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RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characteristics/abilities

 
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RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/18/2011 11:59:00 PM   
randal7

 

Posts: 56
Joined: 5/14/2010
Status: offline 		When you say "characteristics", what I'd like to see is opponents with more personality.

One typical aspect of classic games is the ability to emotionally involve the player. In MOO1, I hated the Bulrathi and their big ships and their compulsion to attack you as soon as they find you. I haven't played in15-20 years, but I still can taste the hatred. In Alpha Centauri, I hated Yang and Miriam and Santiago and their bullying ways that worked counter to the way I liked to play. Wiping them out was always satisfying. Conversely, I was always glad to be by Diedre or Morgan because they were generally friendly and easy allies. In Civ, there are leaders it is a pleasure to defeat, and others that make good friends. Currently in DW, as in many very good but not quite great games, there are just slightly more/less annoying opponents.

Every race should have a nemesis race (or two or three) and a race or two that is an almost automatic, reliable friend. These could vary by race. There could be aliens that randomly make diplomatic decisions (they are aliens; who knows why they do these things). As mentioned before, this is a SP game so balanced races may be less important than flavor (and ability to tailor the challenge to your desired level, but that is off topic).

(in reply to Data)
Post #: 31
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/19/2011 8:02:29 AM   
J HG T


Posts: 1093
Joined: 5/14/2010
From: Kiadia Prime
Status: offline 		We concur.

Still, The races in DW have attitudes towards each other. Humanoids like each other, can work with rodents, hate insects etc.
The problem is that there's no unique dialogue to represent the differences; You get the same dialogue from Dhayuut when you are playing Kiadian or
Boskara. Also, penalties and bonuses from attitudes should be much more significant. Now you can easily buy friendship even from your worst imaginable nemesis.

The Alpha Centauri is indeed great example as every faction has unique dialogue when dealing with other factions. One of the reasons I love that game.

Off-topic: Oh, and Miriam and Santiago are uppity jerks! In my current game as University, Pravin and Deirdre are my trusted allies. I have somewhat warm relations with Morgans and Hive. Well, before Santiago went and annihilated the Yang and his followers.
The only thing Miriam and Santiago has done for me is extorting energy and tech. You are free to try maniacs. Gaians and Peacekeepers at least offered good trades.
/off-topic.



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Post #: 32
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/19/2011 9:35:38 PM   
Imrryran


Posts: 27
Joined: 4/25/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: J HG T
The Alpha Centauri is indeed great example as every faction has unique dialogue when dealing with other factions. One of the reasons I love that game.

I agree!

Too bad there wasn't any remake or sequel to that great game.

(in reply to J HG T)
Post #: 33
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/20/2011 1:29:03 AM   
Astax

 

Posts: 126
Joined: 5/17/2010
Status: offline 		How about adding a way to customize the races?  You would have default stock races, plus an option to customize one using a point system to add or subtract attributes.  That would be great!

The government can remain as a secondary factor for customization.  I do like the option of changing governments.  But unique governments would have to be changed to be part of the racial cost so you can buy an option for a more advance government that is now racially unique.

Adding a characteristic of bonus for ruins and exploration would also be cool.  So you can play a race that specializes in finding artifacts and rebuilding abandoned old vessels.

(in reply to Data)
Post #: 34
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/20/2011 6:37:26 AM   
Data


Posts: 3909
Joined: 1/3/2011
Status: offline 		sounds like rpg features, me likes it

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Post #: 35
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/20/2011 4:03:40 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline 		This is going to be a long post, bear with me...

Special Abilities: the special ability should be the factor that makes each race unique in the universe. They can range from none to two. Not all races are 'special'. Here is what I would assign. Not all special abilities are good, and some can offer a strength in one area but a weakness in another.


