Dominions 3000 (name confirmed!)
 

As no one else has made a thread for this here yet, I figured I might as well. I might as well add in a summary of Dominions 3000, too.

Basically, the idea is to create 'Dominions in space'. I suppose you could call it a total conversion. It will likely be one age with maybe ten nations. So far, the people working on this (or saying that we'll work on it) include me, HoneyBadger, and JimMorrison.

And, well, that about wraps it up. There will definitely be numerous problems with actually putting this into action, but that's just part of the fun, isn't it? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

EDIT: New members list, may or may not be updated as time goes on:
HoneyBadger (graphics for Ulm in Aezeal's proto-mod, enthusiasm, various nation ideas)
Aezeal (created the proto-mod/trial-version for Dom3K, enthusiasm, lots of work, more enthusiasm)
Nikelaos(?) (creates graphics for Aezeal's prot-mod (?), enthusiasm, active in debate about the mod)
Darkwind (me, mostly brings up questions, occasionally works on Neoclidia, also enthusiastic)

This mod is made out of enthusiasm and duct tape. Quite a sturdy construction don't you think?

EDIT II: As far as I know everyone's okay with Dom3K, including KO (who I just sort of assumed spoke on the behalf of Illwinter I guess so yeah), so the title is hereby changed.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Sounds like you have it all planned out nicely http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I've been thinking about how combat is currently displayed-are we going to include ground combat? or will it all be spaceships?-I'm thinking ground combat would be best, but how to handle space combat and not make it look goofy?

Maybe something Stargate-ish, with few or no actual spaceships. A bit like the old SSI Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday game.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

You should probably aim to represent ground combat on the surface of a planet. Perhaps the planet is strategically crucial or something. Games like Dawn of War tend to go with that kind of concept.

You could certainly have close combat troops (there are plenty of examples from sci-fi, e.g. Jedis, zerglings, aliens from Alien etc), plus obviously ranged troops. They could be tricky due to the lack of appropriate projectiles. Of course, for real laser weapons no projectile would be visible. Still, it would look strange not having one.

I think this will be hard. Probably you should start with just two races. Maybe something really coolly thematically opposed, a la Terrans/Zerg or Space Marines/Tyranids.

Spells would be interesting. I wonder what they would represent.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I was thinking we would represent ground combat. Also, I might as well lay down what I think should be done with ships, also tying in to planets and spells:

I, personally, think that space should have no or few people (due to lack of anywhere to put said people). Thus, planets would contain all (or almost all) of the population. The recruitable ships would likely be small and weak, though they wouldn't cost much. Also recuitable would be commander "orbital building stations", which would have magic. As all (or most) of the spells we currently have will likely be scrapped, the Conjuration line would become a "blueprint" line, which would likely start with a number of blueprints at the beginning.

Builder ships could use gems to create the more powerful ships which couldn't be launched from the planet (and can't enter a planet). There would likely be a spell to summon droves of the recruitable ships, too. I'm thinking that most of the "blueprint" spells will be national, so that both the zergrushkekeke and the size10deathstarfleet races couldn't both summon the same ships. Mercenaries could likely be included as well, as 0-resource units in space with large amounts of upkeep (different from the mercenary bidding used in-game, which would hopefully also be used).

So, for planets, should they all link to other planets (and stars) in the system? Or should one have to conquer a planet from above in order to bring men with them (or use ships that can carry a few men)? Should stars (if included as conquerable) link to all other stars, to only the nearest stars, or be essentially the same as deep space? What will we do about ground-unit commanders and items (I'm thinking we divide slots between ships and ground units, so, say, the ship might get the helmet, boot, and chest slots, but ground commanders get the hand and misc slots)? How will we scale ship power versus human power? Will this wall of text made up solely of questions ever end?

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

So, would the planets be represented by land, and space by water? Then spaceships could be aquatic. The troop carriers could grant "water breathing" to the units they commanded, hence allowing carrying troops through space. However, the troops would then be present in space combats. The only solution I can think of to this would be to have spaceships vastly superior to troops, so that troops fighting in space would be largely irrelevant (as you'd expect if troops were floating around in spacesuits, although that still doesn't explain why they got out of their transports in the first place).

