History VideoGame / CavemanToCosmos

[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c2c.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:225:And it's not even the end of it...]]
[=Caveman2Cosmos=] is a (very) expansive ''[[VideoGame/{{Civilization}} Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword]]'' [[GameMod mod]] with a pan-historical (as well as pre-historical and futurist) scope, building on top of the other historically oriented overhaul mods such as Rise of Mankind and Rise of Mankind: A New Dawn. Combining some of the best work across the Civfanatics community it is hosted on, [=Caveman2Cosmos=] boasts by far the largest amount of new content and ambition-in-scope of any BTS mod, or indeed, any mod in the entire history of the ''Civilization'' series.

Some of [=Caveman2Cosmos=]' major features include;
* A completely overhauled tech tree, featuring more than 734 technologies across 13 eras in total (eras not found in vanilla Civilization are marked in bold; though it should be noted that even those eras native to vanilla Civ are completely overhauled themselves)
** '''Prehistoric Era''' (corresponding with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic Paleolithic]])
** Ancient Era (corresponding with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic Neolithic]] and Bronze Age)
** Classical Era (corresponding with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_antiquity Classical Antiquity]])
** Medieval Era (corresponding with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-classical_history Postclassical Era]])
** Renaissance Era (corresponding with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_modern_period Early Modern Era]])
** Industrial Era (corresponding with parts of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_history#Late_modern_period Late Modern Era]])
** Modern Era (corresponding with most of the 20th century, also known as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_history Contemporary Era]])
** '''Information Era''' (corresponding with the 1990s, the present, and beyond)
** '''Nanotech Era''' (representing a time when nanotechnology dominates global politics, military and economics)
** '''Transhuman Era''' (representing a time dominated by [[{{Transhuman}} transhumanism]] and artifical intelligences)
** '''Galactic Era''' (representing a time where humanity ventures beyond the solar system)
** '''Cosmic Era''' (representing a time when humanity seeks to master the galaxies)
** '''Transcendant Era''' (representing a time when humanity seeks to master the universe)
* In line with the above, an "alt-timeline" set of special cultures (see below) enabling units and buildings along various PunkPunk lines, ranging from [[Creator/LeonardoDaVinci Da Vinci]] tanks to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Zuse Zuse computers]].
* '''Thousands''' of units and buildings, representing things as disparate as stone age spearmen, WWI era trench infantry, medieval apothecaries, a vast menagerie of animals from all parts of the globe, various instruments of torture and methods of execution, and even abstract concepts such as levels of education or safety.
* An all-new generic property system, enabling the simulation of factors ranging from crime and disease to education and tourism, and more.
* An all-new approach to cultures, unique units and unique buildings. Instead of picking a civilization and being able to build that civilization's unique unit and building, the player starts off possessing no more than a regional geographic culture, with actual cultures proper coming later as wonders granting access to special resources, which in turn grant access to unique units and sometimes buildings. Furthermore, many unique buildings that were not truly unique in realistic terms (such as the Mall for the American civilization) have been made available to all civilizations.
* Completely overhauled civics, in areas ranging from the fundamental (Government, Power, Society), to the particular (Education, Agriculture, Military), with societal models drawn from the dawn of mankind to the far future.
* 29 religions from across the world and across history, with each religion (be it new or inherited from vanilla Civ or [=C2C=]'s ancestor mods) featuring unique bonuses and flavour to truly set it apart from other faiths. Religions new to [=C2C=] relative to vanilla Civ are:
** [[Myth/IncaMythology Andeanism]]
** [[Myth/NorseMythology Asatru]] [[note]]The name for this religion is derived from modern Nordic neopaganism[[/note]]
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahá%27í_Faith Baha'i'ism]]
** [[Myth/HebrewMythology Canaanism]]
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caodaism Caodaism]]
** [[Myth/CelticMythology Druidism]] [[note]]Though this religion is somewhat more culturally generic than the others, eschewing references to particular deities in favour of "buildings" like "Nature Circle of Power".[[/note]]
** [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Hellenism]][[note]](Which, despite its name, represents Roman as well as Greek mythology.)[[/note]]
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism Jainism]]
** [[Myth/EgyptianMythology Kemetism]] [[note]] The name of this religion is a neopagan derivation of the Egyptian word for Egypt, ''kemet'', lit. "black land" (in reference to the colour of the irrigated banks of the Nile)[[/note]]
** [[Myth/MesopotamianMythology Mesopotamism]]
** [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Mormonism]] [[note]]The only denomination represented in [=C2C=].[[/note]]
** [[Myth/AztecMythology Naghualism]] [[note]]The religion as it exists in game has a stereotypically Aztec flavour, but could also be interpreted as encompassing the mythologies of other Mesoamerican peoples.[[/note]]
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_mythology Ngaiism]]
** [[Myth/SlavicMythology Rodnovera]] [[note]]Another name derived from neopaganism.[[/note]]
** Scientology
** [[Myth/NativeAmericanMythology Shamanism]] [[note]]Even more culturally generic than Druidism, especially when one considers that the Native Americans themselves did not follow a single faith.[[/note]]
** [[UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} Shinto]] [[note]]One of the only syncretist religions represented in [=C2C=].[[/note]]
** [[UsefulNotes/{{Sikhism}} Sikhism]]
** [[UsefulNotes/{{Voudoun}} Voodoo]] [[note]]Another syncretist faith.[[/note]]
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_religion Yoruba]]
