Trade Federation Role Play for Neutral non AI Player

[Gryphin]

The purpose of this thread is to discuss the various aspects of a non AI player acting as the leader of the "Trade Federation"
This Role would be as:
Swiss Bank, Broker, Negotiator, Scrap Dealler, Resource Storage, Arms Dealler, and who knows what else.
I posted an early Version of my ideas in the "extremely silly quesiton" thread.
Above is a refined Version. Here is a link to the same one at my web site. I will update it as ideas come in here or email.

http://www.windingstream.com/se/trade_federation.htm

I'd like to thank dmm who came up with the idea for the "Trade Federation". Since it was his idea, I asked him if he would like to start the thread or if he minded if I did.

[Gryphin]

Trade Federation? Ideas for SE
I. Purpose:
a. To trade / sell Resources, Technology, Intel, Ships etc to / with other races.
b. To store Resources at a fair, ”Storage Charge”
c. To be “Gifted” ships that have run out of resources.
II. Racial Makeup:
a. Ancient Race
i. Would give knowledge of the Quadrant.
ii. Would give knowledge of “Ruins”
1. These could be Exchanged
b. Traders = Gives 5 percent more Trade Revenue
c. Political Savvy - As many points as possible
i. Would Increase Revenue from Trade
With those settings and 5000 Racial Points there are 1500 points left over. This allows some customizing for the FT player
III. Possible Rules:
a. May not initiate war
b. Can cancel treaties with other races for any reason
c. Can refuse to deal with races
d. Can refuse any Trade
e. Can apply a ”Storage Charge” up to 2 percent per month. (Just a random number pulled out of thin air) Ideas Anyone? On what the “fair ”Storage Charge” would be?
f. Would be allowed to colonize and develop any planet that had Ruins on it.
g. It could not claim the system. FT could Sell the planet if it chose to.
i. An agreement to return the existing population to the FT or pay for their “Consulting services” on a planet.
ii. Restrictions to this may be: Planets in question could not contain: Mining, Intel, or…. Ideas Anyone?
h. When Gifted ships that have run out of supply
i. An additional “Covering Cost” may be charged to cover the expense of Retrieving or destroying the ship in question.
ii. Ship could also be Traded or Sold to another race “As Is” or after repair.
i. FT could act as a “Broker”, (for a charge of course), in trades between two untrusting races.
i. It would be gifted the items in question
ii. Only pass them on if it was correct.
j. FT could maintain a “Repair / Refuel” fleet of “Tenders”
i. They would go to a “Gifted” ship
ii. Repair or refuel
iii. Gift it back.

Some thoughts:
This looks like it will be a lot of actual “Spread Sheet” work for the FT player.

More ideas anyone?

[Batman]

Sounds like the Bentusi from Homeworld/Homeworld Cataclysm.

The Bentusi were nomadic (I think); maybe your Trade Fed should be too.

Also, the Bentusi were near unattackable but had a very detached, serene demeanor. Maybe something that should be encouraged for the TF?

[dmm]

Lots of good ideas. Would allow very quick exploration of galaxy if you could pay the TF to allow your ship to refuel at TF planet/base. Maybe you would have to "gift" it to TF (along with payment), who would fleet it with a base to refuel it, then "gift" it back.

Actually, I wish you could make agreements with a player to allow refueling or safe passage for a specific ship/fleet. This would be more realistic. As it is, you have to get a Military Alliance, which gives total access to each other's space -- something you both are usually opposed to. So the TF helps with this.

[dmm]

I think only the "storage charge per turn" would lead to spreadsheet. You could make it instead a one-time charge per storage transaction. Then you just have to add and subtract from player and TF accounts, which you could do with pencil and paper.

The main thing that TF needs is galactic email to set up deals.

[Gryphin]

dmm and folks,
A one-time charge would be easier.
It would still be nessasary to track who gave how much.
I guess it would be up to an agreement between the FT and all of the players how much detail to track.
I will implement this and see how it works.

Update:
So far with my “Assistant” playing the FT and 1 Race while I play two races the FT is able to stay ahead of the curve. For the most part she is learning a lot about the game and how to use a spread sheet.

[geoschmo]

I have lost track of the previous thead you all were discussing this in, so sorry if I am repeating something someone else has already said.

Another useful service the TF could provide would be repair/upgrade services for ships that are not near a space yard. This would have the side benefit of being a way for the TF to accquire tech as the contracting race would need to supply the TF with the technology so they could repair/upgrade the components on the ship.