The stats will look very strange on spaceships. Strength and magic resistance at least. Most of the rest are probably okay.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Sailing isn't stopped by enemy controlling the water province, is it? I thought about troop carriers "sailing" over space-seas that "aquatic" combat ships control, but I guess that's impossible.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

That was what I was thinking, that troop carriers would be able to bring units into space. Endoperez's idea could work, as well, since either way the carriers would have to be amphibious, but with sailing the problem of a small army of units leaving the carrier to unload their clips (or lasers) against the vastly superior hulls of the enemy spaceships is avoided. It might not help with cross-system expeditions, though.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Lazers, realistically speaking, are invisible, so no real worries there.

Maybe space combat, etc. should just be a non-entity for now, as has been suggested. That way, we could still represent worlds that are too hostile to life, to enter without special equipment.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

hmm troops in space could actially wear spacesuits armoured with heavy weapons (which troops can't carry on land to stay thematically) so they could fire on ships though

--> this would mean most troops would need an other form for when in water though (like oceania mages?): the interesting thing could be that all troops would be similar in space (water) while there could be vastly different in power on the ground.

(though I'd say militia should still be weaker in space than elites.. but the difference could be nice.. attack elite armies in space and not on land if possible so they are relatively weaker.)

you could then also make more space based races (more powerfull spacesuits) and more land based races

Troops in space province could be living in spacestations or something.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Oooh! The new patch will include the feature to set water-shapes for units. So you can have space-suited versions of units. For some they might be more powerful, like Aezeal says. For others they might be inactive. Perhaps bio-creatures change into chrysalids/spores in space, so they can't actually fight. Or humans might just be in little shuttle-pods, again unable to effectively fight.

That would be very cool.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

posts with Like Aezeal says are are good.. listen to them http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Well, I guess we might as well figure out what's going to happen. All of these methods of troop transport through space sound good, really. Which one should we use?

Also, how will we divide work (or will one person basically do everything)? What will we be aiming to do first, second, third, etc.? What should we aim for in the first playable version (the full thing, or the bare bones, or something in between)? Have we even discussed the specifics of most things? Will these questions ever end?!

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

If you have any modding questions, just stick them up in the thread and more experienced modders will answer.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I think the first thing to do would be to brainstorm as many nation ideas as possible, and start narrowing them down.

I also think we should start working on a Damn Big Map, and ideas for how we want it to look, and function.

As far as a working level of playability-Ideally, the nations we come up with ought to be playable against the existing ones. On the same level atleast. No need to re-invent the wheel, we just want to take the wheel into space.

I definitely want to be an active partner in the project, but I'm not going to be the one doing everything, because that's just not realistic of my abilities and time.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I don't think that's a good idea before you have any idea of what the nations will be or how they will work. Even if they happen to be somewhat playable, they'd look very silly if the fights were supposed to take place in space or underwater, and then I'd expect abilities such as flight and perhaps resistances and AoE abilities would also be quite common.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I was going to make this huge post detailing specifics for a bunch of different ideas, but then I realized that basically all one needs to do is mix-and-match stereotypes (Technologically advanced lizards! Warlike bugs! Fast-breeding birds! Fish descended from an ancient galaxy-spanning civilization!) in order to produce ideas. Not all of them will be good, but it's just brainstorming.

Also, I doubt the nations for Dom3k will be comparable with normal nations, since some might have incredible ships but horrible land units while some might have an incredible planetary army but practically no space-faring navy. Using the same basic averages (an average unit has 10 attack, 10 defense, 10 defense, etc.) would be a good idea though.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I'd like to have an active part in development, idea's for the setting and races, mostly developing a race..

but I can't do graphics but if someone with a gift for graphics would work with me I'd love to do my part

I'm doing my part (starship troopers)

PS for the space transport I really think letting the troops have SOME function would be good.. letting them just sit in space might be getting boring (if for some reason the "much stronger" ships etc would target them first then loosing your ship which is firing on the troops might be cost effective.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Even if the lasers are going to be invisible, you should consider trying to give them some sort of "hit" art, so you can at least tell what they're pointing at...

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

That's perfectly feasible, because flying and hit animations are independent. There are some missile weapons that work like that, like Starspawn mind burn.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I made a chart http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/7575/achartua4.jpg

Please excuse the general nastiness, it was made in "Microsoft Spreadsheet" (I thought it was Excel, but I guess not) and then tinkered with in Paint. But anyways, yeah. There are ninety possible options (9*10), which is more than we need. Also, since this chart definitely doesn't have every good idea for a nation on it, I encourage not using it. It doesn't even have a "zerg-like" or "enslaves other species" option. In fact, it doesn't have a lot of things.

