So Elemental is Sim-Fantasy?  I like that idea a lot.

How are you doing world creation?  Do you create a globe, a continent, or just an 'area'.  Does the map topology effect climate?  Does climate and topology determine river / water placement?  Does water placement effect the settlement patterns?

Sammual

Proud to say that I have an ORIGINAL scan of this image taped to my desk  Not that scans are original, but whatever.

I could be wrong, but I feel that many settlements would break the spirit of the game.

Now, as for micromanagement options, we've been discussing methods for queuing up imperial objectives which are then handled by the AI. This would allow you to be as hands on, hands off as youd like, but wouldn't be 'the game playing for you' since it requires 'broad stroke' imput from you.  It'd also give the AI something to work with in Multiplayer games that are being played while you're away (per your settings).

Anyways, we have an internal Alpha 1 due next week...we'll have more to talk about, and time to talk, after that.

Yay! I'm really delighted to hear (errr read surely) you say that I hate it when maps in TBS games get totally clogged up with wall to wall city tesselation and it would really break the immersion for me in a fantasy setting.

Hey you're right, I didn't even notice the horse. It isn't bad, although on close inspection it kind of resembles a turtle

I don't think most buildings will be taking up a full tile. It looks to me like the big squares represent one over-land tile, and some of those contain multiple structures (up to four in this image). 

And yes, you're right about the mana generator! If you look closely, inside the box it's pointing to it says "Shard of Fire"!

I am (and I'd say it is reasonable to say that others are as well) curious about foriegn trade.  How will that be handled?  Will it be done primarily using the same caravan system that characterizes internal trade, or will it be exclusively bilateral party to party trade through negotiation (a la Dominions 3)?  Just curious, because while much has been made of domestic trade and how that will be handled, next to nothing has been said about foriegn trade.

Ok, so you think it says 'shard' not 'shrine'?   awesome time.    But does that mean that the shard of fire is part of the city?   or just happens to be next-door?

while you're away?   wait, what?   how much time away from the game do you expect players to be?    I'm excited to hear development along this line of thinking, because if games are able to be crazy long (because you're play-by-post/e-mail or something, and so you only get a couple of turns a day) you may not need to super micromanage, to the point where its ok if you miss a turn because your AI manages it for you.   The fact that you mentioned it pretty much off the bat like that just shows that you must have spent a good deal of time with the concept.

good news.  I guess I was under the impression you had already reached alpha, but now I'm on the edge of my seat to see what you have to report next week.

Yes, I'm also very curious about foreign trade.   Ideally multiple trading systems will be optional within the game... thus if one type of trading system has exploits, bugs, and imbalances us gamers would be able to choose what system they prefer.  In an effort to make everyone satisfied with the game... here are three types of trading systems which have been discussed and hopefully all can be available as optional choices:

1) Traditional Trading System: Once initial contact is established with another player the trading of resources, spells, items and goods are done from a trading screen window and are completed within 2 turns or less.  Most TBS games have this function.

2) 3rd Party Merchants Guild: The game colonization made great use of a trading system which allowed for goods to be traded and sold to a global merchants guild which would cause the rise and fall of the price of resources.

3) Trading via Caravans: The caravans are also used for trading between players for all types of resources, items, spells, etc., .  This type of trading hasn't been done on previous games at this level so there will most likely be some exploits, bugs, and disadvantages yet could eventually evolve into a fun trading system.

Given the nature of TBS ), we're PAINFULLY aware that the MP component has to be as flexable as possible. One of the ideas on our list is to allow for the game to support a 'Turn Buffer': a number of turns that the AI will take over before the human player needs to step in.

Let's say I start a game with a 30 turn 'buffer'. We're playing, and I need to leave, so you play another 20 turns without me while the AI takes over my role. Then you come back later and play another 10 turns before the game stops you. Perhaps we can have an email system to warn 'away players' if something major happens, letting them send a 'Stop the Game!!!' message that overrides the buffer and halt play until they return.

Lots of ideas...we'll see what manifests.

5% update, 95% teaser.

First, no please no with the 'please make everything optional so we can make our own game out of piecemeal'  

And secondly, the trade system I'd like to see is a sort of fusion between NTJedi's 2 and 3. A caravan-based foreign trade system controlled by a 3rd party merchant's guild.

You're valuing quantity over quality. Knowing that an improvable tile can hold multiple improvements is major info, and IMO the sketch does a great job of indicating just how varied your true city (or cities) might become depending on where you put your capital. Next to a shard will doubtless carry implications that make it very different from next to a mundane resource like metals or a strong trading location like a navigable bay. (Please, can we have rivers in the caravan network?)

Me too, but more on 3 than 2, at least until mid-game or so. The idea of a vigorous, widespread merchant's guild operating across a wasteland doesn't really make good story for me. The idea of independent merchants coming to play an important economic role after different channelers have reawakened substantial territory, on the other hand, sounds like Elemental.

Yeah, I guess Merchants' Guild isn't really the right word for what I'm looking for. More of a consortium of independent traders who more or less watch out for each other - meaning that if someone has a reputation for being hostile to trade, that person will have trouble attracting any traders to deal with him except for a high premium.

I love the idea.

Your not exactly an AI for the 20 turns you are gone because the AI is still attempting to follow your 'imperial objectives' but the AI will try to handle events that pop up while your gone.

Sammual

I'm strongly against the idea of having all trade between players exist within caravans moving on the map due to the following problems:

1)  There's way too many possibilities for exploits, bugs, abuses, cheats, etc., .   Lets not place a brand new untested engine on a brand new airplane without any backup options.  I want the game to succeed.

2)  The traditional trading system we've seen from the majority of successful TBS games have all used a trading screen window where the trade completes within two turns or less.   This method has a solid history of being successful. 

3)  If I play a massive size map and my brothers/friends exist on the opposite side we would NEVER be able to trade or at least for the majority of the game.  Please include a trading system where I can trade with my brothers/friends even if they do exist far far away.

Oops, guess we should take out channelers. And essence. And individual units capable of wasting entire armies. And a rethought 4X economy model. And fully customizable units. And a physics engine. Wow the list just goes on of brand new untested features and mechanics planned for this game. They should just drop them all and replace them with the same old tried and true stale ideas.

So set it up so that you aren't on opposite sides of a giant map, or start over until your starting positions suit your desires of the day.