1) Include national borders. One of the things about SMAC that I like is that your nation doesn't stop at the city boundry-there's a buffer between the city limits and the actual national border. The advantage to this is that a rival civilization can't come up to the square just outside your city limits and place one of their own cities right next to yours. Also, it enables you to keep out rival military units from a larger area, as opposed to having to wait for them to enter your city limits.

2) A 'ghost image' of the area the city is going to control when you hit 'b' to build a new city, followed by the message: Are you sure you want to build here? (with a yes/no choice). If the new city is going to cross over the two square radius of another city, then that part of the image should be in red, to let you know.

3)The ability to disband a city, rather than having to build settlers to shrink it first. Many times when you conquer an enemy city, it crosses over your city limits, or you find an advanced tribe that is just way too far away from your capital, and you want to get rid of it, or even just relocate it. Disbanding the city would produce a number of settlers/engineers equal to the size of the city (with an upper limit of say, 3 or 4). Cities that are above a certain size (like 9 for instance) would be unable to be disbanded (they're very productive).

For enemy cities that are captured, and then disbanded, instead of producing settlers/engineers, have them produce partisan units-but two for every population point (no upward limit), to show how angry the citizens are at not only having been conquered, but disbanded.

4) Languages: I think languages should play a large part of diplomacy/conquering. Instead of instantly being able to communicate with a newly encountered civilization, the player/AI should be required to build a diplomat unit, have them enter a city, and have a new option-Learn Language. This could either be simultaneous (because of build time for the diplomat plus travel time), or require a certain amount of turns (not many, maybe 5 at most). Upon learning the language, a diplomacy screen would be opened, allowing you to establish relations with the new civilization.

2) This is a good idea, simplifying city foundation.

3) I don't like this idea as it equals free settlers. I would certainly want to be able to destroy a city with editing tools unlike in Civ2 where you always had to do this using military units...

2: Great idea. I completely agree.

3: I would like some way to get cities out of the way quicker. Free settlers maybe isn't the best idea, but your point certainly needs to be brought up.

4: I don't think languages are that important. At least in terms of what you're talking about. I mean, how long does it take a diplomat to learn a language, a year of concentrated study? To be fluent, a year. The turns in the early game are many years long. And remember, if you've ever met the other civ, someone in your civilization must know the language, and therefore that's what you're paying for when you make the diplomat, the language training (as well as spy stuff).

I agree that there should be some difference in captured cities. They wouldn't necessarily like you at the outset. Then you would have a reason to rush and take back cities taken from you.

quote: Originally posted by GaryGuanine on 02-21-2001 08:09 PM 3: I would like some way to get cities out of the way quicker. Free settlers maybe isn't the best idea, but your point certainly needs to be brought up.

Maybe not multiple settlers, then, but at least one like in Civ 2. I only insist on settlers because there has to be *some* representation of the citizens of the city being moved. Disbanding through conquering is an easy enough concept-just include the option to raze a conquered city (though I like the idea of additional partisans at this point).

Good idea. One isn't too much, but you still can get rid of a city you don't want.