But anyways, I'm going to go pop this open in paint and see if I can find any good ideas in this mess of fish that live underground and cold-blooded lizards that live in a perpetual tundra.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Don't forget: Energy based creatures, fungi (from Yuggoth or otherwise), molluscs/cephalopods, copper-based critters, parasites/symbiotes/multiorganisms, trichordates, artificial life, Incertae Seris, and Bizarre/Extra-dimensional/Other. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Like I said, this chart doesn't cover anywhere near every possible awesome idea. Though it has given me a few good ones http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

When I think I have some really awesome ideas to pitch, I'll be back (also it's late at night and I have summerwork to do still). In the meantime, feel free to throw in any awesome ideas you (and by you I mean everyone not just you, HB) can come up with. Do you think your crazed mutant cyborg killer plant-people from a world that alternates between 2500 and 10 degrees Kelvin can make the cut? Why not tell everyone about them!

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I think I'm going to base the nations I come up with on early (1850's through the 1950s, roughly) sci fi, and make a push that atleast more of the "core" nations follow that trend-this is in keeping with the idea of extending Dominions in to a fictional "future" that is also based on our real world (in this case sci-fi, as opposed to fantasy) "mythology".

If that makes any sense?

Not that I want things to be limited, but that ideas spread out from the golden era of sci fi, hopefully in a way that-again like Dom3-entertains, but also seeks to educate a bit.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

From mechanical standpoint, what about making MA Ulm, in space!, that actually works?

Very cheap basic units and ships with high resource cost. Low base stats. Very good special abilities (protection, magic resistance, magitech can help in important resistance and encumberance problems). Elite units are very expensive but have good stats/weapons in addition to sharing the abilities of base units.

Could be base human race, or telekinetic space pineapples in mechanical bodies, or something else.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I strongly suggest starting with just 2 races, or even just 1. That can be the prototype, which gets all the basic ideas worked out. (You can have two copies of that race, so that test games would be possible.)

A good one to start with might be Humans/Terrans. You know, marines, maybe some mechs/tanks, and reasonably non-weird spaceships.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I can't really help much there, then. All I can say is that apparently, H.G. Wells has written books featuring Grey-like beings. What, did you really think you'd get away without including the Greys? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Also, is it just me, or has JimMorrison not replied to this thread yet?

Not including humans would be like a map of the world that left out Canada.

Alright, so that might have been a bad analogy. But the point remains, why would we leave out humans? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Er, what does that mean?

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Flying telekenetic squid-creatures! They can octuple wield!

Creatures with eyes on their arms so they can fire from behind cover without exposing vital parts of their anatomy!

As a thought, one of the things you could use magic for could be ship functions. For example, you might need to use a spell to fire missiles, and that takes a gem. Then you have to cast another spell using a different kind of gem so you can fire missiles again (in this example firing a missiles causes huge amounts of fatigue).

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

It means I need to double check before I post. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

OK I need someone to volunteer to do graphs and I'll create a race!

I agree with llama, start with 2 races THEN get more..

so we'll need someone else to make the other race http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

What race are you thinking of making?

You could try using Starcraft sprites. They're probably about the right size.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I can get started on graphs. Give me a list of what we need, and don't expect art http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

using starcraft sprites is probably illegal (copyrights?) so I doubt it's a good thing you are advertising it.

How ever if it's NOT illegal then it should be done ASAP http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Which race.. well I think starting with something basic would be best: humans, easier on the graphs too.

PS I think rhyeley should used in the near future too.. but they are a bit different so not best used as one fo the first (balance thingie)

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Actually, using the Cthulhu Mythos could be an interesting idea. Though none of it is really science fiction, the Mythos does feature several star-spanning empires, not to mention the Great Old Ones (the Mythos gods, who are numerous (for gods), mind-shattering, and powerful). A race of Deep Ones, or Elder Things, or Yithians, or perhaps flying polyps, or who knows all of them combined in some terrible orgy of madness, non-Euclidian geometry, and insignificantness.

