SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Hi guys. In the DATA/EmpireTypes file there are 14 different political types, is there a way of changing which one a particular race (whichever one i play as), uses during gameplay.

E.G..Start with Federation and later on (if desired), switch to a different political need to suit the tempo of the game.

Regards barryg

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

No, but it is just flavour text and dosen't have an effect on the game.
You should be able to type whatever you like into the box.

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

I think I like the concept that barryg is playing on. Like, say, you force several empires into a protectorship, you switch from republic into protectorship.

That should go on the SE: V wishlist.

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Welcome to the forums Barryg! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Hi, thanks for the welcome. I have been a member here since 2001 but unfortunatly (sadly), i haven't visited these forums for a few years (oops). My original I.D is tictoc, but dammed if i can find my password and i have also changed my e-mail addy so no chance of getting the password sent to me, hence the new I.D.

Anyway thanks again.

During my long pause away i have been playing other sims, and have now come full circle back to SE4. Not being able to switch political climates seems a big ommision from the game, and i thought it would have been introduced in subsequent patches.

On a micro-management scale it is not really required as the player determines the structure of the gameplay. On a macro-managment scale during the different phases of resource gathering and infrastructure (passive), to defense and combat (aggressive) it would alter the game significantly.

Instead of the player cycling through many planets to alter priorities (e.g from peace to war), just by selecting a different goverment type would alter the traits for the AI Ministers to follow. The downside is that all AI Ministered planets priorities are changed, even those that are not in a defensive position, but when there is a war on, everyone pitches in to help.

Regards Barryg

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Perhaps you are thinking of culture?

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Welcome Barryg!

The Empire Type you mention doesn't actually have any effect except on the word that is displayed for the second part of the empire name.

For example, what you are specifically asking for with DATA/EmpireTypes, is to be able to change the name of, say, Klingon Empire, to Klingon Pansy-Picnic, which would have no effect (except maybe to inspire attacks from other human players).

SJ's suggestion of Culture type is actually just a set of modifiers to abilities, which would not affect the AI much if at all.

What it seems to me you are really asking for, is the ability to change the AI settings during play. This IS possible, for advanced users, by saving the game, modding the AI files, and then re-loading the game. In fact, this is a common and very effective way to tweak the AI, observing what it is doing, and micro-managing adjustments so that it does what you want. It's a tedious and complex process, but rather fun and rewarding if one has the time to invest.

PvK

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Not having been involved with SE4 for a long time i have forgotten many things about the game. When looking through the files i saw the range of different 'cultural' (Thanks SJ) types, and thought perhaps there were tied in with the mechanics of the game.

By having to save the game to change the abilities i guess the game does not read the files 'on the fly', but rather gathers all the information prior to gameplay, which is a shame really.

Thanks for your inputs.

Regards Barry

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Yes, since the data is in text files on the disk, they get loaded into RAM when the game program loads. It wouldn't work well to constantly be checking the file system for changes to the files.

PvK

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

If you're going for Cultures, try the Cultures and Demeanors Mod, an old project of mine - it's still lurking about amongst the dead threads, but I'm planning to release a new update soon. If you play with the C&D Mod you'll have over 40 new cultures. At first, the bonuses and penalties may seem high, but this has been done on purpose, to affect your style of play (for example, Pacifists with their -80 to all combat will have to achieve their means through diplomacy and industry, while the Genocidal Megalomaniacs can just rampage through the galaxy, albeit with a more fragile economy).

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

The Cultures and Demeanor mod sounds interesting but the scenario that immediately comes to mind is, if i start as a pacifist and a war-like race is right next to me.

Is there in place modifyers that would prevent me being destroyed within a few turns.

I'm thinking something along the lines of -

No race should attack another unless the other race is within a set military strength of the stronger race (due to the weaker race posing no threat to the stronger).

The weaker the race, the better the diplomacy (the weakest being able to talk the hind legs off a camel to aid survival).

The stronger the race, the greater the ability to be diplomatically influenced by the weaker, thus preventing the stronger races ability to linearly wipe out races on a weaker to stronger race scale.

If by chance a stronger race decides to ignore the above conditions, then they should be penalised in some way, perhaps (e.g), A -5 research ability.

Perhaps some or possibly none of the above could be applied to the game, but i'm sure it would make it more interesting if they could.

Regards Barryg


The above would of course be primarily for single player mode

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Sorry BG, but the above is one of the following:
A.) Impossible, or
B.) Something that requires extensive AI modding.
I meant the C&D Mod to be an add-on, which you could place in any mod of your liking. I won't be adding AI to the package. And I've no AI modding skills at all, I just concern myself with the core data files.

The C&D Mod's full potential can only be reached in multiplayer, with little or no AIs (i.e. just Neutral AIs) and human players who've agreed to some basic set of rules, i.e. no picking on the Pacifists and such.

Pacifists enjoy a lot of other bonuses; their resource production and construction bonuses are staggering, and their trade is also a lot better. In multiplayer, you can use your production aptitude as diplomatic leverage, i.e. you sign a partnership with a high-combat-bonus empire, he protects you while you provide him with the larger part of his fleet. In singleplayer, I recommend choosing a culture with a smaller combat penalty or even a combat bonus. If you're really going for the muscle, though, with little or no regard for anything else, I recommend Megalomaniacs or Genocidal Megalomaniacs. They have great combat bonuses, but their trade, intel, etc. suffers. They'll ramapge through the galaxy, simply because they need to.

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Thanks for the update. I'm not a modder myself so i'll keep my eyes open for something to pop up.

Regards Barryg

Re: SE4 Deluxe Politics
 

Welcome back to the forums!