[jimbob]

Hmmm...

I agree, planets should just stick with the happiness rating. The change I'd like to see is an effect on intel projects (ie planetary rebellion). Intel success should depend in some way on the happiness rating of the planet. This makes minor attacks like "anarchy Groups" important - you have to soften up the target a little to drive happiness down. Right now it's just a little too easy to get planets to rebel. Does anyone use "anarchy Groups"?

Now, I don't know anything about programming, so maybe I'm asking to have my cake and eat it too, but here are my (not humble enough) opinions on Morale...

- I think morale should be ship based, each ship with it's own morale rating.
- I don't think fleet effects are important. Besides, would your morale improve if you were assigned to the *one* ship that didn't get shore leave? Now if we had leaders, admirals, legendary captains, I'd expect a fleet effect of some sort.
- morale should be a separate value from experience, simply because morale and experience are two different creatures. My fear would be that uninformed players will wonder "why are my ships losing training?!" but never really figure out why they're getting the snot kicked out of their fleets.
- there should definitely be facilities that affect morale. Shore leave has been mentioned... how about giant casino's or resort facilities? Maybe a component like holodeck (also mentioned previously) or lounge. Could shore leave be like mothballing a ship... the crew is away so it sits dead in space during combat?
- perhaps racial attributes like 'happiness' or 'environmental resistance' could act as modifiers to morale. Would it be difficult to introduce a new racial attribute 'morale'?
Emotionless could definitely use some... usefulness. I hope it will be modified to affect morale significantly.
- the things that affect planetary happiness, like planet losses or plague should affect the morale of all ships equally. Likewise wars and battles lost.

Those are the things I'd like introduced. The most important to me is the potential effect on intel projects. There is nothing more anoying than losing a ship with 40% experience (in a very happy empire) to mutiny. What could posses the crew to mutiny when everything is going so well for them?

Just my thoughts

Jimbob

[This message has been edited by jimbob (edited 10 October 2001).]