Now I really want to do this.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Setting: dominions in space
general assumptions (which could of course be changed if pplz disagree) I've made
- words water and space are equal
- more ranged combat
- generally longer ranges for ranged combat
- armour more like LA
- more AP damage
- troops have a waterform in space
- large spaceships (water only)
- shuttles (amphibious)
- pplz in space live in space on space stations (some aliens might not but whatever)
- more water provs relatively low pop but doesn't HAVE to be
- more mines in space (meteorfield with nice resources ( this is used a lot in game.. even though I think planets would be much more resourcefull.. but it's better for balance I think to use it too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif)
- maps: clusters of planets around a sun (say 5) which ALL have land move options between them between those clusters only space, no land travel options to next star system

Humans/Ulm in space: (a more catchy name: "space marines" 'n stuff will follow): I'm thinkin on moddeling it a bit (no correct that: the basis will be A LOT based on WH40K)

Weak statted ground troops but with decent tech level for their guns (in space h2h will have to be lower on the priority list)

basic human militia:
7 gc, 1 resc (extra cheap due to no watershape)
hp 10
prot 0
morale 8
mr 10
enc 3
str 10
att 8
def 8
prec 10
map 1
AP 10

weapon: pistol (or laspistol) damage 10 AP (strength doesn't count), range 50, 2 resc
basic armour (prot 5, 2 resc
basic shield (prot 10, 1 resc)
basic helmet (prot 5, 1 resc)

no watershape
------------------------------

marine (light inf/soldier)
10 gc, 1 resc
hp 10
prot 0
morale 10
mr 10
enc 3
str 10
att 10
def 10
prec 11
map 1
AP 10

weapon: lasgun damage 15 AP (strength doesn't count), range 60 (resc 3)
medium armour (prot 10 resc 2)
basic shield (prot 10 resc 1)
medium helmet (prot 10 resc 2)

watershape

same stats
same armour
different gun
Heavy gun 20 AP damage, range 60

--------------------------------

heavy marine (elite heavy veteran soldier)
hp 11
prot 0
morale 11
mr 10
enc 3
str 11
att 12
def 12
prec 11
map 1
AP 10

weapon: lasgun damage 15 AP (strength doesn't count), range 60 (resc 4)
heavy armour (prot 15, resc 3)
heavy shield (prot 15, resc 2)
tactical helmet (prot 10 + 1 precision, resc 3)

watershape

same stats
same armour
different gun:
Heavy gun 20 AP damage, range 60
--------------------------------------------

So hows that to start with?
so pics needed for this are

3x armoured human troops with increasingly heavy gear
2x space suit armoured with heavy weapons but one heavier than the other.

PS Which numbers should I use for weapons and troops with I make my dm file?

Also we need someone who will start making a map if noone volunteers I'll make a REAL nasty looking 2 player map with 3 star systems of 7 planets and between that loads of space (a very very black map that will be)

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Yeah, using Starcraft sprites is probably illegal, but frankly I hardly think Blizzard are going to care. If anything we'd be creating advertising for Starcraft 2. More importantly if they cracked down on the mod, we'd just be back where we started (with no graphics). So I suggest using them, at least as standins. Because if you do, you'll have a working mod in minutes. If you don't, I think it's possible you're going to have problems getting graphics together.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I might be able to make one using a map editor for another game (hey, people have done it before, why not?) I have no idea how I'd make stars though, or whether we'd want realistic star sizes or star sizes roughly equal with planets (for easier viewing). Keep in mind this would only be an image, though I could try my hand at making the map proper too.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I should probably exclude the star. If you have a star you need crazy distances and scales. Why not just have a planet with several moons. Or, say, a pair of planets orbiting each other, with lots of moons of various sizes.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

That's a good idea too, though I envisioned a map with several solar systems and planets consisting of multiple provinces (4-5, maybe). A few really big planets (comparatively) and some smaller (but still comparatively large) moons could work too.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I think that-generally-maps should consist of a single province (representing inner planets) surrounded by other provinces (outer planets), and then maybe some outside of that, representing asteroid fields. "Sailing" would equate hyperspace capability, while other ships would have to go through normal deep space (where there could be lots of different space monsters)

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

personally I'd say use circles of about equal size, sun 2x as large as planets.

I think sailing isn't all that it's space and there is flight which we can give any range.. should be enough.