** [[UsefulNotes/{{Zoroastrianism}} Zoroastrianism]]
* Many, many game options, some built on top of other mod components from the Civfanatics community (including but not limited to the Better Unaltered Gameplay (BUG) mod and Dale's Combat Mod (the latter of which is gradually being supplemented by team viceroy Thunderbrd in the form of the Combat Mod, which despite it's name is far more than a mere combat enhancement)
* Much, much more. Learning to play [=Caveman2Cosmos=] is as much an ongoing process as it is a matter of study, with new updates coming almost every day through the SVN and the mod showing no sign of stopping, even veterans will sometimes find themselves challenged anew by the changes made as [=Caveman2Cosmos=] progresses towards completion.
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!!In addition to many (though not all) of the tropes found in vanilla ''[[VideoGame/{{Civilization}} Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword]]'', [=Caveman2Cosmos=] provides examples of the following tropes:
* AdventurerArchaeologist: One of exploration units is clearly one. And then there is [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]] hero unit.
* ArmyOfTheAges: One of the best recruitment policies is about picking the best of the best from entire time continuum and uplifting them to your tech level. It provides absurd amount of starting experience to all units you make, since they were already veterans ''before'' being re-trained.
* BoldExplorer: ''Greatly'' expanded scope and range of all sort of scouting units, including few heroes.
* CoolVersusAwesome: Industrial-era Neandertals fighting against alliance of Vikings in longships and clock-punk Aztec? Yes please!
* CosmeticallyDifferentSides: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with.]] While the civilizations are (initially, with plans to bring much greater power and emphasis to cultures in future versions) more generic than they are in vanilla BTS, they still possess regional cultural identities and distinct leaders with their own traits and personalities (though both can be randomized or negated through options).
* CurbStompBattle: Since there are thousands of technologies to research, it is entirely possible to lag behind enough to be in early medieval tech when suddenly outsiders roll in with MiniMecha. This is especially common when a civ ends up isolated and thus without anyone to trade techs with.
* DamageOverTime: Some city buildings, like Bombard Towers or Wooden Abatis will inflict damage to enemy units standing next to the city.
** Some sea features like coral or reefs will inflict damage over time to ships standing over them. With some game options harsh terrain like desert will also damage units crossing it unless they have the right promotions.
* DomesticatedDinosaurs: Paleolithic megafauna, actually. It's the earliest of the alt-timelines, and the only one that doesn't require a culture wonder to unlock.
** WarElephants: In addition to standard war elephants, you can also use mammoths, ranging from workers to bombard cannon platforms during the Renaissance Era.
* EarlyGameHell: You start with a band of early Homo Sapiens. They don't even have a language yet. Predators and even herbivores can easily stomp you. Everything takes forever to build and provides barely noticable bonuses. It's perfectly normal handful of civs will be wiped out in stone age by random animal attack or lag behind rest of the world to be easily picked by some "advanced", Antiquity-tier civ.
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Stone age feels like it, especially the first part of it. There are countless animals roaming the otherwise empty continents and almost all of them can easily kill any of your units. Fortunately, only predators are aggressive, but it's still entirely possible to end up losing unit to an angry turkey. By the time barbarians start popping around, they are definitely less dangerous and harmful than what wildlife is during first few hundred turns.
* FrontlineGeneral: Can be averted or played straight, depending on your preference. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, though the experience sharing system of the Warlords does tend to negate the disadvantages of the former somewhat.
* GeoEffects: And how! Not only are there countless promotions granting bonuses to being on particular types of terrain (the terrain itself being a panoply of biomes modelled on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification K%C3%B6ppen climate classification system]]), there is even a BUG option to inflict percentage damage every turn to units in harsh biomes who don't possess the appropriate promotions. This option can be potentially game-changing on both a tactical and strategic level.
* GiantFlyer: The Haast's Eagle features, amongst others. TruthInTelevision, of course.
* GoodPaysBetter: Civics that emphasis helping the needy tend to provide extra bonuses that outright evil or simply neutral ones lack. Those providing political libery usually come with either higher income, productivity or both (but it's not a rule).
* GreenAesop: Even more so than infamous Civ 1 and 2. The game keeps track of pollution of water, air and trash. Unlocked pre-modern manufacturing? Congrats, tiles around your city start to accumulate all that polution from your primivite tech. Industrialisation have started, giving access to wide range of factories? Go on, just remember to not drink any water before figuring out water treatment plants some 100-150 years later. By the time modern era starts, either you devote a huge amount of resources and effort into cleaning the mess (including the god-send recycling projects and even preaching Druidism in your cities for extra ecological facilities), or the trash, toxic fumes and sewage are going to wipe you out with their sheer amount being produced each turn.
