor to the map. There is no "best" government type; some governments types will be more suitable to particular types of civilizations.
For example, Democracy benefits from a peaceful environment and gives a high income bonus, but has high costs for supporting a large military. Facism does not provide as high of an income bonuses, but can support a large military at a much lower cost. Feudalism cannot govern a large civilization effectively and will face big problems from corruption, but will be a good government type for a smaller empire.
A change of government will impose two years of Anarchy on the civilization. No research will take place and income will be reduced. One must be careful when deciding to change government types.
Wonders / Improvements
Wonders and Improvements are optional purchases that become available to Civilizations at certain ages. They typically provide effects that can not be obtained through other means, such as providing free unit support.
Wonders of the World may only be purchased by one civilization, whereas Improvements are "small wonders" which may be purchased once by each civilization. Wonders are typically expensive, but powerful in the effects that they provide. Improvements are generally less expensive but still provide useful benefits.
Victory
There are multiple ways to attain victory in Civilization Topaz.
Military Victory: Kill off all of the other civilizations. This is the self-explanatory victory condition that has been a standard in all Civilization maps.
Space Race Victory: The Space Race victory, inspired by Civilization 2/3, finds its way to this map. In the last age, the Arbiter Tribunal, representing a part of a spaceship, becomes available for construction. They are expensive and build slowly, but if a civilization completes ten of them, they automatically win the game.
Economic Victory? Unsure if this will be implemented, but I might automatically give victory to a Civilization which attains a ridiculous amount of money. (100k, 200k, more?)
Progress
- Bugs bugs bugs.
- Balancing is hopefully less terrible now?
- Wonders not implemented.
- Government Types not implemented.
- Map still under heavy construction.
Note: Alpha version documentation included if one wishes to track the progress of the map or imagine the horrors of early versions.
Alpha Version Changelog
Alpha 003
- Number of starting points reducded from 12 to 11. This helps with both balancing issues and CCMU problems and might have to be further reduced to 10 in order to implement other things.
- Added triggers for Shield Batteries in the technology progression.
- Fixed bugs with tech amounts and maintainence.
- Government type income actually comes from government instead of the age you're in.
- Added Center Views to starts.
- Removed purchasables from Templar Archives.
- Removed Protoss Plating upgrades.
- Disabled Burrow.
- Added the Research Rate Slider.
- Rework of lots of terrain.
- Rework of unit costs, stats, and balancing.
- No more cloaking for all but the final Ghost.
- No more cloaking for Wraiths.
Alpha 002 - Feb 19, 2012
- More playtesting and more bugs, notably technology buildings not working, but still not a public release.
Alpha 001 - Feb 18, 2012
- First playtests. Lots of bugs that I didn't write down were fixed, as it was not a public release.
Jan. 6, 2012
- Tempz sends me his first draft of terrain. I begin actually working.
Sept. 2011
- I become "more serious" about making this map and place a request for terrain.
May 2008
- I begin planning the map. I plan extensively and then don't do anything for a long time besides gradually gather ideas.
- Number of starting points reducded from 12 to 11. This helps with both balancing issues and CCMU problems and might have to be further reduced to 10 in order to implement other things.
- Added triggers for Shield Batteries in the technology progression.
- Fixed bugs with tech amounts and maintainence.
- Government type income actually comes from government instead of the age you're in.
- Added Center Views to starts.
- Removed purchasables from Templar Archives.
- Removed Protoss Plating upgrades.
- Disabled Burrow.
- Added the Research Rate Slider.
- Rework of lots of terrain.
- Rework of unit costs, stats, and balancing.
- No more cloaking for all but the final Ghost.
- No more cloaking for Wraiths.
Alpha 002 - Feb 19, 2012
- More playtesting and more bugs, notably technology buildings not working, but still not a public release.
Alpha 001 - Feb 18, 2012
- First playtests. Lots of bugs that I didn't write down were fixed, as it was not a public release.
Jan. 6, 2012
- Tempz sends me his first draft of terrain. I begin actually working.
Sept. 2011
- I become "more serious" about making this map and place a request for terrain.
May 2008
- I begin planning the map. I plan extensively and then don't do anything for a long time besides gradually gather ideas.
Screenshots
I vie for control of this beacon from the AI.
I just advanced to a new age as I take control of this beacon as well.
I've advanced in age again, and now I have Terran buildings and SCVs as well as Protoss.
Advancing once again to the Iron Age, I now have Terran buildings going on producing units.
Post has been edited 3 time(s), last time on Feb 26 2012, 1:21 am by Mini Moose 2707.
https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/how-this-all-happened/
https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/11/hipsters_on_food_stamps.html
https://youtu.be/vyiXaCRwZTs
https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2011/09/how_to_be_mean_to_your_kids.html
http://lab.cccb.org/en/renata-avila-the-internet-of-creation-disappeared-now-we-have-the-internet-of-surveillance-and-control/
https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/11/hipsters_on_food_stamps.html
https://youtu.be/vyiXaCRwZTs
https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2011/09/how_to_be_mean_to_your_kids.html
http://lab.cccb.org/en/renata-avila-the-internet-of-creation-disappeared-now-we-have-the-internet-of-surveillance-and-control/