If specific maps would need hyperspace lanes or anything it can be modded by making 2 provs far apart neighbouring

It probably doesn't really matter though most maps would work though for balance there should be a difference for who can travel where.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Well! Thanks Darkwind for remembering how interested I was in seeing this project happen. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

But you know what I always say - The later you are getting to the party, the drunker the girls are! Wait, that has no relevance here..... Regardless, it's sound wisdom to help you in life! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif


Okay, before I do a brief outline of all of the ideas that I had knocking around in my head (many of which I touched on in the original thread), I just have to say, R'lyeh is IN! The more of this thread I read, the more shocked I was at their lack of mention, until it finally happened and I cried out in pure joy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif They're Illithid Starspawns - the perennial space aliens of Dominions, excluding them would be a terrible travesty!

Beyond that, I see no reason we can't draw a lot of inspiration from popular fiction, so that the majority of the tough mental work can go towards making the mod WORK. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif For example Predators (per the movies), Klingons (duh), Kilrathi (Wing Commander), Protoss/Eldar (you seriously believe Protoss weren't already ripped off from 40K? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif), and the various and sundry races from games like MoO, Ascendancy, and Galactic Civ should give plenty of templates that can be made as similar or as generic as we want them to be. Also, it could be very cool to have 2 human factions, one based off of the "Evil Empire" of the Star Wars universe, while another is perhaps based off of the more Earth based human culture from Starship Troopers.


Okay, first I am going to skim through the thread again, and pick out people's ideas so I don't look like a vulture, even though many of these seem to be in posts by a guy named JimMorrison in the other thread. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

-Ground + Space battles. Planets should be in clusters of 3-4 to make "castles" (Starports?) viable. Deep space represented by Water provinces. In lieu of "water shape" (which could be incredibly awesome) then transports would have Sailing, and "Capital Ships" would be Amphib.

-Ranged Weapons: Easy enough for energy weapons to either have no graphic, or for fun use Lightning animations, or we can dig around and find existing graphics work nicely for different weapons. From a basic sense, javelins for missiles, and sling stones for mass drivers. Getting deeper we have interesting things like ice bolts for a Liquid Nitrogen Cannon, or Astral Geyser graphic to portray an orbital bombardment (think Hammer of Dawn, from Gears of War).

-Touching on Ground Combat again - I don't think ranges should be increased too much, unless movement is also increased. Else it will render close combat irrelevant, and I do like the idea of jedis and zerg-esque beasties. However it begs the question - if capital ships take part in ground battles, how do we explain a jedi running up to one and hacking away? Starships should in general have very high base protection, so ground forces must be really massed to take them down. Likewise, we should be very careful about true AOE effects. Starships alone should be poor against ground troops - by making it work both ways, you maintain relevance of combined forces, and create a need for "ground assaults" to actually take place.

-Planetary Invasion: Another thought, is if we issue Water Shapes to all the ground forces, perhaps "systems" (clusters of 3-4 usable planets) should have a province around them all, that is some sort of "extra-solar space" to keep assault forces from dropping onto the planets from out of nowhere. Space is big, it makes a bit of sense to slow down the movement of forces, making military action very strategic and deliberate.

-Regarding Stats: Stats and Gems are the only things I can think of that can't be renamed. They will require a suspension of disbelief I suppose. Although if most weapons are "Strength of Wielder Not Added", then it makes little difference, other than for the special ground melee units, and also for calculating sieging values. Gems are trickier, we can call them whatever we want to, but I believe we're not getting new names in game - so we have to pretend that our pretend gems are something else. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif

-Touching on Badger's idea of races from the golden age of sci-fi: Have at it! While I suggested that we draw many off of what is easiest (the faster we develop races, the more we can include!), if something piques anyone's interest, they should run with it. I mean, if someone wanted to do every single species in Star Wars - have fun with that, I bet you could bang them out really fast. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

-Expanding on Ground/Space combat - Starships would tend to have multiple weapons systems, and should have massive HP, and enormous firepower. In ground assaults, they can only clear 1 square at a time even at range, right? So they are balanced to be quick and dirty in ship vs ship combat, and to not be overpowering in ground combat. Most ground units should have AP weapons, and some elite units should get weapons that do 1AN damage - plasma streamers or something designed to cut through heavy armor and shoot down invading ships.

