[Kwang] are "caravans" required to start a trade route?
[Ron_] Not really.  At the first level of automation (where you have to set trade routes manually), you just tell the cities to start trading.  A trade route will be set up (if possible) and trading will begin
[Ron_] Caravans will then start travelling those routes...
[Kwang] did yall get any trade system ideas from sid meier's colonization. that game had an excellent trade system
[Ron_] Well, if we did, it was subconcously.  It's been a lot of years since I played that game, and I only very vaugly remember it :)...
[Ron_] Maybe I'll have to pull it out again and see what they did :)
[Kwang] i see. since these caravans will travel across the map, they will be vulnerable, right?
[Ron_] Absolutely
[Ron_] Caravans will be a major military target, would be my guess
[Kwang] but in the future wouldn't almost all trade be conducted thru airplanes making attack impossible?
[Kwang] or nearly impossible?
[Ron_] Sure.  They won't always be actual "caravans".  Transport units might be a better term
[Ron_] ...
[Kwang] will the enemy still be able to raid/hijack these? or will it just have a decreased chance or success?
[Ron_] In fact, we've been throwing around the idea of making transport units custamizable as well, similar to military units
[Ron_] If they have the means, sure.  A flying transport would be vulnerable to fighter jets, for example
[Ron_] ...
[Kwang] in the future, many trade routes will be established. so would this make the map too crowded?
[Ron_] We hope not.  We're going to have a toggle button on the main map to turn off the trade routes, if it gets too complicated

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[Ron_] Yes, exactly.  They will be the lines between cities showing the shortest route possible going through friendly territory...

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[Kwang] i suppose before seafaring is invented, trade routes are thru land only, and after it's invented thru sea as well
[Ron_] Through sea's is just a bit different.  Sea routes will always have to be manually set
[Kwang] why? will air routes always have to be set this way?
[Ron_] This is due to the fact that computer generated trade routes only go through territory controlled by your cities
[Ron_] If there is a gap in the controlled areas, you'll have to set it manually, and that includes through sea
[Ron_] This allows for embargos, sieges, and such
[Ron_] ...
[Kwang] can sea be claimed as territory? or are all sea "international waters"
[Ron_] Air routes we haven't decided about yet :)
[Ron_] No, sea tiles cannot be claimed by cites
[Ron_] With one exception, if your race class is amphibian, it can claim sea tiles near land
[Ron_] ...
[MarkG] Ampibian???
[Ron_] Yes, one of the race choices when designing your race is what taxonomic class to make it
[Ron_] Amphibia, Aves, mammillia, etc.  Each class has it's own set of advantages and disadvantages
[Ron_] Amphibs ability to claim sea tiles is one of their advantages...
[MarkG] Should I get a biology book? :)
[Ron_] hehe
[DanQ] A question from lumpkin: will the AI have any need to build trade centers?
[Ron_] The AI as in the Computer opponents?
[Kwang] yes
[Ron_] Yes.  the Computer players will operate under the exact same rules as the players.  No cheating for this game...
[Kwang] but will they take advantage of all improvement/units/etc?
[Ron_] Sure
[Ron_] Of course, we're going to have to give them units to use (once they've researched the components)
[Ron_] Computers are notoriously bad at designing their own units,hehe
[Ron_] ...
[Kwang] in civ2 all units were built from "shields". will md require "shields" along with special resources? eg, nukes require 160 shields and 10 uranium.
[Ron_] No, all units will be built from resources only...
[Kwang] how will supply and demand be created? randomly?
[Ron_] The availability of raw resource material, you mean?
[Kwang] yes
[Ron_] Partially randomly, yes.  But also within the bounds of the terrain.  You won't find much wood at a polar ice cap, for instance
[Ron_] ...
[Kwang] will different resources generate higher money? eg, gold vs wood
[Ron_] Yes.  Of course, money is a concept which must be discovered, but once it is, you can sell off excess resources to other players...
[Kwang] like civ2, will the further away, the more money. and the bigger participating cities, the more money?
[Kwang] the further the cities are apart
[Ron_] No.  Trade (money or otherwise) is determined by the players.  Basically, "I'll trade you 50 wood for 20 gold", and the other player could accept or decline or counteroffer...
[Kwang] annoy_mouse asks: "What can I do with wood if I buy it? Is it different from coal or iron?"
[Ron_] Yes.  Different city improvement structures use different resources, in different amounts
[Ron_] Same is true with units (depending on what components you place on them)
[Ron_] For example, an archer might cost a certain amount of wood and gold
[Kwang] this is a lot like colonization
[Ron_] A rifleman would require a certain amount of money and iron
[MarkG] tihs reminds me of warcraft.... :)
[Kwang] so a nuke will require uranium after all.
[Ron_] Hehe, I'll have to change my sig line :)
[Ron_] yep
[Kwang] ok. last call for questions about trade/diplomacy
[Kwang] annoy_mouse asks: "Will complex units require a complex mix of resources?"
[MarkG] after that, I'll move on to a couple last questions from me and then we will go to unmoderated mode...
[Ron_] Yes.  Wait till you see the resourse requirements for Mech templates, hehe
[Kwang] and with that, i'll turn the discussion over to markos
[MarkG] Ok, I think we haven't discussed the types of goverments
[MarkG] so, what kind of goverments are you going to have?
[Ron_] No we haven't.  This is still quite a bit up in the air
[MarkG] oh ok.... do you think that you will have more from civ2?
[Ron_] Personally, I'm leaning to none at all.  the player, as ruler, has complete control over all aspects of their empire
[Ron_] Another team member is pushing for distinct government types
[Ron_] I don't yet know which way we're going to fall...
[MarkG] maybe something like the way you build your race....
[MarkG] anyway, I also wanted to ask about the technologies
[Ron_] hmmm, a government type created by the player?  Has possibilities...
[Ron_] Okay
[MarkG] how many technologies do you have?
[Ron_] I'm not sure, I've lost count, hehe
[MarkG] what kind of future technoliges do you have?