Roman Numerals

[fallen851]

This is a stupid topic, but I've always wanted to be able to identify a long Roman numeral very easily, so I was wondering if it would be possible to change the numbers (lets say someones age or the date) to Roman numerals?

I figure that would be something the EB team would consider, because of the focus on realism, although I have no idea if the Roman numeral system was in use across the world... or if the arabic numeral system had been invented...

[Orb]

This is a stupid topic, but I've always wanted to be able to identify a long Roman numeral very easily, so I was wondering if it would be possible to change the numbers (lets say someones age or the date) to Roman numerals?

I figure that would be something the EB team would consider, because of the focus on realism, although I have no idea if the Roman numeral system was in use across the world... or if the arabic numeral system had been invented...

Well, I suspect the most common numeral system would be Greek (alpha = 1, beta =2, gets more complicated later on)

And that would be hell to identify long numbers very easily.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

I just don't think that the engine can show anything but arabic numberals. That is, when we talk of stats, costs, dates, etc.

I'd love to see greek numbers in there. l for 1, ll for 2, lll for 3, llll for 4, Π for 5 (pi for pente), Δ for 10 (delta for deka), Η for 100 (eta for hekaton), X for 1000 (chi for chilioi), M for 10000 (mu for myrioi). But we can't even do compound numbers though, since you need a tiny M or X or H or whatever inside the top right of the pi. 1959 = ΧΠ(Μ)ΗΗΗΠ(Δ)Πllll. But for money they had some other symbols too, so we'd have to figure out 1 talent = 60 mnai, and register things in talents. A unit with 600 mnai upkeep per turn costs 10 talents per turn, and 10 talents looks like a Delta with the lower bar serving as the upper bar for a "T". Crazy stuff.

[MeinPanzer]

I just don't think that the engine can show anything but arabic numberals. That is, when we talk of stats, costs, dates, etc.

I'd love to see greek numbers in there. l for 1, ll for 2, lll for 3, llll for 4, Π for 5 (pi for pente), Δ for 10 (delta for deka), Η for 100 (eta for hekaton), X for 1000 (chi for chilioi), M for 10000 (mu for myrioi). But we can't even do compound numbers though, since you need a tiny M or X or H or whatever inside the top right of the pi. 1959 = ΧΠ(Μ)ΗΗΗΠ(Δ)Πllll. But for money they had some other symbols too, so we'd have to figure out 1 talent = 60 mnai, and register things in talents. A unit with 600 mnai upkeep per turn costs 10 talents per turn, and 10 talents looks like a Delta with the lower bar serving as the upper bar for a "T". Crazy stuff.

With the Alphabetic system it gets even crazier...

[blacksnail]

No way, dude.

[Kull]

Why stop at numbers? What we really need is for someone to create the "Native Descriptions" mod, and then we could have Q-Celtic descriptions for all the Celtic units and buildings, Greek for the Greeks, Latin for the Romans, etc.

And not just the descriptions either. The loadscreens, menus, UIs, quotes. Why with enough effort we could banish the English language to the same limbo currently occupied by Ancient Getic!

Yes! And then of course the gameplay introductions, and manual, and even the FAQ! The forums too! Mmmmm! Yessssss!!!!!!!!!!!! BWAAAAHHHAAAHAHAHA!!!!

[fallen851]

Har har har.

That was funny Kull. Your badass image on the internet is shining through, "EB Project Manager from Hell", must be because you are from Texas. You and the President. Oh well.

Why do you take so much time out of your day, thread after thread, insulting me? Why am I so threatening? Oh well, you don't know the answer, because you don't believe I threaten you, but then why do you insult me?

Please Google better insults: www.google.com



Too bad it is hardcoded. Oh well.

[Kull]

Har har har.

That was funny Kull. Your badass image on the internet is shining through, "EB Project Manager from Hell", must be because you are from Texas. You and the President. Oh well.

Why do you take so much time out of your day, thread after thread, insulting me? Why am I so threatening? Oh well, you don't know the answer, because you don't believe I threaten you, but then why do you insult me?

Please Google better insults: www.google.com



Too bad it is hardcoded. Oh well.

I don't use smilies much. It was mostly my twisted humor. And I wasn't aware I spent ANY time insulting you, much less "thread after thread". Links please? I will say that your "people from Texas are the same as Bush" innuendo was quite lame. You should go for better insults. (There's a link around here somewhere....)

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Yeah, he was just going bat-crazy with that post, especially after my and MP's posts on it too. Pretty sure it wasn't an insult there.

[oudysseos]

Fallen's crazy paranoia aside, I was wondering why not have unit costs in talents? I just read a book on mercenaries in the hellenistic era and the costs are either reckoned in obols (daily, for individuals) or talents (yearly, or for groups). I'm not asking that you change it, just what the rationale is.

It would be nice of course if the different cultures could use their own calendars and number systems, but I suspect that it's impossible. I think that the EB team has done a lot in that area with the names of the seasons being different for each culture in the traits.

Perhaps the mathematician trait (I know that's not its exact name) could have a few roman/greek numerals in the description depending on the faction? It could even be semi-humorous, e.g. "XVII plus MCMLIX multiplied by CVIII- and if you can get that right, you truly are a mathematician. Hell, you may be a magician!"
That way you could get the authentic numerals in without interfering with the gameplay of people who don't want to have to translate unit costs all the time.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

One thing in talents would require everything else in talents. We'd have to shift the decimal point around, do not decimal calculations, change all the stats.....

[blacksnail]

You should change your name to fallenDCCCLI!

[Tellos Athenaios]

This is a stupid topic, but I've always wanted to be able to identify a long Roman numeral very easily, so I was wondering if it would be possible to change the numbers (lets say someones age or the date) to Roman numerals?

I figure that would be something the EB team would consider, because of the focus on realism, although I have no idea if the Roman numeral system was in use across the world... or if the arabic numeral system had been invented...

Okay, a more serious response here:
If I recall correctly the most widespread numerical system would be Greek. (Because the Greeks were so widespread themselves.) But to apply such a system to stats will be just impossible. One thing for example is that the same name for the same sort of 'money' doesn't equal the same amount of money. Thus one talent in say Seleukeia, is not the same as one talent in Athens. That sort of stuff. Not to mention the respective value of each 'non Greek' currency around.

Apart from that: you'll be barely able to read Roman Numerals, that is if you don't want to spend lot's of time on what date your in, so what do you think that would happen with Greek & Celtic? And then we're actually lucky to find that the Greek numerical system shows considerable similarity to the later Arabic system - something that the Roman system lacks which makes advanced mathematics in the Roman numerical system nearly impossible. (The Romans don't really have the 0, you see, so all of our decimal world needs to be readjusted - not just translated.)

So to sum up:
a) To get more 'realistic figures' is not possible through applying ancient numerical systems
b) It involves really much excruciating calculations, and is by no means userfriendly - not even if that user is a professor in ancient mathematics.

[The_Mark]

Plus, there's the little fact that the engine is somewhat tied to the decimal system. Place values and such. Yep, you guessed it - it's hardcoded.