-Is there a way to make units that expend themselves on activating a certain weapon? It would be nice to be able to make some sort of WMDs, but mostly only if they are one shot use, ie you use 30 "fire gems" (wink wink) to make some sort of missile, you launch it, it blows stuff up, it's gone. I suppose that could be done with "ritual spells" still, sci-fi versions of Fires From Afar and whatnot.

-Remember, what the graphics on the map actually look like, doesn't have to have direct bearing on what is defined as a "province". Some races may even start on some enormous gas giant, or on multiple moons of that giant. The star in each system doesn't have to play any significant role - it certainly doesn't need its own province, in terms of game mechanics, it's a colorful ball of light on the map, nothing more. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

-Species specific worlds - We can make the sites in certain species' homes radiate cold or heat. "Dominion" itself shouldn't play as large a part in this. In fact, if we could alter the relative bonus/malus of shifting your temp scale to make it unattractive, then we might avoid the possibility of someone making your planet cold, from 20 light years away, "on accident". http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif Also each planet in a world would have several factors explored as far as resources (resources!), habitability (pop), and prevailing conditions (temp altering sites).

-Dominion spread will be a definite issue of some kind. In large part, due to the ridiculous idea of spreading cold or heat "through the galaxy", but also with the encapsulation of territory, dominion spread could create significant imbalances in short order. My best idea would be to make everyone act like Mictlan, with no Preaching, and Temples not providing checks. It needs to be engineered in a way that keeps people from being dominion killed through random events - I'm looking for ideas on how to make this work. <3

-Summoned/Built ships - Forgot to mention how much I like this idea. I think perhaps "items" should have a less significant role in the game, and "summons" play an even greater role. It would be nice if most of the more interesting units are not built with generic "resources" (though there will always be the dichotomy of the average infantry lifespan of 9 seconds, with the acknowledged impossibility of holding a planet without infantry!). So the challenge is to produce a dynamic where you need cheap castle chaff, but you also need to develop your summons, and really push your gem income.

-Gem income! That brings to another point, it might be a good idea to do away with single path searching spells, since this is high-tech territory. Providing an easily researched analogue of Acashic Record would insure that everyone has the ability to "Deep Scan" their available worlds early on. After the initial casts, you'd know all territory that you capture would be scanned already as well. Alternatively, since designing massive numbers of sites might become tedious and obnoxious, they could be simplified a great deal, and all of them placed at lvl 0 so they appear automatically - on the assumption that these space-faring civilizations understand how to look for needed resources.




I'll think of more later. Can someone point me to a good sprite editor? I have 0 modding experience..... So while I think I can do a good job with logistics/mechanics, I will need to inspire myself, and I thought graphics would be a great way! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif Then perhaps if someone with a little patience wants to set me to task making sites or something, I'm good with that.

Oh, does anyone want to volunteer to throw together a test map graphic? Would be small, can use cheapo copy/paste images of our own planets, and doesn't need a .map file, just the image that can be tinkered with from there.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Worrying about graphical scale seems silly to me. In relative terms, all of these systems would be just dots on the map, unless the image were 1,000,000,000,000,000 x 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 pixels large. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif So just place some planets so that they look nice, and put a colorful ball in the center. The ball can be really tiny. Like a golf ball for the star, and bowling balls for the planets. Usability of the map is much more important than graphical accuracy.


Oh and touching on Badger's last comment, I kind of like the idea of ships using hyperspace, and others having to slog through the deeps. Building on that, here's a sad alphanumerical representation of 2 neighboring systems, and how territories could be laid out-

ssssss
soooos
soppos
soppos
soooos
ssssss
soooos
soppos
soppos
soooos
ssssss

s = Deep Space
o = Outer System Space, each ring of o's represents a single "province" surrounding the system
p = Planetary Body, can be anything considered habitable/usable with sufficient technology

Warp Lanes would be reached via Outer System Space, they wouldn't lead directly from Planetary Body to Planetary Body, as you need to escape the gravity well first, and you can't just sail into all those objects, you need to slow down as you approach, and then enter the system.

