Necessity as the mother of invention

from Elemental Forums

An idea I've been toying with for a while is the concept of a research system in a game that more closely mimicks technological progress in the real world (realism isn't a huge concern for some people, but I've got my reasons). What this would basically do is take most research decisions out of the player's direct control, and instead use a slight amount of randomness directed by overall events to suddenly unlock "breakthroughs." For instance, if a city is repeatedly flooded year after year, it may unlock the levy technology, or if your civilization happens to be in a particuarly arid region, you might get irrigation. It would change depending on the circumstances surrounding you.

There would, of course, be exceptions to this, mainly in the area of military hardware. Even there, however, there would be a random factor: your soldiers, tired of being turned into cavalry fodder, have decided to stick an extension onto their lances, and now you can build pikes. Still, in war it always pays to plan ahead, and rulers have a long history of spending money on ways to make their troops fight better. Unlike other areas, you would have a much greater deal of traditional strategy game control here, to reflect that.

Furthermore, if a problem persists long enough and no solution appears, you would have the option of dedicating funding towards fixing the problem. This would function more like a traditional tech tree, but you wouldn't have a guaranteed best result; an example is how government funding spent towards curing polio ended up making a vaccine (still well and good, mind you), and stopped there. Bully for everyone without the disease, but it really sucks to be you if you have it. Most (some) government funded programs would end like this, with an expedient (rather than ideal) solution.

Why do I care about realism in a fantasy game? I'll tell you: WORLDBUILDING. I firmly believe that once you've created a world, made the rules and guidelines for how it operates, you should stick to them. Just because you have magic doesn't mean that every single rule of reality has to change, and it really seems to hurt a game/movie/book's immersiveness when the creators seem to be making stuff up as they go.

Suggestions? Comments? Karma? Want to call me a raging lunatic with his head up his :X ? Post! (And yes, I did mention this idea in another thread)

8,238 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Either necessity or opportunity. For example, why should you learn how to smelt iron if you don't have access to it?

If you happen to have centaurs in your neighbourhood, you could research Centaur Diplomacy to get some Centaur Volounteers as special cavalry. If you happen to have special mushrooms, you could research Shroom Alchemy. In short, special map elements could allow you to research special techs.

Or, as you say, if you get attacked by elements. It's normal to develop a shield against it.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Does sound interesting and realistic....But remember to allow us to fund research into areas still to unlock tech.

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

The word isn't realism, it's believability. How things work from an "in-world" perspective. If things work in a certain manner in a particular world, they should always work like that.

But I don't think it'd work too well as such. You already have a randomness in the technology research as it is now, and I think it's quite good that way. Even if your people suffer some plight for centuries, that doesn't mean that always there will be someone who will solve it, or even solve it in a certain way. I find it a very nice way, that you choose the things your people have found out and implemented on a nation-wide-scale.

You spend money to research for problem to do with your empire as such, you research the Civilization(or what was the name?) part. As a ruler, you sponsor artists and engineers and the like, in hopes that some of them will come up with something to help your country. If you are heading for war, you give your gold to warlords and smiths, perhaps one of them will come up with a way to change the tide of the war in your favor.

So, in a way, this is already implemented. The people in your kingdom are always on the lookout for ways to solve problems, but since information flow and transportation is so slow, these ideas do not spread without govermental influence. Some peasants have developed the wheelbarrow to help them in their duties greatly, but it will still be years, decades or centuries before everyone in your country knows and can use them.

More complexity isn't really needed. Though it sounds like a fine idea for a mod, I must say.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Possible Mod idea ... or simply an idea for the hidden "unlockable techs" that are as rare as they are niche.

For Instance ... Necromancy is probably a fairly solid Magical tech. Summoning Bone Dragons is probably a High End unlockable from solving a rare quest.

Just as rare, but more random, is the ability to summon Necromantic Versions of beasts ... like Zombie Spiders and Bone Trolls. This could perhaps result from using a combination of Co-Beast strategies with Necromancy ... like lead your zombie hoards with Trolls for long enough, and youll be able to summon Bone-Trolls before you know it.