[dogscoff]

Phoenix-D - Go for it, I would love to see this implemented. Although personally I wouldn't even bother with different levels / post industrial species- We already have neutrals.

Using the racial area (Like P&N does) would probably solve the starting facilities problem - if not maybe you could create "dummy" facilities that the AI recognises as research centres, space yards etc but which don't act like regular spaceyards / research centres.

Also, I'm starting to think that "Pre-industrial" would be a better word than "primitive". Just because a species hasn't developped global pollution and weapons of mass destruction doesn't necessarily mean they're "primiitve."

Don't know if I agree with giving primitives extra techs. Why not just use ruins planets? For me a massive boost in population and another atmosphere ability would be reason enough to conquer them a P-I species.
I would also enjoy getting them to surrender without a fight, then shipping their medieval troop units off to fight against 25th century technology. Heheheheh.

Also, P-Is are not just there for conquering: You might for some reason be unable to send a fleet to glass & recolonise / conquer their world, in which case you could trade with them for
a few resources and valuable resupply rights.

Fianlly, I thought of a better description for the pre-industrial resupply depot. Since it wouldn't be used unless the P-Is had a good treaty with a spacefaring empire, the description could read something like:
"Friendly spacefaring empires use local resources and labour to maintain a crude resupply facility."
This helps to explain how a pre-industrial society could supply an orbiting ship with ionised plasma and guided missiles. You could just leave it out but I think this facility is important because it gives you another reason to be friendly with P-Is rather than just glass them.

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"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"Uh, I think so Brain, but how are we gonna teach a goat to dance with flippers on? "


[This message has been edited by dogscoff (edited 04 May 2001).]