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Ancient Cities

Started by Paeng, April 04, 2017, 01:33:16 PM

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jodost

I've been tracking the progress of Ancient Cities for about a year now ever since I first saw it on Steam. Can't wait til it comes out.

Ever since I read the Clan of the Cave Bear series back in the 90s, I've been hoping for a game like this featuring ancient "technology" that is far more sophisticated than it seems. Most city builder games are variations on the same theme where you're stuck on "Time's Arrow" and rushing into the future where all sorts of Star Treky advanced tech is assumed to just appear as if it's inevitable. It may or may not be, and the vast energy implied by the existence of such advanced tech could prove to be more difficult to manage than is appreciated by the most optimistic assumptions - in my opinion. What if Zephram Cochrane got one little variable wrong and the resulting matter/anti-matter explosion destroyed the entire eastern seaboard? That ain't progress.

Banished is the only game I know of so far that's an exception to the "rush into the future" model which is the main reason I like it so much. I'm hoping that AC will take it to a whole new level and include a full suite of ancient tech including:

-detailed tool making, including finding and mining the flint nodules which can only be found in certain geologic sites. Extensive trade routes developed to trade raw flint and roughed-in blade shapes with tribes that lacked native sources of flint. All leading up to the transition from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.

-Co-operative hunting strategies.

-Early agriculture and domestication of animals

-Gathering and application of an extensive natural pharmacopeia including many common remedies, sedatives, stimulants, birth control and even hallucinogens for proto-religious rituals.

etc...

In addition, the cultural life could be complex as well since we'd be dealing at first with rather small groups, so a leader or leading couple (head man, head woman allied with a priest) would not only need to be physically powerful, but would also need the wisdom to ensure that social cohesion led to a healthy new generation to carry the tribe into the future.

This game has the potential to be really DEEP. Probably not as deep as I'm hoping, but I'm really looking forward to this one. So if it's even half as good as I hope it'll be, I may move on for quite a spell before making a nostalgic return to Banished. We'll see.