>wow, we dont even get direct responses from >Aaron, and this forum is dedicated to his game!
A principle I have always used when I was a small private shareware development house is that all my players/customers have direct access to me, to ask questions, share thoughts, give glowing compliments, etc. I believe it's how all software dev. houses should be.
>Pardon my off the cuff wisecracks on your name, >I only wanted to take the opportunity to dig at >the 3000AD fiasco.
Oh I knew that.
It's a fiasco I hear that's actually STILL going on, albeit in a small forum/newsgroup. And I also heard that the new Millenium Battlecruiser was a buggy, unfinished flop. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
(Pardon my slight nastiness.)
>And is it possible for you to leak just a >couple more details on how your economic modle >will work?
I should state that the game is not intended to be an extremely serious economic sim, but more of a fun, light strat game with a layer of more realistic economic sim underneath.
The basic setup of IT1 (refined a bit in IT2) is:
At the start of the game, each planet is given an internal market demand "curve" rating, which influences how often or fast a given planet's commodities prices go up or down, and how subject to sudden swings it is. Each of the 200+ items in the game are also given a random "rarity" rating internally as well (5 kinds: Ultra-Rare, Very Rare, Rare, Uncommon, and Common). The item assignments are balanced so that only a few items are given the Ultra-Rare status, they're hard to find on sale, but trade for a very high price.
As you play the game, the system adjusts for changing economies, random events (items can suddenly become very rare, or an accident can occur that raises the market "curve" or a random event that "floods" the market can lower the curve, and certain items can become Ultra-Rare overnight through another random event (you'll be informed if this happens). Over the course of the game, the rarities of items can change as well. The status screen also can have a news event sometimes that will help you with what items are becoming rare, or which planet is offering the lowest (or highest) prices. Your actions don't usually directly impact the prices themselves; this is more of a player adjusting to the market type model.
Should be an entertaining and interesting game for all, hopefully.