Quarters

from Elemental Forums

Why not reward specialization?  And I don't just mean of the city, but of the tile.  Four sets of grouped together low end housing in a tile should give a small bonus to population added by each, just like four markets grouped together should give a small bonus to the money earned by each and four sets of grouped together high end housing should give a prestige bonus.  It shouldn't be a particularly large bonus, but big enough to encourage the player, instead of willy nilly scattering his improvements across the landscape, to cluster them together in one location within a city thus creating residential districts, merchant districts, science districts, ect and so forth, which could further be the location of various types of quests and activities.

I think it would give a more real feel to your cities, especially if the quest/event system were drawn into the nature of the districts that you as the player created.

5,462 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Interesting idea. I like it. However, there needs to be some kind of variety to it so that players are faced with strategic choices, and aren't just forced to use the same city layouts each time to maximize bonuses.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

This can be achieved with simply having larger buildings. Right now the large market takes up 2x2 which is 4 of the smaller markets. Though it produces the same gold that is a simple balance change issue. But the same thing applies to libraries and universities right now and the university is actually higher output. It produces 10 RP while the 1x1 library only produces 2 RP. Thus the larger building is more efficient and it uses up the whole tile.

Unless you plan on expanding it to a more complicated system of nearby buildings then there is nothing here that can't be done by simply having larger buildings give a larger production amount then their smaller counter parts.

 

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I think the reason why simply having larger buildings may not be the (whole) answer is the reason why I think this is a good idea to begin with.  Namely that potential for including player (and computer) built cities and structures in the quest system.  Right now all quest based structures are generated.  I would like to see the "inn" that the player recieves missions at be built as a part of the kingdom.  The underworld crime boss that you send some of your heroes to fight to actually exercise control over a part of your city (the slums).  That noble family that you are trying to help actually be a part of your nation in terms of what they own and where they have control.  Conceivably parts of the quest system would play out entirely in the various districts that you created... which is why there needs to be like buildings constructed together, in some kind of sensical pattern.  But rather than forcing that, certain incentives need to be offered.