Paper #06 (EXOTIC RESOURCES) by: Paul Zimmerman

[Atrocities]

Exotic Resources by: Paul Zimmerman

quote:

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The current 'hidden' resource system in Space Empires is much better than a tedious micro-management system -- like the one used in Stars! -- where you have to actually move the resources to the location where ships will be constructed yourself. The over-head associated with direct resource management is just not worth the trouble to most people even if it gives a "realistic" feel to the game. But for every advantage there is a corresponding disadvantage as trade-off.

Exotic minerals could give you more durable ships that require less maintenance or could make your shipyards more efficient, increasing production rates (equivalent to Hardy Industrialists).
Exotic radioactives could make your ships' fuel more powerful, meaning less supply usage (equivalent to Advanced Power Conservation) or perhaps they could be faster (equivalent to Propulsion Experts). Or both. Or perhaps your weapons could be more powerful, doing more damage or getting a range boost.
Exotic Organics could make your entire population healthier, giving increased reproduction rates, decreased effects of plagues (possibly immunity to lower level plagues like the Medical Lab in Organic Techs), and even increased happiness.

As a matter of realism there probably ought to be some sort of 'delay' in the effects of these exotic resources. I can't see how you'd gain the ability to build a new technology 'over-night' because of finding a special material. Nor can I see how you'd instantly run out of supplies of that material on the same day the source was conquered by an enemy. Perhaps a one or two turns delay in these effects would be intelligent.

These features would make for vastly more exciting game play. Having to keep control of a very specific location to maintain your empire's techological abilities makes for a much more difficult game situation than being able to pick up and move mining, farming, and industrial centers with billions of population like they were rootless nomads and have no discernable effect on your empire's abilities or morale.

Since I am not familiar with the actual source code of Space Empires IV I cannot reliably predict how difficult it would be to include this in the current Version.

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For full story, read Acadamy

Forgive me, but who is Paul Zimmerman? I mean, this is an interesting article, and I would love to read more such articles. Richard, is this the product of the search for good writers you did a couple of months ago?

To be honest, Exotic Resources is an intreging idea, and one that would, on face value, add an interesting elimate to SEIV as races searched for and then fough over control of said Exotic Resources or more specifically, an Elimate like (Metaphasic Radation, Corzanium, Black Matter, etc)

I have a list of ideas here, but I will hold off until others comment.


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New Age Ship Yards

"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Captain Picard STNG

Borg Breen Species 8472 Cardassian Dominion STNG Ferengi Klingon Romulan
Trek Movie era TOS Illuminati Starwolf Rogue Fleet SS Tutorial

[chewy027]

well if you really want to make it interesting then implement the system that civ 3 uses. Then resorces would be real important, you wouldn't have to truck them around and trading would become a lot more important.

[jimbob]

It sure seems outside the current SEIV system, but it would be Tres Chic! The possibilities would be nearly endless, and trade and piracy would take on incredible importance. Imagine...

... you're the only one with access to 'spice' (Dune). You trade it at great profit, but in truth you do it out of fear that others will come after you if you don't.
Then one day the universe does come after you. Once you've lost the planet though, you've lost your main source of power. The good news? Nobody's trying to kill you now!

I'd love to make some addictive resources. Improves your planetary happiness for a while, but if you ever run out, the riots will bring your empire to it's knees.

-jimbob

[Mark Walton]

I was trying to think of a way to do something like this, and the best I came up with was:

Create many new racial techs which players are not allowed to choose.

Create Neutral races which use these techs.

Each tech allows immediate creation of facilities, components, maybe even hull styles which are:
not available any other way;
much more useful/powerful than normal starting tech (even advanced tech).

So, these AI's can create these wonderful features, but players can not. Players can negotiate, conquer, or steal the techs but can't make any more of their own. It may be that there is only one world in the galaxy with particular facilities.

I haven't got as far yet as designing the actual techs involved, just outlining the plan.

With this type of setup, there might be serious competition to be friends with a particular Neutral AI - protecting them from other players conquering them, etc.

[Menschenfresser]

Or Jimbob...you park a planet destroyer in orbit and become an untouchable.

(Given that destroying a planet with special resources also destroys the special resource.)

That would be ultra cool.

[Suicide Junkie]

Very nice.

You would also have to take good care of all those ships you buy from the neutral, since the special components can't be repaired (unless you give the ship back).

Some ideas:
- 1% maintenance component (as in P&N nomads)
- Organic Armor style regenerating internals.
- "Infinite PD" cannon. Very expensive, range 1, but has a reload of zero, thus destroying absolutely any unit that comes in range. Will likely use up all your supplies in the process.
- Perfect Simulators. Facility (or base component, so it can be sold easily) that allows training upto 50%.
- Distributed MC. Ship cannot be captured by Psy Subverters, since the MC ability is built into the hull. (Still requires normal C&C to be designed in)
- Ship-based Massive Energy Lens. Large (~750KT) component which adds lots (~500) shields to all ships in the system.

[Mark Walton]

Yes repair would be a problem, but it would keep players interested in the neutral, AND identify the neutrals as a source of a player's power.

You would probably have an arrangement to trade the ships in for new ones when they get hurt...

[jimbob]

For special components I can see this as being valuable... only they can make them. But then, how do we make the neutral (computer) player smart enough to actually trade with anyone else? Plus, there is no way of upgrading a few of the components on a ship... so we would have to content ourselves with buying ships with special components but crummy shields (for example). The crummy shields could never be upgraded without losing the special component... er, unless it was built into the hull!?

With facilities it would be easier, just drop some troops on the planet. Of course if you damage the facilities during pre-ground combat bombardment you've made yourself a problem. But otherwise, the special facilities are not going to help you at all.

So, would it actually be possible to do any of this without hard-code changes?

-jimbob

[jimbob]

yeah, I know, my Last post made less sense than even my regular comments I'm trying again, though I promise nothing.

This is the way my fevered mind sees it.
If the 'buyer' acquires a ship with a special component on it from a neutral race (or anyone else for that matter) they will not be able to upgrade other components of the acquired ship because they cannot design an upgrade that still has the special component.

So, for the components to be 'usefully transferable' they would need to be an integral part of the hull. Then the 'buyer' could upgrade the components on the ship without losing the special ability. So every special component would actually have to be a new hull type.

But! the 'buyer' cannot make that hull type, so they cannot upgrade that hull type, so they're stuck with crummy ships from the neutral player! Argg.

This is why I think we can only accomplish successful trade of 'special commodities' through hard-code changes.

-jimbob

[Suicide Junkie]

Oh, not at all, jimbob!

Part of the price of those awesome ships is the fact that you have to give the neutral all your tech . The neutral player gets shields level 10, and you get your ship with all the latest shields.

I've got a Merchant race, that takes all the racial techs. In order to be allowed future purchases, you must give me some Tech.
I use the tech to build the ships, which you then buy. (First one is free, because of the tech gift)
People trade racial techs to me, and I give 'em organic/crystalline armored psy-subverter and TimeDistortionBurst armed Dreadnaughts with a Talisman for good luck.
In P&N, they get all the crossover techs too

PS: anybody who holds back with the techs, loses their ship-purchasing priviledges.

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 15 November 2001).]