Also note each s there isn't an individual Space/Sea territory, I'd imagine they would be somewhat largish, but proportions can be decided after there is a working test map drawn, that can be played with as far as movement rates go.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

hahahaha my first silly space map pic

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...cemapsmall.gif

I think the general idea is nice though all planets in a cluster are able to land travel to eachother and the space in the oval is sea prov, space outside that is deepsea and has not land travels between the systems. The 2 larger systems would be start sites and the brown stuff between them are astroids (barrier) so they can't rush to speedy

PS it's wrap-around, and is 2x as large in each dimension (till 5th) really as I have it now

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

it's ugly and bad looking but I wanted it here so when I read here and think I have some sort of idea what each troop could do where n stuff

PS I would be a lot in favor of starting with 2 races with each their own "niche" but with mechanisms that are used by all races (so no LA ermor or rhyley races which are just wacky and very different, start normal end wacky)

my 2 suggestions would be
human: weakish stats but nice weapons: in space they can even carry BIGGER weapons. Not much H2H options since they are weak

orkish/brutes/GIANTS (yes that should be it a GIANT space race... miniature giant space hamsters and a barbarian... wait I'm rambling.. just giants)
So Giants (maybe agartha is nice to go into space first --> space cyclops anyone?) who obviously are nice to do h2h (the WH40K chainsaws are always nice.. some human h2h specialists could get them too) so all of them have a h2h weapon and some gun.. they are lower tech so not so a bit less range and less damage. Their waterform would just be equal to what it was before.

In spaceships hummies would have just a bit better ships

later tanks could follow (not for the giants or agartha or whatever they'd just have some huge giant carrying an even huger missile weapon)

anyone interested in taking Agartha into space?

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

OMG I think I may be inspired to build a Zentraedi inspired species for this.

Then an Invid after that - so sweet.

Any objections to one of the "gems" being referred to as Protoculture? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif


(Edit: forgot comments about the map!)

Two things about the map..... I assume that the red is province borders? I'm thinking there don't need to be so many Deep Space provinces, it could make slogging through Deep Space into something that is avoided at all costs, rather than being used to good strategic effect at all times.

Also I don't think it's a good idea to seal up each planet inside of Inner Space territories like that. It will complicate the consolidation and deployment of resources in the system - and simulates a ridiculously ponderous battle for any given system. I mean, maybe ponderous won't seem ridiculous when it comes down to it, just saying first impression is that it detrimental to not have Planet provinces bordering eachother within the system.

Otherwise I like it as a first go at illustrating what a map would look like. Good basic layout, just not sure on the province borders just yet. Maybe I should bust out the old PhotoShop7 and see what I can come up with. If I can just find the disc.....

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

One comment about your earlier stats aezeal... you gave elite infantry better melee abilities without better precision, and they didn't even have melee weapons. I think skill in this is largely going to be represented by precision. Also the armor stats seemed far too weak, as basically if anyone ever got shot they would die. I also think that precision should be higher in general for the mod than basegame as it is a lot easier to shoot something with a gun than with a bow.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

Can I assume this means that I can go ahead with my terrible orgy of madness and non-Euclidian geometry? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

I'm surprised someone else here as heard of Ascendancy. I think it's a great game, and I was thinking we might want to borrow some of the concepts there.

If we can remove random events, one solution would be to just remove Dominion-altering events that would prevent dominion kill. As to making sure that people don't change the temperature of empty space or other planets simply by wishing it to be so, we could force nations to have a specific pretender setup and have national sites (or preset sites, in the case of non-homeworld worlds) alter the heat/cold scales of the world (I think I'm leaning more towards one-province worlds now, for easier site-setting time and to allow a greater diversity of worlds).
I'm glad you liked my idea (or was that one of the ideas also posited by this JimMorrison fellow? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif ). What I was thinking was that the stronger, more cost-efficient ships would only be able to be accessed through summoning (and the strongest of ships would be unable to enter land, meaning that a fleet of smaller ships would be necessary to guard the space-worthy landlubbers as they fly through space to take enemy planets). Thus, someone relying only on recruitable ships would likely be very weak compared to someone using summoned ships as well (or summoned ships only, for that matter).

Also, please excuse me for ignoring most of your post. That's a big post and I don't want this to devolve into huge posts quoting posts that quote posts which quote multiple posts all quoting one giant post.

Re: Dominions 3000 (tentative name)
 

I'm thinking all races should get a certain earthgem income and some lvl 0 starting summons for ships summonable. Each race could then also get race specific summons.

Maybe a few recruitables too?

Jim.. I specifically said all planets in a system would need to be neighbours too.