Dec 30th 2013, 18:11:55
This is a bit random and might work best on an alternate "netting" server to test.
I was thinking about the debate on AT about whether an alliance is clearly "netting" or "war-prepping", etc. And the fact that "netting" still involves military since that is required for defense and for... well... networth.
We have technology, which is nw without upkeep, and food/oil/cash are minimal nw and minimal decay (if any).
What if we had _units_ equivalent in nw to military, with an economic/netting advantage but with upkeep akin to military as well. These units wouldn't have any offensive or defensive military capability. They are more like buildings, but without the upper limit of land.
For example, if a country could invest in "construction vehicles", "railcars", "pipelines", "researchers", "communications hubs", etc. These would all be infrastructure of which a country could buy/own an unlimited quantity, subject to per unit upkeep costs (like military) but their effect on a country would be purely economic (more like ent/res/lab buildings or netting techs). They would carry nw and upkeep costs that are similar to military.
These units could be destroyed in attacks, but not captured (like military, not tech or buildings). Meaning they would never help your enemy or make you a more attractive target as they cannot be taken. But they could be lost or destroyed or may abandon you due to negative cash/food (just as military does). Some may consume food for upkeep (like researchers), others could consume oil for upkeep (like vehicles) and others just cash (like networks or pipelines).
I suggested testing this out on a pure-netting server. I.e., a server without any attacks at all. Land would be all-X. Once the dynamics of these new types of units are better understood, they could be introduced as options into other servers for testing and/or implementation.
Like I said, pretty far-out idea. I just wanted to write it down before I forgot it. :)
I was thinking about the debate on AT about whether an alliance is clearly "netting" or "war-prepping", etc. And the fact that "netting" still involves military since that is required for defense and for... well... networth.
We have technology, which is nw without upkeep, and food/oil/cash are minimal nw and minimal decay (if any).
What if we had _units_ equivalent in nw to military, with an economic/netting advantage but with upkeep akin to military as well. These units wouldn't have any offensive or defensive military capability. They are more like buildings, but without the upper limit of land.
For example, if a country could invest in "construction vehicles", "railcars", "pipelines", "researchers", "communications hubs", etc. These would all be infrastructure of which a country could buy/own an unlimited quantity, subject to per unit upkeep costs (like military) but their effect on a country would be purely economic (more like ent/res/lab buildings or netting techs). They would carry nw and upkeep costs that are similar to military.
These units could be destroyed in attacks, but not captured (like military, not tech or buildings). Meaning they would never help your enemy or make you a more attractive target as they cannot be taken. But they could be lost or destroyed or may abandon you due to negative cash/food (just as military does). Some may consume food for upkeep (like researchers), others could consume oil for upkeep (like vehicles) and others just cash (like networks or pipelines).
I suggested testing this out on a pure-netting server. I.e., a server without any attacks at all. Land would be all-X. Once the dynamics of these new types of units are better understood, they could be introduced as options into other servers for testing and/or implementation.
Like I said, pretty far-out idea. I just wanted to write it down before I forgot it. :)