  • Adaptability: Races with this ability can easily adapt to planets that are not of the ideal type. This is basically a +1 bonus to colonization tech, allowing the species to colonize worlds 1 'level' above current tech level, though at a penalty of slower growth.
  • Merchant Society: Races with this ability get a bonus to economy development. The private economy will get a 33-50% bonus, which leads to a bigger tax base.
  • Pacifist: Races with this ability try to avoid war if at all possible. They are more likely to agree to unbalanced diplomacy to maintain the peace.
  • Toughness: Races with this ability get a big bonus to troop survivability. Troop power gets a boost.
  • Curiosity: Races with this bonus are naturally inquisitive and get a permanent 10% bonus to research that stacks with other bonuses.
  • Industrialists: Races with this ability get bonuses to building speed and mining efficiency.
  • Warmongers: Races with this ability are only happy when they are at war. War weariness works inversely to the way it does with normal races. IE long periods of peace will lead to unrest and unhappiness.
  • Engineers: Races with this ability get a 20% bonus to ship size (IE starting size is 276 instead of just 230).
  • Strategists: Races with this ability gain bonuses to ground combat.
  • Tacticians: Races with this ability get a bonus to ship power and defense.
  • Tribal Society: Races with this ability suffer from a weak central government and are more likely to suffer revolts or civil wars when happiness declines.
  • Harmony: Races with this ability tend to be happier on average and more agreeable to diplomatic offers.
  • Entertainers: Increased tourism profits.
  • Isolationists: Race is less likely to agree to diplomacy.
  • Militaristic: Races with this trait maintain larger militaries than average, but don't necessarily go to war more often. Bonues to fleet and troop maintainence costs.
  • Social Order: Races with this trait know their place in society, and are less likely to revolt or suffer civil wars.
  • Antagonist: Races with this ability tend to ignore borders and are more likely to use spies and attacks to annoy their neighbors.
  • Loyalty: Races with this ability are far less likely to break treaties once signed, and are difficult/impossible to convince to go to war against an ally.


I'm going to add this here as well, is it does fall under species characteristics:

Casus Belli: How other species naturally feel towards each other. This is my old Love/Hate example from one of the wishlist threads. To make it breif, this is a setting above the normal relations table that will determine how two races react to each other. Races that love each other will be very easy to form treaties with, races that hate each other will be very difficult...and if races hate one another, diplomatic gifts have little to no effect.

And thirdly, in the race file is how we need to determine how races treat conquered alien races:


  • Assimilation: No changes from current in game post conquest happenings. Races are eventually assimilated into the empire and become productive members of society.
  • Annihilation: Wiped off the face of the planet.
  • Forced Labour: Unable to leave planet, economy boost from the 'free' labour to operate any mines.
  • Quarrantined: conquered race is kept on home planet and never allowed to leave.
  • Consumed: Alien population slowly dissapears as the conquering race 'eats' them. This sets up a possiblity of parasitic races.
  • Banished: Alien population is forced to leave the planet and go elsewhere...where, we don't care, you just can't stay here!


I relize some of this is rehashing my wishlist items, but it never hurts to get it back into the discussion...fresh on the mind, so to speak.

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Post #: 36
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/20/2011 4:16:04 PM   
ASHBERY76


Posts: 2136
Joined: 10/10/2001
From: England
Status: offline 		Casus belli should also mean you get population unrest on your planets when you declare war on friendly alien empires.

I strongly agree about policy options for conquered races and policys for inter species migration.I hate friggen seeing my human population want to leave my planets to join a bloody spider planet.It kills immersion.

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Post #: 37
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/20/2011 5:02:04 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Casus belli should also mean you get population unrest on your planets when you declare war on friendly alien empires.

I strongly agree about policy options for conquered races and policys for inter species migration.I hate friggen seeing my human population want to leave my planets to join a bloody spider planet.It kills immersion.


Agreed, though that could be done under the special traits, Isolationist...they also stick to their own kind and don't intermingle.

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Post #: 38
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/20/2011 9:16:26 PM   
martok


Posts: 837
Joined: 8/30/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Casus belli should also mean you get population unrest on your planets when you declare war on friendly alien empires.

I strongly concur.



quote:

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

I strongly agree about policy options for conquered races and policys for inter species migration.I hate friggen seeing my human population want to leave my planets to join a bloody spider planet.It kills immersion.

You thinking something like the function from Armada 2526 where you can allow/forbid races from immigrating/emigrating to/from particular worlds? I would certainly be in favor of something like that.




< Message edited by martok -- 6/20/2011 9:17:08 PM >

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Post #: 39
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/21/2011 6:30:26 AM   
Awaras

 

Posts: 41
Joined: 4/12/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Seath

data there are no planets without a sun in our galaxy. Each planet or moon is around a sun


Actually, if the results of this research are accurate, they might be more common than planets orbiting around stars:

Free-floating planets more common than stars?



< Message edited by Awaras -- 6/21/2011 6:35:24 AM >

(in reply to Seath)
Post #: 40
RE: Expansion Discussion - Faction/Species characterist... - 6/21/2011 9:35:18 AM   
J HG T


Posts: 1093
Joined: 5/14/2010
From: Kiadia Prime
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: martok

You thinking something like the function from Armada 2526 where you can allow/forbid races from immigrating/emigrating to/from particular worlds? I would certainly be in favor of something like that.




Haven't played Armada 2526, but that's a feature I definetly want to DW too.


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"And they hurled themselves into the void of space with no fear."

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Post #: 41
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