* HardCodedHostility: The NPC factions (Barbarians, Passive Animals, Neutral Animals, Aggressive Animals, Neanderthals, plus 5 more slots reserved for other purposes in the mod's future) are this, although it is likely future versions will make it possible to negotiate to a limited degree with the Neanderthals (and other hominids).
* HarderThanHard: "Baseline" mod is already challenging even to Civ veterans thanks to sheer scale of it. But then there is the whole Revolutions sub-mod, dedicated to simulating politics of your empire. With it enabled, it is entirely possible to reach all sorts of [[NonstandardGameOver Non-Standard Game Overs]] or end up locked in never-ending string of civil wars, while having only token influence on how things roll in terms of politics and diplomacy.
* HeroUnit: And how! Far too many to list here, with almost all of them being...
** HistoricalDomainCharacter: Not just the heroes, but the leaders and many of the Great People too.
* HollywoodHistory: Averted for the most part.
** AllCavemenWereNeanderthals: Currently played with, in as much as the player controls a band of ''Homo sapiens sapiens'' with Neanderthals as hostile [=NPCs=] (friendly versions of which can potentially be recruited should the player build the right culture). There is a Neanderthal civilization, but it is identical to the human factions in most respects, including HardCodedHostility to the NPC Neanderthal faction and unit graphics. And to add another twist, much of the supplementary artwork around the game is evocative of this trope.
** OneMillionBC: More so in supplementary artwork than the game proper, the most notable departure from the actual Paleolithic being man living a non-nomadic lifestyle. This is planned to change in future versions, however.
* HomeFieldAdvantage: Can be [[ExploitedTrope exploited]] by the player, given the right promotions. Can apply in a biome sense as well, as certain units (be they animals or human units built in the vicinity of such a biome) have promotions granting them bonuses in their natural habitat.
* HumongousMecha: Just like in Next War and Next War Advanced, one of [=Caveman2Cosmos=] ancestor mods.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddMecha: A whole bunch of mecha units show up with futuristic technology, starting from police patrol MiniMecha and ending up with city-levelling leviathans.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: This is a Civ 4 mod, which was designed exclusively for 32 bit systems. Despite best effort, the game simply can't be tricked into using more than 6 GB of RAM (and earlier it was the standard glass ceiling of just 4), which means generating new map can take anywhere between 2 to 20 minutes. And since the mod introduces few map sizes considerably bigger than the max setting of Civ 4, the loading gets even longer.
* LowCultureHighTech: Since civis never become obsolete or unaccessible, it is entirely possible to stick to stone-age ones, while having space-faring civilisation. Hell, Matriarchy, one of the earliest civis unlocked, is one that most players stick with indefinitely, as it provides a huge population growth bonus. A popular self-imposed challenge is to never adopt language, so you have civilisation communicating in grunts and simple gestures.
* MisplacedWildlife: The developers ''tried'' to avert this by assigning animals to particular areas of the globe, but it still crops up in places (Haast's Eagles showing up in Australia, for instance). Sidestepped if you don't play an Earth map.
* NoSwastikas: Averted, as Hitler is a playable leader for the German civilization. He is treated little differently than other leaders, though with a somewhat more aggressive personality and dialogue than most.
* ObviousBeta: The mod is in perpetual development for over a decade. Early builds had ''serious'' stability issues and then there is the amount of elements the mod has and does vs. being written for 32 bit systems.
* OneNationUnderCopyright: Very possible in the Information era and beyond, should you have access to the right Civics.
* OneStatToRuleThemAll: For the most of the game, whatever decreases the amount of food you need for population growth is worth picking it. Which often leads to situations like being modern matriarchy with nationalised agriculture dumping all the waste to the ocean or similar, just as crazy combinations.
* PowerAtAPrice: Industrialisation is great: huge production bonuses, new, powerful units, profits to be made on every step... Also in package: riots, overpopulation, ''massive'' pollution and probably an epidemic, all thanks to insufficient support infrastructure that won't be even possible to research for next 20-25 techs.
* PowerupLetdown:
** As long as you have pre-industrial worker units, they come with a pack animal for help. Depending on what that animal is, they gain free terrain bonuses, which makes workers with donkeys universally the best, as their bonus terrain is hills. Comes industrialisation, your workers get replaced with engineer types... that no longer have the free terrain bonuses. But if you stocked your workers from before the unit-changing tech, they do retain their bonuses
** Wootz steel bonus is automatically added to all your units after random (and common) event related with discovering it and can be gained as early as researching iron working. Any new unit produced will also have it and it's a substantial +10% to power. The bonus is permanently removed from the game once you research modern metallurgy.
** Notably subverted with wonders and various buildings. While you eventually lose option to construct them after researching certain more advanced, disabling technology, you keep their bonus if they were build prior to that moment.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: As long as you predominately use melee units, it's a wise thing to foster such sentiment in your civilization with religion and civis. But when guns start showing left and right, it's a time for quick change of cultural priorites, as gunpowder and melee units are separate groups and you will soon stop getting new melee units entirely.
* PunkPunk: A notable feature, running the historical gamut:
