.com.unity Forums - (N)GC4 - Game Story Thread

Just an update... Map is sent.

The map is designed using fqm 2.08

The map itself is set up with boarder wrapping so there are no cornors, or pure edges...

There are over 200 systems and 20 any starting locations evenly spread out over the map.

A few suprises are added. But nothing that is not unbalancing.

The map is designed for quick contact. You will meet up with another empire within the first 20 turns. Each empire is equally able to meet up with 6 to 8 empires within the first 30 to 40 turns.

When I designed the map.... I had to take in to conderation the size of the map and the number of players.

Since there are going to be 20 players and 200 systems I had to give each empire the ability to have a sphere of influence on 10 systems with overlaps on the boarders of each empire.

Since this is a large game I had two choices... Design a map where the opening stages of the game are long and system building could be at a medium stage on contact. Or have the map designed that the empires start to meet up when the tech levels and system infastructe was quite low.

Other factors that were very important was the quality of initial contact.

Most games are structured in such a way that you meet up with 1 empire and start a friendly relationship with them based on needs. This can be unfair to empires who wish to try it alone.

What I wanted to impliment was a way that each empire will meet up with 2 or 3 empires at the normal time that they meet up with one empire.

This inturn created the problem that I did not want all 2 or 3 empires to meet each other at the same time.

So I decided I had to look at the game in its 6 stages.
Beginning Game
Stage 1. Initial Building Alone
Stage 2. Initial Contact and Defining ones boarders
Middle Game
Stage 3. Finalize boarders and the beginning of boarder wars, alliance wars etc...
Stage 4. Stronger empires / alliances destroy the weaker empires alliances until the point when there is peace in the universe why they determine who will make the first move towards the end game.
End Game
Stage 5. The empires who survived the middle game move towards destroying the other empires.
Stage 6. Empires realise that the game is lost or won.

So with all that in mind. I decided which stages were enjoyed by the players.

Well Stage 1 is enjoyable by all... But if it streches out to long people lose interest in the game. Especially with 72 hour turn around
Stage 2. Everyone likes it... Every one is winning and the initial politics of the game is set up. This stage starts to peak the interest of the players for commitment to the game.
Stage 3. Is what I call the middle part of the game. The time when everyone thinks they can win the game. This stage also has an added bonus. It weeds out those who are not commited to the game long term as their empires are destroyed. This is also the idea area for game politics and great stories.
Stage 4. The great pause. This is a short stage before the end. Surviving empires still think they have a chance to survive and win the game. Players are now set in their game style for that game. The key here is to not drag this out too long as interest needs to be built quickly again to get all players back into the game.

Stage 5. This stage is another long stage. All empires move to take over the game. Politics and battles peak the players interest. Those who are victorous expand and expand. Those who die lose interest in the game.

Stage 6. A short stage. Those who are winning are interested and those who are losing do not wish to invest the time in the game anymore. This stage wraps up the game and must be short or the victory will be tainted.

So this is the thoughts that go into making a map.

I want stage one to be very quick. 10 to 15 turns max. Expansion must be in a sphere style for each empire if I want the initial contact to be between 2 or 3 empires for stage 2. If expansion is linear then each empire meets 1 empire and then there is a lull before they meet another empire. The key here is to have each empire meet 2 or 3 empires before turn 20 and within 3 turns. Also each empire should not meet the same empires. 1 common empire is good for setting up the first underlying plot for stage 3. So the max for stage one is 20 turns.

Stage 2. This should be drawn out over another 20 to 30 turns. By turn 30 each empire should have met 4 empires. By the end of this stage each empire should meet 8 to 10 empires. With common empires among each empire. This is very important. As it will force the players to not go hey your the first 3 people i met. Lets conquer the game. As each empire will have relationships with 8 to 10 other empires. So common goals will be displaced by empire goals. And empires will have equal footing on space give or take a system or two. Also empires are not stuck on the cornors or edges...Sphere expansion.

Stage 1 and 2 should be set in a way that those who expand like crazy are held in check by contacts from all sides. Which helps bring game balance for stage 3.

Stage 3. I want to drag this out 30 to 40 turns. It is the reason I play PBW. The nail bitting turns. Where game actions dictate alliances and wars. Each turn something is happening to affect your empire directly or indirectly. Those who give up or just quit are removed in a way that does not affect the balance of the game. As many empires will be able to grab a part on keeping with the sphere expansion style.

Stage 4 the let down. You just lose some interest here... Not much going on for a few turns... So you do the automating stuff with building ships and troops etc... 10 turns hopefully due to the fact that 60% of the empires are still kicking

Stage 5. Sphere expansion begins again. As each empire/alliance determines who is weaker on their boarders. Chain reaction wars begin. And empires expand and are crushed. At the end of this stage 25 to 30% of the empires are left. Say another 40 turns here.

Stage 6. Your 120 to 140 turns into the game. You have spent many hours trying to win this game or enjoy it. Now the rap up. Say 20 to 30 turns. Only the winners really care. So the game can end quickly.

Well this is what I thought about in creating this map. I hope the game goes like that.

The key is to keep as many players interested in the game up to stage 6. If we were in a perfect pbw world. All players would play each turn and enjoy it. But were not. As soon as some one realizes that their losing they determine that the time and effort is better spent on other games. It is the nature of the PBW beast. And also very understandable. And this loss of interest must not destroy the upcoming stages. That to me is the key to desiging maps. For the map is the background of the story. It is what keeps it all together. And the map must not cheat a player out of a chance to enjoy the game and the enjoyment of playing against other players. For most players do not care if they win or lose. It is just the quality of their victory or defeat that matters.

It is a great map. I spent some time on it. So I hope everyone enjoys the map. And understands what I felt was the way to make GC4 a fantastic game for those players involved with many story lines and sub plots.