RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (Full Version)

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Theluin -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/11/2012 7:48:50 PM)

quote:



ORIGINAL: feelotraveller

The other option which I alluded to in terms of bringing their troop strength down (really the Psilons should have close to the worst troops in the game) would be to reduce their intelligence.



I think that intelligence doesn't affect troop strength any more since there is value called troop strength in the race files.




feelotraveller -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/12/2012 4:36:57 AM)

Thanks Theluin. I see it now. So scrub the need for those adjustments...

On the Psilon form of government - in MOO2 there were 4 forms of government and despotism was the zero or neutral point. Feudalism was half research but cheap ships, democracy had bonuses to money and research, and unification bonuses to food and production. Probably the closest eqivalent of moo2's despotism in DW is monarchy - no real bonuses or penalties. I think the psilons did not get democracy in moo2 (at least on normal difficulty) because it would have been too overpowering. They did have an artifacts homeworld which gave a big starting boost to research but had less and less effect as the game went on. I have not been able to think of a way to mirror this in DW. So the psilons would do very well early on in moo2 but then fail to become galactic superpowers as more potently expanding races overtook them. I would certainly not give the psilons despotism in DW as it has a penalty to research speed. All the 'dark' governments are close to feudalism in moo2 terms. In roleplaying terms I think the psilons are not a dark race but somewhat 'nice' aliens. In terms of game mechanics I think (if you do not go with technocracy which I highly recommend) they deserve republic/democracy.




Ogaburan -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/12/2012 4:17:06 PM)

@ Nedrear
I got it now.

@feelo
Makes sense, i will change it in my next version.




Jon Micheelsen -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/12/2012 8:32:31 PM)

What I did with my Psilons was to make them a humanoid hive with a 100% research bonus - it's the same tech bonus as Quameno in total - but with a completely different political attitude. Think a race of beings, to whom science, just for the pure sake of it, is all that matters on an almost spiritual level. Not a technocracy, where it's the solution, but where it's simply the pursuit of knowledge that drives and unifies every living soul. They DO research, so I also gave them a small morale bonus. I made them extremely passive, but very highly war weariness resistant - they won't start a fight, but anything that interrupts the science must be dealt with. This and some bias modding makes for a race that don't really get along well with anyone - not that they themselves piss anyone off, but they are a little too strange - the race of blissful super nerds - for anyone to joyfully welcome them into their arms.

Why - well, because I didn't want them to be just another Quameno, or Zenox for that matter, but something unique. Both Quameno and Zenox pretty quickly gain clear cut friends and foes, my Psilon build, actually only get along really well with the Gizurean - as long as they don't go into mutual defense pacts, with the feisty little buggers and are forced to fight. Humanoids can be befriended, but not very easy - hive mind is really freaking strange to humanoids. Also, as a why, it represents how I always played them myself in moo2. I hated how the AI made them outgoing - as really they more than any other race could just sit in a corner and get so powerful that nothing ever could stop them - so why go out. Indeed this race will be openly admired but silently feared and hated. Late game, no one should even consider engaging them aggressively, though having some assimilated into your own empire is a very valuable asset.

I've been experimenting with lowering their research skill a bit and giving them a very strong leader - a prime being - I imagine them reproducing only through cloning, so the original refiner of the Psilon genome - with spiritual trait, inspiring presence and energetic, and all three tech skill bonuses as well as happiness - that grows over time, but affects all the race. It's an interesting modification and it can be a great victory condition to keep it alive - if playing against them, this can blunt them immensely!

As a home planet in the style of their original moo2 race picture that had a barren world in the background, I've given them desert world as home world.

I think, when adding new races, the key is to make them different and not just an another of what already is.


Here's a little bonus picture, for more races[;)]

[image]http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee515/Jon_Micheelsen/Zhar.png[/image]




Kalthaniell -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/12/2012 9:15:44 PM)

[X(][X(][X(][X(]
That's an outstanding pic Jon! Great work!




Ogaburan -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/12/2012 11:10:58 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Jon Micheelsen

What I did with my Psilons was to make them a humanoid hive with a 100% research bonus - it's the same tech bonus as Quameno in total - but with a completely different political attitude. Think a race of beings, to whom science, just for the pure sake of it, is all that matters on an almost spiritual level. Not a technocracy, where it's the solution, but where it's simply the pursuit of knowledge that drives and unifies every living soul. They DO research, so I also gave them a small morale bonus. I made them extremely passive, but very highly war weariness resistant - they won't start a fight, but anything that interrupts the science must be dealt with. This and some bias modding makes for a race that don't really get along well with anyone - not that they themselves piss anyone off, but they are a little too strange - the race of blissful super nerds - for anyone to joyfully welcome them into their arms.