** ClockPunk: The earliest fully fledged alt-timeline.
** SteamPunk
** DieselPunk
** [[RaygunGothic Atompunk]]
** {{Cyberpunk}}
** BioPunk
** Nanopunk
* RidiculouslyFastConstruction: For once, justified. Eventually, with extremely advanced technology, specific set of civis and well-trained labour, it is possible to finish tile improvements in single turn. But it's pretty much impossible or extremely hard to pull before early 20th century tech level is reached.
* RockBeatsLaser: Averted with vengeance, this being a Civ 4 and unit disparity over eras being highly defined. At ''best'', Asatru worshipper veteran melee unit will tie with early musketeer, but that's it.
* SchizoTech: Especially pronouced with the Punk civs to be unlocked, with improbable machines, like clock-work robots or mammuths with cannons mounted on their backs. But even if those are ignored, it's possible to focus research in such fashion to never develop modern metallurgy, but in the same time construct battleships.
* SmallTaxonomyPools: Averted somewhat; the game has hundreds of animal units, some of them quite obscure or regionally specific.
* SoLastSeason: Few highly distinctive moments
** Sedimentry life and adoption of any of the agriculture civics. If both are done in the same moment, it leads to an instant population explosion and the game starts to pick pace.
** While both chieftaindom and tribalism mark a great milestone in the way how your civilisation is organised, urban-related civics of early Bronze Age like free cities or any form of organised religion make those once mighty civics laughably inefficient.
** Metalworking. Your best stone-age units can't even compare with most basic unit of spearmen using barely hardened copper.
** When Asatru pops-out and is adopted, it provides a huge experience bonus to newly trained melee units. Then guns start showing up. And then melee units stop showing up.
** Introduction of gunpowder units makes everything prior to them completely obsolete. They have all the benefits of ranged units, with bunch of bonuses for melee infantry, all while having higher power rating than any other unit up until that point.
** Artillery is the biggest game-changer, as it makes the infamous doom stack tactics the worst thing that can be done. Since artillery [[HerdHittingAttack can attack entire stack of units]] and do so from safe distance, it shifts completely how the war is fought. Even AI is capable of using this for its own advantage.
** Workshops. They provide you with various goods and production bonuses, but eventually the real deal - factories - show up and they instantly make workshops obsolete, providing four or five times bigger bonuses.
* StartingUnits: Of both the standard variety (a unit of Stone Throwers) and special variety (your initial band of ''homo sapiens sapiens'' and the Tribal Guardian, designed to keep your settlement alive in the Prehistoric)
* ShooOutTheClowns: In initial development, the mod was ''much'' more whimsical and escapist, with tons of in-jokes and puns, along with crazy units and concepts. It got all graduall toned down and in most cases, eventually removed.
* TaughtByExperience: Promotions are not restricted to combat units, so it's beneficial for all your units, even guards and workers, to do as many tasks related with their unit types and thus qualify for more promotions.
* TechnologyLevels: And how! See the features list for more.
* TierSystem: Enforced with tech progress. There will be always a moment during your development when certain era-specific options will be superior to anything prior and are a solid bonus to your civilisation that's just too tempting to ignore. Examples include going for Caste System married with Despotism and slavery during early Antiquity, because when compared with anything else, they provide huge bonuses... but will outstay their welcome by the time classical Antiquity begins.
* TimeAbyss: Very likely to happen: even if you ignore the Prehistoric era settlements your cities can easily surpass the 5 millenia mark in age, much like real life Neolithic settlements.
* TimeTravel: A tech near the beginning of the Cosmic Era, though much like a lot of the future era stuff, it has not been fully fleshed out yet.
* VideogameCaringPotential: Since all units keep experience for performing their tasks, it's extremely beneficial to never, ever lose your workers. With sufficient number of promotions, they are significantly faster at constructing tile improvements.
* WeaponizedAnimal: Rhinos, for one. [[RealityEnsues They're one use units]], making them somewhat AwesomeButImpractical.
* WeWillUseManualLaborInTheFuture: Can be averted or played straight, depending on whether or not a slaving player abolishes slavery before reaching the appropriate eras and technologies.
* WriterOnBoard: Averted. Despite various things looking like it might be some sort of agenda-pushing, anything that's not related to the GreenAesop was repetitively reported as unrelated with anyone's politics. And since the game offers few dozens of different civics (all neutral in their description, unlike those from Civ 4), it's entirely possible to mix and match them for any desired combination and still succceed.
* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]]. On the one hand, many of the techs in the early Prehistoric era well predate the emergence of ''Homo sapiens sapiens'', to the point when one of earliest techs is ''Language''. The relationship between these techs and what they unlock is generally handled in a logical fashion. On the other hand, many things can still be done in your civilization (partly due to technical restrictions) that flat out make no sense with either such a limited "tech" base or indeed any prehistoric society, such as reading scrolls found in ruins from random events.
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* TierSystem: Enforced with tech progress. There will be always a moment during your development when certain era-specific options will be superior to anything prior and are a solid bonus to your civilisation that's just too tempting to ignore. Examples include going for Caste System married with Despotism and slavery during early Antiquity, because when compared with anything else, they provide huge bonuses... but will overcome their welcome by the time classical Antiquity begins.

* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]]. On the one hand, many of the techs in the early Prehistoric era well predate the emergence of ''Homo sapiens sapiens''. On the other, the relationship between these techs and what they unlock is generally handled in a logical fashion. On the other hand, many things can still be done in your civilization (partly due to technical restrictions) that flat out make no sense with either such a limited "tech" base or indeed any prehistoric society, such as reading scrolls found in ruins from random events.

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahá%27á_Faith Baha'i'ism]]

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Faith Baha'i'ism]]

* In line with the above, an "alt-timeline" set of special cultures (see below) enabling units and buildings along various PunkPunk lines, ranging from [[UsefulNotes/LeonardoDaVinci Da Vinci]] tanks to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Zuse Zuse computers]].

** [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Mormonism]] [[note]]The only denomination represented in [=C2C].[[/note]]

* TimeTravel: A tech near the beginning of the Cosmic Era, though much like a lot of the future era stuff and especially that migrated over from the Space Colonization modmod.

** [[Myth/NorseMythology Asatru]]

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_religion Yoriba]]

* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagged]. On the one hand, many of the techs in the early Prehistoric era well predate the emergence of ''Homo sapiens sapiens''. On the other, the relationship between these techs and what they unlock is generally handled in a logical fashion. On the other hand, many things can still be done in your civilization (partly due to technical restrictions) that flat out make no sense with either such a limited "tech" base or indeed any prehistoric society, such as reading scrolls found in ruins from random events.