This of course could present problems with Racial techs, unless you devise a way that allows the TF to have access to all the racial traits. It might be possible by allowing them to spend 5000 racial points at startup, and decreasing a lot of the other characteristics. The other players would still be limited to 2 or 3 K, whichever the game is set to. If this doesn't work you can use mod files at startup for this, or use a mod that allows racial tech to be gifted/traded/stolen, but not researched.

Is the idea that the TF would be super powerful to prevent attack, or just make it economically stupid for another race to attack them?

Geoschmo

[Gryphin]

geoschmo,
You need never apologies to us. Without you, I’d still be losing to the Phong, (Ok, I still lose to the Phong but not as often).

“Another useful service the TF could provide would be repair/upgrade services for ships that are not near a space yard. This would have the side benefit of being a way for the TF to acquire tech as the contracting race would need to supply the TF with the technology so they could repair/upgrade the components on the ship.”
Great idea, this will be implemented.

In terms of Racial Traits it could be premised they are beyond the capacity of the TF to research. It would be a “Limitation”.
I guess others could mod it but it is beyond my ability.
Anybody?
Repairs could be made to standard items such as Engines so the ship could get back to base. The other option would be to Gift a ship with Repair Bays to the race in question. The Service Ship would be gifted back

Artificial Rules Section:
It would be an understanding by all players not to attack the Trade Federation.
All races would be required to Gift FT Comm Channels to all races they make Contact with regardless of Treaty status =>. “Non Aggression” treaties to be established => Reduce / avoid accidental combat

[geoschmo]

Ok, here is my suggested racial setup for the Trade Federation. This can be done with no mod files, but it requires 5000 racial points. You don't have to have a 5000 point racial game though. You set the racial points to what you want in game settings, add in all the players to verify they haven't exceeded that, and then you change the racial settings for the game to 5000 and add in the Trade Federation race.

Advanced Traits:
Natural Merchants, Advanced Storage Techniques, and ALL FIVE racial tech traits.

Physical Characteristics:
Physical Strength - 50% The Trade Federation will not make war. If attacked it will use it's considerable economic influence to bring the other empires of the galaxy to it's defense.

Intelligence - 50% The Trade Federation will not need to research, as it will accuire technology though trade and gifts frmo the other races of the galaxy.

Cunning - 50% See Strength

Environmental Resistance - 50% The only negative effect this will have is on reproductive rate, which will not be an important factor fot the Trade Federation.

Reproduction - 91% The Trade Federation will have colonies all over the galaxy, but not very many. Their object is to have widely dispersed cololonies. Population levels are not important. But if additional population is needed they can be accquired from other empires.

Happiness - 110% Needed to offset the lack of ships and defenses the TF will have. Plus, wouldn't you be happy with all that money?

Aggresivness and Defensivness - 75% for both. See Strength

Political Savvy - 123% This is their bread and butter.

Vocational Aptitudes:

All of these at 100%, except Refining at 99% because I needed 25 more points.

Of course this is just my suggestion. I also suggest they be a race that breaths the none aptmosphere. This will allow them to maximize the use of the moons for their outPosts, which seems appropriate IMHO.

In fact I think it would be appropriate that the TF player strive to achieve a widely scattered "empire" of tiny planets, moons and bases in strategic locations and abandon their homeworld. Or at least get to the point where the homeworld becomes unimportant to the survival of the TF overall. This will be their greatest defense against attack. Since no one will be storng enough to attack them everywhere at once and wipe them out before political pressure of the other empires can be brought to bear.

Of course there will come a point in the game where one empire may get strong enough that he is immune to this pressure and thus can pressure the TF. But that's life.

Geoschmo

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by The High Gryphin:
Artificial Rules Section:
It would be an understanding by all players not to attack the Trade Federation.
All races would be required to Gift FT Comm Channels to all races they make Contact with regardless of Treaty status =>. “Non Aggression” treaties to be established => Reduce / avoid accidental combat

I would be more flexible on these points personally. Allow players to be hostile if they choose to the TF, but if they so choose they will have to face the consequences of their actions. Either by loss of TF services, embargo, or outright military intervention of the other empires.

I would also not require races to gift the TF contact to everyone. Let them bargin with this if they prefer. It is a valuable commodity. Let them sell this access if they can get a price for it. The TF will be attempting to reach every other race but it will take some time. This is one way races could get an advantage over each other by interfering in this process.

Sure the races that start next to the TF would have an early advantage, but this advantage would not Last all that long and wouldn't be all that great becasue the TF would be starting out at the same tech level as the other races. And the TF could pressure them to allow the access to be granted as well.

Would make the game a little less passive, a little more interesting. IMHO

Geoschmo

[ June 11, 2002, 15:55: Message edited by: geoschmo ]