Why - well, because I didn't want them to be just another Quameno, or Zenox for that matter, but something unique. Both Quameno and Zenox pretty quickly gain clear cut friends and foes, my Psilon build, actually only get along really well with the Gizurean - as long as they don't go into mutual defense pacts, with the feisty little buggers and are forced to fight. Humanoids can be befriended, but not very easy - hive mind is really freaking strange to humanoids. Also, as a why, it represents how I always played them myself in moo2. I hated how the AI made them outgoing - as really they more than any other race could just sit in a corner and get so powerful that nothing ever could stop them - so why go out. Indeed this race will be openly admired but silently feared and hated. Late game, no one should even consider engaging them aggressively, though having some assimilated into your own empire is a very valuable asset.

I've been experimenting with lowering their research skill a bit and giving them a very strong leader - a prime being - I imagine them reproducing only through cloning, so the original refiner of the Psilon genome - with spiritual trait, inspiring presence and energetic, and all three tech skill bonuses as well as happiness - that grows over time, but affects all the race. It's an interesting modification and it can be a great victory condition to keep it alive - if playing against them, this can blunt them immensely!

As a home planet in the style of their original moo2 race picture that had a barren world in the background, I've given them desert world as home world.

I think, when adding new races, the key is to make them different and not just an another of what already is.


Here's a little bonus picture, for more races[;)]

[image]http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee515/Jon_Micheelsen/Zhar.png[/image]


Well, i do agree with you!
All new races should be "unique", but sadly i lack that much of an imagination (at least atm, inspiration does come slowly). Also... im more experimenting atm (seeing how things act out in game), being new to this franchise and space 4x genre more or less. I was hoping veterans will give me inspiration/guiding me. Not to mention some of the races themselves lack inspiration (Centauri in particular who are just double-harted, pointy-haired Humans!).

Would you mind sharing your policy and race files for the Psilons for/with this mod? Its bound to be much better then anything i will make.

The only thing i will change is give them a reproduction rate. The only not reproducing race i want is the Asgard.

On that note... if anyone has created a new interesting alien race (outside of the Startreck universe, i will leave that to the specific mod), here is a shout to "Please do share!".

The picture is awesome as well.

If you have some new twists for existing races... im again all ears.




tjhkkr -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/13/2012 8:23:15 PM)

You have some nice races to add to the game system.




J HG T -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/13/2012 8:41:42 PM)

That looks nice, Jon! I'm assuming you used some DW race as a base and went on from that. Looks very good and actually fits amongst other original DW races quite well.




eroots -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/14/2012 12:51:03 PM)

Just wanted to jump in and say great mod, very high quality.. It's awesome. I'm looking forward to playing some games with 25+ races all going at it! Thanks for the great work!




Jon Micheelsen -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (1/14/2012 7:30:27 PM)

I like to make my race pictures from pictures that got the same feel, as I really like the original graphic feel of the game. Though my profession in real life is actually in the physical special effects and sculptural art worlds, sometimes sculpting, I haven't yet gotten around to learn Zbrush, which I think the originals are made in. Instead I google zbrush images and clip them together in my good old pre-Corel version of Paint Shop Pro 7[;)]
This is what I can do real life, To bad I can't currently do it digitally, or you'd be seeing me spitting out race and character pictures non stop[:D]
[image]http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee515/Jon_Micheelsen/Ork000.jpg[/image]

Back to topic
Ogaburan, I'll send you all my Psilon data as soon as I'me done playing an epic! quick game with them. So far they perform nice and balanced, with a little reloading I've been able stay ahead the galaxy by just a tiny notch. They play fun and strange I'm literally drowning in techs that I have to struggle to be able to afford to put to use. Just like I'd like them. Other races so far have been sorta ambivalent towards neutral, very cool. Colonization and expansion is tedious - mostly because both my leader and governor developed labour orianted trait - but my leader got the growth skill, that should even out the traits soon and as soon as I can afford to put the health wonders into action it should change big time. It is very much like playing moo2 Psilons the way I used to play them[:D]




jpinard -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (8/25/2012 8:25:15 AM)

Will this mod work with both expansion and the latest patch? It looks beautiful!




HectorOfTroy -> RE: Extended Alien Races (v0.1) (8/26/2012 9:48:31 AM)

I see you have Londo there. Babylon 5, hmm,wink, wink [;)]




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