Civilization Ages = The Growth of the Hearth.

[Nanothnir]

First Things first, its near midnight and I am slightly drowsy. I can't be bothered writing this elsewere cause it will be lost to the ages of my PC and/or Desk. So this might be a little....... Confusing and messy. IF NOT. YAY ME!!!...

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As of the moment, a Village is created by building and Idol which requires a lot of work to gather the material for if you started as a group of Newbs in the middle of nowhere and have had little to no communication with the outside world. Requiring not only a large amount of LP gathered but also a good amount of Bear, Deer and I think Boar (Been a LLLLLLlllllong time since I built and Idol). This requires a good hunter to collect these items...

But once they are collected and the idol is finished. Its just done with. It covers an area and nukes the wildlife level a few rungs of the ladder. Big deal there in the future with Animal Levels going down the dunny and stuff but anyway. After its built the Idol has limtied to no uses, its a group claim that works only 50% as good as a personal one. Seeing as folks can walk freely onto a Village claim without having to activate Crimacts to move past it...

The player base is also open to everything at the get go, I mean sure they are going to make you 'learn' new skills and recipes, but none the less its not like you are urged to live in a village to begin with. A Hermit can build anything a Village group can. Granted he will take a bit longer but if he takes his time he can have everything...

Ugh Going on a Ramble, getting to point now...

The Idea is as such in basic form:
With the current system you can access anything of any level of Development, the Village idol itself has little growth/use after its construction, A hermit can have anything he wants no matter him being alone...

What I am suggesting is that of a few different KINDS of "idols"...

For example there are a few different Rungs of a Ladder a Hearthling would need to rise to be able to become 'developed'

Stage 1:
At the start a lone hearthling finds himself alone in the wildness, being alone with little to no communication with anyone else he does not need a large building, or even a cabin to live with. He needs not to have 100 Ovens that can bake X amount of baked goods or anything of the such...
IF you stay alone, you live alone, you survive alone, you supply alone.
A lone Hearthling should be limited in what he can construct and use, a simple Stone Fire Pit would be enough to bake a loaf of bread now and then, a few baskets for containers and a shallow cave or one of these Kula things I saw Jorb mention for protection. He does not need a Mansion, for what point is all that space let alone the need of collecting all that materials...

Stage 2:
The lone Hearthling meets up with a few others that are in a similar state, working together they become a small tribe. Developing their skills and needs as they grow, jobs are taken as to their skill levels, They build a Communal Fire, Similar to a Bon Fire which lights the area around them and give them protection from the outside world. This is a Village Idol at Level 1. On becoming part of the Tribe they 'evolve' their skills and knowledge, the need for better homes and storage become needed, Tents and Crates can become built, A Cooking Kiln which is able to cook more 'bread' for the tribe, Leather Tubs allow for Hides to be tanned and used for amour and clothing while before they wore simple hide... Over time, their Tribe attracts more people to join them allowing those lone men to become part of the group. On reaching a certain number, lets say 7, they look to their Fire and upgrade it...

Stage 3:
Upgrading the Fire replaces it with what we know now as the Village Idol, this allows the once known Tribe to become a Village, tribemembers are now villagers and with that they are privileged with a better understanding on how to survive efficiently. Cabins can be built along with containers like Cupboards, Metal becomes a sort after item by the villagers and tools and weaponry get an upgrade from simple wood and stone. Farming and Trade become the main resource over Hunting and Gathering. The greater understanding attracts migrants to their village as it grows in numbers so too once again will a development chance happen...

Stage 4:
The Idol once again is upgraded this time to something more 'Civilized' A fountain for example. The Village is now a town, the Wooden palisaide that was built during its Village times can be upgraded and replaced by Brick, Mansions can be build and larger constructions and such can be developed, A Mill can be built in which a Quern becomes a Millstone a Automatic (See less stamina used) way to grind Wheat into flour. Better foods and stuff can be made and a Military can be developed into a stronger form then just a few men wearing Leather and wielding Bows and Short Swords. Time travels forwards and more people flock to this growing town, its number rise once again...

Stage 5:
The Idol takes one more evolution, now looking something like a grand statue or something made of metal, now a city more things can be built with a large degree of development, a Library or a enclosed Marketplace can be built to accommodate the growth of the populace. The brick walls are too small in contrast to that of which it protects, so Stone Fortifications can be built and a Castle can be formed, Battlements and Soldiers take to the walls to defend the people from the savages and invaders from the outside. Who knows what else can be developed in this time of prosperity...


The problem is of course that as it is atm all of this is but a dream and a thought, something like this would be nice to be seen proposed or thought of by the developers and I apologies if it goes off topic or becomes a little rambled. 12am is fast approaching and I started writing this at least an hour or so ago to make sure its a little easier to understand then what I first thought. Still...

It is a wall of text...

Anyway, Go flame and dis me as you all do. I too sleepy to care. Nor will I care tomorrow morning when I come on and see 20 people calling me an idiot or anything like that, sorry to burst those bubbles people. I am just getting tired of seeing it...
Night ..... ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

[sabinati]

yes let's make the hermit lifestyle impossible

[DocDude]

Limiting people that way is not realistic.
But an harmit will find himself in need to spend points on all skill and be a jack of all trades, this will make it hard for him to be really good at something, and thats where settlements shine. Simply making "advanced" things hard to make if its by a high skill requirement or by the need of alot of working hands to make, will allow settlements to lead human life forward.

[Chakravanti]

tl;dr translation:

Instead of making private claims and personal claims separate things. Make them the same. Make expansion of vilage claims done by adding my friend's claim to mine. As more people contribute their claim the idol rises levels in power, functionality and form.

[DarkThrall]

/\THIS

[Chakravanti]

Heh, I'm learning a few thigns from Jackard.

[Demiwar]

I kind of like it. The only thing I would disagree with is we need more "pros" to towns, not "cons" to the wilderness. Really the only advantage now to being a hermit is no competition for resources, but when you add the competition that comes with towns, you don't get many advantages.

[Lothaudus]

I actually like the idea of upgrading the idol and gaining new options as you build but I don't think the options gained should disadvantage a committed hermit. The advantages should be community things that hermits simply have no need for.

[Chakravanti]

agreed. I like it as well given that increased functionality is not benefit oriented.

Incidentally such would negate Village vs. private claims where 'private' claims can simply be marked within village authority as a function of segregating portions of the claim to individual members.

[Winterbrass]

A 'teaching' mechanic where a person with a high skill value in certain areas can improve their students' skill values (either permanently or as a temporary buff) would be a benefit to all sizes of gatherings, but would be most effective in a more dense village.