Exotic Resources by: Paul Zimmerman
quote:
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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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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Paper #06 (EXOTIC RESOURCES) by: Paul Zimmerman
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